We are pleased to announce the finalists for Poetry Live!, a special event sponsored by Spokane Civic Theatre and Get Lit!
The finalists’ poems will be read and performed by actors on Saturday, April 17, on the Civic Theatre’s main stage, 1020 N. Howard, at 2 p.m. The cost is a $5 donation, and proceeds will benefit the Spokane Civic Theatre Academy. The winner of the free Academy class will be announced at the event.
The judges read 65 poems by students in grades 2 through 12. The names weren’t on the poems, so they were judged blindly. Sandra Hoskins, coordinator for Poetry Live! said of the submissions, "We’re sorry we can’t include them all in our performance. Thank you for participating in our contest and supporting the arts. Keep writing!"
The Finalists
Aidan Jacobs, Halloween Masks
Ben Read, When I Go To Bed & Opaque as Glass
Brittany Fillmore, Leaves
Christina Fruci, Max (My Step Brother)
Connor Skidmore, Dark Night
Daniel Swartz, Gojira
Hannah Hiscox, Where I'm From
Jadyn Malone, Haiku
Joey Nye, Autumn
Josh Foster, the overgrown trail & through eyes of children
Kaeli Glissmeyer, The Age of Elegance/The Modern Age & My Other Home
Katie Armstrong, Autumn
Mary Anne Gebhart, The room was bleak; Her eyes spoke the truth & The day we bought cinnamon raisin bread
Rashell Coon, Happy is bright yellow
Taylor Ward, The King's Cape
Tyler Skidmore, The Mice in the Wall
Willow Skidmore, Christmas Fairies
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Author News!
Local author Sherman Alexie was recently nominated for the PEN/Faulkner award for his story collection, War Dances. Tuesday, the announcement came...Alexie it is! Among other, he joins company with Philip Roth, John Updike and E.L. Doctorow.
Alexie, who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and currently lives in Seattle, has previously won a National Book award for Young People's Literature and a Pushcart Prize, among countless other awards and fellowships. He has also been selected for the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.
For the PEN/Faulkner selection process, the judges considered close to 350 novels and short story collections by American authors published in the US during the 2009 calendar year. The submissions came from over 90 publishing houses, including small and academic presses.
The PEN/Faulkner is the largest peer-juried prize for fiction in the US. Alexie's fellow nominees include Barbara Kingsolver for The Lacuna, Lorraine M. López for Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories, Lorrie Moore for A Gate at the Stairs and Colson Whitehead for Sag Harbor. The winner will receive $15,000 while the other nominees will receive $5,000 apiece.
War Dances is a collection of short stories and poems. "That book was the one we all liked immediately," said Kyoko Mori, one of the three judges. "There was something special about the range of characters. It was like watching a dance. I liked how some of the characters were unlikable but compelling."
Get Lit! would like to congratulate this beloved author.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Festival author, Victor Lodato, received the 2009 Barnes and Noble Discover Award for Fiction with his debut novel Mathilda Savitch. Pick it up early and then join the facebookclub with Michael Bowen at "Inlander Book Club."
Watch for a feature by festival author, Sallie Tisdale, coming out in the April issue of Harper's. It is about raising an child with special needs. Watch for it on the racks!
FREE DOWNLOAD! Author Renee Riva just gave us a heads up that her novel, Saving Sailor, will be offered as a free download on Kindle through the end of March! Saving Sailor is the first in a trilogy, with the other two books being Taking Tuscany and Heading Home (April 1). The trilogy follows a family of seven in the 1960's, and Saving Sailor focuses on the relationship between a ten-year-old girl named A.J. and her dog Sailor.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The End or the Beginning of Publishing
Take a moment to watch this...but don't stop half way through!
Over the years, technological inventions have shaped how we receive information. Printing presses churned out books, books, books. Newspapers came out several times a day. Families could gather around the radio for news and stories. Once upon a time talkies were the BIG DEAL. Then television opened a window to the world. We now have moment to moment tweets, apps for everything under the sun, and digital devices that will fit a stack of books into your back pocket.
