Lit Youngstown’s First Wednesday Readers Series will feature poets Pauletta Hansel and Marjorie Maddox at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 1 at the Soap Gallery, 17 S. Champion St., Youngstown. Erica Putro will co-host. The program will be followed by an open mic.
Prior to the reading, Hansel will offer a 5 p.m. poetry writing workshop titled “Finding the Poem in Family Stories.” All ages and experience levels are welcome. The enrollment fee is $20. Sponsorships are available.
Poet Pauletta Hansel’s books include “Heartbreak Tree,” “Friend,” “Coal Town Photograph,” and “Palindrome,” winner of the 2017 Weatherford Award for Appalachian poetry. Hansel’s writing has been featured in Oxford American, Verse Daily, and Poetry Daily. She is Cincinnati’s current Poet Laureate and past managing editor of Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel. She lives in Cincinnati.
A professor of English at Lock Haven University, Marjorie Maddox has published 13 collections of poetry—including “Transplant, Transport, Transubstantiation”; “Begin with a Question”; the ekphrastic collaboration “Heart Speaks, Is Spoken For—What She Was Saying” (stories), and four children’s books. “In the Museum of My Daughter’s Mind” is forthcoming in 2023. She lives in Williamsport, Pa.
Other events in June
Third Thursday Writers Circle. Lit Youngstown’s Office, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 323 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44503. Give and receive feedback on works-in-progress. Bring 10 copies of any one short piece (a single poem, story, or chapter) you’d like to discuss (or just come to listen). Look for the Lit Youngstown sign at the side door and give the golden owl a good knock. 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 16.
Third Saturday Fantasy Book Club. Via Zoom. Features “Sabriel” by Gath Nix. Join Lit Youngstown in discussing the book. This event is free and books can be found at most libraries and bookstores. If you haven’t read it, you’re still invited. Click here to register for the Zoom meeting. 1 p.m., Saturday, June 18.
Upcoming titles:
- July 23: “Lord Foul’s Bane” by Stephen R. Donaldson (note: a fourth Saturday event).
- Aug. 20: “The Poppy War: A Novel by R.F Kuang.”
- Sept. 17: “Spinners” by Donna Jo Napoli.
- Oct. 15: “The Amulet of Samarkand” by Jonathan Stroud.
- Nov. 19: “Time Castaways #1: The Mona Lisa Key” by Liesl Shurtliff.
- Dec. 17: “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini.
Fourth Wednesday Happy Hour. Asuka Japanese Cuisine, 7381 Market St., Boardman. An informal gathering for conversation, a drink, or a bite to eat at 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 22.
Forty Poems for Forty Years. YWCA, 25 W. Rayen Ave., Youngstown 44503. Lit Youngstown will continue the tradition of bringing literary work to the YWCA Women’s Art Show. This year Lit Youngstown celebrates the 40th anniversary of the show with “Forty Poems for Forty Years.” If you would like to write a poem in response to a piece in the show, register here (limit 40 participants), and Lit Youngstown will send you a digital link to your assigned artwork. All ages and experience levels are welcome. The poems will be displayed with their companion artwork, and you may register to write a poem even if you are unable to attend the reading. 6 p.m., Thursday, June 30.
For questions or more information on Lit Youngstown programs, email li***********@gm***.com.
***
Metro Monthly is a local news and events magazine based in Youngstown, Ohio. We circulate throughout the Mahoning Valley and offer print and online editions. Be sure to visit our publication’s website for news, features, and community events. Office: 330-259-0435.
© 2022 Metro Monthly. All rights reserved.
