The Cyberpunk Apocalypse Writer-in-Residence Program and JustSeeds present:

Readings by

Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela

and

Adriana Ramirez

SUNDAY, August 28th, 2011

6:30pm

At the JustSeeds spot: 3410 Penn Ave

Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. The store will be open starting at 2pm-- arrive early to check out the art and merchandise, including a beautiful exhibit by artist Thea Gahr. Come around back to the second floor entrance.

Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela is Pittsburgh's Cyberpunk Apocalypse writer-in-residence for the month of August. She writes stories. During her stay in Pittsburgh, she has been working on completing her first novel which starts in Detroit then moves to a fictional Latin American country. She is a 2005 recipient of a Leeway Transformation Award for her work as a social change writer and DJ. She is a co-founder of Thread Makes Blanket, a small press out of Philadelphia, that published Letter from Tombs Prison, 1917 a publication that features work from Justseeds artists Mary Tremonte and Shaun Slifer. Marissa is currently an assistant professor of Creative Writing at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. As part of a new educational component of Books Through Bars Philadelphia, she will be instructing a free correspondence course in Latino History and Culture for inmates in solitary confinement in PA. She lives in Philadelphia.

Adriana Ramirez, nonfiction writer and performance poet, has over fifteen years experience in theater, spoken word, and advocacy. Once ranked the 26th slam poet in the world (iwps 2006), she helped found and co-hosted the Latino/Indigenous Showcase at the National Poetry Slam; she now hosts the Steel City Slam in Pittsburgh. Her poems and writings have appeared on the internet, on subway station walls, and occasionally, on pieces of dead wood. She love technology and refreshments—mineral water, limes, and cheap Mexican food. Adriana lives in Pittsburgh, where she is writing a book about her death fantasies, Colombia, and the way we tell stories around violence. She roots for el tricolor in the World Cup. Adriana teaches at The University of Pittsburgh.

The Cyberpunk Apocalypse Writer-in-Residence Program and Justseeds present:

Readings by

Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela

and

Adriana Ramirez

SUNDAY, August 28th, 2011

6:30pm

3410 Penn Ave

Pittsburgh, PA

light snacks and refreshments will be provided

the store will be open starting at 2pm-- arrive early to check out the art and merchandise, including a beautiful exhibit by artist Thea Gahr

come around back to the second floor entrance

Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela is Pittsburgh's Cyberpunk Apocalypse writer-in-residence for the month of August. She writes stories. During her stay in Pittsburgh, she has been working on completing her first novel which starts in Detroit then moves to a fictional Latin American country. She is a 2005 recipient of a Leeway Transformation Award for her work as a social change writer and DJ. She is a co-founder of Thread Makes Blanket, a small press out of Philadelphia, that published Letter from Tombs Prison, 1917 a publication that features work from Justseeds artists Mary Tremonte and Shaun Slifer. Marissa is currently an assistant professor of Creative Writing at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. As part of a new educational component of Books Through Bars Philadelphia, she will be instructing a free correspondence course in Latino History and Culture for inmates in solitary confinement in PA. She lives in Philadelphia.

Adriana Ramirez, nonfiction writer and performance poet, has over fifteen years experience in theater, spoken word, and advocacy. Once ranked the 26th slam poet in the world (iwps 2006), she helped found and co-hosted the Latino/Indigenous Showcase at the National Poetry Slam; she now hosts the Steel City Slam in Pittsburgh. Her poems and writings have appeared on the internet, on subway station walls, and occasionally, on pieces of dead wood. She love technology and refreshments—mineral water, limes, and cheap Mexican food. Adriana lives in Pittsburgh, where she is writing a book about her death fantasies, Colombia, and the way we tell stories around violence. She roots for el tricolor in the World Cup. Adriana teaches at The University of Pittsburgh.

library reading coming up

Last September, the public library invited us to perform as part of their monthly Sunday reading series... in nine months. Since none of us even had 2011 calendars yet, we suspected our schedules would be free the following summer. We happily said yes.

Well, it's that time, so join us for a reading at the Carnegie Main Public Library on Sunday, June 19 at 2 pm sharp. The event is free to the public and is a great way to meet the residents and find out what we're all about.

Our event even made the short list for the local City Paper (see photo).

Fleeting Pages for the win!