Book lovers who long for the adventure of finding something unexpected in the stacks, who seek our that familiar spine crack on the first opening, and who would happily wear eau d'ink on paper if it were available, are being confronted by all of this newness. Writers, publishers, and booksellers are also being challenged to change in order to keep up with new media.
At this year's festival, we are looking at "How Publishing is Changing" from the perspective of an author, editor, publisher, and bookseller. We invite you to join our panelists to discuss where the future of publishing is headed. Change can be exciting!
This free panel will be at the Hotel Lusso, our festival hub, on Saturday, April 17 from 1:15-2:15pm. To find out more about this panel or the 50 other events that celebrate reading, writing, and storytelling at the festival, visit www.ewu.edu/getlit.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Buy Books and Help Support Get Lit! Programs
For one weekend each, Barnes & Noble and Auntie’s Bookstore will give a portion of their sales to Get Lit! when you present a voucher downloaded from our website. It's easy:
March 20 and 21 go to Auntie’s Bookstore (406 W. Main)
March 27 and 28 go to Barnes & Noble (Northtown mall or Valley Mall)
Stock up on books by festival authors or 
any other book you've been meaning to get. Any purchase made with your voucher will contribute to your donation! Bookstores with offer as much as 20% towards Get Lit!
any other book you've been meaning to get. Any purchase made with your voucher will contribute to your donation! Bookstores with offer as much as 20% towards Get Lit!Then take home your stack and and enjoy, knowing that you just contributed to the Get Lit! Festival. We appreciate your support!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
March Newsletter
Check out our March Newsletter for info about how to volunteer, festival workshops, and a great way to help out Get Lit! Programs with your spring book purchases!
Only 27 days until the Twelfth Annual Get Lit! Festival!
Only 27 days until the Twelfth Annual Get Lit! Festival!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Book Discussion at Auntie's Bookstore
Get Lit! is quickly approaching, just over one month until the festival! Leading up to the big week, we'll be keeping you in the loop on any events that will help you get to know our festival authors and their works.
To that end, senior writer Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander will be hosting two discussions at Auntie's Bookstore, one on Victor Lodato's Mathilda Savitch and one on Richard Russo's That Old Cape Magic. Both authors will be reading from those works on Saturday, April 17, so this is your chance to discuss the book beforehand and come up with the most insightful, thoughtful question either author has ever been asked! Why yes, that is a challenge from us to you :)
Details:
Mathilda Savitch discussion, Tuesday, March 30, 6- 7 p.m., Second Floor, Auntie's Bookstore
That Old Cape Magic discussion, Tuesday, April 6, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Second Floor, Auntie's Bookstore
If you can't make either of those dates, Michael Bowen is also hosting online book discussion clubs centered on the same two books. To join the ongoing discussion online, just visit Facebook.com and search for "Inlander Book Club."
To view the Calendar of Events for Get Lit!, including the details of the Richard Russo and Victor Lodato readings, go to: http://outreach.ewu.edu/getlit/festival-2010.xml
To that end, senior writer Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander will be hosting two discussions at Auntie's Bookstore, one on Victor Lodato's Mathilda Savitch and one on Richard Russo's That Old Cape Magic. Both authors will be reading from those works on Saturday, April 17, so this is your chance to discuss the book beforehand and come up with the most insightful, thoughtful question either author has ever been asked! Why yes, that is a challenge from us to you :)
Details:
Mathilda Savitch discussion, Tuesday, March 30, 6- 7 p.m., Second Floor, Auntie's Bookstore
That Old Cape Magic discussion, Tuesday, April 6, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Second Floor, Auntie's Bookstore
If you can't make either of those dates, Michael Bowen is also hosting online book discussion clubs centered on the same two books. To join the ongoing discussion online, just visit Facebook.com and search for "Inlander Book Club."
