EVENT CANCELED: Margaret Regan

We regret to inform you that the Immigration Stories with Margaret Regan event has been canceled. This free reading was set to take place on Thursday, April 14 at the Unitarian Universalist Church. We will update you if the author will be rescheduled in the coming weeks at the same venue. HOWEVER...the UU church still plans to hold a discussion on issues of immigration with local experts. So the conversation continues! There are also two other events to check out that night: Heather Gold performs "I Look Like an Egg, But I Identify as a Cookie" at 7pm at the Kress Gallery (3rd Floor of River Park Square Mall) or there is Sam Kean's discussion of The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World for the Periodic Table of Elements at 8pm at the Bing Crosby Theater. Click here for a complete list of events.

Check out our Get Lit! Festival PSA

Keep an eye out for our sweet new 2011 Get Lit! Festival commercial on TV. You can also check it out on YouTube .

Get Lit! posters, signs, and festival guides are all over the place. Where have you seen Get Lit! Festival around town? Let us know!

Get Lit! Festival Workshops: Learn From The Best!

If you’re a writer, a reader, an artist, an illustrator, a journalist, a blogger, or just a collector of unique experiences, come join us at the Riverpoint Campus, Phase One Building on April 16th for our series of great workshops hosted by renowned authors and local educators. Listed below are a few of the workshops being offered. You can also go to our website for a complete list.

The Second Draft of History

Aspiring journalists, history buffs, and nonfiction junkies will find their interests collide in this two-hour workshop presented by author Jack Hamann at this year’s Get Lit! Festival. Globetrotting journalist and nonfiction author Jack Hamann has worked as a network correspondent and documentary producer for CNN and PBS, as well as publishing articles for the likes of The Seattle Times. His stories have brought him around the world, spotlighted his interest in humanitarian efforts, and gained him recognition for his investigative book, On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II. Working under strict deadlines, reporters famously produce “the first draft of history.” In this workshop, Hamann will be discussing the desire that many journalists have to revisit past stories and flush out the entire truth behind the “first draft.” His experience, both as a seasoned journalist and nonfiction author will examine the satisfying experience of uncovering hidden facts buried beneath years of apathy and even secrecy.

The Zine Scene

Zines are a blossoming form of personal expression packed in an inexpensive, easily printed punch. To those unfamiliar with what a zine actually is, they can best be described as self-published mini-magazines, usually meant to be printed out at home and distributed locally. Your own zine, produced at our Zine Scene workshop, could include a wide range of your many interests or your one obsessive passion. It could include images, illustrations, or text borrowed (legally!) from other source or showcase your own talent for the arts. Join zine gurus Julia Lipscomb and Lindsae Williams-Sindalu who will give you skills to express yourself in a new way. Click here to learn more about the Bird's Nest Zine Library, right here in Spokane!

Blogging 101

Take the “blah” out of blog with this informative and interesting workshop presented by local Eastern Washington University educator Dr. Molly Johnson and professional blogger for The Spokesman-Review Dan Webster. These working professionals bring their practical advice for creating written work that can communicate your ideas to the world while building your online credibility. Unlike news articles, blogs can showcase the personality behind the writer while still imparting useful knowledge to your readers. And unlike forums and wikis, blogs can also entertain your readers and, at the same time, build your credibility in one, personalized webspace. If you have the desire to make an online professional presence for yourself or just want to contribute your two cents to the blogosphere, this workshop is for you.

We also teamed up with the Northwest Inland Writing Project to offer several workshops designed specifically for educators. Expert teachers will present the best-practices they have learned for expanding reading and writing in the classroom.

Igniting the Inner Reader

How, as an educator, do you build a passion for reading in students distracted by television and video games? This workshop, taught by Jenifer Junior High language arts teacher April Niemela, will share strategies to improve reading with fun activities based on reading appreciation that can transform your classroom into a community of readers. Bring your camera and an eagerness to participate in interactive lessons!

