SPECTRA features innovative & award-winning poets from across the country with Quad Cities-based poets & writers at Rozz-Tox (2108 3rd Avenue Rock Island, IL), unless otherwise indicated.
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SPECTRA Lives! & celebrates 20 years of Young Emerging Writers with a showcase on 7/24
SPECTRA Reading Series: Young Emerging Writers 20th Anniversary Showcase
What: SPECTRA Reading Series, featuring Young Emerging Writers 20th Anniversary Showcase
When: Thursday, July 24
Time: Social at 6:00 p.m., YEW Interns Reading at 7:00 p.m., YEW Staff Reading at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Rozz-Tox (2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL)
Cost: Free & Open / $5 suggested donation to support youth writing programs at MWC
SPECTRA Lives!
The Quad Cities’ longest running reading series celebrates 20 years of The Young Emerging Writers Program (YEW) with a showcase of selected YEW 2025 interns and staff on Thursday, July 24 at Rozz-Tox (2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL).
The event will start at 6pm with a social hour, followed by the Young Emerging Writers showcase. First, ten of this year’s 23 interns, selected by their peers, will read at 7:00 p.m., previewing some of the work that will appear in The Atlas annual literary magazine published by YEW each year, which will be released on August 14 (pre-orders will be available). Then, YEW staff will be close out the reading at 8:00 p.m. Back issues of The Atlas will be available for $5/copy, as well as other MWC Press books.
Event will be livestreamed and archived to Midwest Writing Center’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/midwestwritingcenter
Space is limited for this special event. SPECTRA events are forever free and open to the public, with a $5 suggested donation to support youth writing programs at MWC.
For more information, or for media queries, please contact Sarah Elgatian,
Funding and material support for the 2025 Young Emerging Writers Summer Internship Program generously provided by the Illinois Arts Council, Modern Woodmen of America, the Regional Development Authority, the Scott County Regional Authority, the Tim Curry Endowment for Youth Writing Programs at the Quad City Community Foundation, the CD Wiman Memorial Trust, Carlisle Ryan Digital Printing Solutions, the Rock Island Public Library, and Rozz-Tox.
The SPECTRA Reading Series is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council.
The SPECTRA Reading Series is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council.
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We’ll continue to update the 2025 SPECTRA schedule soon! Please check back and join the SPECTRA Facebook group for updates on our events and other readings, workshops, etc. from all over the country!