To view the Calendar of Events for Get Lit!, including the details of the Richard Russo and Victor Lodato readings, go to: http://outreach.ewu.edu/getlit/festival-2010.xml
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Poetry Out Loud! Competition
Do you remember being asked to recite a poem as part of a high school English class? Well, if you never had to, you might feel pretty lucky. Most of us never had that "leap on top of a desk and shout, 'O Captain, my Captain,'" moment in high school, no matter how amazing our teachers were. But as it turns out, some students are turning poetry recitations into something even more fun to watch than Dead Poets Society.High school students across the nation are competing in Poetry Out Loud, a national competition put on by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The event features the students performing classic and contemporary poetry, getting scored on their performances and then advancing to the next level of competition, from regional to state to national.
In February, Get Lit! Programs hosted the regional finals for eight area high schools at The Davenport Hotel. The winners were Abby Hawkes from Mead High School reciting “If” by Rudyard Kipling and “Video Blues” by Mary Jo Salter, as well as Cole Timm from Okanogan with “In a Dark Time” by Theodore Roethke and “The Dark Thrush” by Thomas Hardy. The Washington State Poetry Out Loud finals will be on Saturday, March 20 in Olympia, and twelve students from across the state will be competing for one spot at nationals. We wish Abby and Cole the best of luck at state!
The winner of the state final will receive $200, with the winner's school receiving $500 for the purchase of poetry books. The second place finalist will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The state champion will receive an all-expenses-paid trip (with a chaperone) to compete in the National Finals in Washington, DC, on April 25-27, 2010. Free trip to Washington, D.C. in the springtime for being an awesome performance poet? Better start practicing that Kipling recitation, 9th-12th graders. Who knows where it will take you.
The Poetry Out Loud State Finals are FREE and open to the public.
Visit http://www.poetryoutloud.org/ for more information on this national program or visit http://www.arts.wa.gov/ to learn more about the local competition.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Attention Teachers! Clock Hours Available at Festival Events
Get Lit! Programs is showing our love for teachers by offering multiple events during the festival that count for up to six continuing education credit hours. K-12 teachers, librarians and parents can participate in one or all of these events, which range from just 1-2 hours each. Not only do these sessions provide an enjoyable way to get those pesky clock hours taken care of, but also give teachers concrete tools to get their students energized about reading and writing. In our world of Facebook, texting and email, we can't just tell students that reading novels and poetry is fun, we have to prove it, and these events can help you do so.
The sessions appeal to a wide range, so whether you are a kindergarten teacher or your spouse teaches 11th grade AP English, you'll find a discussion worth your while. There will be sign-in sheets at each event and there's no need to pre-register. The cost for obtaining the clock hours from ESD 101 is just $10 for 3-5 hours and $12 for 6 hours. So essentially for $12, you can knock out six continuing education credit hours and attend a few awesome sessions on getting your students excited about reading and writing. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Here's the breakdown of the different sessions:
Author Janet Wong will lead a workshop open to any K-12 teacher, focusing on the importance of reading aloud in the classroom. She'll discuss how reading aloud can encourage a child's success in literacy and she will also offer suggestions on how to incorporate poetry into the classroom on a daily basis. Friday, April 16, 4:30-6 p.m., EWU Riverpoint, Phase 1 Building, Room 115.
Since 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death, one session will focus on celebrating Twain's writing and his influence on American literature. Whether for teachers who have previously taught Twain's works or those who see it looming in the curriculum, this could be a great way to discover a new approach to a novel like Huckleberry Finn. The discussion could spark your own interest in Twain's life or works, give you insight into how your students might relate to the book or perhaps a fellow educator will share how they've successfully engaged their students in Twain's works. Saturday, April 17, 12 p.m.-1pm, Hotel Lusso
For parents and teachers exhausted by trying to keep track of which books should be must-reads for their kids' age, Marilyn Carpenter, a professor of education at EWU, has you covered. She'll be offering a list of the "100+ Best Kids and Young Adult Books," helping teachers, librarians and parents get an idea of which books will engage and excite their students. Saturday, April 17, 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m., Hotel Lusso
In the Classroom Publishing Workshop, teachers can learn how to inspire their students to write, and also how to encourage students to publish their work, whether through a blog, wiki or actual book. Ooligan Press, out of Portland State University, has an upcoming book on classroom publishing, and they'll discuss their philosophy that students who participate in all aspects of the writing and publishing process become more engaged with their own writing. Saturday, April 17, 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Hotel Lusso
Last but definitely not least, there will be a Performance Poetry workshop. Geared toward demystifying poetry and getting students energized about poetry, language and writing, the workshop invites both students and teachers to participate. Teachers who'd like their classrooms to join the workshop can even do so via live video-feed rather than transport their students by bus. If you'd like your classroom to participate, just email dringwald@ewu.edu to RSVP, and ESD 101 will help you set up the technical equipment.