Putting Pen to Paper

Remember as a child, writing letters to pen pals or making personal and top-secret entries into your very own diary? Remember the satisfaction of writing in neat cursive, or recording your memories, or expressing your inner thoughts on an actual piece of paper? Now days, so many children have lost that connection to paper and, as a result, the connection to writing. Join Northwest Inland Writers Project educators, Barbara Crumb and Beverley Wolff, as they teach the use of writer’s notebooks in the classroom to engage students in the art of the written word.

All workshops are $30 ($20 for students with student ID.) Register at spokaneparks.org. You can also call 509.625.6200 or visit Spokane Parks and Recreation at City Hall.

Continuing-education credits (clock hours) will be available for K-12 teachers through NEWESD 101. The cost for 3-5 hours is $10 and for 6 hours is $12. You can sign up for credits the day of the event with a check.

Sometimes the Story Finds You

Each year we ask some of our festival authors to offer up some wisdom on writing. Suzanne Morgan Williams, author of Bull Rider, shares her thoughts on the writing process as well as the importance of people sharing their stories with each other.

Sometimes the story finds you. I’ve been giving revision workshops lately and the first thing I ask writers is “What is your book really about?” The fact is, during that first draft, I never know and I suspect that’s true for others too. So it’s an important question. Until you answer it, your work can’t sing. What starts out as a conflict, say between a cautious mom and her son who wants to be a bull rider, ends up being about loyalty and empowerment and family resiliency. Oh, and about two brothers – one, Cam, who now doesn’t want to be a bull rider and another, Ben, who was a bull rider until he was blown up by an IED in Iraq.

This was not the story I set out to write when I began Bull Rider. I didn’t want to write about war injuries. But my son-in-law was in the service and the war in Iraq was heating up and I just kept thinking about this other brother in the O’Mara family and what he might be doing if he were a Marine. Cam’s story was changing to include Ben and Ben was demanding equal space on the pages. So that’s what Bull Rider was really about: the consequences and sacrifice of war and the strength of one fictitious family. It just took me a while to realize it.

I think the best books come from the writer’s emotional experience and the questions he’s grappling with if not directly from his or her physical experience. That’s what gives a book heart. That’s when you can answer that question, “What’s your book really about?” And those books can open conversations. They allow others who’ve maybe had that physical experience to access their own emotions. Or they let those who haven’t been through the book’s conflict to practice – what would they do? How would they feel? In the case of Bull Rider, it was also my honor to learn from real stories – from the blogs of wounded soldiers to the stories of my father-in-law who landed at Anzio beach and fought through Italy and Germany during World War II. My husband said his father never talked much about the war and when he finally told me this story in 2006, I understood why. So much loss. “Did you like Italy?” I asked him. “There wasn’t much left to see.” That and the numbers from his unit – 90 percent dead, wounded or missing – pretty much summed it up.

My father-in-law was 86 when we talked. He died last week. I treasure the memories he shared and put them into Bull Rider. But how many years did he not say anything? Who could understand losing nine of every ten of your buddies? What price did he pay to not bring that pain home to his family? The story in Bull Rider found me. I’m not a veteran and I’m not from a military family, although we’ve become one since our daughter’s marriage. I am a good listener. I listened to myself. Then I listened to so many stories. It is my honor to share a little bit of what I learned. I hope it opens a conversation.

For a list of books about the military experience and military families that are good reads for kids aged 7 through high school visit her website and open Veterans, then Books.

If you are interested in hearing more, come to see Suzanne's reading during the Get Lit! Festival at Auntie's Bookstore on April 16 from 1-1:45pm. She is also leading a workshop for ages 10 and up from 9:30-11 am on Saturday at the Riverpoint Campus. Both events are free!

The 2011 Big Read Kicks off!

This year, for the first time, Get Lit! will participate in The Big Read, a program created by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with the Arts Midwest. The goal of The Big Read is to restore reading to the center of our community's culture. According to a 2004 report by the National Endowment for the arts, "not only is literary reading in America declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young." The Big Read aims to address this crisis by celebrating some of the greatest books.

The 2011 Big Read will consist of a series of events all connected to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and will serve as a month-long lead-up to this year's Get Lit! Festival. The Big Read in the Spokane area officially kicked off on March 4 with a reception at the Chase Gallery in Spokane's City Hall where several area veterans spoke and will continue with 50 events, now through April 16.

