Tuesday, October 27, 2009

“Cheap Wine and Poetry” Closes Out 2009

“Cheap Wine and Poetry” closes out 2009 on Thursday, November 5, 7 p.m. at Richard Hugo House. Series curator Brian McGuigan takes the stage with poets John Burgess and Kate Lebo and essayist Elissa Washuta. Charla Grenz hosts, and, as always, wine is $1 per cup.

Admission is FREE, though donations are encouraged to help keep the beer or wine cheap and the prose or poetry free. Open mic sign-up is at the door. Books from authors and “Cheap Wine and Poetry” merchandise are for sale.

"Cheap Wine and Poetry" is co-sponsored by Richard Hugo House.

For more info: www.cheapwineandpoetry.com.

ABOUT THE READERS
Seattle Poet John Burgess has two books from Ravenna Press, “Punk Poems” (2005) and “A History of Guns in the Family” (2008). He was a 2006 Jack Straw writer; co-founder of the Burning Word Festival; and the 2008 Words' Worth curator for the Seattle City Council. He's currently editor for the online lit journal Snow Monkey.

Kate Lebo was raised in southwest Washington by two Iowans and a bunch of vigilant daycare employees. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2005. Now she lives in Seattle, where she works for Richard Hugo House, a literary arts center. You can find her poems in Crab Creek Review, Smartish Pace, Filter and Knock magazines. She’s (still) working on her first chapbook manuscript. To read more about Kate (and her tasty homemade pies), visit her blog at goodeggseattle.blogspot.com.

Born and raised in Queens, NY, Brian McGuigan is a poet, performer, arts administrator and raconteur currently residing in Seattle. He works in marketing and programs at Richard Hugo House and is the co-founder and curator of “Cheap Wine and Poetry,” Seattle's coolest reading series. His chapbook, “More Than I Left Behind,” was published by Spankstra Press in 2006. Currently, Brian is at work on a full-length manuscript of poems and a novel. For more Brian: brianwithani.com.

Elissa Washuta is a Seattle-based, Jersey-raised writer. In 2009 she completed an M.F.A. at the University of Washington, and she received her B.A. from the University of Maryland in 2007. She is the host of Richard Hugo House’s monthly open mic. When not working on putting the finishing touches on her memoir, “The Kindling Effect,” Elissa can be found knitting, singing karaoke or talking about the fact that she used to fence before she injured her knees.