2015:
Thrills, Chills and Fairy Tales: 6 PM-Sanford and Son ~ Children’s lit authors Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder), Jennifer Shaw Wolf (Dead Girls Don’t Lie), and Jennifer Chushcoff (Snowflakes) spin tales of enchantment, romance, and thrilling murder mysteries. Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles) hosts. All Ages.
It’s Kind Of a Funny Story: 6 PM-Embellish Multispace Salon ~ Join William Turbyfill (Field of Turby), Alec Clayton (The Freedom Trilogy) and Aaron Flett (comedian/with a work in progress) while they share intimate shorts that will have you giggling with delight or blushing with embarrassment. All Ages.
HOWL: 6 PM-King’s Books Store ~ Poet Michael Haeflinger (The Days Before) performs Allen Ginsberg’s literary work, HOWL in its entirety accompanied by Cellist Micaela Cooley to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Six Gallery reading where HOWL was first performed for a live audience. All Ages.
CC Favorite Faces: 6 PM-The Forum ~ To say this line-up of up and coming scribes including Titus Burley, Jonny Eberle, Nick Stillman and Nicole McCarthy are destined for literary greatness would be an accurate description. Creative Colloquy has had the honor of publishing their words and is looking forward to their inevitably, wildly successful larger literary works when they are published and you will be too. 21+
7 PM
Motherhood/Otherhood: 7 PM-King’s Books Store ~ University of Puget Sound presents Laura Krughoff (My Brother’s Name), Renee Simms (Salon, The Feminist Wire) Suzanne Warren (Narrative, The Prague Revue) and host Tiffany MacBain (Creative Colloquy) as they guide the audience through works centered around the human condition of identity and personhood. All Ages.
The Final Frontier: 7 PM-Odd Otter Brewing ~ Science Fiction fans can join authors Christian Carvajal (Lightfall, Mr. Klein’s Wild Ride) and Erik Hanberg (The Lattice Trilogy, Arthur Beautyman Mysteries) as they boldly go where no man has gone before, well figuratively anyways. Really you’ll be sipping locally crafted brews and listening to stories of cosmic proportion. All Ages.
Celebrating Oral Tradition With Drunken Telegraph: 7 PM-Doyle’s Public House ~ Co-founders of Drunken Telegraph, Megan Sukys and Tad Monroe, along with Drunken Telegraph alum Jane Brazell share true life tales on the theme of “The Harder They Fall.” 21+
Painting to the Tune of a Story: 7 PM-Harmon Taproom ~ Explore the mediums in which a story can be told with Melissa Thayer (The Stories We Don’t Tell) narrating her brand of literary fiction that tends to convey the vulnerabilities and strengths of the human condition, accompanied by artist Starheadboy who will be painting, live, to the tune of a story. 21+
UW Tacoma Presents the 2015/16 Staff of Tahoma West: 7 PM-B Sharp Coffee House ~ Janie Miller (Alice Blue Books, FutureCycle Press), Co-Editors in Chief Chelsea Vitone and Sabrina Burns, Nonfiction Editor Ipek Saday, Fiction Editor Sarah Crawford and Poetry Editor Zak Pelland will spin genre, discover the wild and have you smelling the air. All Ages.
8 PM
Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out: 8 PM-Harmon Taproom ~ Andras Jones (Accidental Initiations) and Gabriel D. Roberts (The Hermit) challenge the conventional while presenting their works. Part memoir, part travel guide, and all the more compelling with a peppering of synchronistic spirituality and the sometimes psychedelic. 21+
Intertwinings, Alone: 8 PM-Doyle’s Public House ~ Playwright, Nick Stokes (Affair) and Screenwriter, Jenni Prange Boran (The Blue Bunny) collaborate to present a dramatic reading of two isolated monologues woven between worlds. 21 +
Rhythm n Rhyme: 8 PM-B Sharp Coffee House ~ Lucas Smiraldo (The Thing That Gathers), Elijah “Six Deep the Messenger” Mu’ied, Sandy King and Elizabeth Beck (accompanied by songstress Champagne Honeybee) will hit a chord as they weave their tales using poetic prose and the spoken word. All Ages.
