LIVE at the Writers House
Episode 156 - April 2023 — Undergraduate Writers
- Produced by Alli Katz and Nik Donoughe. Hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full Program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Nik Donoughe - Introduction
- Nik Donoughe - Performance
- Margarita Matta - Introduction
- Margarita Matta - Performance
- Mikel J. Saralegui - Introduction
- Mikel J. Saralegui - Performance
- Jake-Anthony Diaz - Introduction
- Jake-Anthony Diaz - Performance
- Gemma Hong - Introduction
- Gemma Hong - Performance
- Erin Bass - Introduction
- Erin Bass - Performance
- Dylan Fritz - Introduction
- Dylan Fritz - Performance
- Kendall Owens - Introduction
- Kendall Owens - Performance
- Katie Chen - Introduction
- Katie Chen - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 155 - March 2023 — Next In Line Comedy
- Produced by Alli Katz and Nik Donoughe. Hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full Program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Manny Brown - Introduction
- Manny Brown - Set
- Tyler Wolf - Introduction
- Tyler Wolf - Set
- Manny Brown and Tyler Wolf - Next In Line Comedy Interview
- Setoiyo - Introduction
- Setoiyo - Set
- Setoiyo - Interview
- Emily Epstein White - Introduction
- Emily Epstein White - Set
- Emily Epstein White - Interview
- Jay Simpson - Introduction
- Jay Simpson - First Set
- TaTa Sherise - Introduction
- TaTa Sherise - Set
- TaTa Sherise - Interview
- Jay Simpson - Second Set
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 154 - February 2023 — Philadelphia artists
- Produced by Alli Katz and Nik Donoughe. Hosted by Zach Carduner.
- Full Program
- Zach Carduner - Opening Remarks
- Raena Shirali - Introduction
- Raena Shirali - Performance
- Veronica Bennett - Introduction
- Veronica Bennett - Performance
- Trina Sanyal - Introduction
- Trina Sanyal - Performance
- Parker Sera - Introduction
- Parker Sera - Performance
- David Jones - Introduction
- David Jones - Performance
- Riverby - First Introduction
- Riverby - Heavy To Hold
- Alina Pleskova - Introduction
- Alina Pleskova - Performance
- Alex Smith - Introduction
- Alex Smith - Performance
- Riverby - Second Introduction
- Riverby - Fall In Love
- Zach Carduner - Closing Remarks
Episode 153 - January 2023 — Students from Mighty Writers
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full Program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Anushka Dhar - Introduction
- Anushka Dhar - Performance
- Michai Smith - Introduction
- Michai Smith - Performance
- Alexander Moragne - Introduction
- Alexander Moragne - Performance
- Kevin Leonard - Introduction
- Kevin Leonard - Performance
- Imani Ayala - Introduction
- Imani Ayala - Performance
- Grace Bernicker - First Introduction
- Grace Bernicker - First Performance
- Ta'Hajjiah Williams - Introduction
- Ta'Hajjiah Williams - Performance
- Marely de la Cruz Castro - Introduction
- Marely de la Cruz Castro - Performance
- Ashling McAtamney - Introduction
- Ashling McAtamney - Performance
- Grace Bernicker - Second Introduction
- Grace Bernicker - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 152 - October 2022 — The Excelano Project
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full Program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Mila Carty - Introduction
- Mila Carty - Performance
- Jack Starobin - Introduction
- Jack Starobin - Performance
- Wahid Sarwar - Introduction
- Wahid Sarwar - Performance
- Hudson River - Introduction
- Hudson River - First Performance
- Alison Yau - Introduction
- Alison Yau - Performance
- Andrés Gonzalez-Bonillas - Introduction
- Andrés Gonzalez-Bonillas - Performance
- Hudson River - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 151 - September 2022 — Walking Around Philadelphia / Ways of Walking
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Ann de Forest - Introduction
- Ann de Forest - Performance
- Justin Coffin - Introduction
- Justin Coffin - Performance
- West Philadelphia Orchestra - Introduction
- West Philadelphia Orchestra - First Performance
- Kabria Rogers - Introduction
- Kabria Rogers - Performance
- David Hallock Sanders - Introduction
- David Hallock Sanders - Performance
- Christine Nelson - Introduction
- Christine Nelson - Performance
- West Philadelphia Orchestra - Second Performance
- JJ Tiziou - Introduction
- JJ Tiziou - Performance
- Temwa Wright - Introduction
- Temwa Wright - Performance
- West Philadelphia Orchestra - Third Performance, with closing remarks
Episode 150 - April 2022 — Class of 2022 Undergraduate Writers
- Produced by Jessica Lowenthal and Zach Carduner, with additional help from Chelsey Zhu and Henry McDevitt. Hosted by Zach Carduner.
- Full program
- Zach Carduner - Opening Remarks
- Jessica Bao - Introduction
- Jessica Bao - Performance
- Rowana Miller - Introduction
- Rowana Miller - Performance
- Mehek Boparai - Introduction
- Mehek Boparai - Performance
- Jamie Albrecht - Introduction
- Jamie Albrecht - Performance
- Gabriel Garcia-Leeds - First Introduction
- Gabriel Garcia-Leeds - First Performance
- Erinda Sheno - Introduction
- Erinda Sheno - Performance
- Chelsey Zhu - Introduction
- Chelsey Zhu - Performance
- Gabriel Garcia-Leeds - Second Introduction
- Gabriel Garcia-Leeds - Second Performance
- Zach Carduner - Closing Remarks
Episode 149 - February 2022 — Comedy Night
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Yvie Rocks - Introduction
- Yvie Rocks - Performance
- Leigh Hopkins - Introduction
- Leigh Hopkins - Performance
- Mike Ingram - Introduction
- Mike Ingram - Performance
- Jillian Markowitz - First Introduction
- Jillian Markowitz - First Performance
- Brandon Vincent Jackson - Introduction
- Brandon Vincent Jackson - Performance
- Martha Cooney - Introduction
- Martha Cooney - Performance
- Jillian Markowitz - Second Introduction
- Jillian Markowitz - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 148 - January 2022 — You Can't Kill a Poet
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Boston Gordon - Introduction
- Boston Gordon - Performance
- Prakash Mishra - Introduction
- Prakash Mishra - Performance
- Quinn Rodriguez Williams - Introduction
- Quinn Rodriguez Williams - Performance
- Foster Longo - Introduction
- Foster Longo - First Performance
- Alina Pleskova - Introduction
- Alina Pleskova - Performance
- Lauren Yates - Introduction
- Lauren Yates - Performance
- Foster Longo - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 147 - December 2021 — Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Fran Wilde - Introduction
- Fran Wilde - Performance
- Alex Butler - Introduction
- Alex Butler - Performance
- Elektra Hammond - Introduction
- Elektra Hammond - Performance
- Raven Green - Introduction
- Raven Green - Performance
- Janel - First Introduction
- Janel - First Performance
- Gerard St. George - Introduction
- Gerard St. George - Performance
- Hector Cruz - Introduction
- Hector Cruz - Performance
- Janel - Second Introduction
- Janel - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 146 - November 2021 — West Philly Community Poem
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Marhsall James Kavanaugh - Introduction
- Marshall James Kavanaugh - Performance
- Carlos José Pérez Sámano - Introduction
- Carlos José Pérez Sámano - Performance
- LindoYes! - Introduction
- LindoYes! - Performance
- Karen Smith - Introduction
- Karen Smith - First Performance
- Cashmere Harper - Introduction
- Cashmere Harper - Performance
- K.P. Brown - Introduction
- K.P. Brown - Performance
- Karen Smith - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 145 - October 2021 — The Cannery Reading Series
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Matt Jakubowski and Christine Kendall - Interview
- Christine Kendall - Introduction
- Christine Kendall - Performance
- Elaine Crauder - Introduction
- Elaine Crauder - Performance
- Vichet Ou - Introduction
- Vichet Ou - Performance
- Emily Bates - First Introduction
- Emily Bates - First Performance
- Athena Nixon - Introduction
- Athena Nixon - Performance
- Matt Jakubowski - Introduction
- Matt Jakubowski - Performance
- Emily Bates - Second Introduction
- Emily Bates - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 144 - April 2021 — Undergraduate Readings
- Produced by Alli Katz; hosted by Alli Katz and Jamie-Lee Josselyn.
- Full program
- Alli Katz and Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Opening Remarks
- Wes Matthews - Introduction
- Wes Matthews - Performance
- Sof Sears - Introduction
- Sof Sears - Performance
- Devon Inman - Introduction
- Devon Inman - Performance
- Karen Kim - First Introduction
- Karen Kim - First Performance
- Lizzy Lemieux - Introduction
- Lizzy Lemieux - Performance
- Ollie Kim Dupuy - Introduction
- Ollie Kim Dupuy - Performance
- Karen Kim - Second Introduction
- Karen Kim - Second Performance
- Alli Katz and Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Closing Remarks
Episode 143 - March 2021 — Comedy Night
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz and Ronald Metellus. Recorded remotely.
- Full program
- Alli Katz and Ronald Metellus - Opening Remarks and Conversation
- Jasmine Ellis - Introduction
- Jasmine Ellis - Performance
- Kyle Harris - Introduction
- Kyle Harris - Performance
- Milly Tamarez - Introduction
- Milly Tamarez - Performance
- Brandon Mitchell - Introduction
- Brandon Mitchell - Performance
- Al Maralen - Introduction
- Al Maralen - Everything I Need
- Cassandra Dee - Introduction
- Cassandra Dee - Performance
- Al Maralen - Moments
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 142 - February 2021 — Sports Narratives
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz. Recorded remotely.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Kerith Gabriel - Introduction and Performance
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Introduction and Performance
- Kevin Kinkead - Introduction and Performance
- Ghosh - First Performance
- Dan McQuade - Introduction and Performance
- Ghosh - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 141 - November 2020
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz. Recorded remotely.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Mara Gordon - Introduction and Performance
- Jules Lipoff - Introduction and Performance
- Knifeplay - First Performance: "Tears"
- I. W. Gregorio - Introduction and Performance
- Knifeplay - Second Performance: "Held My Hand"
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 140 - October 2020
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz. Recorded remotely.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Angel Hogan - Introduction
- Angel Hogan - Performance
- Daniel Nathan Horn - Introduction
- Daniel Nathan Horn - Performance
- Leah Mele - Introduction
- Leah Mele - Performance
- Lexi Reader - Introduction
- Lexi Reader - Performance
- Seraiah Nicole - Introduction
- Seraiah Nicole - Performance
- Beth Ann Downey - Introduction
- Beth Ann Downey - Performance
- Jeanine Cook - Introduction
- Jeanine Cook - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 139 - April 2020 — Undergraduate Writers at Home
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz. Recorded remotely.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Farah Sayed - Introduction and Performance
- Annabelle Williams - Introduction and Performance
- Chidi Nwgobaga - Introduction and Performance
- Anika Prakash - Introduction and Performance
- Kaliyah Dorsey - Introduction and Performance
- Zoe Braccia - Introduction and Performance
- Griffen Handshake - First Performance: "Complicated"
- Husnaa Hashim - Introduction and Performance
- Sophia DuRose - Introduction and Performance
- Alaina Pomykacz - Introduction and Performance
- Griffen Handshake - Second Performance: "Tunnels"
- Alli Katz - Closing
Episode 138 - One Book One Philadelphia
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
Episode 137 - 01/27/2020 — Comedy Night
- Produced by Alli Katz and hosted by Jamie-Lee Josselyn.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Cassandra Dee - Introduction and Performance
- Dan Vetrano - Introduction and Performance
- Jillian Markowitz - Introduction and Performance
- Hannah and Josh - First Performance
- John Deary - Introduction and Performance
- Nicole Phoenix - Introduction and Performance
- Hannah and Josh - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing
Episode 136 - 11/18/2019 — The Word and the World
- Produced by Alli Katz and hosted by Jamie-Lee Josselyn; curated by Erik Ruin.
- Part 1: Erik Ruin performing two crankies, with Myles Donovan
- Part 2: "Sloughing" by Eli Nixon and Izzy Sazak
- Part 3: A performance by Persephone
Episode 135 - 10/28/2019 — Dead Parents Society
- Produced by Alli Katz and hosted by Jamie-Lee Josselyn.
- Full program
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Introduction
- Emily Harnett - Introduction
- Emily Harnett - Performance
- Zoe Osbourne - Introduction
- Zoe Osbourne - Performance
- Gianna DeMedio - Introduction
- Gianna DeMedio - Performance
- Ali Awan - Introduction
- Ali Awan - Performance
- Rachel Levy Lesser - Introduction
- Rachel Levy Lesser - Performance
- Ali Awan - Introduction
- Ali Awan - Performance
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Closing Remarks
Episode 134 - 9/23/2019 — Philly Game Mechanics
- Produced by Alli Katz and hosted by Jamie-Lee Josselyn.
- Full program
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Introduction
- Jake O'Brien - Introduction
- Jake O'Brien - Performance
- Jessica Creane - Introduction
- Jessica Creane - Performance
- Shawn Pierre - Introduction
- Shawn Pierre - Performance
- Grant Bouvier - First Introduction
- Grant Bouvier - First Performance
- Corey Waite Arnold - Introduction
- Corey Waite Arnold - Performance
- Grant Bouvier - Second Introduction
- Grant Bouvier - Second Performance
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Closing Remarks
Episode 133 - 3/18/2019 — Penn Undergraduate Writers
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Carolyn Liu - Introduction
- Carolyn Liu - Performance
- Torinn Fennelly - Introduction
- Torinn Fennelly - Performance
- Chelsey Zhu - Introduction
- Chelsey Zhu - Performance
- Earthboy - First Introduction
- Earthboy - First Performance
- Izzy Lopez - Introduction
- Izzy Lopez - Performance
- Christian Warrick - Introduction
- Christian Warrick - Performance
- Earthboy - Second Introduction
- Earthboy - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 132 - 2/25/2019 — One Book, One Philadelphia
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Mary Baxter - Introduction
- Mary Baxter - Performance
- Latyra Blake - Introduction
- Latyra Blake - Performance
- Toyz - Introduction
- Toyz - Performance
- Faith Bartley - Introduction
- Faith Bartley - Performance
- Faith Bartley and Latyra Blake - Performance
- Toyz - Introduction
- Toyz - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 131 - 1/28/2019 — Algorithmic and Digital Narrative Modes
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Nabil Kashyap - Introduction
- Nabil Kashyap - Performance
- Emily Abendroth - Introduction
- Emily Abendroth - Performance
- Nick Montfort - Introduction
- Nick Montfort - Performance
- Murayama - Introduction
- Murayama - Performance
- Alice McGrath - Introduction
- Alice McGrath - Performance
- Murayama - Introduction
- Murayama - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 130 - 11/26/2018 — Art Blog
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Roberta Fallon - Introduction
- Roberta Fallon - Performance
- Morgan Nitz - Introduction
- Morgan Nitz - Performance
- Imani Roach - Introduction
- Imani Roach - Performance
- Shelf Life - Introduction
- Shelf Life - Performance
- Matt Kalasky - Introduction
- Matt Kalasky - Performance
- Carlos Roa - Introduction
- Carlos Roa - Performance
- Shelf Life - Introduction
- Shelf Life - Performance
Episode 129 - 10/29/2018 — Blue Stoop
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Joshua Demaree - Introduction
- Joshua Demaree - Performance
- Boston Gordon - Introduction
- Boston Gordon - Performance
- Raena Shirali - Introduction
- Raena Shirali - Performance
- Joey Sweeney - First Performance
- Berry Grass - Introduction
- Berry Grass - Performance
- Thomas Devaney - Introduction
- Thomas Devaney - Performance
- Joey Sweeney - Second Introduction
- Joey Sweeney - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 128 - 9/24/2018 — “The Rider,” an original play by Mona Washington
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
Episode 127 - 1/29/2018 — STAND-UP COMICS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Cassandra Dee - Introduction
- Cassandra Dee - Performance
- Christian Mangual - Introduction
- Christian Mangual - Performance
- Hannah Ceisler - Introduction
- Hannah Ceisler - Performance
- Naeemah Z. Maddox - Introduction
- Naeemah Z. Maddox - Performance
- Brandon Vincent Jackson - Introduction
- Brandon Vincent Jackson - Performance
- Naeemah Z. Maddox - Second Introduction
- Naeemah Z. Maddox - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 126 - 11/27/2017 — DAYDREAMERS MAGAZINE
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Bria Kiara - Introduction
- Bria Kiara - Performance
- Jay Raheem - Introduction
- Jay Raheem - Performance
- Novari Montese - Introduction
- Novari Montese - Performance
- Aleana - First Introduction
- Aleana - First Performance
- Aaron Ball - Introduction
- Aaron Ball - Performance
- Melonee Rembert - Introduction
- Melonee Rembert - Performance
- Aleana - Second Introduction
- Aleana - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 125 - 10/30/2017
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Marc Anthony Richardson - Introduction
- Marc Anthony Richardson - Performance
- Vi Khi Nao - Introduction
- Vi Khi Nao - Performance
- Caren Beilin - Introduction
- Caren Beilin - Performance
- Elias Rodriques - Introduction
- Elias Rodriques - Performance
- Rob'n Delaine - First Introduction
- Rob'n Delaine - First Performance
- Raquel Salas Rivera - Introduction
- Raquel Salas Rivera - Performance
- Rob'n Delaine - Second Introduction
- Rob'n Delaine - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 124 - 9/25/2017
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Lee Mokobe - Introduction
- Lee Mokobe - Performance
- Kirwyn Sutherland - Introduction
- Kirwyn Sutherland - Performance
- Otter Jung Allen - Introduction
- Otter Jung Allen - Performance
- Maya Simone - First Introduction
- Maya Simone - First Performance
- Marquis Wright Lee - Introduction
- Marquis Wright Lee - Performance
- Imani Davis - Introduction
- Imani Davis - Performance
- Maya Simone - Second Introduction
- Maya Simone - Second Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 123 - 3/27/2017 — WOMEN WRITING ABOUT CONFLICT REGIONS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Uddipana Goswami - Introduction
- Uddipana Goswami - Performance
- Wazhmah Osman - Introduction
- Wazhmah Osman - Performance
- Destiny X - Introduction
- Destiny X - Performance
- Fatemeh Shams - Introduction
- Fatemeh Shams - Performance
- Destiny X - Introduction
- Destiny X - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 122 - 2/27/2017 — PHILADELPHIA TEACHERS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Matt Kay - Introduction
- Matt Kay - Performance
- Regina Hastings - Introduction
- Regina Hastings - Performance
- Nick Gregorio - Introduction
- Nick Gregorio - Performance
- Lauren Holguin - Introduction
- Lauren Holguin - Performance
- Cait Miner Kay - Introduction
- Cait Miner Kay - Performance
- Little Strike - Introduction
- Little Strike - Performance
- Sam Reed - Introduction
- Sam Reed - Performance
- Anissa Weinraub - Introduction
- Anissa Weinraub - Performance
- Little Strike - Introduction
- Little Strike - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 121 - 1/30/2017 — THE WITCHING HOUR
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Kenna O'Rourke - Introduction
- Kenna O'Rourke - Performance
- Rive Cadwallader - Introduction
- Rive Cadwallader - Performance
- Amanda Prager - Introduction
- Amanda Prager - Performance
- Shaina Joelle - Introduction
- Shaina Joelle - Performance
- Katarina Troutman - Introduction
- Katarina Troutman - Performance
- Maya Arthur - Introduction
- Maya Arthur - Performance
- Shaina Joelle - Introduction
- Shaina Joelle - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 120 - 11/28/2016 — LOCAL WRITERS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Alyssa Songsiridej - Introduction
- Alyssa Songsiridej - Performance
- Hila Ratzabi - Introduction
- Hila Ratzabi - Performance
- Sarah Marshall - Introduction
- Sarah Marshall - Performance
- A Day Without Love - Introduction
- A Day Without Love - Performance
- Meg Pendoley - Introduction
- Meg Pendoley - Performance
- A Day Without Love - Introduction
- A Day Without Love - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 119 - 10/31/2016 — PHILLY POETS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Nicole Steinberg - Introduction
- Nicole Steinberg - Performance
- Frank Sherlock - Introduction
- Frank Sherlock - Performance
- Ambient Asian Space - Introduction
- Ambient Asian Space - Performance
- SCRAAATCH - Introduction
- SCRAAATCH - Performance
- Jason Zuzga - Introduction
- Jason Zuzga - Performance
- SCRAAATCH - Introduction
- SCRAAATCH - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 118 - 9/26/2016 — SCIENCE WRITERS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Maddie Stone - Introduction
- Maddie Stone - Performance
- Aatish Bhatia - Introduction
- Aatish Bhatia - Performance
- Shelly Peiken - Introduction
- Shelly Peiken - Performance
- Matt Soniak - Introduction
- Matt Soniak - Performance
- Audra J. Wolfe - Introduction
- Audra J. Wolfe - Performance
- Shelly Peiken - Introduction
- Shelly Peiken - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 117 - 3/28/2016 — TIREFIRE READING SERIES
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Sarah Rose Etter - Introduction
- Sarah Rose Etter - Performance
- Carmen Maria Machado - Introduction
- Carmen Maria Machado - Performance
- Gina Myers - Introduction
- Gina Myers - Performance
- tinmouth - Introduction
- tinmouth - Performance
- Jaime Fountaine - Introduction
- Jaime Fountaine - Performance
- tinmouth - Introduction
- tinmouth - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 116 - 2/29/2016 — ONE BOOK, ONE PHILADELPHIA: COLD MOUNTAIN
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Saundra Gilliard - Interview
- Dr. Caroliese Frink Reed - Introduction
- Dr. Caroliese Frink Reed - Performance
- Charlotte Blake Alston - Musical Performance
- Charlotte Blake Alston - Introduction
- Charlotte Blake Alston - Performance
- Queen Nur - Introduction
- Queen Nur - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 115 — 1/25/2016 - LIVE AT THE KELLY WRITERS HOUSE
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Jennifer Yu - Introduction
- Jennifer Yu - Performance
- Mahalia Hensey - Introduction
- Mahalia Hensey - Performance
- Dalton Kamish - Introduction
- Dalton Kamish - Performance
- Kyra Schulman - Introduction
- Kyra Schulman - Performance
- Amanda Silberling - Introduction
- Amanda Silberling - Performance
- Maggie Lily - Introduction
- Maggie Lily - Performance
- Kyra Schulman - Introduction
- Kyra Schulman - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 114 - 11/30/2015 — PHILADELPHIA WRITERS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- P.E. Garcia - Introduction
- P.E. Garcia - Performance
- Amanda Miska - Introduction
- Amanda Miska - Performance
- Laura A. Warman - Introduction
- Laura A. Warman - Performance
- Rachel Milligan - Introduction
- Rachel Milligan - Performance
- Sunny Ali - Introduction
- Sunny Ali - Performance
- Die Ashley - Introduction
- Die Ashley - Performance
- Madeleine Dubus - Introduction
- Madeleine Dubus - Performance
- Sunny Ali - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 113 - 10/26/2015 - PHILADELPHIA ART CRITICS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Roberta Fallon - Introduction and Performance
- Andrea Kirsch - Introduction and Performance
- Evan Paul Laudenslager - Introduction and Performance
- City Love - Introduction and Performance
- Matt Kalasky - Introduction and Performance
- Suzanne Seesman - Introduction and Performance
- Zachary Rawe - Introduction and Performance
- City Love - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 112 - 9/28/2015 - METROPOLARITY
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
- Full program
- Alli Katz - Opening Remarks
- Ras Mashramani - Introduction
- Ras Mashramani - Performance
- Alex Smith - Introduction
- Alex Smith - Performance
- M. Eighteen - Introduction
- M. Eighteen - Performance
- Moor Mother Goddess - Introduction
- Moor Mother Goddess - Performance
- Rasheedah Phillips - Introduction
- Rasheedah Phillips - Performance
- Moor Mother Goddess - Performance
- Alli Katz - Closing Remarks
Episode 111 - 3/30/2015 - YA WRITERS
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Katherine Locke - Introduction
- Katherine Locke - Performance
- Eric Smith - Introduction
- Eric Smith - Performance
- Lauren Saft - Introduction
- Lauren Saft - Performance
- E.C. Myers - Introduction
- E.C. Myers - Performance
- Birdie Busch - Introduction
- Birdie Busch - Performance
- Tiffany Schmidt - Introduction
- Tiffany Schmidt - Performance
- I.W. Gregorio - Introduction
- I.W. Gregorio - Performance
- Birdie Busch - Introduction
- Birdie Busch - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 110 - 2/23/2015 - PHILADELPHIA WRITERS
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Nathaniel Popkin - Introduction
- Nathaniel Popkin - Performance
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Introduction
- Jamie-Lee Josselyn - Performance
- Sam Apple - Introduction
- Sam Apple - Performance
- Jonagold - Introduction
- Jonagold - Performance
- Julia Bloch - Introduction
- Julia Bloch - Performance
- Lee Klein - Introduction
- Lee Klein - Performance
- Jonagold - Introduction
- Jonagold - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 109 - 1/26/2015 - LOCAL JOURNALISTS
- Produced and hosted by Alli Katz.
