BlueNote Undergraduate Reading

Are you an Eastern Washington University undergraduate with some writing to share? Do you like to listen to interesting work? Eastern's undergraduate literary magazine, Northwest Boulevard, is hosting BlueNote, a reading featuring undergraduate students at Neato Burrito (827 W. 1st Avenue) on November 18 at 6:00 p.m.

This is a great opportunity for students to share their poetry or prose pieces with an audience outside the typical EWU community. You don't have to be an English major to read, you just need some original writings to share. Eastern undergraduates who would like more information about how to sign up should contact Erin Ormsby at nwblitmag@gmail.com.

Even if you don't want to read, you should still attend BlueNote and discover the range of Eastern's undergraduate creative writing talent while enjoying some yummy burritos (Neato Burrito has veggie and vegan options). Northwest Boulevard will also be selling t-shirts for $5 and there is also a $2 suggested cover charge. All money goes toward the magazine.

What: BlueNote Undergraduate Reading
Where: Neato Burrito (827 W. 1st Avenue, next to the Davenport)
When: Friday, Nov.18 at 6:00 p.m.
Price: $2 suggested cover charge. Also t-shirts for $5.
Contact Information: Erin Ormsby at nwblitmag@gmail.com

Spokane Words

Listen up, Spokane. The MAC is hosting a night of articulate composition and word play. That's what Spokane Words is all about and Get Lit! looks forward to attending and seeing you there tonight.

Hear poems by Robert Wrigley, Nance Van Winckel, Mark Anderson, Ciara Shuttleworth, Kurt Olson, Ashley Ruderman, Jonathan Potter, Amanda Maule, and others as they read in the middle of a newly installed exhibit.

Be sure to stop by and say hello to the Get Lit! table afterwards.

What: Spokane Words
Where: The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
When: Thursday, Nov. 3 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Price: Suggested $5 donation

For more information, visit www.northwestmusuem.org

Introducing Our 2012 Festival Headliners

Eastern Washington University's Get Lit! Programs is excited to announce the headliners for our 2012 Get Lit! Festival, which will take place April 10-15.

Lois Lowry
Why you know her: You've probably read at least one of her novels in school, since she's written over 30 children's and young adult books, including the Newbery Award winners Number the Stars and The Giver.
Why we're excited: She'll be reading from the latest installment of The Giver series, and The American Place Theatre's Literature to Life® Stage Presentation of The Giver promises to be a must-see event.

Jess Walter
Why you know him: He's the author of The Financial Lives of the Poets and The Zero, and if you live in the Pacific Northwest, he's one of our favorite celebrities.
Why we're excited: This EWU alum continues to outdo himself. We just heard that The Financial Lives of the Poets, TIME Magazine's #2 novel of the year in 2009, is being made into a movie. Plus, he's got a new book coming out in June of 2012, The Beautiful Ruins.

Colson Whitehead
Why you know him: He's written works of fiction such as The Institutionist and Sag Harbor, and The New York Times Book Review says he writes with "economy, texture, and punch."
Why we're excited: He's known for his mix of humor and intellect in his approach to social commentary, and Zone One, his latest novel which he'll be reading from, is no exception.

Ted Kooser
Why you know him: He's a Pulitzer Prize winner and former Poet Laureate, he's written over ten poetry collections, and he runs the weekly American Life in Poetry column.
Why we're excited: This down-to-earth insurance agent turned poet is all about making poetry accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and we're sure his event will be just that.

Susan Orlean
Why you know her: She's the author of creative non-fiction works such as The Orchid Thief (on which the movie Adaptation was based) and My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere.
Why we're excited: She'll be reading from her new book of non-fiction, Rin Tin Tin: Life and Legend, which chronicles the real life story of the celebrity dog. And everyone loves dogs.

Steve Almond
Why you know him: He's written non-fiction works like Candyfreak and Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life, and his newest collection of short stories, God Bless America, was released a week ago.
Why we're excited: He's hilarious, honest, and edgy, and you never know what might come out of his mouth.

National Book Festival features Poetry Out Loud students

This past weekend an estimated 200,000 people attended the 2011 National Book Festival, a two day celebration of the literary arts organized by the Library of Congress. This year's festival not only featured over a hundred award winning writers like Toni Morrison, Dave Eggers, and Garrison Keillor, but also showcased three talented high school students who were 2011 finalists for the national Poetry Out Loud competition.

Get Lit! is proud to be the Poetry Out Loud host and coordinator for the Eastern Washington area. With the new school year underway, we're looking forward to another year of impressive recitations and inspiring performances from our local high school students. We'd love to see one of our students on the line up for next year's National Book Festival!

For more information about Poetry Out Loud, click here. Get Lit! will be hosting a teacher development workshop (with available clock hours) for any high school teachers in the region who want to learn more about how to integrate Poetry Out Loud into their classroom and prepare their students for the competition. The workshop will be held on October 26 from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the Spokane Riverpoint Campus. For more information, please contact us at getlit@ewu.edu.