Learn to Paint While You Drink

What if you had the chance to savor the most delectable wines, while contemplating some of history's most famous classical artwork? Let me do you one better. What if you had the chance to hold the brush in your own hand, painting those renowned paintings while sipping local brands of Merlot?

Local artist group Van Gogh and Merlot are experts at holding these sorts of events. Their mission statement promises to help "individuals participate, share, and express themselves artistically"...all while holding a glass of vino in your hand and flourishing that little pinky. The idea was to help people understand that art is not reserved for those few blessed with true talent. Art is about expression, and Van Gogh and Merlot know just how to help you get those thoughts onto the canvas.

Classes are held in groups of 5-25 students, depending on day, price, and theme (some classes include live nude models, so parents beware). All artistic materials are provided, and drinks and snacks are typically up to the client (in other words, bring your own beer, my friends). Venues include Spokane's Luxe Coffee House, complete with a wine and beer bar; the Pasadena Ridge down in Spokane Valley; and pretty much anywhere with room for a canvas stand or two!

So! If you've a hankerin' for a drink, and you're feeling mighty da Vinci-ish, visit the Van Gogh and Merlot website, or take a look at the Facebook page to grab some inspiration.

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!

Upcoming Contest Deadlines: Short Fiction and Nonfiction

Announcing two fabulous literary contests:

The Inlander's 2010 Short Fiction Contest
The Pacific Northwest Inlander is accepting unpublished fiction between 800-1,500 words with the theme of redemption (which, according to their blog, can be interpreted "any way you want"). The deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. E-mail (no hard-copy) submissions to michael@inlander.com with "Fiction Contest Entry" in the subject line. One, two, or three winners will be published in The Inlander's Dec. 23 issue, plus--maybe--more online.

Narrative Magazine's Fall 2010 Short Story Contest
Narrative Magazine is accepting fiction and nonfiction submissions for their Fall 2010 story contest, including "short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction." You can submit online through their website. The material must be previously unpublished, and there is a $20 entry fee. First prize earns $3250, second prize $1500, third prize $750 and ten additional finalists get $100 each. (sweet!)

Narrative Magazine focuses on "advancing literary arts in a digital age" by trying to reach readers around the globe. They are a non-profit and the magazine is free online to all readers (for the most part-- they have a subscribers-only "VIP" section of the site with additional material. Sniff.)

Here's part of their mission statement, which is pretty cool:
"Literary readers are more than twice as likely as nonreaders to vote, to volunteer, and to be active participants of the communities in which they live. They are more likely to be healthy, to be hired, to create art, and to achieve both academic and economic success. Reading encourages and develops empathy and emotional sophistication, logical thinking, clear expression of ideas, and the ability to comprehend complex and opposing thought systems. Reading opens minds and changes lives."

Author Randall Platt Wins WILLA Literary Award

Congrats to local author Randall Platt, winner of the 2010 WILLA Literary Award! The nationally-recognized award, which honors Pulitzer Prize winner Willa Cather, annually celebrates remarkable published literature that emphasises a woman's experience in the west. Her novel, Hellie Jondoe, was selected by a panel of twenty-one professional librarians. Set in 1918, the historical novel centers around a plucky thirteen-year old orphan and pickpocket (Hellie, of course) who heads west in order to seek a better fortune than the one she began with -- only to become an unwitting caretaker for two other children along the way. The young adult novel is the eighth title by Platt, whose website describes her writing as, "...for adults and young adults and those who don't own up to being either."

To learn more about Randall Platt, her collection of titles, and how her modeling career has influenced her writing life (and vice versa), visit her website.