Wilkes University’s Maslow Foundation Salon Reading Series, which highlights the January 2021 residency for the University’s Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing, will be available for free to the public virtually via Zoom. The series features alumni, guests and creative program faculty, many of whom are prize-winning authors, as guest readers.
Readings are nightly from Jan. 10 to 14 and are open to members of the community. Go to www.wilkes.edu/readingseries to access the readings. Please note that Monday, Jan. 11 is not a reading that is available to the community outside of the creative writing program. All other readings can be accessed via Zoom.
The highlight of the week will be a night of spoken word, a new area of study being offered in the program this June. Guest readers on Thursday evening include program faculty Phil Brady, author of The Elsewhere: New & Selected Poems; alumnus Jason Carney, author of Starve the Vulture: One Man’s Mythology and four-time National Poetry Slam finalist; alumna Laura E.J. Moran, performance poet and author of Improper Joy; Remica Bingham-Risher, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Writer’s Chronicle and Essence; alumnus Jeremiah Blue, winner of the 2016 Southwest Regional Championship and the 2015 Arizona Slam Poetry Championship; and Angelique Palmer, finalist in the 2015 Women of the World Poetry Slam and author of The Chambermaid’s Style Guide.
The following are the featured readings and the writers and the genres represented:
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10
The readings on this evening will include poetry and fiction. Featured readers are: Laurie Loewenstein, Robert Mooney, Nisha Sharma and Phil Brady.
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12
Readings on this evening include fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Featured readers are: Beverly Donofrio, Robin McCrary, Jeff Talarigo and Christine Gelineau
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13
This evening celebrates playwriting and includes staged readings of faculty work. Featured faculty playwrights are: Jean Klein, Juanita Rockwell and program co-founder, Bonnie Culver
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14
The final evening of the series will feature a demonstration of spoken word, a new genre of study that will kick off in June 2021. Featured readers are: Remica Bingham-Risher, Jeremiah Blue, Jason Carney, Laura Moran and Angelique Palmer with Phil Brady serving as emcee
Go to www.wilkes.edu/readingseries to access the readings.
The mission of the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing is to educate students in the craft, life and business practices in various areas of study — fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction and publishing — through a commitment to excellent mentorships, publishing opportunities and industry-specific internships. The program is nationally recognized and widely reputed where students and faculty find the writing support, community and market opportunities to become lifelong, productive, professional writers in all fields.
The Graduate Creative Writing program is offered in two formats. In the low-residency format, students learn online during the project semester and usually attend two eight-day in-person residencies each January and June. For the weekender program, students learn online and attend four face-to-face weekend class sessions each term. The weekender program also is being conducted entirely online at this time.
Program faculty are working, producing writers who mentor students one-on-one through the process of creating a full-length creative project.