In case you haven't heard, Pittsburgh has been fortunate enough to have with us this month Fleeting Pages, a pop-up indie bookstore which has for the month taken the place of the old Borders Books in East Liberty. It has been a very exciting project, not just because it's been selling many small press books and zines but also because the literary people of Pittsburgh have stepped up to create lots of interesting events to utilize this otherwise abandoned space.

There have been many readings as well as workshops, meet-ups, and even a speed dating event. Our awesome visiting writer Eva has been volunteering there quite a bit. On Tuesday, May 31, we're hosting our two-year anniversary with a reading there. Residents past and present will be taking stage and wowing you with readings, storytelling, and at least one stand-up comedy routine. Maybe one of us will tattoo another one of us--- we haven't figured out the details yet.

It starts at 7 pm and is free to the public. If you like, show up an hour or so early and enjoy the Writers' Happy Hour being organized by some other writers in Pittsburgh. Also if you like, stay late and enjoy a poetry slam event organized by still more writers in Pittsburgh. Holy cow! That's a lot of enjoyment!

Out of Towners Reading Explosion

At 7 pm on Thursday, April 28, we're excited to be hosting a special night of readers who live outside the bounds of our fair city of Pittsburgh.

Matt Whispers and Richard Wehrenberg are traveling through on a reading tour and joining them will be our current visiting writer Andy who will be going back to NYC a couple of days later.

The traveling readers will have zines for sale to offset tour costs.

Scary Story reading tonight!

Now that we've all had our fill of Thanksgiving pierogi, brave the cold weather and join us at 8 pm for a free evening of scary stories, hosted by our visiting writer Jamie, who's only in town for another few days. Jamie will read from recent original work. Artnoose will read from the HP Lovecraft story "Call of Cthulhu" and our uphill neighbor Dave will come with something to read as well. Bring a scary story if you would like, or just come to enjoy the ambiance. Oh, and Artnoose is making a Cthulhu cake, so come if for nothing else than to see the Old One in sweet delicious cake form.

As a side note, the last day of Artnoose's Birthday Week is today, so there's going to be a store from 5-8 pm in the front house with back issues of Ker-bloom!, prints, books and zines from the distro, original art, and last-minute holiday cards.

Call for readers! Halloween isn't over yet!

Our new visiting writer Jamie came in from colder northern climates and is bringing a lot of enthusiasm into the house. Not that we're short on enthusiasm, mind you. There's a burst of activity these days before it gets all snowy. Building, painting, soldering, cleaning, cooking, putting the garden to bed for the winter.

At any rate, at the end of the month, we're hosting an evening of scary stories, featuring our visiting writer. Any local writers who want to read short selections of their spooky works should get in touch.

Gorsky Press event tonight!

Gorsky Press authors Mike Faloon and James Jay stop through the Iron City on their book tour. Mike Faloon will be reading from The Hanging Gardens of Split Rock, and James Jay will be reading poetry from his book The Journeymen.

Donations accepted for touring writers. Also, Cyberpunk Apocalypse resident Artnoose will take a break from straight-up zine reading by singing them.

Reading al fresca

Last night's reading was another success. It was the exit reading for Joel, our visiting writer who has been with us all month translating a book from Swedish into English.

It being a lovely summer evening, we began the readings in the yard, with about 15-20 people (and one dog) present. Artnoose (that's me) read two issues of Ker-bloom!, including the brand-new one finished up only hours before.

When the neighbor's pool party next door got so animated that we found it hard to resist crashing it, we moved the reading indoors, and Joel finished up in there. A discussion on the challenges and process of translation followed the reading, and then many of us stuck around for a little while eating snacks.

Every visiting writer we've had so far has been stellar, and although I miss them every time they leave, I appreciate the time that I do spend with them and value the space that we've given them to do important work.

Elvin Slaughter part 1: wetting our blades

Our station wagon reeked faintly of Elvin blood as we cruised down I-78 last night with Dio in the tape-deck. It had been a rainy night in Philly so there was low attendance at the Wooden Shoe, but we gave our best performance and the collective members seemed to enjoy it.
Two nights previous was our first opportunity to read together at Bloombar's in DC and then we preformed back to back for the first time at Red Emma's in Baltimore. We're knee deep in this tour now, and we expect to kill tonight at Blind Willow Books.

