Grisby (sp?)
On Saturday, we had our first reading at Windup Space on North Avenue, and it was a blast, featuring four more Baltimore writers. Remember: calling yourself a Baltimore Writer doesn’t necessarily mean you live in Baltimore.
It can mean you live in Philadelphia and still long for the gigantic smokestack that rises slowly above the skyline like a middle finger pointed at the rest of the world as you approach the exit on I-95. Or it can mean you live in New York, but know it’s your Baltimore past that gives you street cred. Or it can mean you live in Baltimore, but wish you’d lived there for long enough to say you were from Baltimore. Or it can mean you live in DC, but head forty miles up north to get real.
Lia Purpura and John Barry
Anyway, we had four great Baltimore writers. Loyola-base Writer in Residence Lia Purpura read two essays from her book of essays, On Looking, dealing with falling houses and a very short woman.
Susan McCallum-Smith
Susan McCallum-Smith, known to Urbanite readers, read sections from a memorable essay about a larger-than-life but not-always-easy-to-deal-with Scottish father.
Jason Tinney
Jason Tinney, well-known local musician, gave us an interesting peek into civil war re-enactments from the angles of participants of both races.
Violet Glaze and Anna Hughes
And Violet Glaze, (soon to be known as Violet LeVoit), explored the subject of insemination, maternal love, and labor as a Nanking Massacre with readings from her latest book, I Am Genghis Cum.
Deborah Rudacille and Ethel Ward
Thanks to the Simulcast by Tom Smith of RadarRedux.com, we have a film of this entire event. And thanks to Bill Hughes, we have these great photos of our guest readers and listeners.
Marik Moen and Gregg Wilhelm
Meanwhile, though, look out for March 26, when we’ll be returning, with four more writers from the region: Alec Mackaye, Rosalia Scalia, Christopher Corbett, and Lionel Foster. We’ll have more on them later.
Radarredux.com, Baltimore online arts journal, kindly recorded the event in Simulcast, which you can access here.