Now is a good time to pick up a copy of Tim O'Brien's award winning book The Things They Carried. Tracing the tour of one American platoon, The Things They Carried is not just a tale of the Vietnam War, although it is considered one of the finest books ever written about combat. This award-winning book is a brutal, sometimes funny, often profound narrative about the human heart - how it fares under pressure, and what it can endure. The book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award and the title story of the collection was selected for Best American Short Stories of the Century.

There are various book discussions around town that you can participate in:

Riverpoint Campus on March 9 at 6 pm

North Spokane Library on March 9 at 7 pm

Auntie's Bookstore on March 12 at noon

Riverpoint Campus on March 16 at 6 pm

Sinto Senior Activity Center on March 16 at 10 am

Liberty Lake Library on March 17 at 6:30 pm

Barnes & Noble (NorthTown) on March 19 at noon

North Spokane Library on March 20 at 1 pm

VFW Post 51 on March 25 at 5 pm

Barnes & Noble (Spokane Valley) on March 31 at 7 pm

Fairchild Air Force Base Library on April 5 at 6 pm

South Hill Library on April 11 at 6:30 pm

Hillyard Senior Center on April 12 at 1 pm

Deer Park Library on April 24 at noon

Plus you have the option to go online and participate in a blogging book club with University of Idaho students moderated by Dr. Emily Duvall, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Idaho. Read what students have to say about The Big Read book, The Things They Carried, and leave your own comments.

Also, beginning March 4, you can catch a stage adaptation of the book put on by Eastern Washington University's Theater Department. They will present the same show for one night only on March 18 at The Bing Crosby Theater. You can see films related to the 1960's and to veterans on Wednesday nights at several libraries. Several groups are offering panel discussions and teach-ins. And mark your calendars for the culminating event: "An Evening with Tim O'Brien and Brian Turner," on Saturday, April 16 at 8 pm at The Bing Crosby Theater. (The cost is $15, but military get a $5 discount and students are free with a current high school or college ID.)

To find out more about Get Lit!'s involvement in The Big Read visit our website, or for a complete calendar of events, click here.

Check out this video to see what it's all about:

Community Contests

Want to share your story with audiences at the Get Lit! Festival? Consider submitting to one of the following local writing contests. The winners of each of these contests will read their work at different events during the festival. Keep in mind that the deadlines are fast approaching!

>The Pacific Northwest Inlander’s 101-Word Fiction Contest
Readers are invited to share micro-masterpieces of narrative, voice and character. Multiple winners will be published in The Inlander and on Inlander.com. Then eight lucky finalists will be selected to compete at the 101-Word Fiction Showdown on Sunday, April 17, at Auntie’s Bookstore from 3:30-5 pm as part of the Get Lit! Festival. At the showdown, The Inlander’s Senior Writer, Michael Bowen, will challenge eight of the region’s best writers of micro-fiction to compose three short tales related to “Telling the American Story.” They will then face off in a tournament that will determine who will be the Inland Northwest’s Flash Fiction Guru. The contest deadline is Thursday, March 3 at 3 pm. For questions, email feedback@inlander.com or visit http://www.inlander.com/spokane/101words.

>Earth Day Writing Contest
To help commemorate Earth Day 2011, DowntoEarthNW.com is inviting writers and thinkers to think global and act local by sharing what Earth Day means to them in today’s world. Judged by poet Ed Skoog, author of Mister Skylight, contestants can submit work of various genres to info@downtoearthnw.com by 5 pm March 31. The contest winner will read prior to the April 13 appearance of Maude Barlow at Spokane Community College’s Lair Auditorium.

