Waterline Writers to feature Teen Slam poetry winners
Authors Rick Holinger, Kristin LaTour and Cris Mazza will be featured at the next Waterline Writers event at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, in the Water Street Studios, 160 S. Water St. in Batavia.
The evening also will feature 3-minute slam poems from the teen winners of Teen Writers and Artist Project's recent "Slammin' the Sun Down" poetry competition: Neuqua Valley High School's Noah Espinoza, Malak (MJ) Jellouli, David Mullons, Sereen Omer, Alyssa Pazanin and West Aurora High School's Sydney Williams.
Through the magic of poetry, Rick Holinger glimpses Steve Jobs falling for his mother's princess phone, dips a toe into dangerous waters with Herman Melville as he decides on the color of his whale, and takes Emily Dickinson where she really wanted to go.
Then, as Kristin LaTour reads "When Billy Collins Falls For Me," "The Years My Heart Was An Aquarium" and "Lot's Young Wife," you'll agree - no one comes up with love poems as unique as hers!
Cris Mazza, whose work addresses sexual politics and identity, victimhood and personal accountability in frank and sometimes disturbing ways, will read from "Charlatan," which Kirkus Review calls "an impressive compendium of an important career" that includes a PEN/Nelson Algren Award for "How to Leave a Country."
Admission is $5 or $3 for students. You'll have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of authors' books, beer from Solemn Oath Brewery, wine from Bright Angel Wines, a hand-tooled pen from Wooden Writers or a hand-constructed book from Tieri Ton. They also offer food from The Market at Gaetano's and desserts from Limestone Coffee & Tea.
Everyone is welcome! Writers may bring a 5-minute piece to share at the 8:30 p.m. Open Mic or go to the submission guidelines if you want to be considered as a future featured writer. They also are announcing a special call for submissions for "Let The Blues Be Your Muse" for the May 20 blues-themed reading!
Waterline Writers is offered at 7 p.m. on the third Sundays, September to May, in the newly accessible art gallery.
Visit waterlinewriters.org or www.facebook.com/waterlinewriters/.