20 to Life: 8 PM- The Forum ~ Mark Lindquist (The King of Methlahem, Never Mind Nirvana) and Jack Cameron (Tacoma Stories, Ruin Your Life) will be hosted by Joshua Swainston (The Tacoma Pill Junkies, Creative Colloquy) for tales of crime, justice, noir, and the delicate balance between good and evil. 21+
The Artistry of Visual Narration: 8 PM-Destiny City Comics ~ Stories can be conveyed with more than a pen to paper, artists Michaela Eaves (42 Sketches), Colleen Frakes (Prison Island) and Dan Martin (Green Flash/Street Sign Project) talk about their tools of the trade, where brush to canvas or even duct tape to concrete can translate from images to a story told and a message conveyed. All Ages.
2016:
6-6:45 PM
CANDLELIT STORIES, Sanford and Son: Ghosts, Bogeymen and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night. Gather for scary tales in Tacoma’s Haunted Library. Featured storytellers include Mark Henry (Happy Hour of the Damned), Lish McBride (Necromancer), Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder series), Elizabeth Beck (Creative Colloquy) and a special appearance from Fort Nisqually Bonfire Storyteller, Sarah Comer. ALL AGES.
THE DAILY PAPER MISFITS, Zodiac Supper Club: Forget current events, the best part of flipping through the morning pages lie towards the back with your daily horoscope and Dear Abbey columns. Explore the science of the stars with Leah Mueller (Allergic to Everything, Queen of Dorksville) and visit Tacoma’s own anti-Abbey Jack Cameron (Ruin Your Life, Fifteen Minute Stories), our Daily Paper Misfits. 21+
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONGS, Doyle’s Public House: Lyrics narrate tales with a melody and Tacoma’s own Kim Archer will journey through the storytelling process using the medium of music. 21+
LOUDER THAN A BOMB/WORDPLAY TEEN WRITING WORKSHOP, King’s Books: Teens and young adults: Bring your polished poems or first drafts to the open mic at King’s Books! A hub of Tacoma culture and phenomenal place to connect with your fellow local scribes. Sign up the night of show! Arrive the hour before open mic and sit in on a free writing workshop presented by the poetry slam team from Gig Harbor (winners of Louder Than a Bomb 2016), as part of the WordPlay workshop series, presented by Write253 and sponsored by the Tacoma Arts Commission. ALL AGES
SONG OF MY/SELF, B Sharp Coffee House: Song of My/self will steep you so deep in the reasons for being alive, you’ll leave breathing a little clearer. With poems and stories of social identity, justice, family and witness, UWT‘s finest creative writing students and faculty member poet Abby E. Murray promise to leave you feeling full of song and self.
7-7:45 PM
PAINT TO THE TUNE OF A STORY, Harmon Taproom: Wordsmiths Cathy Warner (Burnt Offerings) and Titus Burley (Creative Colloquy) weave colorful tales you may find as a muse for creation. Paint, draw, scribble to your heart’s content. Art kits created by Tinkertopia . 21+
DRUNKEN TELEGRAPH: THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, B Sharp Coffee House: Storytellers and Drunken Telegraph organizers Megan Sukys and Tad Monroe take the stage and visit the theme, There’s No Place Like Home. ALL AGES.
POETRY & PINTS, Odd Otter: Grab a brewski and enjoy the poetic prowess of Peter Munro, Paul Nelson (SPLAB) and Emilie Rommel Shimkus. ALL AGES.