For more information on the sessions that qualify for continuing education clock hours, click here.
UPDATE:
Another opportunity for K-12 teachers is coming up March 10 & 11 at Spokane Community College. The Northwest Inland Writing Project is hosting their spring conference, "'Spring Planting: Growing Student Writers." The keynote speaker will be Barry Lane, author of ten books on writing and currently a professor at the University of New Hampshire. He'll be giving a keynote address on the morning of March 10 and March 11, followed by sessions on literacy topics like "Writing in the Digital Age" and "Publishing with Purpose." Lane's address will focus on practical suggestions for teaching writing to students of all ages. For more information, visit: http://www.niwp.org/
The sessions appeal to a wide range, so whether you are a kindergarten teacher or your spouse teaches 11th grade AP English, you'll find a discussion worth your while. There will be sign-in sheets at each event and there's no need to pre-register. The cost for obtaining the clock hours from ESD 101 is just $10 for 3-5 hours and $12 for 6 hours. So essentially for $12, you can knock out six continuing education credit hours and attend a few awesome sessions on getting your students excited about reading and writing. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Here's the breakdown of the different sessions:
Author Janet Wong will lead a workshop open to any K-12 teacher, focusing on the importance of reading aloud in the classroom. She'll discuss how reading aloud can encourage a child's success in literacy and she will also offer suggestions on how to incorporate poetry into the classroom on a daily basis. Friday, April 16, 4:30-6 p.m., EWU Riverpoint, Phase 1 Building, Room 115.
Since 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death, one session will focus on celebrating Twain's writing and his influence on American literature. Whether for teachers who have previously taught Twain's works or those who see it looming in the curriculum, this could be a great way to discover a new approach to a novel like Huckleberry Finn. The discussion could spark your own interest in Twain's life or works, give you insight into how your students might relate to the book or perhaps a fellow educator will share how they've successfully engaged their students in Twain's works. Saturday, April 17, 12 p.m.-1pm, Hotel Lusso For parents and teachers exhausted by trying to keep track of which books should be must-reads for their kids' age, Marilyn Carpenter, a professor of education at EWU, has you covered. She'll be offering a list of the "100+ Best Kids and Young Adult Books," helping teachers, librarians and parents get an idea of which books will engage and excite their students. Saturday, April 17, 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m., Hotel Lusso
In the Classroom Publishing Workshop, teachers can learn how to inspire their students to write, and also how to encourage students to publish their work, whether through a blog, wiki or actual book. Ooligan Press, out of Portland State University, has an upcoming book on classroom publishing, and they'll discuss their philosophy that students who participate in all aspects of the writing and publishing process become more engaged with their own writing. Saturday, April 17, 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Hotel Lusso
Last but definitely not least, there will be a Performance Poetry workshop. Geared toward demystifying poetry and getting students energized about poetry, language and writing, the workshop invites both students and teachers to participate. Teachers who'd like their classrooms to join the workshop can even do so via live video-feed rather than transport their students by bus. If you'd like your classroom to participate, just email dringwald@ewu.edu to RSVP, and ESD 101 will help you set up the technical equipment.
For more information on the sessions that qualify for continuing education clock hours, click here.