Episode 108 - 12/01/2014 - NANOWRIMO
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Sarah Sawyers-Lovett - Introduction
- Sarah Sawyers-Lovett - Performance
- Jason M Jones - Introduction
- Jason M Jones - Performance
- Chenda Cope - Introduction
- Chenda Cope - Performance
- Kristen Pearson - Introduction
- Kristen Pearson - Performance
- Justin Southern - Introduction
- Justin Southern - Performance
- Chenda Cope - Introduction
- Chenda Cope - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 107 - 10/27/2014 - CARTOONISTS AND ILLUSTRATORS
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Box Brown - Introduction
- Box Brown - Performance
- JC Cloutier - Introduction
- JC Cloutier - Performance
- Emi Gennis - Introduction
- Emi Gennis - Performance
- Lantern - Introduction
- Lantern - Performance
- Hawk Krall - Introduction
- Hawk Krall - Performance
- Lantern - Introduction
- Lantern - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 106 - 9/29/2014 - FOR WOMEN COLLECTIVE
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Deporah Powell-Wright and For Women Collective - Introduction
- Deborah Powell-Wright and For Women Collective - Performance
- Sandra Turner-Barnes - Introduction
- Sandra Turner-Barnes - Performance
- Karen L. Smith - Introduction
- Karen L. Smith - Performance
- Darlene Godwin - Introduction
- Darlene Godwin - Performance
- Kia Knight - Introduction
- Kia Knight - Performance
- Jaz - Introduction
- Jaz - Performance
- Karen L. Smith - Performance
- Pat McLean - Introduction
- Pat McLean - Performance
- Debra Powell-Wright - Introduction
- Debra Powell-Wright - Performance
- For Women Collective - Introduction
- For Women Collective - Performance
- Karen L. Smith - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 105 - 3/24/2014 - MUSIC WRITERS
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- John Vettese - Introduction
- John Vettese - Performance
- Kate Bragcalia - Introduction
- Kate Bragcalia - Performance
- Elliott Sharp - Introduction
- Elliott Sharp - Performance
- Dotun Akintoye - Introduction
- Dotun Akintoye - Performance
- Janelle McDermoth - Introduction
- Janelle McDermoth - Performance
- Beth Ann Downey - Introduction
- Beth Ann Downey - Performance
- Patrick Rapa - Introduction
- Patrick Rapa - Performance
- Janelle McDermoth - Introduction
- Janelle McDermoth - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 104 - 2/24/2014 - WARRIOR WRITERS
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Lovella Calica - Introduction
- Lovella Calica - Performance
- Jeremy Stainthorp Berggren - Introduction
- Jeremy Stainthorp Berggren - Performance
- Chantelle Bateman - Introduction
- Chantelle Bateman - Performance
- No Good Sister - Introduction
- No Good Sister - Performance
- Kevin Basl - Introduction
- Kevin Basl - Performance
- No Good Sister - Introduction
- No Good Sister - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 103 - 1/27/2014 - PRINCIPLE HAND
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Marion Bell - Introduction
- Marion Bell - Performance
- Andrew Dieck - Introduction
- Andrew Dieck - Performance
- Munsen Muntz - Introduction
- Munsen Muntz - Performance
- Amelia Bentley - Introduction
- Amelia Bentley - Performance
- Mark Johnson - Introduction
- Mark Johnson - Performance
- Aaron Winslow - Introduction
- Aaron Winslow - Performance
- Munsen Muntz - Introduction
- Munsen Muntz - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 102 - 12/02/2013
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Hillary Plum - Introduction
- Hillary Plum - Performance
- Siduri Beckman - Introduction
- Siduri Beckman - Performance
- Maggie Grabmeier - Introduction
- Maggie Grabmeier - Performance
- Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela - Introduction
- Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela - Performance
- Erin Peraza - Introduction
- Erin Peraza - Performance
- Hannah White - Introduction
- Hannah White - Performance
- Maggie Grabmeier - Introduction
- Maggie Grabmeier - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 101 - 10/28/2013 - FIRST PERSON ARTS FESTIVAL PREVIEW
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Beth Kephart - Introduction
- Beth Kephart - Performance
- Ross Bellenoit - Introduction
- Ross Bellenoit - Performance
- Andrew Panebianco - Introduction
- Andrew Panebianco - Performance
- Katie Samson - Introduction
- Katie Samson - Performance
- Raphael Xavier - Introduction
- Raphael Xavier - Performance
- Yaba Blay - Introduction
- Yaba Blay - Performance
- Ross Bellenoit - Introduction
- Ross Bellenoit - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 100 - 9/30/2013 - LIVE 100th EPISODE!
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Thomas Devaney - Introduction
- Thomas Devaney - Performance
- Fletcher VanVliet - Introduction
- Fletcher VanVliet - Performance
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- Erin Gautsche - Performance
- John Carroll - Introduction
- John Carroll - Performance
- Alli Katz - Introduction
- Alli Katz - Performance
- Fletcher VanVliet - Introduction
- Fletcher VanVliet - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 99 - 3/25/2013 - Tell Me a Story
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
From sumo sweatpants to feral cats, iPhone withdrawal to Full House, tonight's episode of LIVE tapped into all the horrors and humors of real life as storytellers, comedians, and singers relayed true stories to an energetic audience. Comedy show host Hillary Rea, a bit of a drama queen, wailed "I'm HOMELESSSS!" from a tree stump after accidentally locking herself out of her house in her "primitive" (ehem, comfy) XXXL sweats and Eagles-adorned fleece slippers in her introductory story. Rather than finding herself exposed to the world in baggy clothes, stand-up comic Carolyn Busa, who punctuated her tale with song, found her college self completely exposed — topless, in fact — to the virtual world. "Toiling in Obscurity" host Jaime Fountaine gasped at Paul McCloud's devotion to Elvis (McCloud even named his son after the man), while K-12 curriculum developer Andrew Whitmore cringed with each of his mother's new "piano baby" doll purchases (think: Elf on the Shelf to a whole new level). Cofounder of Philly Sketchfest Dave Terruso and musical guests Emily and Micah McGraw poked fun at classmates, teachers (a grave mistake), and Philly accents. Bursts of laughter rang out in the Arts Café as our guests told tale after tale of comical mishaps and mistakes.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Hillary Rae - Introduction
- Hillary Rae - Performance
- Carolyn Busa - Introduction
- Carolyn Busa - Performance
- Jaime Fountaine - Introduction
- Jaime Fountaine - Performance
- Emily and Micah McGraw - Introduction
- Emily and Micah McGraw - Performance
- Andrew Whitmire - Introduction
- Andrew Whitmire - Performance
- Dave Terruso - Introduction
- Dave Terruso - Performance
- Emily and Micah McGraw - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 98 - 2/25/2013 - Apiary
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
On tonight's episode of LIVE, Apiary, a local magazine devoted to celebrating and nurturing the literary arts, graced the Arts Café with passionate writers from a host of genres. Food writer Christina Perucho, who believes in dance therapy, olive oil, and red lipstick, observed that cranky folks get decaf and boys never actually call you by your real name, while Dorkabetic author Hannah McDonald shrilly warned the audience to never fall in love with boys with common names. In a breathy and passionate voice, author Frank Sherlock proclaimed that public toilets are "rank with territorial piss" and questioned the meaning of life. Eclectic musical guest Strawberry Hands and English teacher Mathew Kay shared melancholic and shutter-inducing songs and poems about life's struggles. Contemporary poet Carlos Soto Roman could only say, say, say, say before an overwhelming beeping cut off his words and left an unsettling silence in the air. The Arts Café truly burst with passion and performance in this evening's LIVE.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Cristina Perachio - Introduction
- Cristina Perachio - Performance
- Frank Sherlock - Introduction
- Frank Sherlock - Performance
- Strawberry Hands - Introduction
- Strawberry Hands - Performance
- Hannah McDonald - Introduction
- Hannah McDonald - Performance
- Matthew Kay - Introduction
- Matthew Kay - Performance
- Carlos Soto-Roman - Introduction
- Carlos Soto-Roman - Performance
- Strawberry Hands - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 97 - 1/28/2013 - Philly Love Notes
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Monday's readers, participants in the online blog project "Philly Love Notes," read to remind Philadelphians how great their city is. John Paul Titlow honored his father's memory polishing off milkshakes at the old-fashioned counter of Little Pete's Diner in Center City, and Andrew Thompson paid tribute to the eco-farm in southwest Philly where life is still made from dirt. Edith Mulhern and Katie Sweeney's love of Philly intertwined with their running routes — Woodland Cemetery, an accessible slice of Philly's rich history, and the Kelly Drive loop, with its rusty water fountain, were not to be overlooked. Gretchen Lohse, whose most inspirational Philly site is her own house in Fishtown, sung "All Around the River" with a voice piercing in its insistence. Shadia Cooper and Visheera Muhammad from Tree House Books, whose mission is to grow and sustain a community of readers, writers, and thinkers in North Central Philadelphia, joined us with their own letters to the city they love: Cooper revealed the dreamland in her head, and Muhammad talked about creamy walls, like Twix ice cream, in her grandmother's bedroom. Emma Fried-Cassorla, creator of the blog, read a story by Emma Eisenberg entitled "The Last City I Loved: Philadelphia." And in each of their testimonies, we saw the truth in Cassorla's claim that "people like to pretend they don't like Philadelphia, but when you get them talking about it they can't stop."
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- John Paul Titlow - Introduction
- John Paul Titlow - Performance
- Andrew Thomson - Introduction
- Andrew Thomson - Performance
- Gretchen Lohsi - Introduction
- Gretchen Lohsi - Performance
- Treehouse - Introduction
- Treehouse - Performance
- Edith Mullhern - Introduction
- Edith Mullhern - Performance
- Katie Sweeney - Introduction
- Katie Sweeney - Performance
- Emma Fried-Cassorla - Introduction
- Emma Fried-Cassorla - Performance
- Gretchen Lohsi - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 96 - 11/26/2012 - Emerging Philadelphia Writers
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Episode 95 - 9/12/2012 - 10th Anniversary of Quirk Books
- Produced by Alli Katz, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Philadelphia publishing house Quirk Books celebrated its tenth anniversary with the Writers House and WXPN at today's edition of LIVE. Eric Smith, Quirk's social media and marketing coordinator, explained the history of Quirk, from The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook in 2002 to The Peanut Butter Cookbook in 2009. Dougie Horner, proclaimed "the funniest guy in Philly" by Philadelphia Magazine, read an excerpt from The History of the Berenstain Bears, proving through snappy one-liners and bizarre plot lines that Philadelphia Magazine chose right. Don Steinberg taught us jokes every man should know, and Caroline Tiger informed us how to spot the serial long-distance dater (hint: "when you joke about his weekday girlfriend, there is a long pause before he laughs"). Musical guest Emily Bate provided lively tunes about her new subject of interest, lady criminals. And Michael Rogalski, creative director at Quirk Books, ended the night by sharing his experience and expertise. While most known for the international bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the authors and staff at Quirk demonstrated that talent extends to every corner of the publishing house.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Eric Smith - Introduction
- Eric Smith - History of Quirk Books
- Dougie Horner - Introduction
- Dougie Horner - Short Stories
- Emily Bate - Introduction
- Emily Bate - Performance
- Caroline Tiger - Introduction
- Caroline Tiger - Reading
- Don Steinberg - Reading
- Don Steinberg - Introduction
- Michael Rogalski - Introduction
- Michael Rogalski - Reading
- Emily Bate - Performance
Episode 94 - 3/26/2012 - Principal Hand Presents
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Local experimental poets from Steve McLaughlin's monthly reading series enlivened the Writers House this March evening in an abundance of exuberant verse. Each performer tipped their hat to their fellow readers, resulting in a number of energetic collaborations as the night progressed. It was difficult to discern the difference between Eddie Hopely's lilting poetry and his ordinary speech; he seemed to edit his work in real-time as he warped language in repetition. Trisha Low claimed that performance studies, a field in which she is pursuing an MFA at Tisch, doesn't really exist, an assertion that was hard to believe as her reading took a surprising theatrical turn. Musical guest Corey Duncan of Oh! Pears showcased spirited acoustics in his song "Under the Olive Trees"; later in the night, his malleable, whinnying voice went soft in a cover of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (movement #2). "Corroded philosophic algorithm" John Paetsch evidenced his verbal alacrity in snappy changes of tone, alternating between textbook recitation, gangsta-speech, diatribe, falsetto, stuttered name-dropping, and even interjected song as if flicking through channels on a TV. Cecilia K. Corrigan enlisted the help of the other poets in attendance to pay tribute to HBO's "Luck" with a surreal screenplay about horseracing, intrigue, and threatening poems. Gauss PDF founder Gordon Faylor wrapped up the poetic portion of the night; his voice grew unsettling and gravelly as he spouted medical analyses, creating a diseased effect.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Eddie Hopely - Introduction
- Eddie Hopely - Performance
- Trisha Low - Introduction
- Trisha Low - "Conversation"
- Corey Duncan - Introduction
- Corey Duncan - "Under the Olive Trees"
- John Paetsch - Introduction
- John Paetsch - "Novel"
- Cecilia K. Corrigan - Introduction
- Cecilia K. Corrigan - "Luck"
- Gordon Faylor - Introduction
- Gordon Faylor - "I've Got a New Hat"
- Corey Duncan - "Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 93 - 2/23/2012 - Philly's Up-And-Coming
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
A few of Philadelphia's finest young writers read a selection of fiction and poetry in this edition of LIVE. Pattie Russo, who began writing stories while working with lab animals in a cancer research lab, started the evening off with a fresh, dystopian take on a "lost dog" story, while Sam Allingham continued the theme of absence with an exploration of deluded parental dynamics and art museums. The Old-Fashioneds proceeded to charm with their traditional bluegrass style; plucky, heartening fiddle balanced mournful vocals in "Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?" and "Single Girl." Bridget Talone changed the pace with a measured, mesmerizing reading of Prince-inspired poems. Next, MFA poetry candidate Timothy Leonido delved into inter-workplace tension as it relates to pharmaceuticals, dairy mishaps, and illicit scratch-off dealings. Mathew Jakubowski's "Chilling Out Raya Potta" rounded out the night with gripping character development, both written and oral: the earnestness of Raya Potta, executor of "emblematic public experiences," was clear in Jakubowski's voice.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Pattie Russo - Introduction
- Pattie Russo - "Serious Work Indeed"
- Sam Allingham - Introduction
- Sam Allingham - "Sunflowers," "Field," and "Your Name Here"
- The Old Fashioneds - Introduction
- The Old Fashioneds - "Whose Going to Show Your Pretty Little Feet"
- Bridget Talone - Introduction
- Bridget Talone - Nine Poems
- Timothy Leonido - Introduction
- Timothy Leonido - Short Story
- Matthew Jakubowski - Introduction
- Matthew Jakubowski - "Chilling Out Raya Potta"
- Old Fashioneds - "Single Girl"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 92 - 01/23/2012 - Friends of the Writers House
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
For the 92nd episode of LIVE, we invited valued members of the Writers House community to come share their poetry. We were joined by writers Anne-Adele Wight, Frank Sherlock, Susanna Frye, Michelle Taransky, and Ryan Eckes, as well as the musical group Honey Watts, comprised of folk artists Liz Fullerton and Carl Cheeseman. Many of the poets expressed themselves through natural imagery, as in Taransky's "No, I will be in the Woods" and Wigh''s commentary on environmental issues in "Sidestep Catapult." The poets also voiced their concerns with social issues and educating people, as we saw in Sherlock's piece on the Occupy Wall Street movement. We concluded the session close to home, with Eckes' series of poems about Philadelphia, finishing appropriately with a poem exploring what the word "friend" really means.