We'll keep you posted.
In the meantime here's a clip of Elwin reading in Philly. More videos of us reading and the rest of this story can be found on our youtube channel.

Elvin Slaughter Tour

Elwin Michael Cotman (author of The Jack Daniels Sessions EP) and Daniel Patrick McCloskey (founder of the Cyberpunk Apocalypse Writers' Project) are coming to a reading venue near you. Join them for a night of entertainment, magic, comics, despair, excitement, and speculation. Because if you don't come they'll curse you, and it'll give your grandma nightmares.

Elvin Slaughter Tour 2010: making genre a threat.

Cotman solo gigs:
Washington DC-Bloombars-April 19th, 8-10pm
Baltimore, MD-Red Emma's-April 20, 7pm

Cotman/McCloskey gigs:
Philly-Wooden Shoe Collective-April 21, 7pm
Emmaus, PA-Blind Willow Books-April 22, 7pm
NYC-Times Square-April 24th, 4am
Ithaca, NY-house show (don't know address yet)-April 27
Buffalo, NY-Talking leaves Bookstore-April 28
Cleveland, OH-Visible Voice Books-April 29, 7pm
Athens, OH-UnionArts-April 30
Columbus, OH-sporeprint-May 1st, 2pm
Bloomington, IN-Boxcar Books-May 3, 7pm
Chicago, IL-Quimby's-May 5, 7pm
Madison, WI-Rainbow Bookstore Collective-May 7
Cincinnati, OH-U.Turn Art Space-May 8

Karen Lillis reading from her novel, The Second Elizabeth

April 22, 2010 - 4:00pm - 5:30pm

2201 Wesley W. Posvar Hall

Women's Studies Program

Lillis is the author of the feminist novels, i, scorpion: foul belly-crawler of the desert (Words Like Kudzu Press, 2000) & Magenta’s Adventures Underground (WLK, 2004). She is Program Assistant for the Cultural Studies Program, and a 2009 MLIS graduate of the School of Information Sciences.

“Karen Lillis writes with a cadence and a rhythm that are hypnotic….The Second Elizabeth celebrates what my theologian father called ‘the mystery in the ordinary.’ ”

Eckhard Gerdes, Journal of Experimental Fiction

"...A novel of simplicity as well as survival, and the often untouched-upon intimacy of these two concepts....With The Second Elizabeth, the coming-of-age novel grows up."

Kimberly Ann Southwick, Gigantic Sequins Magazine

Light reception to follow.

DOKTA D()()M

When I grow up I want to be able to write like Deltron 3030. Until then here's Ross (former best resident) holding it down.

Cyberpunk Apocalypse one-year anniversary party

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Cyberpunk Apocalypse's one-year anniversary party at AIR. The party was a lot of fun. Several current and former residents read their work, as did a few other members of the local small press community. Todd recounted a history of the Cyberpunk Apocalypse that spanned centuries and even included a history of the future, which is always nice. DJ Attila the Hunk kept the party downstairs going until open hours ended and Todd became reigning arm-wrestling champion.

Small Press Pittsburgh

Here's a stolen segment of a facebook post by Karen Lillis:

Small Press Tourism in Pittsburgh

Today at 1:28pm

To my fellow comrades in the Pittsburgh small press scene,

Last night I attended a reading at the awesome Cyberpunk Apocalypse writer's house in funky Upper Lawrenceville. Eric Nelson was reading from his newly-published book, Silk City, out from Knickerbocker Circus Press (Astoria, Queens). The audience was attentive, appreciative, and intimate; one of the resident writers baked cookies for us; and we retired to the kitchen for some fine post-reading banter about New Jersey, Pittsburgh, reading tours, contemporary fiction, and Bruce Springsteen. I really enjoyed Eric's stories of working-class Paterson, New Jersey, and when I realized that he had flown to Pittsburgh (from NYC) for a 2-day stay (they gave him a couch at the Cyberpunk house), I wanted to take a moment and remind us, as a community, that we are bringing people to Pittsburgh who wouldn't have come. We, the run-everything-on-a-dream-and-a-shoestring small press community, are responsible for a small but growing tourism in Pittsburgh: Small Press Tourism. (I give credit for the concept to Larry Portzline, who invented Book Store Tourism.)