>KSPS Young Writer Contest
Students in grades 4-6 are welcomed to submit an essay, article, story, or poem about their favorite American hero (deadline is March 31; visit www.ksps.org/community-education/ksps-young-writers-contest/ or email dit@spokaneschools.org for more details). The winner will read their piece at the festival before headlining youth author Suzanne Morgan Williams on Saturday, April 16 from 1-1:45 pm at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Ani DiFranco in Concert

Ani DiFranco has written hundreds of songs, played thousands of shows, captured the imaginations of legions of followers, and jammed with folkies, orchestras, rappers, rock-and-roll hall-of-famers, jazz musicians, poets, pop superstars, storytellers, and a martial arts legend. She's "fixed up a few old buildings" and minimized her carbon footprint before it was trendy - from installing a geothermal heating and cooling system in the renovated church that her label calls home to using organic inks on all the t-shirts she sells.

DiFranco was born in Buffalo, New York. She started her musical career at an early age, beginning by playing Beatles' covers at local bars. In 1989, she created her own record company, Righteous Records (renamed Righteous Babe Records in 1994), and her self-titled debut album was issued on the label in the winter of 1990. Later, she relocated to New York City, where she took poetry classes at The New School and toured vigorously.

Since DiFranco bucked the major label system in the early '90's by opting to release her music on her own terms, the self-described Little Folksinger has been the subject of all kinds of hyperbole. She's been called "fiercely independent" (Rolling Stone,) "inspirational" (All Music Guide,) and "the ultimate do-it-yourself songwriter" (The New York Times.).

Conceived, sculpted, and refined over the course of two years, her new album, Red Letter Year. is an impeccably crafted, multi-layered sonic achievement. And while the extra time spent crafting this album is a big reason for Red Letter Year's captivating musical depths, the people in DiFranco's life play an even bigger part - people like her partner and co-producer, Mike Napolitano and her one-year-old daughter, Petah Lucia. Love, family and home are three of the album's most prominent muses, resulting in a doze songs that exude warmth and renewed vigor.

DiFranco will be playing at the Bing Crosby Theater on Friday, April 15th. Doors open at 7:00 and the concert begins at 8:00. Tickets are available through TicketsWest. The cost is $37 advancea dn $39 at the door. As of today, there are still a few festival passes left that include an Ani ticket for $60!

Veteran's Voices Project 2011

Tincan started at Eastern Washington University in 1994 thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This local program uses information technology and interactive media for education and community development. In 1999, Tincan became a nonprofit and shifted focus from equitable access to telecommunications and computer technology to the development of meaningful content that showcases the vibrant community through the online arena. They recently moved to a new local in downtown Spokane that boasts a 32 station media lab and a full video production studio. Among other things, they teach many students about video production and have built an great online history archive filled with regional information.

The Veterans' Voices project seeks to tell the story of the Vietnam War as only those who marched through the harshness of war can explain. Funded by a grant from Humanities Washington, Tincan is collecting oral history interviews with Vietnam Veterans to capture the things they carried with them both physically, mentally and spiritually. This is in celebration of the 2011 Big Read book, The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien.

Eight high school students from the Spokane area are studying the history of the war and the art of film to create a film to reflect Get Lit! Program's 2011 theme of "Telling the American Story." The students will read The Things They Carried; attend workshops with Whitworth professor Dr. Dale Soden; conduct oral histories with Vietnam Veterans; and create a 10-minute film that will be shown during the Get Lit! Festival when Tim O'Brien will be in town to talk about his work. (Date: April 16, 8pm at the Bing Crosby Theater.)

If you know any Vietnam Veterans who would be interested in sharing their story, please contact Elisha Durrant at elisha@tincan.org or 509.744.0972.

For more information on The Big Read, which runs March 4 to April 17 or the 13th annual Get Lit! Festival, which will take place from April 13-17, click here.

A Festival Headliner Reveals a Serious Historical Error

Get Lit! Programs tries to bring to our festivals authors who have concern for the world and a desire to create a better future for underrepresented individuals. So we were pleased to find out that one of our nonfiction headliners for the 2011 festival is shedding light on a serious mistake in America's history.

Jack Hamann, a Seattle-based author, calls out for justice for a group of WWII soldiers in his 2005 book On American Soil, co-written with his wife Leslie. The book chronicles how 43 African-American soldiers stationed at Seattle’s Fort Lawton were wrongly accused and court-martialed for the lynching of Italian POW Guglielmo Olivotto in August 1944. Twenty-eight of those soldiers were dishonorably discharged.