- Erin Gautsche - Opening Remarks
- Anne-Adele Wight - Introduction
- Anne-Adele Wight - "Sidestep Catapult"
- Frank Sherlock - Introduction
- Frank Sherlock - "Great Meetings in History"
- Susana Frye - Introduction
- Susana Frye - Reading
- Michelle Taransky - Introduction
- Michelle Taransky - "No, I will be in the Woods"
- Honey Watts - Introduction
- Honey Watts - "No Promises"
- Ryan Eckes - Introduction
- Ryan Eckes - "Old News"
- Honey Watts - "Charlotte"
- Erin Gautsche - Closing Remarks
Episode 91 - 11/28/2011 - Leeway Foundation Grant Winners
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Episode 91 of LIVE featured grant winners from the Leeway Foundation, a group that focuses on female and transgender artists in Philadelphia who work to promote social change and resist oppression. During the event, the winners described the projects funded by the Leeway grants. These works ranged from books to artistic portraits to plays. The final winner, Reverend Dr. Beverly Dale, performed one-woman shows on women's liberation from sexual opression. Genne Murphy, playwright and grant winner, was unfortunately unable to join us; however, prior to the event, she worked with two actresses – Anjoli Santiago and Leyla Eraslan – on a reading of Scenes Three and Four of her play-in-progress, "Giantess." Poetry by Shari Tobias and Debra Powell-Wright was also shared during this episode, as well as the introduction to Ondartza Polita's "Legend of Nahia."
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Shari Tobias - Introduction
- Shari Tobias - "Tomb of the Unkown Mother"
- Debra Wright - Introduction
- Debra Wright - "Love Letter to Mother"
- Debra Wright - "Woman Just Be"
- Lizanne Knott - Introdution
- Lizanne Knott - "Three Steps Shy"
- Genne Murphy - Introduction
- Genne Murphy - "Giantess"
- Ondartza Polita - Introduction
- Ondartza Polita - "Legend of Naya"
- Reverand Dr. Beverly Dale - Introduction
- Reverand Dr. Beverly Dale - "Buns"
- Reverand Dr. Beverly Dale - "Song of Songs"
- Lizanne Knott - "Angels"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 90 - 10/24/2011 - First Person Festival Preview
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
As a precursor for the 10th anniversary First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art, LIVE hosted its 90th episode with poets and spoken word artists set to perform at the festival. The storytelling began with comedian Hillary Rea sharing stories of her celebrity encounters, told in backwards chronological order. Among the rest of the storytellers were Michelle Myers and Kao Kue, who each performed works that brought out their distinctly Asian American heritage, paying special attention to their ancestors. Erik Thomas shared his funny, captivating, yet emotional poem, "Daddy Issues," which offered his perspective on growing up gay. Hip-hop artist and poet Native Son, as well as musician and self-proclaimed "teaching artist" Jack Drummond, shared stories as well.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Hillary Rea - Introduction
- Hillary Rea - "Celebrity Encounters"
- Michelle Myers - Introduction
- Michelle Myers - Three Poems
- Jack Drummond - Introduction
- Jack Drummond - "Freedom"
- Erik Thomas - Introduction
- Erik Thomas - "Daddy Issues"
- Kao Kue - Introduction
- Kao Kue - Stories and Poems
- Native Son - Introduction
- Native Son - Poems
- Jack Drummond - "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 89 - 9/26/2011 - Philadelphia Stories Contributors
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
The Writers House welcomed contributors to the literary journal Philadelphia Stories as well as musician Adrien Reju to the 89th episode of LIVE. To start off the evening, Christina Delia read us her short story "The Robbery" from the journal, as well as a story about dreams called "All Through the Night." Next, we heard James W. Morris's ridiculous yet chilling "The Captive," and Chad Willemborg's creepy and emotionally charged "The Boat." Quaker writer Helen W. Mallon shared a few of her unique stories featuring a spiritually lost, bi-racial mother of twins and a girl's father that refuses to come out of the bathroom for weeks. Finally, Debrah Morkun shared a series of poems called "IDA." With the exceptions of Morkun and Reju, the works read by the writers present can be found in print in Philadelphia Stories.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Christina Delia - Introduction
- Christina Delia - "The Robbery"
- James W. Morris - Introduction
- James W. Morris - "Captive"
- Chad Willemborg - Introduction
- Chad Willemborg - "The Boat"
- Hellen W. Mallon - Introduction
- Hellen W. Mallon - "Did You Put the Cat to Bed"
- Adrien Reju - Introduction
- Adrien Reju - "Under the Moonlight"
- Deborah Morkun - Introduction
- Deborah Morkun - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 88 - 3/28/2011 - Philadelphia Noir Contributors
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Who knew Philly was so full of intrigue? In this episode of LIVE contributors to the anthology Philadelphia Noir tested the limits of radio with scandalous, suspenseful stories set in delightfully familiar landscapes. Carlin Romano, occasionally adopting a Russian accent for added effect, began with a University City tale about a man with an affinity for seducing real estate agents. Dennis Tafoya revealed his taste for desperation and anxiety in a story about a kleptomaniac, saying, "I'm not a criminal, but I'm a parent, so I understand." Elliot Harvey of A Stick and A Stone introduced the audience to "haunted folk therapy"; enchanting banjo and the raspy edge to his clear soprano lent his music an appropriate level of sorrow and pain. Ansali Solomon followed with a segment from "Secret Pool," in which the disappearance of a teenager's Walkman coincides with her discovery of a shadowy swimming pool. Solomon Jones's emphatic, poetic voice accented the sensory trauma of "Scarred," a short fictional piece brimming with military conspiracy, while Jim Zervanos lightened the mood in "Your Brother Who Loves You," a story rich with satire and comical aspirations to badassery.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Carlin Romano - Introduction
- Carlin Romano - Performance
- Dennis Tafoya - Introduction
- Dennis Tafoya - "Above the Imperial"
- A Stick and a Stone - Introduction
- A Stick and a Stone - "Moving Slowly"
- Ansali Solomon - Introduction
- Ansali Solomon - "Secret Pool"
- Solomon Jones - Introduction
- Solomon Jones - "Scarred"
- Jim Zervanos - Introduction
- Jim Zervanos - "Your Brother Who Loves You"
- A Stick and a Stone - "Muscle Memory"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 87 - 2/28/2011 - Leeway Foundation Grant Winners
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
This edition of Live at the Writers House featured the Leeway Foundation's 2010 Arts and Change Grantees. Catzie Villayphonh arrived at the program straight from teaching 5th-7th graders poetry; though she claimed to be underprepared, Villayphonh delivered a confident, high-speed performance of "You Bring Out the Laos in the House," a poem that covered everything from fertilized duck eggs to elephant tattoos. Dr Tanji Gilliam, whose Leeway project was designed to empower women impacted by domestic violence, encouraged those afraid to speak up to "speak in"; as she delivered a troubling and frank family history her voice trembled only twice. Musical guest Emily Ana Zeitlyn – who, host Michaela Majoun explained, was born on a kitchen table in Fairmount Park – sung two of her "lyrically spare... and emotionally volcanic" songs in clear, soft tones. The first of these songs, "Take Me Back," was followed by several poems from Monique E. Hankerson: Hankerson's mild-mannered voice grew righteous and strong as she recounted injustices both universal and personal. Filipino-American Lorelai Narvaja followed with excerpts from family interviews, exploring the conflicting attitudes with which her family regards the past. Finally, Benita Cooper revealed how her grandmother's amazing stories brought her the ability to trust her own voice and ultimately start a large-scale intergenerational storytelling project.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Catzie Vilayphonh - Introduction
- Catzie Vilayphonh - Reading
- Dr. Tanji Gilliam - Introduction
- Dr. Tanji Gilliam - "For Clark"
- Dr. Tanji Gilliam - "My Voice"
- Emily Ana Zeitlyn - Introduction
- Emily Ana Zeitlyn - "Take Me Back"
- Monique Hankerson - Introduction
- Monique Hankerson - "The Wayward"
- Lorelei Narvaja - Introduction
- Lorelei Narvaja - "My Cousin"
- Benita Cooper - Introduction
- Benita Cooper - "One More Story"
- Emily Ana Zeitlyn - "Follow"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 86 - 1/24/2011 - UPenn Excelano Project
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Michaela Majoun's voice expressed her excitement about this "return to the classic radio play," and compelling storytelling left the audience, too, hungry for more. Actors Ames Adamson, Zura Athena Johnson, Mary Lee Bednarek, Amanda Schoonover, and Keith Conallen demonstrated their versatility as they shifted from character to character throughout the episode. Rain filled the Arts Cafe in Seth Bauer's drizzly "Umbrella Play," mingling with the sighs of its bewildered, love-struck characters. The precipitation gave way to accents of affluence in a scene from Quinn D. Eli's "The Golden Ladder"; the excerpt ended just as the audience's curiosity peaked. Farm girl Carsie Blanton updated a traditional country sound in her simile-strewn musical interludes, while Jacqueline Goldfinger evoked a deep-South sensibility in her dark comedy "The Terrible Girls." Next, Genne Murphy returned to the local in a Philadelphia play that expertly juxtaposed blas&ecaute; recollections from a former dope addict with trepidation and uncertainty. Classical music characterized the final theatrical piece as a closeted Earth Sciences teacher used Tchaikovsky to bridge an awkward age gap in a scene from Mike Whistler.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Justin Ching - Introduction
- Justin Ching - Performance
- Marion Smallwood - Introduction
- Marion Smallwood - "Pandora"
- Matt McAndrew - Introduction
- Matt McAndrew - "Motorbike"
- Cortney Charleston - Introduction
- Cortney Charleston - "Mona Lisa"
- Simone Stolzoff - Introduction
- Simone Stolzoff - Performance
- Alice Liu - Introduction
- Alice Liu - "Baby Grand"
- Matt McAndrew - "In My Youth"
- Tiffany Kang - Introduction
- Tiffany Kang - "Home" and "Blasphemy"
- Sarah Richter - Introduction
- Sarah Richter - "Wakes" and "Museum"
- Justin Ching and Marion Smallwood - Introduction
- Justin Ching and Marion Smallwood - "Inverse"
- Cortney Charleston and Simone Stolzoff - Introduction
- Cortney Charleston and Simone Stolzoff - "Everclear"
- Matt McAndrew - "Down to You"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 85 - 11/29/2010 - InterAct Theatre Company Playwrights Forum
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Michaela Majoun's voice expressed her excitement about this "return to the classic radio play," and compelling storytelling left the audience, too, hungry for more. Actors Ames Adamson, Zura Athena Johnson, Mary Lee Bednarek, Amanda Schoonover, and Keith Conallen demonstrated their versatility as they shifted from character to character throughout the episode. Rain filled the Arts Cafe in Seth Bauer's drizzly "Umbrella Play," mingling with the sighs of its bewildered, love-struck characters. The precipitation gave way to accents of affluence in a scene from Quinn D. Eli's "The Golden Ladder"; the excerpt ended just as the audience's curiosity peaked. Farm girl Carsie Blanton updated a traditional country sound in her simile-strewn musical interludes, while Jacqueline Goldfinger evoked a deep-South sensibility in her dark comedy "The Terrible Girls." Next, Genne Murphy returned to the local in a Philadelphia play that expertly juxtaposed blasé recollections from a former dope addict with trepidation and uncertainty. Classical music characterized the final theatrical piece as a closeted Earth Sciences teacher used Tchaikovsky to bridge an awkward age gap in a scene from Mike Whistler.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Seth Bauer - Introduction to "Umbrella Play"
- Seth Bauer, Keith Conallen, and Mary Lee Bednarek - Excerpt from "Umbrella Play"
- Quinn D. Eli - Introduction to "Golden Ladder"
- Quinn Eli, Ames Adamson, and Amanda Schoonover - Excerpt from "Golden Ladder"
- Carsie Blanton - Introduction
- Carsie Blanton - "Buoy"
- Jacqueline Goldfinger - Introduction to "Terrible Girls"
- Jacqueline Goldfinger, Zura Johnson, Amanda Schoonover, and Mary Lee Bednarek - Excerpt from "Terrible Girls"
- Genne Murphy - Introduction to "Hope Street"
- Genne Murphy, Amanda Schoonover, Zura Johnson, and Keith Conallen - Excerpt from "Hope Street"
- Mike Whistler - Introduction to "Nutcracker"
- Mike Whistler, Keith Conallen, and Ames Adamson - Excerpt from "Nutcracker"
- Carsie Blanton - Closing Performance Introduction
- Carsie Blanton - Closing Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 84 - 10/25/2010 - Philadelphia Food Writers
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
For the 84th episode of LIVE, the Writers House invited food writers from around Philadelphia to share reviews, blog posts, and stories about the art of cooking. Our first guest was food and wine writer Brian Freedman, who shared a negative restaurant review (the restaurant remained unnamed) and an excerpt from a series of essays detailing an embarrassing incident at summer camp involving a vanilla éclair and a cabin full of thirteen campers. Other guests included Kirsten Henri, who told an unconventional story about trying to learn to cook with her Italian grandmother; Drew Lazor, who shared a cleverly titled piece about Philly pizza joints; Felicia D'Ambrosio, who described her growth from a city paper writer to running an online review site by reading pieces from her past and present; and Collin Keefe, who read a series of humorous blog posts describing a highly anticipated food truck's reluctance to open. Also present for the event was musician John Francis, who played his non-food-related but stirring "Who" and "Johnny Cash on the Radio."
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Brian Freedman - Introduction
- Brian Freedman - Reading
- Kirsten Henri - Introduction
- Kirsten Henri - Reading
- Drew Lazor - Introduction
- Drew Lazor - Reading
- Felicia D'Ambrosio - Introduction
- Felicia D'Ambrosio - Reading
- John Francis - Introduction
- John Francis - Performing "Who"
- Collin Keefe - Introduction
- Collin Keefe - Reading
- John Francis - Closing Performance Introduction
- John Francis - Performance "Johnny Cash on the Radio"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 83 - 9/27/2010 - First Person Arts Story Slam Stars
- Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
- Full program
Guest host Erin Gautsche assured the audience that tonight's First Person Arts Story Slam winners were "the best of the best" in this edition of LIVE. Angel Hogan, whose rural childhood consisted of "a heap of multicultural embarrassments," started the night off by detailing the transformation of her white rooster, Mr. Chick, from mild-mannered house-pet to terrifying attack bird. Leah Walton revealed why her typically charming grandfather was nicknamed "Hank the Crank" in a story that recounted their late-night ice-cream-and-casaba-melon run; her gruff, silly grandpa voice added investment to the escapade. Musical guest Ross Bellenoit's deep, resonant guitar was complemented by natural rhyme as he sang about "victories of blood and gold"; a sharp contrast, to be sure, to the cheeseburger song he once wrote for Craig LaBan. Quirky strains of awkwardness punctuated R. Eric Thomas's piece about a road trip with his parents, while Katonya Mosely addressed her complicated bladder in a recollection of her crazy law school days. Mike McCarry's struggles with terminal lateness were almost too incredible to believe in his account of "the day I figured out they were never gonna fire me": his mishaps were balanced by profound reflections in Tre Rials's "How I Spent My Summer Evacucation," in which Rials thanked Katrina for lending him new perspective.
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- Angel Hogan - Introduction
- Angel Hogan - "Chicken"
- Leah Walton - Introduction
- Leah Walton - "Hank the Crank"
- Ross Bellenoit - "To Be Free"
- Ross Bellenoit - Performance
- R. Eric Thomas - Introduction
- R. Eric Thomas - "Where Was I?" from "Lost and Found"
- Katonya Mosley - Introduction
- Katonya Mosley - Reading
- Mike McCarry - Introduction
- Mike McCarry - "The Day I Figured Out They Were Never Gonna Fire Me"
- Tre Rials - Introduction
- Tre Rials - "My Summer Evacucation"
- Ross Bellenoit - Closing Performance Intro
- Ross Bellenoit - "Behind an Open Door"
- Erin Gautsche - Closing Remarks
Episode 82 - 3/29/2010 - Mighty Writers Students
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
LIVE welcomed a different set of readers than typical for this endearing episode. Writing (along with video games and sports) was a shared interested for the 7th and 8th grade alumni of Mighty Writers' "Scary Stories" workshop, and their enthusiasm for the craft was reflected in a series of imaginative readings. Soccer player Imani Kunle's collected air lent an almost cavalier tone to the devastations of an apocalypse story, while Antoniyah Ben T'om's "Deep Roots" made a compelling case against feeding plants tasteless fertilizer. Anthony Oliver's creative similes ("like two bald-headed Milk Duds," among others) were a highlight of "A Walk Down the Street," a story which fused time travel and a near-death experience. Eighth-grader Tiaira Rodgers confronted "Thomas Jefferson with his big mouth" in another time-travel narrative about changing the constitution's stance on slavery; her choice of first person made the tale read like a personal recollection. Musical interludes from Nicole Reynolds showcased the innocent, meandering quality of her voice even as she asked "would you cut off your ear / if I needed it to hear...?" And Naur Collins concluded the readings with a grisly ghost story set in the Eastern State Penitentiary, growling and whispering for additional creepiness.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Imani Kunle - Introduction
- Imani Kunle - Reading
- Adoniyah Ben T'om - Introduction
- Adoniyah Ben T'om - "Deep Roots"
- Caroline Bean - Talks about Mighty Writers
- Anthony Oliver - Introduction
- Anthony Oliver - "A Walk Down the Street"
- Tiaira Rodgers - Introduction
- Tiaira Rodgers - "The Constitution"
- Nicole Reynolds - Introduction
- Nicole Reynolds - "Wonderin"
- Naur Collins - Introduction
- Naur Collins - "Eastern State Penitentiary"
- Jonathan Marcin - Talks about Mighty Writers
- Nicole Reynolds - "Here Right Now"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 81 - 2/22/2010 - Leeway Foundation Winners
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Another round of Leeway grant recipients graced the Writers House for this edition of LIVE, navigating the depths of documentary and memoir in a night with equal parts emotion and humor. Elizabeth Castiglione illustrated how unsettling the ordinary can become in an exploration of bipolar disorder, equating her situation to a 6th-grade writing assignment involving PB&J. Esteemed gluten-free author Jax Peters Lowell offset the dread of her husband's brain-surgery recovery with a slew of quirky characters – from a Cockney-speaking crossing guard to an elite "Connecticut preppy" – in "Coconuts." Indah Nuritasari asked audience members to pardon her accent as she recounted her migration from Indonesia to Philly, emphasizing the small miracles of everyday life. The Swimmers followed with a fresh take on the synthesizer; the progressive combination and separation of male and female vocals mesmerized. Yowei Shaw, a Penn senior, shared a scene from her radio documentary about The People's Revolutionary Party in Philly, proving that even communists eat cookie cream pie. A reporter's composure and clarity distinguished a final reading from Barbara Ann Grant, in which the humiliation and frustration of securing care for her elderly mother was balanced by small comic details (a 75-year-old boy toy and the redefinition of "HONDA," for instance).
