The SPECTRA Reading Series, voted a top 10 reading series in the Midwest by LitBridge, returns to Rozz-Tox on Friday the 13th of March with three of the most exciting poets working in America today: Noah Eli Gordon, Mathias Svalina, and Joshua Marie Wilkinson.
Noah Eli Gordon is the author of eight books, including The Year of the Rooster (Ahsahta Press, 2013), The Source (Futurepoem, 2011), and Novel Pictorial Noise (Harper Perennial, 2007), which was selected by John Ashbery for the National Poetry Series and subsequently chosen for the San Francisco State Poetry Center Book Award. He is the co-publisher of Letter Machine Editions, an editor withThe Volta, and an Assistant Professor in the MFA program in Creative Writing at The University of Colorado–Boulder, where he currently directs Subito Press.
Joshua Marie Wilkinson grew up in Seattle. He’s the author of Swamp Isthmus, The Courier’s Archive & Hymnal, and Meadow Slasher (from Black Ocean and Sidebrow Books). He runs a journal called The Volta and a press called Letter Machine Editions. He lives in Tucson, where he teaches at the University of Arizona.
Mathias Svalina was born in Chicago. He is the author of WASTOID (Big Lucks Books, 2014), THE EXPLOSIONS (Subito Press, 2012), I AM A VERY PRODUCTIVE ENTREPRENEUR (Mud Luscious Press, 2011) and DESTRUCTION MYTH (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2009). With Zachary Schomburg, he co-edits Octopus Magazine and Octopus Books. He currently teaches writing and literature in Denver, Colorado.
In 2009, Dave Helmer teamed up with choral singer Sam Drella to form his current project, Crystal City. The group draws its name from the Gram Parson’s song “Las Vegas”, and finds inspiration from the strong, interdependent harmonies of Parsons and Emmylou Harris. Helmer regularly performs on unique instruments that he built himself, like his slope-shoulder dreadnought guitar embellished with brass bridge pins by Drella – a finely crafted complement to his songs. Currently based out of Iowa City, IA, Crystal City’s full-length album “Change” is available now.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations gratefully accepted to support touring poets and musicians.
SPECTRA is also open to submissions from local writers to read as openers at upcoming events, including 3/13. If you would like to considered for a SPECTRA reading, please send up to 3 poems or 1 prose piece (fiction/nonfiction, 2000 words max) to mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org with the phrase “SPECTRA Submissions” in the subject line. We look forward to reading your work.
Upcoming Spring 2015 SPECTRA Events:
Tuesday, April 14th, 8:00 p.m. featuring Erika Jo Brown, B.J. Love, and Kyle McCord
The 2015 season of SPECTRA manifests thanks to the generous support of the Riverboat Development Authority and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.