kYmberly Keeton and Opalina Salas

0 CommentsSaturday • May 3, 2014 • by admin

Poets on X Series
A Summer Series created by Opalina Salas —And she reads in this one!
When: August 16, 7 pm
Where: Lucky Dog Books, 633 W. Davis St. (Oak Cliff

kYmberly mieshia dionne Keeton received a BA with Honors in Creative Writing & Graduate Certificate in African-American Studies from University of Houston. She is the author of six books of poetry, and numerous short-stories. As former City Editor of Rolling Out *Dallas and Entertainment Editor for the Dallas Weekly Newspaper, Keeton interviewed Larenz Tate, Illyasah Shabazz, Haile Gerima, Usher, Dwele, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Qwele, Charles Stone III, Pam Grier, Mara Akil Brock, Tamara Peterson, Chi McBride, Monique, Tim Arnold, Mark Curry and countless others in the industry. Keeton’s articles have been published in the Ave Magazine, Young People For.org, The Atlanta Voice, Washington African American Post, The Capitol Outlook, National Society of Black Engineers, Rolling Out, the Dallas Weekly, SacObserver.com, WHERE Magazine, Miami Times Online, Spinner.com, UJIMA, ThyBlackMan.com and Black Chicago Online.net. Keeton created Literafeelya Magazine in 2003, and is also the former Publisher of Songhai News: The Black Collegiate Voice-Black Newspaper at the University of Houston, and one of three founders of the periodical. She now publishes soflynmythirties, an opinionated cultural blog.

Opalina Salas is a poet, former book store owner, editor of lit magazines and creator of the original Poets on X Reading Series, first held at Cliff Notes, the bookstore she owned with her husband-poet Carlos Salas. The series moved to Mighty Fine Arts when Cliff Notes closed and she has been an indie butterfly curator/hostess for many WordSpace events. Her work has appeared in a number of journals and is included in the Anthology of Texas Beat Poets, published by University of Texas Press. She has read all over Texas in festivals, galleries and nightclubs, is a regular contributor to Mad Swirl, and lives in Dallas with Carlos and their daughter, Paloma.

Nicole Callahan

0 CommentsFriday • May 2, 2014 • by admin

May 8 @ Mighty Fine Arts, 409 N. Tyler St. 7 pm

Nicole Callihan’s debut book of poems, SuperLoop, was published by Sock Monkey Press in early 2014. Her poems, stories and essays have appeared in forklift, ohio, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, The L Magazine, North American Review and Cream City Reviewand have been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named Notable Reading for Best American Nonrequired Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. She has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and also co-authored the nonfiction book Henry River Mill Village. A Senior Language Lecturer at New York University, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.
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Borrowing her title from the old carnival ride that loops its riders round and round, Nicole Callihan’s SuperLoop is as familiar and as thrilling as another go on a long loved ride. Paired with artwork from fellow Brooklyn-ite Re Jin, Callihan’s poems—sometimes wild, sometimes quiet, always unassuming—take us to a place we’ve been before, but through her eyes that dusty place becomes a bit more magical. Here, the waitress always brings extra whipped cream; divorced parents fall into each other’s arms; orchids grow; and, in spite of themselves and the world around them, people find love and walk, albeit reluctantly, into the sunset. Fierce, funny, at times, downright sweet—for Callihan, just making it is a miracle, and it’s a miracle she’s not afraid to name.

“Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in Super Loop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention

and a profound compassion. Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up

carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter, the longed-for return of the bees. Unaffected

and inherently hopeful, Callihan’s work is as merciful as it is moving.”–Ada Limón

“These poems dig deep into the ragged nature of what it means to be alive, unveiling in bristling clarity, the

cracks, quirks, “thorny edges,” and great beauty of being. A master in the language of blush and bruise, Nicole

Callihan tells stories that rub the mind like a fever in a cool wind.” –Dawn Lundy Martin

“So unpretentious and alive and interesting.”–Jean Valentine

ihan, formerly Nicole Hefner, writes poems, stories and essays. Her work has appeared in, among others, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, New York Quarterly, North American Review and cream city review and has been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named as Notable Reading for Best American Non-required Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. In addition, Nicole was a contributor to Playing with Poems, an educational textbook published by Heinemann, and is a frequent contributor to Teachers & Writers Magazine. She has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and from the Rockefeller Institute and is a founding member of the Brooklyn Writers Collaborative. Her nonfiction book, Henry River Mill Village, which she co-authored with Ruby Young Keller was published by Arcadia Press in July 2012. Her collection of poetry SuperLoop was released by Sock Monkey Press in February 2014.

A 1995 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, summa cum laude, with additional study at Oxford University, Nicole also holds two advanced writing degrees from New York University (MA Poetry–1998; MFA Fiction–2005). Currently a full-time Senior Language Lecturer at New York University where she has received an Excellence in Teaching Award every year since she began in 2002, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

ole Callihan, formerly Nicole Hefner, writes poems, stories and essays. Her work has appeared in, among others, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, New York Quarterly, North American Review and cream city review and has been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named as Notable Reading for Best American Non-required Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. In addition, Nicole was a contributor to Playing with Poems, an educational textbook published by Heinemann, and is a frequent contributor to Teachers & Writers Magazine. She has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and from the Rockefeller Institute and is a founding member of the Brooklyn Writers Collaborative. Her nonfiction book, Henry River Mill Village, which she co-authored with Ruby Young Keller was published by Arcadia Press in July 2012. Her collection of poetry SuperLoop was released by Sock Monkey Press in February 2014.