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Elizabeth Castiglione - Introduction
- Elizabeth Castiglione - From the first chapter of Stumbling in the Dark
- Jax Peters Lowell - Introduction
- Jax Peters Lowell - "Coconuts"
- Indah Nuritasari - Introduction
- Indah Nuritasari - "Relying on Miracles"
- Swimmers - Introduction
- Swimmers - "Anything Together"
- Yowei Shaw - Introduction
- Yowei Shaw - Reading
- Barbara Ann Grant - Introduction
- Barbara Ann Grant - Reading
- Swimmers - Closing Performance Introduction
- Swimmers - "Save Me From the Brightness"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 80 - 1/25/2010 - Philly Fiction 2 Contributors
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
"A deafening audience" joined us this night to celebrate our very own "city of inspiration" and its fiction-writing inhabitants. Christine Flanagan began with a story about an ad man fighting to keep his anger in check in settings ranging from the Schuylkill banks to the local 7-11. Former Writers House fundraiser and experimental mailman John Carroll followed with an amusing account of a Phillies game in which harassment of Cubs fans featured prominently. The young narrator of Elise Juska's "Northeast Philly Girls" drew laughs from the audience as she marveled at the tight-jeans pride of her "grown-up" middle-school cousin. Scotch-Irish "musical cooperative" Flora Lee couldn't seem to help themselves from leaning into a cheerful, sweet, head-bobbing sound, reminiscent of an earlier musical time. Kelly McQuain told an Italian Market tale in which a freehand tattoo undertaking goes horribly awry, while Benjamin Matvey ended on a bizarre note with a story of young love and brains in the Mütter Museum.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Christine Flanagan - Introduction
- Christine Flanagan - Reading from "Return to Ithaca"
- John Carroll - Introduction
- John Carroll - "Baby Blue"
- Elise Juska - Introduction
- Elise Juska - "Northeast Philly Girls"
- Flora Lee - Introduction
- Flora Lee - "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
- Kelly McQuain - Introduction
- Kelly McQuain - "Erasing Sonny"
- Benjamin Matvey - Introduction
- Benjamin Matvey - "Peace of Mind"
- Flora Lee - Closing Performance Introduction
- Flora Lee - Untitled Song
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 79 - 11/30/2009 - Local Fiction Writers
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
This episode of LIVE demonstrated the benefits of listening locally in a tribute to the city's homegrown literary talent. Jeff Bender defined Jesus Christ's character by his prowess on the wrestling mat, while Rachel Cantor turned an in-flight flirtation into a desperate, operatic confrontation. Tim Leonido's "Difference Tone" channeled all of the precision of an automaton in its playfully overwrought vocabulary. Rachel Carpenter, originator of such words as "faukward" and "expatitis," preoccupied the audience with the past in a reading from The Return of Mr. Davies. Zach Djanikian's speaking voice was transformed by song: its emphatic fluidity met simple, soothing guitar. Finally, novel-juggler Jeremy Rosenberg drew laughter with the musings of a pro-pyramid-scheme cheese-factory worker and a loony amateur astronomer.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Jeff Bender - Excerpt from The Weight
- Rachel Cantor - Introduction
- Rachel Cantor - "White Sky"
- Tim Leonido - Introduction
- Tim Leonido - "Difference Tone"
- Rachel Carpenter - Introduction
- Rachel Carpenter - "Things Begin Again" from The Return of Mr. Davies
- Zach Djanikian - Introduction
- Zach Djanikian - I Think They're Out to Destroy
- Jeremy Rosenberg - Introduction
- Jeremy Rosenberg - "Pyramid Scheme" and "Moon"
- Zach Djanikian - Closing Introduction
- Zach Djanikian - Love of My Life
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 78 - 10/26/2009 - "Local Journalists Write Philadelphia" Features
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Some of Philadelphia's most intriguing stories hit the radio waves in this episode of LIVE, which was comprised of feature articles from local journalists. Daniel Denvir's opening piece was ringed with a sad, twisted humor as he detailed the desensitized virtual violence of a "military Dave and Buster's"; Mattathias Schwartz followed with an appetizing look into an old-style bakery (South Philadelphian dialects rose through slowly, like dough). Penn PhD candidate David Faris explained that "one-hundred and fifty dollars goes away much more smoothly when you kiss it goodbye in stackable red chips" in his underground exploration of illegal no-limit poker, while Bruce Schimmel extolled the merits of driving a "mature vehicle." Twin brothers Rich and Rob Kwait of Cabin Dogs provided a musical interlude about a ghost train before Tara Murtha took a dark look at the abuses and paradoxes of the teen prostitute "game" in the US. Isaiah Thompson managed to lighten the mood by chronicling South Philly residents' cohabitation with a self-sustaining feral chicken pack; fittingly, Cabin Dogs concluded the night with a plaintive song inspired by the sunset on a chicken farm.
- Michaela Majoun - Opening Remarks
- Daniel Denvir - Introduction
- Daniel Denvir - "Game Theory"
- Mattathias Schwartz - Introduction
- Mattathias Schwartz - "Nothing Fancy"
- David Faris - Introduction
- David Faris - "Take it to the Limit"
- Bruce Schimmel - Introduction
- Bruce Schimmel - "Driving Down"
- Cabin Dogs - Introduction
- Cabin Dogs - "Blue Train"
- Tara Murtha - Introduction
- Tara Murtha - "Traffic Stop"
- Isaiah Thompson - Introduction
- Isaiah Thompson - "Coop d'état"
- Cabin Dogs - Closing Intro
- Cabin Dogs - "Twilight"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing Remarks
Episode 77 - 9/21/2009 - Keystone Chapbook Prize Winners
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Pennsylvania poets exhibited the fruits of their prize-winning chapbooks in tonight's episode of LIVE. Harry Humes started the night off in deep tones, his poems evocative of the coal-mining country where he was raised. The music began early in the episode with singer-songwriter-cardiologist Suzie Brown's soothing "Side Streets"; later, Brown warned against falling for a drifter in her Johnny-Cash-inspired "Longest Road." Katherine Bode Lang's work addressed overheard vegetable chopping, divorce, her mother, and the view from her front porch; her "Lament for Pluto" was an audience favorite. Lisa Sewell read from her series of book-inspired poems and arrested listener attention with a bleak look into the Super Dome during Hurricane Katrina; Deborah Burnham concluded with snow, peaches, migraines, and mirror metaphor.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Harry Humes - Introduction
- Harry Humes - Reading
- Suzie Brown - Introduction
- Suzie Brown - Performance
- Katherine Bode Lang - Introduction
- Katherine Bode Lang - Reading
- Lisa Sewell - Introduction
- Lisa Sewell - Reading
- Deborah Burnham - Introduction
- Deborah Burnham - Reading
- Suzie Brown - Closing Remarks
- Suzie Brown - Closing Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 76 - 3/23/2009 - Young Local Fiction Writers
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
The writers featured in this episode of LIVE defied age expectations with the maturity of their captivating prose. Former Writers House staffer Sam Allingham appealed to listener imagination by distinguishing between the peculiar pulsations of love-stricken buildings, while Wharton speech-writer Katherine Hill intimated potential recycling conspiracies in a humorous story of purge. Shannon Pelcher's voice managed to be both feathery and syrupy as it meandered alongside a pleasantly bumbling bass. A poetic sensibility permeated Adrian Khactu's reading as he paused amongst maternal dysfunction and an enigmatic Mexican savior. French fries loomed large over Mecca Sullivan's obesity-clinic twist on a mother-daughter piece, while Penn senior Vince Levy touched upon polar bears, suicide, and the beauty of imminent danger in "Swim Lessons."
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Sam Allingham - Introduction
- Sam Allingham - "Buildings, A Love Story"
- Katherine Hill - Introduction
- Katherine Hill - "Waste Disposal"
- Shannon Pelcher - Introduction
- Shannon Pelcher - "Peculiar Pain"
- Adrian Khactu - Introduction
- Adrian Khactu - "Mexico"
- Mecca Sullivan - Introduction
- Mecca Sullivan - Piece from "Blue Talk and Love"
- Vince Levy - Introduction
- Vince Levy - "Swim Lessons"
- Shannon Pelcher - Closing Performance Introduction
- Shannon Pelcher - "Daydream"
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 75 - 2/16/2009 - Leeway Foundation Award Winners
- Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- Full program
Chlamydia, Darby, cats shitting on the lawn: Leeway Foundation award-winners filled the Writers House this Monday with poems and stories of prison, family, and domestic animals. Writer and teacher Alison Harris started off the evening painting pictures in calm even tones of those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, a reflection of the foundation's mission to promote expression that amplifies the voices of the marginalized. Valerie Harris, a teaching artist aiming to assist individuals in appreciating "the cultural landscape of their communities," gave a human face to Darby Borough, and Stephanie Yuhas, by literally adopting the voice of her Transylvanian mother, gave a complete picture of that human face. Courtney Fairchild gave us a different sort of lyricism with musical performances from her new album "11 Chances," a mix of percussion and buttery smooth tonality. Ann Marie Kirk and Winifred Coller-Bolkus, by different means and in varied voices, finished the night by expressing the triumph of human spirit against adversity: one through stories of burnt sheets and burnt lungs, and the other by way of a frog with a prosthesis. With unyielding voices in their advocacy for economic and social justice, our five female readers provoked thought and laughter throughout the evening.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Allison Harris - Introduction
- Allison Harris - Reading
- Valerie Harris - Introduction
- Valerie Harris - Reading
- Courtney Fairchild - Performance
- Ann Marie Kirk - Introduction
- Ann Marie Kirk - Reading
- Stephanie Yuhas - Introduction
- Stephanie Yuhas - Reading
- Winifred Collier-Bolkus - Introduction
- Winifred Collier-Bolkus - Reading
- Courtney Fairchild - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 74 - 01/26/2009 - Writers and Actors from InterAct Theatre Company
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Full program
"If only you could speak her language …" the voice of Kelly Lundgren Pietrucha's protagonist expresses all of the regret and limitation that each of the writers' characters is made to feel at some point in these three pieces of short fiction. Pietrucha presented her short story along with fellow writers Liz Abraham and Jonathan Liebson. In this month's installment of LIVE, however, the Kelly Writers House did not see the performance of these pieces by their authors, but rather by professional actors from the InterAct theatre company. The company, which celebrated its tenth season in 2008/2009, is known for giving voices to the region's writers. Lilian Rozen started off the evening with a performance of Liz Abraham's short story: a mix of docility and hospital beds, starting with shouts and ending in whispers and silence. Jonathan Liebson's short story, performed by Dan Hodge, was one of hatred, unease, and knife blades biting into flesh. In a change of tone from Liebson, Mark Silever and the Stone Throwers, the evening's musical performers, gave a more upbeat feel with an acoustic guitar and indie vibe. Jared Delaney ended the night with Pietrucha's storm and attempts to gain control. This Monday, the Kelly Writers House was able to showcase arts both written and performed, and the blend between strengthened each.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Lillian Rosen - Reading
- Jonathan Liebson - Introduction
- Jonathan Liebson - Commentary
- Jonathan Liebson (read by Dan Hodge) - Reading
- Mark Silver - Performance
- Kelly Lundgren Pietrucha - Introduction
- Kelly Lundgren Pietrucha (read by Jared Delaney) - Reading
- Mark Sliver - Introduction
- Mark Silver - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 73 - 11/17/2008 - Sage Writers
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Full program
The inside world of prison came out in this episode of LIVE. The program included a variety of inspirational, unsettling, and thought-provoking poems and prose. Founder and director Judith Trustone who began the publishing program after teaching a creative writing course at a local prison, noted stark views of prisoners (they are but "a squirt of sperm") in her poem "A Kinder, Gentler Murder." Trustone's readings of works from prisoners themselves also explicitly demonstrated the atrocities within prison. One such poem, "Twenty-first-century Dawn's Early Light," addressed today's injustices while seamlessly intertwining the lyrics of the National Anthem into with its own, causing the book in which it resides to be banned in Pennsylvania's prisons. Cameron Holmes, who had twenty years inside, addressed patriotism in his poem "The World is Round" — an account of his perspective of 9/11 while behind bars. The desire for freedom rung true in the poems of Patrick Middletone, the first prisoner in the US to earn his BA, MA, and PhD behind bars, and Anton Forde, a native Jamaican who maintains his innocence. Both prisoners are "lifers." The clamorous music of Oh! Pears, founded by Corey Duncan, complemented the poets' messages with their own haunting chants — music which ultimately believes that words, and sometimes only words, can heal us.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Judith Trustone - Introduction
- Judith Trustone - Reading
- Cameron Holmes - Introduction
- Cameron Holmes - Reading
- Oh! Pears - Introduction
- Oh! Pears - Performance
- Patrick Middletone - Introduction
- Patrick Middleton (read by Judith Trustone) - Reading
- Anton Forde - Introduction
- Anton Forde - Reading
- Oh! Pears - Performance
- Michaela Majoun - Closing
Episode 72 - 10/20/2008 - Arts Sanctuary
Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
Full program
The Arts Café overflowed with the voices of Arts Sanctuary poets, musicians, storytellers, and actors this Monday night, each drawing power from the inner city and reinfusing it in order to transform individuals, unite groups, and enrich lives. Leslie Banks, an expert in multiple genres, began the night with an excerpt from "Minion," a story about seduction and deep-South vampires. Solomon Jones, spoken-word artist and author, read excerpts from political thriller "C.R.E.A.M" and "The Mission," the latter a warning for single men about walking the feminine hygiene aisle. Twin poets Al and Nnamdi, devoted to the empowerment of the community via social work and spoken word, followed with the poem entitled "Why I Write." The brothers gave their powerful voices to all those without ("I write to share my love affair of words with the children / Because God is on my tongue and the world is in need of healing"). Monnette Sudler, our musical guest for the evening, continued the theme of healing with "The Healing Song," a combination of African thumb piano and soft cries of "heal me." Ed Shockley, artistic director of the Philadelphia Dramatics center, ended the night with an echo of "Oh Freedom" from his performance of "Slave Narrative."
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- L.A. Banks - Introduction
- L.A. Banks - Reading
- Solomon Jones - Introduction
- Solomon Jones - Reading
- The Twin Poets - Introduction
- The Twin Poets - Reading
- Monette Sudler - Introduction
- Monette Sudler - Performance
- Ed Shockley - Introduction
- Ed Shockley - Reading
- Monette Sudler - Performance
Episode 71 - 9/22/2008 - Local Poets
Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
Full program
From puppets to acrostics, ghost stories to mental illnesses, and Beowulf to polar bears, Philadelphia's local poets filled the Arts Café with their passionate poetry in this episode of LIVE. The evening began with readings from Thomas Devaney, one of the cocurators for Edgar Allan Poe's 200th anniversary exhibit. His daringly dark poetry (a result of Poe, perhaps?) drew inspiration from acrostics and YouTube videos. Influenced by her personal trials, Trapeta Mayson, who enjoys teaching young people the importance of creative venues, chilled the room with thoughts of her ill mother, immigration, and the "Liberian English" dialect. Bypassing dialect for translation in "Ship Burial," Randall Couch, a regular panelist on PoemTalk, seamlessly interwove excerpts of Beowulf into his own work. Hezekiah Jones then presented a folky, mellow song taken from a letter written from the future. Back to the present, Ish Klein, a self-taught film- and puppet-maker, allowed her puppets to speak for themselves, while Scott Edward Anderson, writer of The Green Skeptic Blog, spoke for those that cannot speak in his environmentally conscious poetry and bitingly sarcastic description of his knee. Hezekiah Jones's strumming song about baked goods, "Cupcakes for the Army," fittingly concluded the inspirational evening with a tale of hopes, dreams, and childhood innocence.
