May Readings & Events

Tuesday, May 3, 7:30 p.m.
Straight Night at Outwrite featuring M. Ayodele Heath, Eve Hoffman, Elise Witt and Franklin Abbott
Outwrite Books hosts a night of GLBT allied poets for this special reading. The event is free. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com

Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.
Amy Benson Brown
Charis Books
Amy Benson Brown reads from her new book of poetry, The Book of Sarah, about Sarah Grimké who grew up in Charleston at the turn of the nineteenth-century, a privileged daughter of a slave-owning family. But she went on to argue for abolition and women’s rights, provoking—along with her sister Angelina--public outrage in the 1830s. 1189 Euclid Ave. www.charisbooksandmore.com

Wednesday, May 11, 8 p.m.
Mike Dockins an Eugene Ellis
Poetry at Callanwolde
Join two guest poets, Mike Dockins and Eugene V. Ellis, as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library.
Mike Dockins' first book of poems, Slouching in the Path of a Comet (Sage Hill Press, 2007), is in its second print run. His poems have appeared in Crazyhorse, The Gettysburg Review, Gulf Coast, and The Best American Poetry 2007. He currently lives in Decatur and teaches full time at Georgia Perimeter College. Eugene V. Ellis, (r) an architect and graduate of Georgia Tech, has been chairman/co-chairman of the Callanwolde Poetry Committee since 1975. His poetry has been published in journals in England and the United States. His poem, Alewives was given an honorable mention by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. www.callanwolde.com

Friday, May 13, 7 p.m.
Nikky Finney & Pearl Cleage: Conversations on Art and Activism
Auburn Avenue Research Library
Charis Books, Charis Circle, ZAMI NOBLA, and the Auburn Avenue Research Library invite you to a very special reading and conversation with poet Nikky Finney and novelist/playwright/essayist Pearl Cleage. Nikky will treat us to selections from her new collection: Head Off & Split and Pearl will read from her wildly funny new novel set in Atlanta's West End, Just Wanna Testify. After their readings Nikki and Pearl will invite us to listen in on a conversation about art, activism, and the role of the writer in the larger world. 101 Auburn Avenue.

Sunday, May 15
River of Words
Chattahoochee Nature Preserve
Georgia Center for the Book invite you to celebrate the winners of our 2010 Rivers of Words competition. The annual awards ceremony will pay tribute to the students across the state whose poetry and visual art entries have been judged best. Once again the honors program will be held at the lovely Chattahoochee Nature Preserve. The ceremony is free and open to everyone. Visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org for updates on time and details.


Saturday, May 21, 8 p.m.
Sun & Moon Reading: David Need & Ken Taylor
Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop
David Need lives in Durham and teaches South Asian Religions and International Comparative Studies at Duke University. He curates the "Arcade Taberna" long poem series; his poetry and essays have been published in Golden Handcuffs Review, Hambone, Talisman, and Fascile, among others. Ken Taylor lives and writes in North Carolina. In a former life, he was an actor and playwright in Atlanta, New York and LA. He is currently working on a manuscript of poetry, some of which has appeared or is forthcoming in The Chattahoochee Review, The Stony Thursday Book, The Fish Anthology, elimae, MiPOesias, Whale Sound, Eclectica Magazine, The New Guard, Poets & Artists and OCHO. 510 Flat Shoals Ave.