THE ARTISTRY OF VISUAL NARRATION, Destiny City Comics: Stories can be conveyed with more than a pen to paper. Featured artists include Delia Gable, Nick Butler (Turtledust Media), and Troy Kehm-Goins (Troy’s Work Table Publishing). These three artist will discuss their creative processes and work. ALL AGES
8-8:45 PM
CINEMA STARTS HERE, Doyle’s Public House: We honor John Jameson’s birthday by playing tribute to Jameson’s First Shot features, highlighting the art of the screenplay. Jenni Prange Boran introduces a segment of WISHBONE. When the bones of a kidnapped child are discovered years after her disappearance, her mother sets about on a quest of questionable intention to memorialize her daughter by planning an art show of the portraits she’s painted of her child as she might have grown since her disappearance. Mark Lindquist (Never Mind Nirvana, King of Methlehem) will play emcee and read from his 1990 novel, Carnival Desires. 21+
STORYTIME BURLESQUE, King’s Books: Celebrate Banned Books Week as the Gritty City Sirens, the women who put the T & A in Tacoma, read from banned and challenged picture books to show why they could have been banned (instead of why they were). Adult.
THE FUNERAL OF SIR FRANCIS ROTTENFOOT SENIOR, Zodiac Supper Club: The Funeral of Sir Francis Rottenfoot Senior is the first poetry performance piece in a series called Lanonia Adventures by Rachel Lionheart. In these stories of heightened imagination, Rachel pieces together the sometimes out-of-this-world experiences in grief, friendship, nature, love and great change. Visit LandoniaAdventures.com to share in the making of stories yet to come! 21+
BEAUTIFUL ANGLE: THE STORY BEHIND THE STATEMENT, Harmon Taproom: For more than 13 years, Beautiful Angle has been creating street art posters in Tacoma. Now is your chance to hear the legends behind the prints, as well as the spoken-word version of the posters themselves. Come and listen to tales of severed fingers, failed presidential campaigns, and the absolutely true, acid-fueled story behind their name and logo. Words and pictures by Tom Llewellyn and Lance Kagey. 21+
CC AFTER DARK: WELCOME TO BLISS, Tacoma Cabana: Creative Colloquy invites you consenting adults to turn your literary libidos loose at CC After Dark: Welcome to Bliss. In Oly author Lynn Savage’s novel, Mr. Klein’s Wild Ride, “Bliss Panerotic” is an island theme park catering to polyamorous adventurers. At CC Crawl, it’s a chance to get lei’d, order a signature cocktail, groove to sexy sax and enjoy the seductive words of Lynn Savage and Heather Pilder Olson–plus some steamy surprises. Are you ready to find your bliss? 21+
2017:
6-6:45 PM
One Person’s Trash: 6 PM-The Mix~ Join the editors and friends of One Person’s Trash for an evening of homeless stories at The Mix. Alex Nickerson, Steven Gontarz, Jake Nau and others will read poetry and creative nonfiction pieces having to do with homelessness. Copies of the latest issue of One Person’s Trash will be available for purchase from vendors at the door and with any luck, a locally famous comedian will perform, shingles pending. 21+
Who Runs the World? Girls: 6 PM-The Union Club~Join New York Times Best Selling Author, Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles, Renegades), Karen Harris Tully (The Faarian Chronicles) and Breeana Shields (Poison’s Kiss) as they present tales from the perspective of the fierce heroines featured in their YA novels. All Ages.