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- Thomas Devaney - Introduction
- Thomas Devaney - Reading
- Trapeta Mayson - Introduction
- Trapeta Mayson - Reading
- Randall Couch - Introduction
- Randall Couch - Reading
- Hezekiah Jones - Introduction
- Hezekiah Jones - Performance
- Ish Klein - Introduction
- Ish Klein - Reading
- Scott Edward Anderson - Introduction
- Scott Edward Anderson - Reading
- Hezekiah Jones - Performance
Episode 70 - 03/31/2008 - Mad Poets Society
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
Rather than being clinically insane or deranged, the Mad Poets Society believe themselves to be "a little crazy, but not someone you'd move away from on the bus." This episode of LIVE featured several mad poets and their deeply moving, wildly humorous, and utterly chilling poetry. Director Eileen D'Angelo expressed a range of true and imagined fears, regrets, and desires, while self-proclaimed "humorous and serious poet" Steven Delia reflected both his sincerity and wit. Appreciative chuckles and guffaws sputtered out during Delia's self-deprecating "4 AM Commercial" and slightly scandalous "Ode to Cecily." Unlike Delia, who could only think of Cecily's underwear, a frustrated Missy Grotz could not take her mind off of her mouth's searing pain in "Advil Isn't Cutting It." Musical guest Devin Greenwood then sent a shiver through the audience with his strumming guitar and successive "mmm's." In a sprightly voice, Autumn Knopka next read a selection of poetry that "met FCC regulations." Breaking the trend of introducing his poem with an anecdote, Dan Maguire, who "doesn't do anything" but "takes a long time doing it," comically noted his poem's literary features (if you're wondering — unrhymed iambic hexameter with enjambment and slant rhyme). His smooth voice filled the room like a lullaby as he fittingly read a poem about mental illness. Greenwood's final song, "Dragon City," characterized by an atmospheric puccalo, finished the evening with a bittersweet and mystic tale — one which you'd have to be, well, mad to believe.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Eileen DAngelo - Introduction
- Eileen DAngelo - The Failings of Memory
- Eileen DAngelo - Marksman
- Eileen DAngelo - August, Perseids Meteor Shower
- Eileen DAngelo - For Eric
- Eileen DAngelo - Love Letter to a Moody Sea
- Stephen Delia - Introduction
- Stephen Delia - Easter
- Stephen Delia - Roadside Sideshow
- Stephen Delia - 4 AM Commerical
- Stephen Delia - Perception
- Stephen Delia - Ode to Cecily
- Stephen Delia - Winter Night on 2nd Street
- Stephen Delia - Angel Gloss
- Stephen Delia - When I Get Married
- Missy Grotz - Introduction
- Missy Grotz - Do You See My Face
- Missy Grotz - Can I Be Myself
- Missy Grotz - Creativity
- Missy Grotz - Advil Isnt Cutting It
- Missy Grotz - Morning Paper Guy on 12th and Curlan
- Missy Grotz - Who Do I See But What Do I Care
- Devin Greenwood - Introduction
- Devin Greenwood - This Over Here
- Autumn Konopka - Introduction
- Autumn Konopka - The Stuff of Poems
- Autumn Konopka - Potato Salad Isnt Only for Picnics
- Autumn Konopka - Couplets for William and Abigail
- Autumn Konopka - Paper Boy
- Autumn Konopka - Hush
- Dan Maguire - Introduction
- Dan Maguire - The Lateness of the Day
- Dan Maguire - Reprise
- Dan Maguire - Finding the Words
- Devin Greenwood - Dragon City
Episode 69 - 02/25/2008 - Leeway Award Winners
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
Leeway Award winners flooded the Writers House this evening, crossing boundaries between people and places. Judith Truthstone, founder of Sage Writers, traversed the hidden world of prison to uncover "toxic masculinity." In order to dissuade them from listening to what she considers to be poisonous music, hip hop artist Kameela Waheed introduced students in Camden to Funk and James Brown. Architect Rachel Goffe, Renaissance woman Michelle Posadas, and writer Wakzani Mhute traveled within and outside of the US, questioning the interplay of identity and change. In an interview with the elderly Carolyn Thomas, Rachel Goffe's buttery voice unveiled the horrors of eminent domain, while Posadas's journal shed light on the oppression faced by Filipinos. In Zimbabwe, women suffer from the "unnamed disease that embarrasses everyone," as detailed in Mhute's rhythmic poem. Musical guest Paper Trees mesmerized the room with Allison Polans's deep and sultry voice as she, too, sang of identity and men. The award winners will surely inspire transformation with their art, as they have already done so this night in the Arts Café.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Rachel Goffee - Introduction
- Rachel Goffee - Interview
- Kameelah Waheed - Introduction
- Michelle Posadas - Introduction
- Michelle Posadas - Journal Excerpts
- Paper Trees - Introduction
- Paper Trees - Pretender
- Wakzanai Mhute - Introduction
- Wakzanai Mhute - Short Illness
- Wakzanai Mhute - The Torrent
- Judith Truestone - Introduction
- Judith Truestone - Imagine
- Judith Truestone - A Kinder, Gentler Murder
- Paper Trees - Seesaw Shuffle
Episode 68 - 01/28/2008 - Youth Poets from the Arts and Spirituality Center
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
The Kelly Writers House and WXPN hosted the talented poets of the Arts and Spirituality Center, an interfaith and nonprofit community of artists and activists. Cathy Cohen, founder and program director of We the Poets, which teaches children how to write, read, and present poetry, revealed the interaction of art and faith in her poems "Speak a New Language" and "Walk on Fire." thirteen-year-old Safi Aziz talked about the the heart as our essence and seventeen-year-old Brandon Ramirez echoed this idea of expression in his poem "Speaking My Soul." Bernard Collins, a teacher and poet amongst other things, explored the connections between poetry and visual arts in his poems "Red" and "Warmth." Mary Francis and Jan Jeffries performed "Akiwowo," the sound of maracas cut up by a hand hitting a drum, the beats coming closer and closer together as Francis raised an octave and allowed the audience to feel the full weight and power of her voice. Magda Martinez, winner of the Leeway Foundation Transformation Award, mixed Spanish and English in "Cuentito peludo" and "Untitled Poems," where the journey for identity and the immediacy of Martinez's voice sent shivers down the spine. Fifteen-year-old Tammy Miller ended the night with poems inspired by events in her life. With a mix of veteran writers and newly proclaimed poets, the house was roused by voices of excitement and passion.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Cathy Cohen - Introduction
- Cathy Cohen - Girl On Fire
- Cathy Cohen - Rose At The Door
- Cathy Cohen - Lines Of Your Journey
- Cathy Cohen - Speak A New Language
- Cathy Cohen - Walk In White
- Safi Aziz - Introduction
- Safi Aziz - Let Me Write
- Bernard Collins - Introduction
- Bernard Collins - Red
- Bernard Collins - The Conversation
- Bernard Collins - Warmth
- Bernard Collins - Two Thoughts
- Bernard Collins - Trains
- Marcy, and Jan Jeffries Francis - Akiwowo
- Brandon Ramirez - Introduction
- Brandon Ramirez - Speaking My Soul
- Brandon Ramirez - Love Choice and Trust
- Magda Martinez - Introduction
- Magda Martinez - Cuentito Peludo
- Magda Martinez - Untitled Poems
- Tammy Miller - Introduction
- Tammy Miller - Mother Where Are You
- Tammy Miller - As I Grew Up
- Tammy Miller - Man On That Wave
- Marcy, and Jan Jeffries Francis - Thank You For This Day
- Michaela Majoun - Ending
Episode 67 - 11/26/2007 - Winds of Change: Philly Politics 2007
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun
You can hear a recording of the entire program here
When Mayor Michael Nutter assumed office in 2008, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate in the country, along with other less-than-savory issues. In this episode of LIVE, some of Philadelphia's most prominent political writers detailed the host of challenges facing the mayor. Chris Satullo, who spent a year teaching in France and writes the "Center Square" column for The Inquirer, and Dave Davies, a welder and cab driver who now reports for the Philadelphia Daily News, questioned whether Nutter was ready for the job and whether his supporters' patience would fray. Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, who was taking a leave from Penn Law in hopes of joining the 2008 Olympic rowing team, urged citizens to take responsibility in choosing a "muppet-voiced" mayor while defiantly arguing against the implementation of "Jetson-like" sky-ways in Center City. Musical guest The Spinning Leaves focused more on the present — singing about homeless people, schizophrenics, pigeons, and love — while Mighty Writer Tim Whitaker referenced the past "lame ducks" of Philadelphia. Amidst the criticism and concern, however, the hope for Philadelphia's future remained apparent within these writers' perceptive prose.
- Chris Satullo - Reading
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Dave Davies - Reading
- Dan Urevick-Acklesberg - Reading
- The Spinning Leaves - Try, Try, Try
- Tim Whitaker - Reading
- The Spinning Leaves - Bridges For Free
Episode 66 - 10/29/2007 - From Vaudeville to Video: 1812 Celebrates 100 Years of Comedy
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
David Jadico told us what it's like to be "on top of a performer" (or else something rephrased to give a slightly less racy impression). Joining Jadico were comedians Jennifer Childs, Tony Braithwaite, Mary Carpenter, and Scott Greer, members of the 1812 Theatre company (along with all of the characters they brought with them). This performance of "From Vaudeville to Video: 1812 Celebrate 100 Years of Comedy" started with two baritones and a little strumming; two more people and a few decades earlier and you'd think you were listening to a barbershop quartet. Following were comedic sketches by our five guests: Jennifer Childs turned Bell Barth got friendly with the audience when she asked two in the crowd, "hey how ya doin, you togetha? You two togetha?" And then in a slightly higher pitch: "you three togetha?" She and Tony continued their sketch with soup, sex, and laughs from "the best audience [they've] ever had." The team showed their real comedic genius when they improvised an old-time radio show, taking suggestions from the audience to give us "the Smith Brothers Potato Peelers Comedy Club." After getting a little political and literally slowing things down with the STOA (slow talkers of America), the cast chatted with Michaela Majoun and revealed that the job is indeed as fun as it looks.
- Tony Braithewaite - A Conversation
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Mary Carpenter - A Conversation
- Jennifer Childs - A Conversation
- Scott Greer - A Conversation
- Dave Jadico - A Conversation
- Various - Belle Barth impersonation
- Various - Bob & Ray impersonation
- Various - George & Gracie impersonation
- Various - Improvised radio show
- Various - Opening vaudeville-style song
- Various - Political humour mock news segment
- Various - Shel Silverstein song
Episode 65 - 09/24/2007 - Pocket Myths presents The Odyssey
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
Homer's heroic epic, The Odyssey, received a playful makeover in this edition of LIVE. Featuring local poets, Pocket Myths unleashed the characters of the Odyssey through poetry, stories, and artwork. Writer and artist Emily Abendroth slurped, lashed, and tumbled into the character of Charybdis in her poem, "Rather Than Things to Her Mouth, She Brought Her Mouth to Things." Temple professor Justin Audia flew to the sky (a result of blatantly stealing from Chapman, Gertrude Stein, and Kirk Cameron) in his piece about Aeolus, the wind king. Echoing her dual identity (Californian and Australian), poet Julia Bloch took on the soulful personas of both Anticlea and Persephone. New music then swept speech away in a cacophonous and writhing, yet melodious, piece performed by My Invisible and Jack Grauer. In a more contemporary setting, CA Conrad shared a "Frank Poem," which contained traces of Odysseus's character, while poet Ryan Eckes read shorter myths of local content that echoed the theme of father and son — or, of Laertes and Odysseus. The evening finished with a haunting, wistful song from My Invisible — a song which Odysseus may even have sung as he wandered the Earth, hoping only to return home.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Emily Abendroth - Introduction
- Emily Abendroth - Rather Than Things to Her Mouth, She Brought Her Mouth to Things
- Justin Audia - Introduction
- Justin Audia - A Torrid Eye
- Julia Bloch - Introduction
- Julia Bloch - Persephone
- Julia Bloch - Anticlea
- Julia Bloch - I Dream of the Death of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- My Invisible - Introduction
- My Invisible - Jelly
- CA Conrad - Introduction
- CA Conrad - Frank Poems
- Ryan Eckes - Introduction
- Ryan Eckes - Laertes
- Ryan Eckes - Stolen Car
- Ryan Eckes - Rite of Passage
- Ryan Eckes - Caption
- Ryan Eckes - If I Speak
- Ryan Eckes - Immortality
- My Invisible - Cypher
Episode 64 - 03/26/2007 - Philadelphia Zine Writers
Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
The Kelly Writers House and WXPN invited a writers of Philadelphia-based zines, small-circulation publications, typically self-created and/or handmade. Katie Haegele, the evening's first zine writer, talked about Helen's Hands. Casey Grabowski took inspiration from his work as a civil engineer in his zine Reverse Engineering, and King Wenclas read excerpts from his 2001 zine novel, a post-9/1 satire. With chants of USA and then moments of silence, his reading was one full of war hysteria: "KILL BLOOD DEATH WAR GET 'EM." Justin Duerr gave us similar imagery in his zine number 54 with "a world … inhabited by lonely war-ridden bodies … where death stalks openly in dimly lit avenues." Philly-born talent Birdie Busch changed the tone of the evening with her folk/indie-esque songs expressing her love and appreciation for Philadelphia with "South Philly" and then … "North Philly." Kate continued on the Philadelphia theme with her zine about Freemasons (and their books made of human skin).
- Katie Haegele - Introduction
- Katie Haegele - Breakdancing for the Pope
- Katie Haegele - Helen's Hands
- Katie Haegele - Ode to New Life
- Katie Haegele - The Lesson
- Katie Haegele - Stearocyte
- Casey Grabowski - Introduction
- Casey Grabowski - Reverse Engineering, Redevelopment...
- King Wenclas - Introduction
- King Wenclas - War Hysteria
- King Wenclas - Expedition to Mars
- Birdie Busch - Introduction
- Birdie Busch - South Philly
- Birdie Busch - The Hub Singers
- Kate Amock - Introduction
- Kate Amock - on Stonemasons
- Justin Duerr - Introduction
- Justin Duerr - from Issue 54
- Justin Duerr - from Issue 51
- Justin Duerr - from Issue 50
- Julia Bloch - Anticlea
Episode 63 - 02/26/2007 - Penn Grad Student Poets
Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
A few of Penn's very own grad-student poets were featured in LIVE at the Kelly Writers House this Monday. Starting off the evening with letters to Kelly Clarkson and an appeal to "reflect — drink a big chipped mug of compunction" was Julia Bloch. Before coming to Penn to study twentieth-century poetry and poetics she worked in independent and progressive publishing, held staff and freelance gigs for various magazines and publications, and won a number of prizes for her writing. Dorothea Lasky, a School of Education student and coeditor of the Katalanche Press chapbook series followed with appeals to the Lord and claims to be the crusader. Jason Zuzga, an English Literature PhD student and 2005—2006 Merrill Writer-in-Residence in Stonington, Connecticut, offered video transcripts about making butter and Grotto Hill, as well as original works such as "City Life" and "Sea Horse." Philadelphia singer-songwriter Adam Arcuragi drew us in with free-flowing, introspective lyrics and compelling harmonies as he sang "Broken Throat" and "1981." Caroline Whitbeck, a Comparative Literature and Literary Theory PhD student, shared a number of poems ranging in topic from the dying pope to love. Playwright and poet Shonni Enelow added in a mix of theatrics when she performed "unnamed" and "He Was National Jimmy…," the urgency of her words revealed through pants and stutters.
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- Julia Bloch - Introduction
- Julia Bloch - from Letters to Kelly
- Julia Bloch - Persephone
- Julia Bloch - Anticlea
- Julia Bloch - Sky Time
- Julia Bloch - Ruinic
- Julia Bloch - Manhattanic
- Dorothea Lasky - Introduction
- Dorothea Lasky - On Old Ideas
- Dorothea Lasky - Outside Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Dorothea Lasky - Portrait of Me and Vladimer Mayakovsky
- Dorothea Lasky - The Fire That Burns the Bird
- Dorothea Lasky - Memories
- Dorothea Lasky - The Process of Explication
- Dorothea Lasky - The Animal
- Jason Zuzga - Introduction
- Jason Zuzga - Making Butter
- Jason Zuzga - City Life
- Jason Zuzga - Sea Horse
- Jason Zuzga - Diet
- Jason Zuzga - Documentary
- Adam Arcuragi - Introduction
- Adam Arcuragi - Broken Throat
- Adam Arcuragi - 1981
- Caroline Whitbeck - Introduction
- Caroline Whitbeck - Choke Cherry
- Caroline Whitbeck - They're All Out of Storm Names
- Caroline Whitbeck - See Daddy Make a Deal
- Caroline Whitbeck - Death Watch
- Caroline Whitbeck - from Inheritance
- Shonni Enelow - Introduction
- Shonni Enelow - Monologues
- Shonni Enelow - He Was National Jimmy...
- Shonni Enelow - unnamed
- Shonni Enelow - 1947 Washington High School...
Episode 62 - 01/22/2007 - Leeway Foundation Award Winners
Produced and hosted by Erin Gautsche.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
Just as Thelma Shelton Robinson's gift of storytelling was passed down to her through her father, so too were the Leeway Foundation Award Winners' storytelling gifts passed on to the Writers House this evening. Seventy-four-year-old Robinson delivered a fervent account of Corinne Sites, a twenty-year old maid who was unceremoniously declared innocent of murder only after being sentenced to the electric chair twenty-five years earlier. Felicia Webster, founder of the self-love tour "With Love, Felicia," performed a singsong poem about, well, love. The audience joined in with their own rhythmic snapping as Webster's voice ebbed and flowed with emotion. Musician Maudeline Swaray sung an upbeat tune, hoping to spread peace and to unite communities with her lively music. Also hoping to fuse communities, performance artist Davina Stewart demonstrated a historical double dutch jingle that would "spread like wildfire" amongst children. Gwynne Sigel, who is working on a multi-year oral history project, spun out tales of golden peacocks, winter, and man in a selection of translated Yiddish poetry, while Maudeline Swaray allowed French to influence her final song. These award winners truly delivered an equally chilling and inspiring night at the Arts Café.
- Erin Gautsche - Introduction
- Thelma Shelton Robinson - Introduction
- Thelma Shelton Robinson - The Story of Corinne Sights
- Felicia Webster - Introduction
- Felicia Webster - Love?
- Maudeline Swaray - Introduction
- Maudeline Swaray - Let's Come Together Once More
- Maudeline Swaray - The Ring Song
- Gwynne Sigel - Introduction
- Gwynne Sigel - The Golden Peacock
- Gwynne Sigel - Frumla
- Gwynne Sigel - How Man Was Created
- Davina Stewart - Introduction
- Davina Stewart - from "Ciam Lakey"
Episode 61 - 11/13/2006 - Plan B Press
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Poets from Plan B Press, a publication dedicated to publishing contemporary poetry by beginning authors, emerged at the Writers House in this evening's edition of LIVE. With reflections of hope, surrealism, family, Philadelphia, and the beyond, their poems covered a range of topics. A soothing, meditative voice arose out of documentary filmmaker Daniel Collin as he read "The Zen Man Seldom Held a Pen," a voice that starkly contrasted that which he used while delivering his political poem, "Unthink, Unstop, Everywhere Blues" (with, ehem, strategic bleeping). A bit more family-friendly, Jim Mancinelli's Dalí-influenced poems told tales of his Italian immigrant grandfather, Vincenzo, and his miller father. Philadelphia native Ryan Eckes took us home to the City of Brotherly Love as we travelled down Market Street, to the "Bhagavad" CVS, and then finally out the window. Motorcyclist Samantha Barrows voyaged to Louisiana Route 82, sweating all the way through. Sandy Crimmins, who recently collaborated with a fire-eater and some flamenco dancers, reflected on mangled bird legs and death, while musician Joshua Herd Park debated whether he should stay or go. If only this episode didn't go by quite so quickly!
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Daniel Collins - Introduction
- Daniel Collins - The Zen Man Seldom Held a Pen
- Daniel Collins - After
- Daniel Collins - Unthink, unstop, everwear blues
- Jim Mancinelli - Introduction
- Jim Mancinelli - Ask
- Jim Mancinelli - Vincenzo
- Jim Mancinelli - A Mill Life
- Jim Mancinelli - Saying Good-Bye
- Jim Mancinelli - from chapbook "Indeed"
- Ryan Eckes - Introduction
- Ryan Eckes - Market Street
- Ryan Eckes - Bus
- Ryan Eckes - Cover Letter
- Ryan Eckes - Development
- Ryan Eckes - Stolen Car
- Ryan Eckes - CVS
- Ryan Eckes - Natividad
- Ryan Eckes - Paying Respects
- Ryan Eckes - Out the Window
- Joshua Heard Park - Introduction
- Joshua Heard Park - Quilt
- Joshua Heard Park - One Wish
- Sandy Crimmins - Introduction
- Sandy Crimmins - The Element of Air
- Sandy Crimmins - Bird Wings
- Sandy Crimmins - John Paul
- Sandy Crimmins - on migranes
- Sandy Crimmins - Momento More
- Samantha Barrows - Introduction
- Samantha Barrows - Dish
- Samantha Barrows - Watered-Down Red
- Samantha Barrows - Louisiana Route 82
Episode 60 - 10/30/2006 - Philadelphia Stories
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
This installation of LIVE brought us back to the much-anticipated pre-bedtime ritual of childhood, story time (albeit one where parents are award-winning writers and regular contributors to literary journals). Writers Robin Parks, Curtis Smith, Marc Schuster, Raima Evan, and Scott Glassman from Philadelphia Stories, a region-specific literary magazine, as well as musical guest the Baird Sisters, came to share their original works. Parks, winner of the Raymond Carver Short Story Award, read "identifying marks" with a quiet intimacy that made us feel like recipients of some long-kept secret. Smith, a published novelist, told us "the prettiest lie," one he wished to whisper in the ears of all the men and women who were cradled as babies once too. Curator of Philly's INVERSE reading series, Scott Glassman created imagery that dislocated and invited listeners into a strange world, the kind he prefers. The Baird Sisters joined in with acoustics and a mix of traditional Appalachian ballads and original pieces, starting off with "Sugar Babe" and ending with "Willie Moore." Raima Evan, a playwright and UPenn PhD, invited us into the world and mind of "Giddle Goldberg," who finds herself with a talking carp, and founder of the Elliot Court Writers Workshop, Marc Schuster, expressed his deep dismay at being the only one in the world who doesn't know Kurt Vonnegut. Each of the five authors shared a unique perspective and offered a fully formed world.
