1202 W. Thomas Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85013
602–285–7500

Phoenix College Creative Writing Program Holds Poets and Musicians for Peace Event April 11

by: Christy Skeen

On Friday, April 11 the Phoenix College Creative Writing Program will hold Poets and Musicians for Peace from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Dome Conference Room on the Osborn Campus at Phoenix College.

The community is encouraged to join host Laraine Herring, Phoenix College creative writing faculty member and fiction writer, for an evening of poets, performers and musicians to promote peace and social justice.

The evening will include readings from Phoenix College faculty and some of the valley’s most sought after performance poets and original musicians. Some will include:

Laraine Herring – Fiction Writer
Herring’s first book of prose and poetry, Monsoons, was published in 1999 by Duality Press. She is also a playwright and editor, and her work has been widely anthologized. Her novel, Lay My Sorrows Down, won the Barbara Deming Award for Women in December 2000. Herring’s work has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Jed Allen – Poet
Allen, a poet and musician, teaches at Phoenix College where he directs the Creative Writing Program. His work has most recently appeared in The Marlboro Review and The Salt River Review.

Gus Brett – Singer and Songwriter
Brett is an award-winning author of more than 400 songs. He plays a mixture of rock, blues, folk and country with deep groves and thought provoking lyrics. His awards include: 2001 RAW Awards Performer’s Choice 1st Place, 2002 RAW Awards Audience Choice 1st Place, 2002 Southwestern Shootout songwriting competition finalist and 2002 Tuscan Folk Festival songwriting competition finalist.

Barbara Nelson – Novelist
Nelson is a visiting writer at Arizona State University’s Creative Writing Program this year. She is the author SUMMER OF RESCUE (Scribner) as well as short fiction that has appeared in Redbook, Carolina Quarterly and The Seattle Review.

Catherine Hammond – Poet
Hammond has poetry anthologized in Fever Dreams: Contemporary Arizona Poetry and Yellow Silk II. Her work has appeared in Laurel Review, Chicago Review, Yellow Silk, North American Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Mississippi Review, Puerto del Sol and many other magazines.

Julie Elafonte – Performance Poet
Elafonte is an author of Tan Raspberry Rhythms, Crush #10: All Wrapped Up and No Place to Go, Bits and Pieces and Razz Yell Inside.

Politik N Poetry – Poets
Politik N Poetry is a group of six poets that came together in November 2002 to share their knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the world as they see it. Their eclectic style of poetry has set the country on fire delivering poetic history for Black History Month with performances at North and Pointe High Schools. This group is a must-see.

Other performers include: The Klute, Wendy White-Ring, Sarah Vap Huggins, Sanderia Smith, Katy Domagala and Isedro.

The event is free and open to the community.

For more information, please call (602) 339-6214.