RadioTacoma: 6 PM-Harmon Taproom ~ Local author & actor, James A. Gilletti presents “Baptism by Fire”, the first installment of his anthology “Brackett”, stories from the homicide files of Tacoma’s toughest cop. 21+
Art House Cinema with Jonah Barrett: 6 PM-Artists and Craftsman Supply ~Filmmaker and writer Jonah Barrett presents his latest creation: “Bad Faith.” Jeane, an office intern, struggles to separate the lines between dreams and reality, and must fight to keep both her job and sanity as she deals with the likes of a spiteful coworker and a bloodthirsty sphinx. The film serves as a delightful cocktail of cosmic horror, existentialism, lost friendships, and office politics – with a Q&A afterward where you can ask the director embarrassing questions. All Ages
Puget Sound Poetry Connection: 6 PM-King’s Books Store ~PSPC takes over King’s Books for an evening of storytelling. Join them for the first hour with writers Michael Magee and Janet Frostad. All Ages
7-7:45 PM
Anything Can Happen?- Readings on Inevitability: 7 PM-The Union Club ~University of Puget Sound showcases students Ella Frazer, Hannah Monsour, Robbie Diaz, Ariane Farris, Amy Griggs, Allexxa Brooks and Benjamin Fallis as they explore the theme of the inevitable. All Ages
Drunken Telegraph- King Harvest: 7 PM-Black Kettle Bites and Brew ~You don’t get to enjoy the fruits of your labor without some sacrifice. Drunken Telegraph co-founders Megan Sukys and Tad Monroe, having both grown up in farming communities, share real-life stories about what it takes to reap what you sow. 21+
Puget Sound Poetry Connection: 6 PM-King’s Books Store ~PSPC takes over King’s Books for an evening of storytelling. Join them for the first hour with writers James Cobb and Glenna Cook. All Ages
Rejection Notice: 7 PM-Doyle’s Public House~ Dear Creative Colloquy Crawl Attendee, Thank you for submitting your work. We greatly appreciate the chance to read it. However, we don’t feel like this piece is right for us at this time. While we know this isn’t the best news, please realize our editors are heartless creatures with elitist self-righteous opinions. In the meantime, Joshua Swainston hosts Michael Magee (Cinder of My Better Angels), Melissa Thayer (The Stories We Don’t Tell), and Daniel Wolfert in an exploration of rejection, 7pm at Doyle’s Public House. Good luck in placing your written work elsewhere.
Pünk Rilke: 7 PM-The Mix ~Poet and musician Michael Haeflinger will create improvised experimental soundscapes set to poems by German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Show will be accompanied by video art from Berlin artist Stephen Mooney. 21+
8 PM
Lies, Damn Lies and Half-Truths: 8 PM-Doyle’s Public House ~Life, if you’re a writer it’s just good fodder for your work. CC Alumni, Jenni Prange Boran, Sam Snoek-Brown (Hagridden, Where There is Ruin) and Jonah Barrett (City of Weird) will weave fictional tales around true events.
Followed by a gameshow style Q&A with Jonny Eberle, will you be able to tell reality from fiction in their stories? Additionally Snoek-Brown will be donating that evening’s book sales proceeds to a good cause with Hagridden benefitting SPLC and Where There is Ruin aiding hurricane relief efforts. That’s a fact. 21+
Puget Sound Poetry Connection: 8 PM-King’s Books Store ~PSPC takes over King’s Books for an evening of storytelling. Join them for the third hour with writers Kristi Rozdilsky and Dave Warner. All Ages
Tahoma West Presents: 8 PM-The Union Club ~Join UWT students, past and present as they weave their tales. Beck Adelante, Caitlyn McFarland, Alex Nickerson, Jenny Miller and Jake Nau will read a variety of literary works including poetry and essays. All Ages
Songs and the Stories They Tell – The Other Side of the Coin: 8 PM-Harmon Taproom ~Inspired by the many music podcasts that merge the interview format with live performance, singer songwriter Travis Barker will be performing songs that have a story, including many from his forthcoming album. Tad Monroe will be interviewing Travis throughout about the stories that his songs tell and his process as a songwriter. Mix in some poetry, special guest performers, and maybe even some questions from the audience. This will be an interactive and engaging look at the stories that Travis’ songs tell on the theme The Other Side of the Coin – songs about the broken hearted, outlaws, addicts, and war torn veterans to name a few. 21+
A Black Girl’s Guide to Voluntary Commitment: 8 PM-Black Kettle Bites and Brew ~Kellie Richardson (BrownBetty253) shares a deeply personal story of battling mental illness and hanging up souvenirs in what she calls “The Museum of Me.” 21+