Because of the book, in part, the U.S. Army reversed the verdict in 2007 and gave 14 of these soldiers honorable discharges; many, however, died in shame or haven’t been located. Hamann is still active in revealing the truth and pushing for the installation of educational markers at Fort Lawton so visitors will know what really happened.

At the festival, Hamann will read from and discuss On American Soil, as well as leading a workshop on writing journalistic nonfiction. Other authors, including Tim O’Brien and Brian Turner, will share their own perspectives on some of the important issues American soldiers face. We are pretty excited about it!

2011 Festival Headliners Announced!

Drum roll, please!

Eastern Washington University's Get Lit! Programs is delighted to announce the headliners for our 2011 Get Lit! Festival, each presenting a distinct perspective on our theme of "Telling the American Story."

Tim O’Brien will discuss The Things They Carried, his classic collection of stories about American soldiers in the Vietnam War. Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife, will present feminine perspectives on the classics. Matthew Dickman will be interviews as well as read from his All American Poem, an energetic depiction of our everyday experiences with pop culture and beauty.

Get ready for nonfiction writers Maude Barlow, global activist and author of international best seller Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and The Coming Battle for the Right to Water; and Sam Kean, sharing his creative take on the Periodic Table in New York Times bestseller The Disappearing Spoon.

Headlining children's writers include: Louise Borden, author of a myriad of books, including a dramatic, true tale about the creators of Curious George; Suzanne Morgan Williams, author of Bull Rider and other multicultural and historic nonfiction books for children; and Michael Harmon, the unconventional author of the youth books Skate, The Last Exit to Normal, and Brutal. Our musical headliner is singer and songwriter Ani DiFranco, who will perform original songs and spoken word.

Festival passes for the headlining events go on sale Friday, November 5 via TicketsWest or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT. By purchasing a pass, you will be saving $20-$25 off individual ticket costs and service fees. Passes gain admission to see Tim O’Brien (with Brian Turner), Sam Kean, Matthew Dickman, and, on Friday, either Sena Jeter Naslund (with Nancy Rawles) or Ani DiFranco in concert. The regular festival pass is $45. The pass that includes the Ani DiFranco concert ticket is $60 (quantity limited). (Note: individual DiFranco tickets go on sale November 5 for $35.)

Students will again get in free with a current high school or college ID to the headlining events (except DiFranco). Student tickets will be available at the college bookstores or they can get one at the door as space allows.

Mark your calendar for April 13-17 and start thinking about your own American story!

Lit! Lovers

About to enter its 13th season, Get Lit! is thrilled to have watched its literary festival flourish each year, connecting local, new, and nationally known writers and providing unique opportunities for a wide range of literature lovers. Get Lit! is indebted to its supporters and revenue sources, including community partnerships, business sponsorships, foundation grants, and event ticket sales.

Now, Eastern's College of Arts, Letters, and Education invites you to support Get Lit! Programs. Your gift will allow us to continue bringing quality literary programs to members of our community. Sponsorship options range from $50 to $50,000. Underwrite a festival agent, sponsor a school for one of our educational outreach programs, make an in-kind offer, donate online as a Lit! Lover, or even become the Pulitzer or Nobel sponsor of Get Lit! Programs. Become affiliated with a nationally recognized program while helping

• underwrite international and nationally acclaimed writers and poets.
• expand the reach of this premier literary festival to a greater community.
• ensure that the festival is affordable, offering many events free to the public.
• increase outreach to schools throughout the region, inspiring future authors.
• engage children in the excitement of reading and writing and help improve literacy.
  

Click here to contribute to Get Lit! Programs. For more information about sponsorship opportunities for your company or organization, please contact one of the following:

Deb Blake, College Advancement Director for the College of Arts and Letters at Eastern

dblake@ewu.edu or 509.359.6703

Danielle Ringwald, Get Lit! Programs coordinator

dringwald@ewu.edu or 509.368.6590

And of course, to find out more about Get Lit! Programs and keep an eye on upcoming events, go ahead and visit our website.