Performance by this Ypsilanti-based writer and cartoonist, a National Poetry Slam champion best known for his spoken word poem “I Am That Nerd.” His most recent book, 2011’s Spoken Nerd Revolution, revels in the nerd culture of the early-to-mid 1980s, with numerous references to video games, comic books, and Star Wars.
7 p.m. Espresso Royale, 324 S. State. $5 suggested donation. facebook.com/AnnArborPoetry.
Local short story writer Alex Kourvo and young adult novelist Bethany Neal discuss tips for breaking down the revision process into manageable steps. For all fiction & nonfiction writers grade 6-adult. Also, Kourvo & Neal host an open house for writers to connect with one another and/or work on their projects at 7 p.m. on June 18.
7-8:45 p.m., AADL Westgate. Free. 327-4200.
Join us for an event we could all use, as retired Eastern Michigan University professor Gigi Langer presents her book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now: Reject Negative Thinking to Find Peace, Clarity, and Connection. Gigi will teach us two simple techniques to reduce our negative thinking, and answer questions before signing copies!
About the Author
Gigi Langer, Ph.D.has overcome her own negative thoughts and worries to heal her relationship difficulties, chronic pain, codependence, overwork, fear of failure, and the effects of abuse.
Gigi holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford University. As a college professor, Gigi won several awards for her teaching and writing. She has written six books and hundreds of articles on personal and professional growth. Through her work with individuals and groups, Langer helps thousands of people improve their lives at home and at work. As a person in recovery, she hasn’t had a drug or drink for over 30 years. She lives happily in Michigan with her husband, Peter and her cat, Murphy.
June 5 & 19. Open mike storytelling competition sponsored by The Moth, the NYC-based nonprofit storytelling organization that also produces a weekly public radio show. Each month 10 storytellers are selected at random from among those who sign up to tell a 3-5 minute story on the monthly theme. June themes: “Endings” (June 5) & “Impostor” (June 19). The 3-person judging teams are recruited from the audience. Monthly winners compete in a semiannual Grand Slam. Space limited, so it’s smart to arrive early.
7:30-9 p.m. (doors open and sign-up begins at 6 p.m.), Greyline, 100 N. Ashley. $8. 764-5118.
Literati is delighted to welcome award-winning author Richard Russo for a discussion his newly released essay collection The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing. Richard will be joined by Sam Krowchenko for a post-reading discussion.
About The Destiny Thief:
A master of the novel, short story, and memoir, the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Everybody’s Fool now gives us his very first collection of personal essays, ranging throughout writing and reading and living.
In these nine essays, Richard Russo provides insight into his life as a writer, teacher, friend, and reader. From a commencement speech he gave at Colby College, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life, to a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain’s value, to his harrowing journey accompanying a dear friend as she pursued gender-reassignment surgery, The Destiny Thiefreflects the broad interests and experiences of one of America’s most beloved authors. Warm, funny, wise, and poignant, the essays included here traverse Russo’s writing life, expanding our understanding of who he is and how his singular, incredibly generous mind works. An utter joy to read, they give deep insight into the creative process from the prospective of one of our greatest writers.
Ricahrd Russo is the author of eight novels, most recently Everybody’s Fool and That Old Cape Magic; two collections of stories, with Trajectory published in 2017; and the memoir Elsewhere. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which like Nobody’s Fool was adapted to film, in a multiple-award-winning HBO miniseries; in 2016 he was given the Indie Champion Award by the American Booksellers Association; and in 2017 he received France’s Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine. He lives in Portland, Maine.
Sam Krowchenko is the host of Literati Bookstore’s podcast Shelf Talking. His work has appeared in Salon, Full Stop, and The Michigan Quarterly Review. A graduate of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan, he is currently a Zell Fellow.
Panel discussion with young adult writers TBA, and a teen writing workshop hosted by the Neutral Zone. Also, announcement of the winners of the annual AADL “It’s All Write” teen short story writing contest, which features $1,500 in prizes.
1-4 p.m., AADL multipurpose rm. Free. 327-4200.
Join us for a book talk and signing with John U Bacon for his new book The Best of Bacon. Says John, “I wrote these stories between 1992 and 2018. They cover a dozen different sports for a dozen different media outlets, from the Ann Arbor News to National Public Radio, and they stretch from a couple pages to a dozen. But they have one thing in common: they all meant a lot to me when I wrote them, and they still do today.”
All invited to read and discuss their poetry or short stories. Bring about 6 copies of your work to share.
7-9 p.m., Crazy Wisdom, 114 S. Main. Free. 665-2757
Ann Arbor Storytellers Guild members host a storytelling program. Audience members are encouraged to bring a 5-minute story to tell.
7-9 p.m., Crazy Wisdom Tea Room, 114 S. Main. Free. 665-2757
June 16 & 17. Adults & kids of all ages invited to meet more than 50 top area cartoonists and participate in workshops on making web comics, writing and drawing minicomics, creating video games, and much more. Kids can also vote in the 6th annual Kids’ Comics Awards. Winners announced during a ceremony featuring puppets, super villains, and more. At 7 p.m. on June 15, Maris Wicks, whose science-themed work is on display this month (see Galleries), discusses “Gorillas, Guts, and Gastropods.” See a2caf.com/programming for full schedule.
11 a.m.-6 p.m. (Sat.) & 12:30-5:30 p.m. (Sun.), AADL Downtown. Free. 327-4200.