- Robin Parks - Introduction
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Robin Parks - Identifying Marks
- Curtis Smith - Introduction
- Curtis Smith - The Prettiest Lie
- Scott Glassman - Introduction
- Scott Glassman - Day One: Postmark
- Scott Glassman - Day Two: Burrough
- Scott Glassman - Day Three: Corporeal
- Scott Glassman - Day Five: Dunes
- Scott Glassman - Day Ten: Eminence
- The Baird Sisters - Introduction
- The Baird Sisters - Sugar Babe
- The Baird Sisters - Willie Moore
- Raima Evan - Introduction
- Raima Evan - untitled
- Marc Schuster - Introduction
- Marc Schuster - Everybody Knows...
Episode 59 - 09/25/2006 - Dish: Food Writers Read
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
Our taste buds tingled during tonight's episode of LIVE. Food connoisseurs filled the Arts Café with their humorous tales, providing not only laughter, but also health tips, to a well-seasoned audience. Jason Fagone, author of Horsemen of the Esophagus, chronicled Bill L. Wingadore's fight to victory at the Wing Bowl, noting that the victory cost (or won?) him 38,500 calories and 4,000 grams of fat for a bowl of saucy and not-so-meaty chicken wings. Carolyn Wyman, a tour guide at Reading Terminal Market, also offered health advice — claiming that "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" spray is the "dieter's version of heaven," and that spam contains everything and anything an eater could want. Restaurant critics Craig Laban and Alyssa Ludwig revealed their four-bell rating system and love of strip mall restaurants, respectively, while Philadelphia native Rick Nichols predicted the next food trend in Philly. Musical guest Red Heart the Ticker finished the night off with a sweet voice and country tune about drinking.
- Michaela Majoun - Introduction
- Jason Fagone - Introduction
- Jason Fagone - On History of the Chicken Wing
- Caroline Wyman - Introduction
- Caroline Wyman - History of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"
- Caroline Wyman - On Pez
- Craig Laban - Introduction
- Craig Laban - Down the Wildwood Boardwalk
- Red Heart the Ticker - Jack Knives
- Red Heart the Ticker - Steel-Toed Drinking
- Alyssa Ludwig - Introduction
- Alyssa Ludwig - Local Food and the 100-Mile Diet
- Rick Nichols - Introduction
- Rick Nichols - Baker's Dilemma
- Rick Nichols - In the Searon of Love, and Maybe War
Episode 58 - 04/24/2006 - Spring Celebration
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Writers and professionals Tracy Byford, Mike McGrath, Dr. Tomasz Anisiko, Moira Sheridan and Ilene Sternberg joined us this Monday to share stories, columns, and wisdom in celebration of spring. Tomasz Anisiko, who holds a doctorate in horticulture, read an excerpt from his book Plant Exploration for Longwood Gardens, where we are transported to a picturesque hillside covered in boxwood in Tbilisi, Georgia. Tracy Byford shared the story of how she got into gardening when she brought us to her backyard, starting with a bleeding heart that was gifted to her at the age of five and continuing to her current position as manager of the bio pond. Musical guest Kevin James Holland offered a different tribute to the spring in his song "Anyone Will Do But Me," where with a buoyant melody and a melancholic tone he sang of love and devotion. Mike McGrath, host of WHYY 91FM show "You Bet Your Garden," gave a mix of nostalgia and incredulity as he told the story of "The Little Willow That Could." Moira Sheridan read one of her backyard gardener columns and explained her confusion at the concept of gardens as a place to relax, and Ilene Sternberg exclaimed with perturbation that when the neverending lawn mowers and leaf blowers finally quiet, "I fear I've gone deaf," but such is "life on a large lot." From history lessons to childhood explorations, spring was brought to life in the Arts Café.
- Tomasz Anisiko - Introduction
- Tomasz Anisiko - Return of the Argonauts
- Tracy Byford - Introduction
- Tracy Byford - How I Got Into Gardening
- Kevin James Holland - Introduction
- Kevin James Holland - Anyone Will Do But Me
- Kevin James Holland - Pushing Up Daisies
- Mike McGrath - Introduction
- Mike McGrath - The Little Willow That Could
- Moira Sheridan - Introduction
- Moira Sheridan - Backyard Gardener
- Ilene Sternberg - Introduction
- Ilene Sternberg - Life on a Large Lot
Episode 57 - 03/27/2006 - Leeway Foundation Grant Winners
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
This LIVE at the Writers House featured 2005 Leeway Foundation grant winners; the foundation awards grants to women, transgender, transsexual, and genderqueer artists working for social change. Suzanne Povse's story focused on the struggles and triumphs of being a skilled blue-collar female in an almost all-male occupation, speaking for those who are or were in similar positions. Taina Asili raised a different battle cry in "The Birth of Yuppies," where with an infusion of jazz and blues as a backdrop Taina sang and yelled and repeated: "I'm giving birth to a miracle, breathe, pushing him past genocide, breathe," letting "breathe" become a mantra in resisting colonialism. Ham'diya Mu's work, "The Visit," reflected the pain inflicted by incarceration and the prison industrial complex, which she fights to change. Musical guests Josh Marcus and Josh Newman performed "Coloured Smoke" with a banjo and a folk/country feel, reflecting our propensity to not fully be present. Patience Rage, who empowers women by coaching them through telling their stories of incest, told her own story of fear, pain, and confusion. Tamika Nwalipengam, creator of a performing arts program for young single mothers, provided encouragement and hope to women by recounting her own struggles and how she overcame them. The Arts Café resonated with voices of triumph and pain with stories that truly embodied the Leeway Foundation's mission.
- Taina Asili - Introduction
- Taina Asili - The Art of Trust
- Taina Asili - The Birth of Yuppis
- Joshua Marcus - Introduction
- Joshua Marcus - Coloured Smoke
- Joshua Marcus - Introduction to "Man Threatening Pipe Wrench"
- Joshua Marcus - Man Threatening Pipe Wrench
- Ham'diya Mu - Introduction
- Ham'diya Mu - The Visit
- Ham'diya Mu - A Mother's Anguish to Children Incarcerated Everywhere
- Tamika Nwalipenga - Introduction
- Tamika Nwalipenga - My Story
- Susanne Povse - Introduction
- Susanne Povse - Draw Press to Machinist
- Patience Rage - Introduction
- Patience Rage - My First Kiss
Episode 56 - 02/20/2006 - Love: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
You can hear the recording of the entire program here.
In tonight's episode of LIVE, an eclectic group of poets, scholars, and novelists came together to write about this crazy little thing called love. Hopelessly devoted, the aptly named Gweny Love sensually yearned for her "own man," one that would make her "part of his daily routine." Penn history PhD student, Greg Downs, didn't let words bring his characters down as each one told the other that they were beautiful. In his second story, "Adam's Curse," the women told the men to hit the road — for they had made a pact to live entirely without men. When the sun went down and the stars came up, high-school student Lee, from author Curtis Sittenfeld's bestselling novel Prep, was thrilled that her longtime crush, reeking like sweet beer, came into her room … and her bed. In a delicate and soft country voice, singer Amy Pickard feared that her heart would be filled with ashes before love could grow. After walking 135 square miles, Nathaniel Popkin realized that Philadelphians were deeply and tragically in love with their city, while scholar Niama Williams just wanted to hold the hands (ehem) of Law and Order star Vincent D'Onofrio and the Piazza Honda guy. Tonight's writers certainly surrendered their hearts and souls to love and all of its aspects — the good, the bad, and the ugly.
- Gweny Love - You're Part of My Daily Routine
- Michaela Majoun - introduction of Greg Downs
- Greg Downs - The Second Mile
- Greg Downs - Adam
- Michaela Majoun - introduction of Curtis Sittenfeld
- Curtis Sittenfeld - from Prep
- Amy Pickard - Ashes
- Michaela Majoun - introduction of Nathaniel Popkin
- Nathaniel Popkin - from The Deep Was Round About Me
- Michaela Majoun - introduction of Niama Williams
- Niama Williams - Merging
- Niama Williams - For Vincent D'onofrio
- Niama Williams - Twin
- Niama Williams - Piazza Honda
- Niama Williams - For E
- Michaela Majoun - introduction of Gweny Love
- Gweny Love - I Need Love
- Amy Pickard - Cut From the Hopeless
Episode 55 - 12/12/2005 - Women Music Writers
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
Female music writers took center stage on this evening's production of LIVE as they told tales of music obsessions and failures. Rather than "romanticizing guys with guitars," Columbia graduate student Daphne Carr worshipped Christian rock, while Princeton assistant professor Daphne Brooks lauded black women rockers. Maura Johnston, editor at majorleaguebaseball.com, failed to be properly obsessed with rock-and-roll as a fifteen-year-old — she didn't even wear a denim skirt or sip beer! In a silky, sultry, and hesitant voice (quite the opposite of a rock-and-roller), Buried Beds sang of innocence and maturity. Doree Shafrir, former A&E editor at Philadelphia Weekly, drew parallels between indie rock and skinny Jewish boys, while wig collector Sara Sherr couldn't help but compare her work as a record retailer to a horror film. Demonstrating knowledge in a variety of musical genres, these women brought humor and scholarship to their stories.
- Daphne Brookes - Introduction
- Daphne Brookes - All You Can't Leave Behind
- Buried Beds - Camellia
- Buried Beds - Song
- Buried Beds - Insomnia
- Daphne Carr - Introduction
- Daphne Carr - Why on Earth or Elsewhere
- Maura Johnston - Introduction
- Maura Johnston - Untitled
- Doree Shafrir - Introduction
- Doree Shafrir - The Shiva of Indie Rock
- Sara Sherr - Introduction
- Sara Sherr - Adventures in Record Retail
Episode 54 - 10/06/2005 - 2-1-5 Literary Festival
Produced by Erin Gautsche, hosted by Michaela Majoun.
WXPN and the Writers House hosted the 2-1-5 Literary Festival this Monday. Founded in 2001, the festival celebrates written, spoken, and visualized word. Ron Swegman started the night with an excerpt from his novel Philadelphia on the Fly, telling us that he writes and fishes for "a specific kind of solitude … a desire to experience the new, alone." Fellow author Lord Whimsy swore allegiance with animation and vigor to the color green: "bringer of balance" and "the color divine." The Absinthe Drinkers, making a different tribute to green in their band name, performed their original pop and funk songs. With voices deep, sonorous, and vibrating like a bass guitar, the group sang in unison of Macbeth, love, and murder. Christian Bauman read an excerpt from his novel "voodoo lounge" with power and authenticity; he spoke with the voice of his female protagonist, an army sergeant standing naked in the window. CA Conrad used the strength of his own voice in his poem to the president (who he has yet to hear back from): "I have a lot of love Mr. President, and I just want to press against you sometimes to let you get a little of it." Jim Gladstone used fictional elephants Babar and Celeste to remind us of the uplifting power of ideals. Authors were able to both showcase their talent and give us a peek at the vibrant Philadelphia community they've come from.
- Absinthe Drinkers - Introduction
- Absinthe Drinkers - Macbeth
- Abscinthe Drinkers - Agamemnon's Return
- Christian Bauman - Introduction
- Christian Bauman - Exerpt from Woodoo Lounge
- CA Conrad - Introduction
- CA Conrad - To the President
- Jim Gladstone - Introduction
- Jim Gladstone - Elephants Who Need Elephants
- Lord Whimsy - Introduction
- Lord Whimsy - Green: The Color Divine
- Ron Swegman - Introduction
- Ron Swegman - Philadelphia on the Fly
Episode 53 - 04/05/2005 - All New York City Poets Live
Produced by Tom Devaney with assistance from Jeff Lieder, directed by Beth Warshaw, and hosted by Michaela Majoun.
The Kelly Writers House bit into the Big Apple in tonight's edition of LIVE. New York City poets graced the Arts Café with their reflective and humorous poems. John Coletti paired seemingly random phrases together (steady sage, grade grubbing) to produce complex layers of meaning. Columnist for The Constant Critic Jordan Davis criticized his parents for their naming choices (Horace, and then Jordan) and even spurred the audience into repetitively chanting "good for you." Though it may have appeared as though Jordan Davis was a hypnotist, teacher Sharon Mesmer could better claim that title — she is a relative of the man who invented hypnosis! Mesmer, in the guise and skins of others, rapidly changed her identity with each poem. Elinor Nauen, who enjoys writing about cars and baseball, presented a lively tale about "pink highways." Finally, "little bit of everything" musician Edmund Berrigan performed sweetly melancholic songs and left the task of revealing their meanings to the audience. A thought-provoking evening, this LIVE demanded the audience to consider questions of identity, character, and the universe.
- Edmund Berrigan - Caught in the Human Shredder
- Edmund Berrigan - Introduction
- Edmund Berrigan - Mostly Harmless
- Edmund Berrigan - Once I Had an Earthquake
- John Coletti - A New Round of Touche
- John Coletti - Champ Little Groom
- John Coletti - Everyone I Want to Be
- John Coletti - Human Flower
- John Coletti - Introduction
- John Coletti - It's a Substitute for Thinking
- John Coletti - Lost Weekend
- John Coletti - Old Black Boots
- John Coletti - Siphon
- Jordan Davis - A Brother on the Baltic
- Jordan Davis - Almost Named Horrace
- Jordan Davis - Chanting Monotonously
- Jordan Davis - Distance Learning
- Jordan Davis - How Are You I Am Fine
- Jordan Davis - Introduction
- Jordan Davis - Ira Will Not Be Attending the Meeting
- Jordan Davis - Relaxing Poems
- Sharon Mesmer - Gait Signatures
- Sharon Mesmer - I Wanted to Compose a Canticle of Exaltation and Praise
- Sharon Mesmer - Introduction
- Sharon Mesmer - My Juice
- Elinor Nauen - Introduction
- Elinor Nauen - Pink Highways
Episode 51 - 01/31/2005
Produced by Tom Devaney.
In this episode of LIVE, the Arts Café featured a cross-section of Philadelphia writers whose stories broke the city limits. Author J.C. Hallman read an excerpt from his book, The Chess Artist, in which he and his close friend, Glen, travel to Russia to discover the birth of chess. Native Philadelphian Octavia McBride-Ahebee dedicated her heart-wrenching poems to the suffering women of Africa. One poem, "The Water God," brought to life the chilling death of a young child who was discarded for the benefit of the group. Temple professor Pattie McCarthy described the sometimes-embarrassing effects of intersecting cultures in her poem "Otherwise (an eke name)," while editor of Hinchas de Poesía, Will Esposito, shared new words ("Hako" which translates to box) and places (Hyde Park) in his reflective and sweeping poems. Ian Keenan, who is six years into his Künstlerroman, read a series of poems rooted in punny wordplay — the most effective of which, "Super Sestina," concerned football and using adjectives as adverbs. Cynthia G. Mason's haunting voice then swelled in the Arts Café as she performed melancholic and mystical songs with her good friend Larry. Throughout the show, these writers poignantly traversed cultures, boundaries, and expectations.
- William Esposito - Introduction
- William Esposito - City Life
- William Esposito - A Season in Galiso
- William Esposito - Hako
- William Esposito - Elephant
- William Esposito - Keshigomu
- William Esposito - Moon Boom
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- William Esposito - Untitled
- J.C. Hallman - Introduction
- J.C. Hallman - Excerpt from The Chess Artist
- Ian Keenan - Introduction
- Ian Keenan - Poem with a Latter in the Back
- Ian Keenan - Poem with Cars
- Ian Keenan - Super Sestina
- Cynthia Mason - Introduction
- Cynthia Mason - Suede
- Cynthia Mason - Wit's End
- Octavia McBride-Ahebee - Introduction
- Octavia McBride-Ahebee - Homesick Spirits
- Octavia McBride-Ahebee - Sweetness of Pineapples
- Octavia McBride-Ahebee - The Water God
- Pattie McCarthy - Introduction
- Pattie McCarthy - Otherwise (an eke name)
Episode 50 - 12/13/2004 - Writers
Produced by Tom Devaney.
You can hear the recording of the entire program here.
LIVE at the Writers House this evening featured writers who work at Penn and musical guest Like Moving Insects. Valerie Ross, director of the Critical Writing program, told a somber autobiographical tale of her mother and the wild ambitions, fear, worry, and rage that kept her awake at night. Peter Nichols, editor of Penn Arts and Sciences Magazine, read from his novella, where poisoned nails and pipes are tools for murder, and John Prendergast, editor of The Pennsylvania Gazette related the true tale of an artist and Penn alumna, whose reality involves battling the special needs bureaucracy and a never-diminished pile of laundry. Philly-based band Like Moving Insects mixed disciplines and instruments to bring us "Cornflakes," and Ingrid Schaffner, senior curator at the ICA, invited us into Salvador Dali's Dream of Venus, a world where roaming giraffes explode into flames. John Shea, who has been an editor and writer at the university since 1985, taught us, with a bit of comedic flair and a lot of paranoia, "how to be an alarmist." From journalists to professors with stories true and imagined, the Arts Café was filled with Penn and Philly talent.
- Like Moving Insects - Untitled
- John Shea - My Then Wife
- John Shea - How to be an Alarmist
- John Shea - Introduction
- Peter Nichols - Untitled
- John Prendergast - Introduction
- Peter Nichols - Introduction
- Ingrid Schaffner - Excerpt from Salvador Dalí's Dream of Venus: The Surrealist Funho
- Ingrid Schaffner - Introduction
- Like Moving Insects - Cornflakes
- Like Moving Insects - Introduction
- John Prendergast - Excerpt from The Last Lost Beachcomber
- Valerie Ross - Introduction
- Valerie Ross - Nosebleed Seats
Episode 49 - 11/15/2004 - All Women
Produced by Tom Devaney
Tonight's episode of LIVE featured all women writers and their stories of children, heartbreak, and inequality. Author of Winter Music, a novel set in Philadelphia, Karen Rile read a section from the perspective of Tess, an eight-year old girl with dyslexia. In her slow and melancholic voice, poet Kathy Lou Schultz shared all the struggles endured by a young child before the age of five, while the editor of The Dictionary of Failed Relationships, Meredith Broussard, chatted about how she would dress up like Wonder Woman as a child. Broussard, discussing women and black superheroes, ended on a hopeful note, observing that comics are coming closer to demonstrating an actual range of color and shade (not just green) in America. Poets Sandy Crimmins and Lisa Sewell spoke about deserted women. Crimmins's tales were even told through a unique combination of poetry, song, and David Falcone's strumming guitar. Art historian Judith Stein rounded out the female-centric night with a story about the troubled men (think: alcohol, hemorrhoids, and bad teeth) that were responsible for the grand opening of the Guggenheim. A range of poignant and memorable stories, poems, and songs came alive tonight at the Writers House.