I'm writing today to thank the reading series and small press events that have brought out-of-towners to read in Pittsburgh, as well as sleep in our hotels, sample our bookstores and restaurants, visit our art museums, and best of all, spread the word that Pittsburgh is greener than you think, that Pittsburgh is alive and well, that Pittsburgh is writing and reading and listening.

Gist Street Reading Series has generally brought 2 out of town readers a month for almost a decade (sometimes Pittsburgh writers are featured instead) and in the summer they feature one small press with several writers included.

The New Yinzer Presents series has brought out of town writers such as Michael Kimball and Jen Michalski (Baltimore), Jackie Corley (New Jersey), and Amy Guth (Chicago). Matt Bell (Ann Arbor) is coming soon.

The Six Gallery Press Showcase brings Scott McClanahan (West Virginia) to Pittsburgh a few times a year (and I hear he'll be reading at Gist Street this summer!).

The Cyberpunk Apocalypse writer's house hosts readers more often than I realized. My pal Mike Faloon (Go Metric) is coming to read from a new book in July, and when I asked Daniel McCloskey (Cyberpunk's founder) about it, he said he'd have to look it up--that there were so many readings arranged for July he'd lost track of the exact dates. They also host 5 writers for a long-term writer's residency program, and now they have a small room for short term residencies of 3 to 4 weeks.

The Typewriter Girls have been mixing up their Pittsburgh lineups with some out of town writers--I saw poet Sandra Beasley (Washington, DC) at a Howler's reading and she came back to town for the Typewriter Girls' Save the Libraries benefit reading.

Pittsburgh's wonderful small press, Autumn House, holds regular readings. Out of town readers they've featured have included Sam Ligon (Spokane, WA), Ada Limon (NYC), and Mary Crockett Hill (Virginia).

The City of Asylum/Pittsburgh has residencies for writers in exile from foreign countries. For readings they bring in wonderful writers from other City of Asylum cities, as well as luminaries such as Wole Soyinka, showcasing them alongside Pittsburgh's top writers and poets.

Recently, small press collaborators in town were able to host readings for Chicago's Ben Tanzer (Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine) and San Fran's Stephen Elliott (The Adderall Diaries).

And of course, Open Thread hosted the first Small Press Festival last summer, with the next one slated for September 2010. Last year's event brought small press folks from West Virginia, Ohio, Nashville, and Buffalo, among other places. This year's promises to draw even more folks in.

Please let me know if there are any reading series I'm forgetting in relation to out of town readers!

And lastly, I plan to start keeping track of these numbers, because I think it could give us some leverage as a community in the future.

Eric Nelson reads at the Cyberpunk Apocalypse house, March 27, 2010.

1 Year Anniversary March 30th

They grow up so damn fast.

Tour and Balticon. Spring prep and Toil

Elwin has been busily working on setting up tour dates for his upcoming publication The Jack Daniels Sessions EP. After tour he'll be running off to Balticon to read and be on a panel.

I just finished up the cover (to the left) and am trying to get the next draft of my book into a few select hands by the end of next week.

Besides that I'll be putting some of Walker's goodbye reading online shortly. And get ready for my new mini interview series "why we write." It should be fun.

Gunner is organizing the library, and Nia and I are working on a plan to reinvigorate open hours this spring.

Art Noose is working to revise her novel, and our visiting writer Dan G will be doing a reading on radical sobriety on February 25th 7pm at 285 Main St.

Oh, and Elwin's Birthday is tomorrow. He'll be doing a B-day reading at the house on Friday 17 at 7pm.

Be there.

Walker preview.

Here's some video of Walker reading earlyer durring his stay in Pittsburgh. Don't miss his goodbye story session!

Saturday Jan. 30th

6pm (be prompt so we can all go see Daniel Higgs!)
Cyberpunk Apocalypse
5431 Carnegie St. Pittsburgh!

Walker's Reading

Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 6:00pm there will be a reading at the Cybeperpunk Apocalypse [5431 Carnegie St. Pittsburgh]. It's going to be a lot of fun and you're all invited.

Stories with skyped in shadow puppets! Jokes by Stewie! Super short stories by Gunner, Todd (maybe), and Daniel McCloskey! Food! Drawing! Entertainment! Awesome!

Same reading, another writer

Jocelyn Sunseri reads some poetry that's pretty damn cyberunk apocalyptic.