Wilkes University’s Maslow Faculty Reading Series will be held nightly from Sunday, Jan. 4 to Thursday, Jan. 9, 2015. The series, which is part of the January residency for the University’s Graduate Creative Writing Program, features readings by faculty and alumni of the program. The Sunday reading will take place at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Public Square, 7 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, and the subsequent readings will take place at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center at Wilkes University. The readings are from 7 to 9 p.m. each night and are free and open to the public. A book fair, sponsored by Barnes & Noble, features books for purchase by the authors.
Maslow Evening Reading Series:
At Barnes & Noble
SUNDAY, Jan. 4 (at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre) – 7 to 9 p.m. Bookfair begins.
The opening reading will feature the poetry, fiction and nonfiction of Christine Gelineau, Kevin Oderman, Neil Shepard, Taylor Polites, Lori A. May, Robert Mooney, Dawn Leas, Beverly Donofrio and Sara Pritchard.
At Dorothy Dickson Darte Center
TUESDAY, Jan. 6 (at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center, Wilkes campus) – 7 to 9 p.m. Bookfair Continues
The night will feature the work of poetry, fiction and nonfiction program faculty, including Cecilia Galante, John Bowers, Rashidah Ismaili Abubakr, Jeff Talarigo, Lenore Hart, Kaylie Jones, Nancy McKinley, J. Michael Lennon and Phil Brady.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7 (at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center, Wilkes campus) – 7 to 9 p.m. Bookfair Continues
Playwrights Readers Ensemble theatre performances will be featured, including the work of playwrights Bonnie Culver, Robert Arthur, Jan Quackenbush, Gregory Fletcher, Jean Klein and Juanita Rockwell.
THURSDAY, Jan. 8 (at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center, Wilkes campus) – 7 to 9 p.m. Bookfair Concludes
The final night will feature special faculty and alumni readings, including the work of faculty members David Poyer and Nina Solomon. Featured alumni are Heather Harlan, Chris Campion, William Landauer and Jason Carney.
Faculty member David Poyer is publisher of Northampton House Press. The evening will feature readings by Poyer and two Northampton House authors, Heather Harlen and Chris Campion.
Alumna Heather Harlen will read an excerpt from her novel Hope You Guess My Name: A Thriller. Harlen’s thriller travels through the backwoods, abandoned mines and culm heaps of rustbelt Pennsylvania as the novel’s heroine, Marina, struggles to resolve her monetary problems, spark a romance and unravel a murder mystery. Previously published as an e-book, the novel will be launched in print in January.
Alumnus Chris Campion will read from his novel The Jiu Jitsu Bum. Campion’s novel follows Evan Connor, an ex-convict who pursues martial arts as a means to amend for his past misdeeds, overcome depression and drug addiction, rebuild his relationship with his wife and sons and escape his self-destructive past.
Kaylie Jones Books, an imprint of Akashic Books, will celebrate the release of three of its authors’ works with a special reading.
Faculty member Nina Solomon will read from her newest novel, The Love Book. Dubbed a grown-up version of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Booklist, Solomon’s novel follows the misadventures of four women seeking their soul-mates.
Alumnus William Landauer will read from his novel We Are All Crew. The novel, which follows the journey of two 14-year-old runaways bent on reaching California, portrays a satiric picture of the United States that questions the sanity of our basic principles.
Alumnus Jason Carney, a four-time National Poetry Slam finalist who appeared on three seasons of the HBO television series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, will read from his memoir Starve The Vulture. Carney’s debut memoir recounts his journey to overcome his own racism, homophobia, drug addiction and brushes with death to find redemption and fame on the national performance poetry circuit.