A 1995 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, summa cum laude, with additional study at Oxford University, Nicole also holds two advanced writing degrees from New York University (MA Poetry–1998; MFA Fiction–2005). Currently a full-time Senior Language Lecturer at New York University where she has received an Excellence in Teaching Award every year since she began in 2002, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

Youth Poets Workshops 1 & 3 Saturdays

0 CommentsMonday • April 21, 2014 • by admin

Michael Hatcher at Dallas Poetry Slam

0 CommentsMonday • February 3, 2014 • by admin

When: May 16, 2014 at 8 pm
Where: Heroes, 7402 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231
Hosted by: Alexandra Marie
Admission: $5, WS Members Free

A lifelong lover of lyrics, Michael Hatcher began writing when his lack of rhythm (and singing skills) thwarted any dreams of making music. When Michael was young, he and his best friend created a comic book: Michael wrote the story and his best friend drew it out. Though he studied poetry while in college at the University of North Texas, Michael didn’t start writing in that genre until 2010. Since then, he has made three slam teams, representing his hometown of Fort Worth in 2011, and Arlington (Inkwell)  in 2012 and 2013 at the National Poetry Slam.

Describing his style as minimalist, Michael tries to say as much as he can with the least amount of words. Michael writes about the things he has experienced, his insecurities, regrets, and those who have touched his life in some way. Everything inspires him: The way John Frusciante plays guitar, the books he reads, the way his mother smiles, Katy Trail, the poetry community, his Inkwell family, his Dallas Slam family, his Fort Worth Slam family.

Currently, Michael is writing, slamming, and working on a chapbook. What’s next? He doesn’t know, but by the end of it all…

This reading is a Featured Reader Series at the Dallas Poetry Slam.

Youth Workshops 1 & 3 Saturdays

0 CommentsMonday • December 23, 2013 • by admin

1st Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Half Price Books, 5803 E. NW Highway
3rd Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson

 Youth Poets Workshops is a component of WS Next Generation Project in support and development of young writers. WordSpace presents workshops mentored by top performance poet and Dallas Youth Poets Executive Director, Joaquin Zihuatanejo and co-founder Alexandra Marie Thurston.  They provide poetry and slam outreach to area youth in two great locations. The workshops are open to ages 11-17. Participants receive instruction in writing and performance with a chance to compete for the  Dallas Youth Poetssponsored team that will represent Dallas in the annual conference, Brave New Voices.  The workshop participants are also eligible to compete in other area youth team competitions.

Joaquin Zihuatanejo (born in Dallas, Texas) is an award-winning American slam poet and teacher. In 2004, Zihuatanejo competed in the National Poetry Slam as part of the Dallas Poetry Slam team, which placed third. He also appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry in 2005.  In 2008, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam and was the winner of the World Cup of Poetry Slam in 2009. Currently, Zihuatanejo resides near his hometown of Dallas with his wife and two daughters. Outside of poetry, Zihuatanejo taught English and creative writing for seven years.

Alexandra Marie Thurston, is a writer from Los Angeles and Director of the Dallas Poetry Slam. She bring years of service to the poetry community and inspiring mentorship to young writers. Alexandra Marie Thurston serves as the board of directors of WordSpace.

WordSpace is honored to partner with Oak Cliff Cultural Center to produce Youth Poets Workhops at their facility. Funding for this program is made possible by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and WordSpace Members.

Special Thanks to Half Price Books, sponsors of WordSpace at The Kessler, for use of their facilities for this program. WordSpace is also honored to be a 2014 recipient of TACA’s generosity.

John Waters – Thank You!

0 CommentsThursday • July 11, 2013 • by admin

Who: John Waters: “This Filthy World” When: May 29, 8 pm Where: The Kessler Theater, 1230 West Davis BUY TICKETS John Waters is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, stand-up comedian, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films. Waters’ 1970s and early ’80s trash films feature his regular troupe of actors known as the Dreamlanders—among them Divine, Mink Stole, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, and Edith Massey. Starting with Desperate Living (1977), Waters began casting real-life convicted criminals (Liz Renay, Patty Hearst) and infamous people (Traci Lords, a former porn star). Waters skirted mainstream film making with Hairspray (1988), which introduced Ricki Lake and earned a modest gross of $8 million domestically. In 2002, Hairspray was adapted to a long-running Broadway musical, which itself was adapted to a hit musical film which earned more than $200 million worldwide. After the crossover success of the original film version of Hairspray, Waters’s films began featuring familiar actors and celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Edward Furlong, Melanie Griffith, Chris Isaak, Johnny Knoxville, Martha Plimpton, Christina Ricci, Lili Taylor, Kathleen Turner, John Travolta, and Tracey Ullman. Although he maintains apartments in New York City and San Francisco, and a summer home in Provincetown, Waters still mainly resides in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, where all his films are set. He is recognizable by his trademark pencil moustache, a look he has retained since the early 1970s.