I’ve surreptitiously founded a literary reading series in Lafayette, LA called the” Voices“ series.  The hope is to showcase amazing talent that we have in our community and beyond, perhaps, and bring a lively arts happening on a Saturday evening to Carpe Diem! We hope we will have success with these events and appreciate you sharing this information.

What was a whisper of a thought formed into an idea, then a plan, and then real, live happenings.  Our first literary night was in February when Patrice Melnick and I read original work. It was a great night.  

High off that success, we are planning spring, summer and autumn readings for the rest of 2012. Our goal is to present four literary events through the year to coincide with the seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.  There may be additional readings for special events, such as book signings.   

Our host venue is the wonderful Carpe Diem! Gelato – Espresso Bar at 812 Jefferson Street in Lafayette.  We love them and they love us! Please support Carpe Diem!

 For the “Voices in Spring” event, we have poet/professor Marthe Reed of ULL reading her bold and elegant poetry, and Bonny McDonald of LSU performing an original act of spoken word, music and movement,–both artists will present something captivating, unique and dynamic at 7 p.m. on April 21^st.

It would be their pleasure to inspire and entertain you.  

A bit from the press release below.

~Clare

If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it.

—Anais Nin

On Saturday, April 21st, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. CARPE DIEM! GELATO-ESPRESSO BAR invites the public to spend a spring evening experiencing poetry and performance arts while enjoying gelato, espresso, tea, and pastries when it hosts VOICES IN SPRING: Poetry by Marthe Reed and Performance Art by Bonny McDonald.

Marthe Reed has published two books, Gaze (Black Radish Books) and Tender Box, A Wunderkammer with drawings by Rikki Ducornet (Lavender Ink); a third book is forthcoming from Moria Books. She has also published chapbooks, post*cards: Lafayette a Lafayette (with j/j hastain), (em)bodied bliss and zaum alliterations, all as part of the Dusie Kollektiv Series. Her manuscript, an earth of sweetness dances in the vein, was a finalist in Ahsahta Press’ 2006 Sawtooth Poetry Contest.

More info at: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~mxr5675/ 

Bonny McDonald is a teacher, performance artist, and poet from Louisiana currently working toward a PhD in Performance Studies at LSU.  Over the last ten years, she has traveled widely as a performance poet and as a teaching-artist, leading a variety of workshops on creative writing, public speaking, and the dramatic arts. Part song, part dance, part poetry reading, her recent work explores boundaries between waking and dream, reality and fantasy, the body and the page.

The free event begins at 7:00 p.m. 812 Jefferson Street, Lafayette