UPDATE:
Another opportunity for K-12 teachers is coming up March 10 & 11 at Spokane Community College. The Northwest Inland Writing Project is hosting their spring conference, "'Spring Planting: Growing Student Writers." The keynote speaker will be Barry Lane, author of ten books on writing and currently a professor at the University of New Hampshire. He'll be giving a keynote address on the morning of March 10 and March 11, followed by sessions on literacy topics like "Writing in the Digital Age" and "Publishing with Purpose." Lane's address will focus on practical suggestions for teaching writing to students of all ages. For more information, visit: http://www.niwp.org/
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Festival Workshops
One of the most exciting aspects of the Get Lit! Festival is the amount of opportunities for members of our community to expand their personal or professional horizons. There is truly something for everyone, from the high school junior panicking about college admissions essays to the small non-profit struggling to write grants. In that vein, there will be workshops throughout the festival addressing aspects of both practical and creative writing. Business writing, poetry, essays, grant writing, screenwriting-- they'll all be discussed in a workshop setting. In addition, various workshops will break down specific aspects of writing, such as how to write believable dialogue in fiction, weaving your personal narrative in non-fiction and revising and editing your work.
You might be asking yourself, "What exactly is a workshop?" Well, if you're wondering whether you'll be quietly listening to a lecture for a couple of hours, the answer is no. Workshops are all about lively discussion, practicing your skills and getting feedback on them. Many of the workshops will include writing exercises that you'll do right then and there, while others will send you home with suggestions for how to practice a particular writing style. Other workshops, such as the "Rewriting and Editing Your Writing" session, ask you to bring a few pages of your work so you can figure out, based on the discussion, what works in your piece and how to improve what doesn't.
Most of the workshops are two hours long, after which you'll probably be inspired to go home and spend another couple of hours working on your piece. The workshops are led by some very impressive professionals in their fields, including authors of various award-winning novels, memoirs, poetry and short-story collections, as well as professors, grant writers and screenwriters. The cost differs depending on the workshop; some are free, while others are $20 with a student ID and $30 for the public. Each workshop has a different date, time and location, so check the schedule at here.
Each of the workshops provide a pretty unique opportunity. When else are you going to have two hours to sit down with a published author, expert grant writer or award-winning screenwriter and pick their brains about what you can do to improve your writing? Parents who want to encourage their child to write a stellar admissions essay or apply for scholarships can listen to Rachel Toor, EWU Professor, explain to students what pitfalls to avoid and how to make their essay stand out among hundreds of others. Aspiring screenwriters can learn how to pitch their story like a pro from Don Caron, who co-wrote Different Drummers, winner of the 2007 Grand Remington Prize at the Houston International Festival. Poets and travel writers can learn from Susan Rich, poet and activist, how to explore other cultures and people in your writing while treating them with respect.
For registration information, go to here.
You might be asking yourself, "What exactly is a workshop?" Well, if you're wondering whether you'll be quietly listening to a lecture for a couple of hours, the answer is no. Workshops are all about lively discussion, practicing your skills and getting feedback on them. Many of the workshops will include writing exercises that you'll do right then and there, while others will send you home with suggestions for how to practice a particular writing style. Other workshops, such as the "Rewriting and Editing Your Writing" session, ask you to bring a few pages of your work so you can figure out, based on the discussion, what works in your piece and how to improve what doesn't.Most of the workshops are two hours long, after which you'll probably be inspired to go home and spend another couple of hours working on your piece. The workshops are led by some very impressive professionals in their fields, including authors of various award-winning novels, memoirs, poetry and short-story collections, as well as professors, grant writers and screenwriters. The cost differs depending on the workshop; some are free, while others are $20 with a student ID and $30 for the public. Each workshop has a different date, time and location, so check the schedule at here.
Each of the workshops provide a pretty unique opportunity. When else are you going to have two hours to sit down with a published author, expert grant writer or award-winning screenwriter and pick their brains about what you can do to improve your writing? Parents who want to encourage their child to write a stellar admissions essay or apply for scholarships can listen to Rachel Toor, EWU Professor, explain to students what pitfalls to avoid and how to make their essay stand out among hundreds of others. Aspiring screenwriters can learn how to pitch their story like a pro from Don Caron, who co-wrote Different Drummers, winner of the 2007 Grand Remington Prize at the Houston International Festival. Poets and travel writers can learn from Susan Rich, poet and activist, how to explore other cultures and people in your writing while treating them with respect.
For registration information, go to here.
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