- Karen Rile - Introduction
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Childhood to Market
- Karen Rile - Excerpt from Winter Music
- Sandy Crimmins and David Falcone - Introduction
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Introduction
- Lisa Sewell - Front Page
- Lisa Sewell - Hands and Psalms
- Lisa Sewell - Mary Hamilton
- Judith Stein - Untitled
- Judith Stein - Introduction
- Sandy Crimmins and David Falcone - Desert
- Sandy Crimmins and David Falcone - Ireland
- Sandy Crimmins and David Falcone - Spring
- Meredith Broussard - Introduction
- Meredith Broussard - Untitled
Episode 48 - 10/18/2004
Produced by Tom Devaney
Past decisions haunted present lives in this week's episode of LIVE. University of the Arts fiction writing teacher Elise Juska and novelist Ken Kalfus noted the consequences of failed marriages. After her divorce, Charlotte, the main character in Elise's story, developed a variety of crippling anxieties (think: kidnapping, robbery, and a severe case of insomnia even with a dream machine), while Ken Kalfus's character grew a weird rash due to his "high-strung" and soon-to-be-ex-wife. With a dragging melody that built anticipation, Philly band Espers played a series of hypnotizing and unnerving songs. Penn's own Diane McKinney-Whetstone recited a story about a man who yearned for his past life as a jazz musician, rather than his current life on Cecil Block. The creation of fiction author Shawn McBride, Henry, described not his street block but his middle school block — apologizing for his unpreventable behavior as a "horny bastard" as he detailed the different types of "teets." Humorous and heart-wrenching, this episode of LIVE drew out some of our darkest fears and deepest desires.
- Espers - Daughter
- Espers - Riding
- Espers - Untitled
- Elise Juska - Excerpt from
- Kenneth Kalfus - Excerpt from
- Shawn McBride - Excerpts from
- Diane McKinney-Whetstone - Excerpt from
Episode 47 - 05/10/2004
Produced by Tom Devaney
Episode 46 - 04/05/2004 - Spoken-Word
Produced by Venise Battle Co-produced by Jennifer Snead
Thoughts of disabling labels, disappearing choice, and impending death gnawed away at the spoken word artists in tonight's episode of LIVE. Duo Tracy Gilbert and Amma Asare fervently defended having a choice as their voices interrupted, completed, and intertwined with one another. Penn senior Venise Battle demanded that she would be in charge of her own life, not her husband, while creator of This Charming Lab Adam Fieled questioned what decisions Icarus would have made had he landed in the middle of Central Park. Musical guest Guy Ramsey played two moving songs on the piano: one lovely and serene, the other jazzy and syncopated. Hating the man who hurt her, sophomore Caroline Rothstein writhed on the floor of a bathroom stall, feeling like she would die, while Asian American writer Omar F. Telan considered his funeral. Nicole Tabolt, a sophomore English major, affirmed not her own death but that of poetry in a sad and brooding tone. Passionate performances and messages characterized this evening's edition of LIVE.
- Tracy Gilbert and Amma Asare - Pro-Life
- Venise Battle - A Bop Poem
- Venise Battle - Home Altar
- Venise Battle - Meeting Mother at the Waters
- Venise Battle - Veronica
- Adam Fieled - Icarus in New York
- Adam Fieled - On Jazz
- Adam Fieled - To Bruce Norman
- Guy Ramsey - Dream Number Two Seventeen
- Guy Ramsey - Stolen Moments
- Caroline Rothstein - Noah
- Caroline Rothstein - The White Version of Diversity
- Caroline Rothstein - They Call Me Granola
- Nicole Tabolt - Preparations for Judy and Claire
- Nicole Tabolt - Rest in Peace
- Nicole Tabolt - Theft
- Omar F. Telan - Familiar
- Omar F. Telan - Gigolo Serenade Part Fifteen
- Omar F. Telan - Gigolo Serenade Part Two
- Omar F. Telan - I've Been Thinking a lot about Death Lately
- Omar F. Telan - Michaelangelo's Pieta
- Omar F. Telan - Suburban Love Affair
Episode 45 - 03/01/2004 - Creative
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney
Live at the Writers House this Monday featured Lorene Cary, Alan Gilbert, Jena Osman, Adam J. Sorkin, and musical guest Box Social. Lorene Cary, founder of Art Sanctuary, told a captivating tale of a young woman, a slave in Baltimore, who was shipped to freedom in a box; that "one night of imprisonment reflected a life of enslavement like a deadly magnifying glass." Alan Gilbert read excerpts from Relative Heat Index, and with heavy pauses and weighty words, explained, "everything is capable of being broken." Box Social, whose sound reminds subtly of British pop and glam-rock, referenced Philadelphia, teeming with bass and drums. Jena Osman invited us to the "Memory Error Theater," where there are cars on fire and a melodious voices that calms. Adam J. Sorkins finished the night with "A Visit to Peles Castle as Seen From Pennsylvania," where there exists "a barbaric spring" and "silk carpets on which our shadows lose their way." Tonight Philadelphia writers and poets showcased creativity and fluidity in their diversity of recitation.
- Box Social - Suburban Outfitters
- Box Social - Tex Avery Dream
- Box Social - Untitled
- Lorene Cary - Crossing the River on Horseback in the Night
- Lorene Cary - Woman Escaping in a Box
- Alan Gilbert - Excerpt from Relative Heat Index
- Jena Osman - Memory Error Theater
- Jena Osman - The March
- Adam J. Sorkins - A Visit to Pelis Castle as Seen from Pennsylvania
- Adam J. Sorkins - November First, 1996
- Adam J. Sorkins - The Dragon
- Adam J. Sorkins - The Golden Mean
Episode 44 - 11/11/2003 - Greater
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
From rocks to ham sandwiches, tonight's episode of LIVE brought us back to a more primitive place. Author and Penn alum Leslie Esdaile Bank, aka L. A. Banks, described being stuck between a rock and a hard place — "Splinters are a bitch!" she cried in her sweet, singsong voice. Penn professor Lynn Levin translated our squealing early hominid language — "oooh ah ah eeh!" — into modern speech, while poet Jim Corey twisted modern expressions into their literal meanings — asking to borrow a girl's eyes, who instantly obliged him by popping them out. Associate professor of Digital Media Nick Montfort wondered about the essences of life — time, the textures of delay, and the destruction of meaning, while poet and publisher Steven Allan May interrupted himself, sounding mad, as he described dreams and disconnected heads bobbing in the ocean. Musical guest Snapperhead Zydeco rounded out the evening's reflective tales by playing tunes that sparked the perhaps primitive instinct to dance.
- Leslie Esdaile Bank - Untitled (2)
- Leslie Esdaile Bank - Untitled
- Jim Cory - A Lie
- Jim Cory - An Admirer
- Jim Cory - Hmm
- Jim Cory - Memoire Spring Seventy Seven
- Jim Cory - Wife
- Jim Cory - Word from the Mainstreet Cafe
- Lynn Levin - Action Hero
- Lynn Levin - Homo Erectus Recalls the Better Days of Man
- Lynn Levin - The Bride of the Ladies' Auxiliary Luncheon
- Steven Allen May - Auld Known Stories
- Steven Allan May - Dream Remembered at Three Forty Nine AM
- Steven Allan May - Fast Weight
- Steven Allan May - Run from Some Drunken Dream
- Steven Allan May - Tea Fleshhood
- Steven Allan May - Time
- Nick Montfort - City
- Nick Montfort - Reflections
- Nick Montfort - The Exhaustion of Libraries
- Nick Montfort - The Unrelenting
- Snapperhead Zydeco - S'eux Malade ne pas Danser
- Snapperhead Zydeco - Tous les Temps en Temps
- Snapperhead Zydeco - Untitled
- Snapperhead Zydeco - Zydeco Boogaloo
Episode 43 - 10/20/2003 - All
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
Members both past and present of Kelly Writers House's very own planning committee, the Hub, were featured in tonight's episode of LIVE. Al Filreis, a longstanding Penn faculty member, read an excerpt from his fifth book The Fifties Thirties about what happened to modern poets when anti-communists got hold of them in the 1950s. Samantha Barrow and Seth Laracy took us to New Orleans and Memphis respectively; one read her poetry in front of "anarchists, punks, and semi-hipsters" and the other looked for his second-grade love in a dream. Adrienne Mishkin declaimed the power of hands: "hands speak for us like lips — and strong hands shout." Randall Couch closed the nights readings with "Vagabond Theater," "The Abandoned Woman," and the proclamation that "there is only so much self space." Following readings by Hub members and coordinators, Phil Sandick, along with the Penny Loafers, an award-winning co-ed a cappella group, did a variety of covers with solos with a full range of buoyant tenors to impassioned sopranos.
- Samantha Barrow - The Dixie Tavern
- Randall Couch - Maghrib in Philadelphia
- Randall Couch - The Abandoned Woman
- Randall Couch - Untitled
- Al Filreis - Excerpts from the Fifties Thirties
- Seth Laracy - Untitled
- Adrienne Mishkin - Hands
- Adrienne Mishkin - In Any Language
- Adrienne Mishkin - The Dinner War
- Adrienne Mishkin - The Only Poem Inspired by Puerto Rico
- Adrienne Mishkin - Whispered in the Kitchen
- The Penny Loafers - Someday
- The Penny Loafers - Take it Off
- The Penny Loafers - Wonder
Episode 42 - 09/29/2003 - 2-1-5
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
Chills filled the Arts Café in this evening's edition of LIVE. Producer Tom Devaney started the episode off with a series of sad realizations: dear old Obi Wan Kenobi struggled to do the little things, like get a good haircut, while New Jersey is the greatest poem never written. Fiction writer Jay Kirk shared a shudder-inducing detective murder mystery, and writer Iain Levison told a tale of a man who squirmed in his seat as a company attempted to brainwash him into selling water filters. Teen writer Elisa Ludwig, who enjoys flea markets and Scrabble, presented a story in which her young heroine ended up in a van with an aging roadie in a deserted parking lot while her best friend slept with the lead singer. Eek. Speaking of singers, musical guest The Wayward Wind performed a series of hauntingly happy songs about postcards, willows, and smoking. Unfortunate, and bizarre, situations characterized this episode of LIVE.
- Tom Devaney - Not a Ralph
- Tom Devaney - Obi Wan Kenobi
- Tom Devaney - Trying to Live as if it Were Morning
- Tom Devaney - Untitled
- Jay Kirk - Watching the Detectives
- Iain Levison - Untitled - Excerpt
- Elisa Ludwig - Touchy Feely
- The Wayward Wind - Postcards from the Wind
- The Wayward Wind - Sweet Willow Walking
- The Wayward Wind - The Smokers' Pavilion
- Kathleen Volk Miller - Driving
Episode 41 - 03/03/2003 - A
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
From Illuminata's Weight Watchers binges to southwest of the Guyana border, poets, novelists, and short story writers invited us into new homes and new countries, at times weaving new worlds in as little as twelve seconds. Ron Swegman honored Philadelphia's Boathouse Row and read "Sonnet for Camden, New Jersey," and Robert Strauss spoke of his love of and trip to Burkina Faso and Ouagadougou, and the easy way they roll off the tongue. Tanya Barrientos, a columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, brought us to Frontera Street, where Illuminata cooked feasts for neighbors but ingested her own food with only hungry eyes. Allie D'Augustine read a series of her short poems and prose, one of which highlighted "Rules for a Good Life": "listen to music and clutch your pen and hope you will survive." Dan Histon asked for Septembers with a twist, and Courtney Mandryk told of the man next door who hums and of tulips "bruised like bananas." Musical guest Andy Bresnan, an artistic director, composer, and producer, joined by the Big Mess Orchestra, full of trombones and saxophones, played tracks each vastly different in their performance and style. Tonight's episode of LIVE featured poems from the honest and everyday to the distant and bizarre, each able to capture the diverse audience's attention.
- Tanya Maria Barrientos - Excerpt from Frontera Street
- Andy Bresnan and Big Flamehead - Untitled
- Andy Bresnan and The Big Mess Orche - Being in Love
- Andy Bresnan and The Big Mess Orch - For One, Two or Three
- Andy Bresnan and The Big Mess Orche - Untitled
- Allie DAugustine - Echoes
- Allie DAugustine - Inheritance
- Allie DAugustine - My America
- Allie DAugustine - Perception
- Allie DAugustine - Rules for a Good Life
- Allie DAugustine - The Way We Are Now
- Allie DAugustine - The Weight of Something Missing
- Allie DAugustine - To Have and Have Not
- Allie DAugustine - Truth
- Dan Histon - A September with a Twist
- Dan Histon - I Fought the Odds
- Dan Histon - Ode to the Pimple on my Nose
- Dan Histon - River of Tears
- Dan Histon - Shake, Rattle and Roll
- Dan Histon - The Book
- Dan Histon - The Monster
- Courtney Mandryk - 315 South Fifteenth Street Appartment 2F
- Robert Strauss - Untitled
- Ron Swegman - A Friendly Tavern in Sight
- Ron Swegman - An American View
- Ron Swegman - Closing Sequence of Philadelphia on the Fly
- Ron Swegman - Form
- Ron Swegman - Hell Exhaling
- Ron Swegman - Lucky Number
- Ron Swegman - Prologue to Philadelphia on the Fly
- Ron Swegman - Sonnet for Camden, New Jersey
- Ron Swegman - The Desire Building
- Ron Swegman - Untitled
- Dan Histon - On the Bench
Episode 40 - 02/03/2003 - Writers
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
Death, despair, doubt, and the government characterized tonight's episode of LIVE. Founding coeditor of the literary journal 6ix, Alicia Askenase asked for audience participation in her address to the Union (the directed applause stifled her message — which seemed to be exactly her message), while Philadelphia poet Leonard Gontarek explicitly addressed the president in a somewhat crude manner. Founding director of the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, Kerry Sherin, and PhD candidate, Lena Sze, questioned the purpose of the Iraq War in short bursts of interrupted thoughts and numbered lists. Blake Martin and Dan Fishback focused on wars at home as they shared tales of an unfortunate woman whose mind began unraveling at a young age and commanded a junior to step up to the podium, respectively. Musical guest Mishael Nicole Devlin shared two melancholic songs, singing with a beautifully distraught and breathy voice. An emotional night, this episode asked us to consider why and for what purpose government decisions are made — and whether we should support, question, or criticize such choices.
- Alicia Askenase - News in Brief
- Alicia Askenase - State of Union
- Alicia Askenase - Untitled
- Mishael Nicole Devlin - Monody
- Mishael Nicole Devlin - Write me a Letter
- Dan Fishback - Speech to Introduce Students for Peace Reading
- Leonard Gontarek - Arrangement
- Leonard Gontarek - Blowback
- Blake Martin - Linda
- Kerry Sherin - Autumn Lullaby
- Kerry Sherin - Untitled
- Kerry Sherin - Western Wind
- Sze Lena - Gusts
- Lena Sze - Guzzle for Genoa
- Lena Sze - Suicide
- Lena Sze - Untitled
- Lena Sze - Very Short Fragment
- Lena Sze - You Are
Episode 39 - 12/02/2002 - Civic
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
Tonight's episode of LIVE featured stories about love, support, and obsession. In a gravely voice, Drexel adjunct professor Michael Barsanti shared a love letter from Keats in which Keats demanded his lover not to contact him if she had smiled at anyone since they last spoke. Harsh. Writer Beandrea Davis demonstrated that people of all ages, from kids to senior citizens, could come together to support PCH and the homeless, while Greg Giovanni told of a march to City Hall where everyone "illegally" danced in the streets. Writers Lisa Funderburg and Simpson Bennet couldn't help but be obsessed by trash and producing art at night, respectively. Funderburg even admitted that "it's a low-grade speed, salvaging is" as she ransacked dumpster after dumpster. Defying expectations, musical guest Tara Burke performed pieces on an accordion and a guitar, sending out notes of fatigue and wistful thinking. Like Burke's performance, this episode touched on a variety of raw human emotions.
- Michael Barsanti - In an Auction Room
- Michael Barsanti - Letter by Keats
- Michael Barsanti - On the Sale by Auction of Keats' Love Letter
- Tara Burke - Moonlight Sonata
- Tara Burke - Ransack the Park
- Beandrea Davis - Going Home Going Forward the Life of a West P
- Lise Funderburg - Dumpster Diving Dusted off and Fondled
- Greg Giovanni - January Second, 1992
- Greg Giovanni - Untitled
- Simpson Bennett - Ten Buck Phone Card
Episode 38 - 11/11/2002 - Good
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
LIVE at the Writers House this Monday featured poets John Timpane, Deborah Burnham, Bob Perelman, Harriet Levin Millan, and Hassen; musical guest Kenn Kweder; and writer Joey Sweeney. John Timpane, author of Poetry for Dummies, outlines "The Five Steps to Physical Intimacy," each preceding step better than its subsequent; "Something about the sight is better than the touch / The sex of could or might un-tempted by the clutch," he proclaimed in a soft voice. Deb Burnham, with each word carefully placed and each syllable carefully accentuated, spoke of moving away from divorce, and leaves falling in the spring wind. Bob Perelman and Harriet Levin Millan expressed human sorrow in their poems, while Hassen reflected on human fragility. Joey Sweeney wrote a tribute to Bruce Springsteen and his childhood babysitter (who he was in love with), and Kenn Kweder ended the night with "Freedom from Sense" and his distinct rock sound.
- Deborah Burnham - Apples September
- Deborah Burnham - Mirror
- Deborah Burnham - Still
- Hassen - Digging a Hole to China
- Hassen - Fratercula Arctica Private Eye
- Hassen - For David Reminder
- Hassen - Fragility
- Hassen - Sheltered
- Hassen - Third Eye Psalm of Euca
- Kenn Kweder - Freedom from Sense
- Kenn Kweder - Places
- Harriet Levin Millan - Andromeda
- Harriet Levin Millan - Birder
- Harriet Levin Millan - Quaker City Music Festival
- Harriet Levin Millan - Survey of Debris
- Harriet Levin Millan - Wrought
- Bob Perelman - Djuna Moon
- Bob Perelman - Driving to the Philadelphia Poetry Festival at
- Bob Perelman - Today's Lament
- Joey Sweeney - Excerpt from Piece on Bruce Springstein
- John Timpane - The Five Steps to Physical Intimacy
- John Timpane - The Reopening of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- John Timpane - Untitled
Episode 37 - 10/14/2002 - The
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
- Meredith Broussard - The New Fall Season
- Meredith Broussard - Anecdotes of Love
- Daisy Fried - American Brass
- Patrick Kelly - I Fall Upon the Bed of Life I Sleep
- Daisy Fried - Broken Radios
- Patrick Kelly - Days of Prickly Heat
- Paul Green School of Rock Musi - Have a Cigar Son
- Paul Green School of Rock Musi - Heart of the Sunrise
- Paul Green School of Rock Musi - The Rain Song
- Neal Pollack - Untitled
- Mary Richarson Graham - Excerpt from "Appetite"
Episode 36 - 04/01/2002 - All
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney
Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
Here is a commentary by Tom Devaney on his appearance on this show.
- Edmund Bacon - Editorial
- Edmund Bacon - Thoughts on the Design of Cities
- Meredith Broussard - Letters
- Ferguson Carey - November 12, 1990
- Ferguson Carey - November 12, 1998
- Julie Gerstein - Customer Communication Cards
- Julie Gerstein - Untitled - Letter (2)
- Julie Gerstein - Untitled - Letter
- Richard Julian - Good Life
- Richard Julian - Please Renee, Not Now
- Jane Ludin and Jennifer Snead - School Notes
- Michaela Majoun - Letter from Upper Volta
- John Moore - Letter from Jeff Young
- John Moore - Untitled - Letters
Episode 35 - 03/04/2002 - McSweeney's
Written and Produced by Tom Devaney Assistant Producer: Venise Battle
- Amy Fusselman - Excerpt from "The Pharmacist's Mate"
- Amy Fusselman - Hell's Bells
- Neal Pollack - A Spoken Word Poem for America
- Neal Pollack - It is Easy to Take a Lover in Cuba
- Neal Pollack - The Rise and Fall of the New Economy
- Ted Casterline's Ninja Academy - Mental Feelings
- Ted Casterline's Ninja Academy - Teenagers from Mars
- Ted Casterline's Ninja Academy - The Non-Sexual Date
Episode 34 - 02/04/2002 - All
Written by Venise Battle and Co-produced by Tom Devaney
- Linda DiFeterici Stehling - Into the Abyss
- Linda DiFeterici Stehling - Lady H
- Linda DiFeterici Stehling - My Choice
- Linda DiFeterici Stehling - No More
- Dr. Ketchup - Mercy Mercy Mercy
- Dr. Ketchup - Miss Iceleen
- Simone Eccleston - False Idols
- Simone Eccleston - The Myth
- Tonya Marie Evans - Angry Don't Live Here No More
- Tonya Marie Evans - Find Your Own Shine
- Tonya Marie Evans - Rescue the Lyric
- Monique Gordon - A Square Dance
- Monique Gordon - All New All Times
- Monique Gordon - Augmented Sounds
- Monique Gordon - Blessed
- Monique Gordon - Full Moon
- Monique Gordon - Haiku
- Monique Gordon - He Played Her
- Marj Hanhe - A New York Winter
- Marj Hanhe - Brevity
- Marj Hanhe - Election Day 2000
- Marj Hanhe - No Place Like Home
- Marj Hanhe - Remembrance for September Eleventh Two Thousand O
- Jason Zuzga - On Beauty
Episode 33 - 01/14/2002 - Best
Written by Tom Devaney, co-produced by Venise Battle, and Hosted by Michaela Majoun
- Alicia Askenase - Oh Kosovo
- Jennifer Diel - Untitled
- Patrick Kelly - Last Will and Testicle
- Paige Menton - Bachmans Warbler
- Paige Menton - Centralia
- Paige Menton - Heath Hen
- Paige Menton - Labrador Duck
- Pochahontas and the Ribs - Tell Me
- Pochahontas and the Ribs - Walk with Me
- Stephen Potter - It's Hard for our Poems to be as Zippy as our
- Stephen Potter - Of Volume
- Elizabeth Scanlon - Infared Radiation
- Elizabeth Scanlon - St. Lucy's Day
- Elizabeth Scanlon - The Heights
- Heather Thomas - News Reports Bliss of Absence
- Heather Thomas - The Delicate World
- William F. Van-Wert - Description of the Airport in Saigon
Episode 32 - 12/05/2001 - Scholarship
Produced by Tom Devaney and Venise Battle
- Carlos Gomez - Untitled
- An Lam - A Time Not Too Long Ago
- An Lam - Thoughts
- Marqui - Always on my Mind
- Marqui - Smile
- Rita Rodriguez - Untitled
- Aliya Sternstein - Happy Trails
- Pamela Zinn - Untitled (2)
- Pamela Zinn - Untitled (4)
- Pamela Zinn - Untitled (5)
- Pamela Zinn - Untitled
Episode 31 - 11/05/2001 - The
Produced by Tom Devaney, co-produced by Venise Battle, and hosted by Michaela Majoun.
- CA Conrad - Excerpts from Advanced Elvis Course
- Gregory Fuchs - Eight Pieces from Cosmic American Music
- Ethel Rackin - I Carry this Package with Me
- Ethel Rackin - I Keep Jumping into Titles
- Ethel Rackin - It's Been Raining Here for a Hundred Years
- Ethel Rackin - Post
- Molly Russakoff - Abnormal Psychology
- Molly Russakoff - Amsterdam Florida Peru
- Molly Russakoff - Flowers
- Molly Russakoff - The Old Hag Scratches at the Pavement with a
- Fran Ryan - Not
- Fran Ryan - Respect
- Frank Sherlock - Still Living Still Moving
- Cassandre Xavier - Life of the Party
- Magdalena Zurawski - Ode
Episode 30 - 10/01/2001 - 125
Written by Tom Devaney and Co-produced by Venise Battle
- Venise Battle - Gemini
- Venise Battle - Untitled (2)
- Venise Battle - Untitled
- Carole Bernstein - Bounty
- Carole Bernstein - Infertility Group
- Carole Bernstein - The Cup of Coffee
- Carole Bernstein - Three Toed Sloth
- Carole Bernstein - Torcello
- Jessica Lowenthal - Additions to the Chronology of Locust Rava
- Ruth Branning Malloy - Dreams
- Ruth Branning Malloy - June Fifth Nineteen Sixty Six
- Ruth Branning Malloy - My Room's a Filing Cabinet
- Ruth Branning Malloy - On the Passing of a Certain Little Plea
- Ruth Branning Malloy - Picture out of Memory
- Ruth Branning Malloy - The Separation
- Val Operielsky - Deadly Earnest
- Val Operielsky - Wheels within Wheels
- Hannah Sassaman - Cinderella
- Hannah Sassaman - Haircut
- Hannah Sassaman - Stephanie Moves Out
Episode 29 - 04/09/2001
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Jaime Bard - Untitled Two
- Jaime Bard - Untitled
- Melissa Duclos - Can Not Know
- Melissa Duclos - Fireworks Revisited
- Melissa Duclos - First Wake
- Melissa Duclos - Friend Found Raped
- Melissa Duclos - The Secret to Pie
- DuEwa Fraiser - Journeys
- DuEwa Fraiser - Us Creative Women
- Anne Kaier - Easter
- Anne Kaier - Sarah
- Blake Martin - Untitled
- Kelly McQuain - Excerpt From Erasing Sonny
- Amy Miller - Phone Date
- Amy Miller - Untitled
- Jackie Morfesis - Athens
- Jackie Morfesis - Baby
- Jackie Morfesis - Earthquake
- Jackie Morfesis - Lion
Episode 28 - 03/19/2001
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Venise Battle - Taboo
- Venise Battle - Two Thirty-Seven AM
- Venise Battle - Yen
- Deborah Burnham - Our Lady of the Cabbages
- Deborah Burnham - Skipping Stones
- Jeffrey Loo performed by Lori Nan-Engler - Excerpt from Identity Papers
- Paige Menton - Trackings
- Michelle Meyers - Ancestor Worship
- Michelle Meyers - Mudang Magic
- Michelle Meyers - Untitled
- Heather Starr and Kerry Sherin - Intersections
- Audrey Smith-Bey - Love Will Find Away
- Audrey Smith-Bey - Summertime
- Kammika Williams Witherspoon - Summer Headlines Heavy From The Weight
- Andrew Zitcer - Oh Sweet Nothing
- Andrew Zitcer - Staccato Thoughts Trampled
- Andrew Zitcer - Title Without a Poem
- Andrew Zitcer - Untitled
- Andrew Zitcer - With Senses Concensus
Episode 27 - 02/19/2001
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Brandy Durham - Absence of Soul
- Brandy Durham - Thief
- Amina Gautier - Untitled Short Story
- Carlos Gomez - One
- Carlos Gomez - The Crack in the Timeglass
- Matthew Hart - A Future Like That Right Dancing
- Matthew Hart - Audio Visual Poem by Mike Magee
- Matthew Hart - Because Horse Sang Here
- Matthew Hart - Major Breakthrough at Easter
- Lois Moses - I Love You Mothers
- Lois Moses - If You Couldnt See Me Before Can You See Me Now
- Sarah St Vincent - Olives
- Sarah St Vincent - Pearl Mamma
- Sarah St Vincent - Wild Honey in a Glass Jar
- Solade Thorpe - Motherly Advice
- Solade Thorpe - Reading
- Solade Thorpe - The Jogger
- Robert Toteras - House of God
- Robert Toteras - Keep Me Around
Episode 26 - 01/22/2001
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Laura Bardwell - Apparatus
- Holly Bittner - Trigger
- Sandra Chin - Community
- Sandra Chin - Journal Entry
- Sandra Chin - Trouble
- Daisy Fried - A Story Having To Do With Walt Whitman
- Daisy Fried - Two Thousand
- Gena Heng - Subway Talk
- Gena Heng - Untitled
- David Sanders - Excerpt From Quiatu
- Elizabeth Scanlon - Passerby
- Elizabeth Scanlon - Radio Dream
- Elizabeth Scanlon - Sweet Success
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Sonnet Four
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Sonnet One
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Sonnet Three
- Kathy Lou Schultz - Sonnet Two
- Anita Thakkar - Devotion
- Three Stories High - Hey
- Three Stories High - I Never Think
- Van Tu - Free Write
- Van Tu - Untitled
Episode 25 - 12/11/2000
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Christine Grow - For Robert Granier
- Christine Grow - Leidas Song
- Jonathan London - Paul
- Stephen Marmel - Alman
- Stephen Marmel - Follow
- Bruce Niedt - Grandmother Roses
- Bruce Niedt - Immortals
- Bruce Niedt - Nephew
- Tahneer Oksman - December Echo Turn
- Tahneer Oksman - Where Are the Beats
- Siani Taylor - Good Girl
- Siani Taylor - Losing Senses
- Heather Thomas - News
- Heather Thomas - Skin Memory
- Simone Zelitch - Excerpt From Louisa
Episode 24 - 11/13/2000
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Walter Aikens - Woman You Can Make a Plum Cry
- Laura Durback - Heredity
- Leonard Gontarek - Fragment Two
- Leonard Gontarek - Fragment Three
- Leonard Gontarek - Fragment
- Leonard Gontarek - Zen for Beginners
- Leanne Magee - Bloom and Doom
- Leanne Magee - Flow
- Leanne Magee - Pink Moon
- Don Riggs - Doggedly
- Don Riggs - Our Parents Left New York
- Don Riggs - That Smile Could Spark
- Don Riggs - Untitled
- Guarnieri Sahms - Easter
- Guarnieri Sahms - Still Life
- Hannah Sassaman - Bizarre Non-Sequitor Text
- Peter Schwarz - Excerpts From The Ruins
- Simon - Begin Again
- Simon - Sweet Angel
- James Specht - Rides Like These Make Me Proclaim Myself a Disgusting Person
- Leah Wyant - Paper Words
Episode 23 - 10/02/2000
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Jennifer McCreary - Possible Manifestations of Her Behavior Intrigued Him
- Herman Beavers - Problems of Translation
- Herman Beavers - Secrets
- Herman Beavers - The Real Deal
- Herman Beavers - Vernell Contemplates the Meaning of Existence
- Carole Bernstein - Mah Jongg 1967
- Carole Bernstien - The Visit
- Cathy Crimmins - Excerpts From Where is the Mango Princesse
- Nancy Falkow - Eraser
- Nancy Falkow - Sleeping East
- Mytili Jagannathan - Acts
- Mytili Jagannathan - Cinderella Itinerary
- Mytili Jagannathan - Open Letter
- Mytili Jagannathan - Rapid Transit
- Holly Johnson - Creationist Lectures
- Holly Johnson - Love Poem
- Jennifer McCreary - Dear Nancy
- Jennifer McCreary - Praises
- Peter Rock - Ambulence
- Peter Rock - Collapse
Episode 22 - 09/17/2000
Episode 21 - 03/20/2000
Episode 20 - 02/21/2000 - Inspiring
Produced and hosted by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Renee Balthrop - Cauldron
- Ivan Fisher - Untitled
- Ivan Fisher - Why Do Cats Chase Strange Things
- Deirdre Flint - King of the Rollorama
- Deirdre Flint - Our Past Life Regrets
- Andrew Hahn - A Night in Vienna
- Andrew Hahn - Insurance
- Andrew Hahn - Midafternoon Dreams
- Andrew Hahn - Montreal
- Andrew Hahn - Noodle Salad
- Andrew Hahn - Turkey
- Amanda James - Im Tired
- KD Morris - Make Free
- KD Morris - Yours
- Heather and Kristen Thorpe Starr - Radio Poem
- Shawnda Tep - War
- Randall Couch - Rubrics
- Melissa Duclos - Untitled
- Laura Goldstein - From Fifteenth to Forty-Eighth
- Laura Goldstein - From Fifth to Thirty-Fourth
- Rebekah Grossman - Body Lift
- Rebekah Grossman - Owl Mask
- Rebekah Grossman - Untitled
- Lynn Levin - If You Are Reading This
- Yasinah Mobley - What I Want To Say
- KD Morris - A Time To Leave
- KD Morris - Autumn
- KD Morris - Commercial Dad
- Marylin Piety by Cassie Macdonald - Untitled
- Laura Pyle - The Sign
- John Shea - The Last Sestina
- Simon - Ill Meet You There
- Simon - Moonfall
- Ellen Slack - Exports Reports Vision
- Lauren Smith - Untitled
- Haadiya Starkey - Remember
- Haadiya Starkey - Simplicity Yasinah
- James Tidall - Whale
Episode 19 - 01/24/2000
Produced by Kirsten Thorpe, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Michaela Majoun
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Malila Beckton - Building Blocks
- Malila Beckton - To The Ringleader
- Nate Chinen - Also Some Women
- Nate Chinen - Downtown and Brooklyn Late Nights
- Nate Chinen - For the Time Being November Poem
- Paul Elsberg - Craft
- Paul Elsberg - On Observing a Squirrel Fall From a Large Tree Convulse and Run A
- Paul Elsberg - Street Signs
- John Faye - Dancing In Your Shadow
- John Faye - Miss Catch-22
Episode 18 - 11/08/1999
Produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Animus - Untitled Two
- Animus - Untitled
- Gay Ross - The Execution
- Gay Ross - The Hernia
- Gay Ross - The Marionette
- Tonya Hegamin - Autumn Serenade
- Tonya Hegamin - Our Ship Didnt Have A Name
- Tonya Hegamin - The One Next to Tutenkamens Amazingly Small
- Tonya Hegamin - Your Love Plucks Me Like A Plum
- Daniel Nester - Happy Days
- Daniel Nester - On the Death of Owen the Blue Blazer Hart
- Daniel Nester - Throwing Rocks
- Deborah Richards - Untitled
- Frank Sherlock - A Revolutionary Kind of Fiction
- Frank Sherlock - Boo
- Frank Sherlock - Thirteen
- Don Silver - Brief History of the United States in Late Twentieth Century
- Don Silver - Floyd
- Don Silver - Middle of the Woods
- Don Silver - Moving Day
- Abigail Susik - A Landscape for Three Voices
- Abigail Susik - The Boxer
- Abigail Susik - The Terrain Versus Alex Katz
Episode 17 - 10/11/1999
Produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
Episode 16 - 09/13/1999
Produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
- Melisa Cahnmann - Advice
- Melisa Cahnmann - Every Moment Also A Missed Moment
- Melisa Cahnmann - Untitled
- Cidalia Cornelio - Journey Through Parallel Souls
- Cidalia Cornelio - Now If It All Aint Right
- Nancy Falkow - Untitled Two
- Nancy Falkow - Untitled
- Gregory Fuchs - Came Like It Went
- Gregory Fuchs - The Day Princess Died
- Gregory Fuchs - The New Mad Cow Alert
- Michael Higgins - The Tiger
- Michael Higgins - Untitled
- Hannah Sassaman - 4112 Spruce Street Appartment Number Six
- Hannah Sassaman - Birthday Poem
- Hannah Sassaman - Stephanie Moves Out
- Hannah Sassaman - Twins
- Mark Wilhelm - Capanaba
- Mark Wilhelm - Elvis in Las Vegas
- Mark Wilhelm - Ode to the Last Cigarette
- Yolanda Wisher - Cat Scat
- Yolanda Wisher - Peaches
- Yolanda Wisher - Ruby Flow
- Yolanda Wisher - Strange Fruit
- Magdalena Zurawski - Ballad of the Concrete Tree
- Magdalena Zurawski - Bruised Nickelodeon
- Magdalena Zurawski - Horses
- Magdalena Zurawski - This Where
Episode 15 - 04/12/1999
Produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
- Natalie Anderson - Aulophobia - Fear of Flutes
- Natalie Anderson - Bromidrosophobia - Fear of Body Odor
- Natalie Anderson - Excerpt from The Miser
- Natalie Anderson - Gringophobia - Fear of Gringos
- Natalie Anderson - Hydrophobophobia - Fear of Rabies
- Natalie Anderson - Jukebox Memories
- Natalie Anderson - Nephophobia - Fear of Clouds
- Brett Evans - Excerpt from Beauty Damage Control Mardi Gras 1997
- Caroline Jacobson - Not Worth It
- David Koppish - Harvest Moon
- David Koppish - Improvisation Number Five
- David Koppish - Prayer
- Nicola - Anything
- Nicola - My Own Woman
- Lisa Sandale - Blue Borders
- Lisa Sandale - Glass Ocean
- Lisa Sandale - Language Wax
- Dennison Whitmer - Breathe In This Life
- Dennison Whitmer - Stations
Episode 14 - 03/15/1999
produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
- Toni Brown - Postcards From Cave Cannum One
- Toni Brown - Postcards From Cave Cannum Two
- Toni Brown - Roxie
- Toni Brown - Salvation
- Toni Brown - The Smile
- Toni Brown - The Train Ride
- Amber DeLaurentis - Deep Into Indigo
- Amber DeLaurentis - What I Meant To Say
- Kristen Gallagher - Implosion Theory Number One Seduction and the Significant Other
- Kristen Gallagher - Logic Calling
- Kristen Gallagher - Some History
- Valerie Hanson - In Stations
- Valerie Hanson - Of This Other Hands
- Valerie Hanson - Still Life
- Valerie Hanson - Stories of Sight
- Valerie Hanson - X-Ray Days
- Mytili Jagannathan - Against
- Mytili Jagannathan - Declarations
- Mytili Jagannathan - House (Password Protected)
- Mytili Jagannathan - Nationalism Redactor
- Cynthia Mason - Critic
- Cynthia Mason - Untitled
- Lauren Smith - February Letter
- Lauren Smith - Letters January 1996 Through October 1996 or Surviving By the Boo
- Lauren Smith - Suzanne At Home Midday
- Lauren Smith - Suzanne at the Office in the Eighties
- Lauren Smith - Suzanne House-Hunting In Montreal 1957
- Lauren Smith - Suzannes Morning Errands
- Lauren Smith - Untitled
- Suzanna Urminska - Pomegranet
- Beth Trigg - Oysters
- Beth Trigg - Procreation
- Beth Trigg - Stateside
- Suzanna Urminska - Senses At Seven
- Suzanna Urminska - Silhouette of a Dream Horse
- Suzanna Urminska - Untitled Two
- Suzanna Urminska - Untitled Three
- Suzanna Urminska - Untitled
Episode 13 - 02/08/1999
produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Tom Devaney - No One I Know and the Tree
- Tom Devaney - Obi Wan Kenobe
- Tom Devaney - Sonnet
- Tom Devaney - The Heartbeat of America Makes Its Own Gravy
- Jo Grudziak - City Trees
- Jo Grudziak - My Native Language
- Jo Grudziak - Thoughts on Curdled Cream in Time of Economic Crisis
- David Lavin - Goin to Nabagamon
- David Lavin - Tradition Song
- John Parker - The Sinful Flesh
- Stephen Potter - Carved
- Stephen Potter - Fugue
- Ethel Rackin - Blush
- Ethel Rackin - Box Skirt
- Ethel Rackin - My Portable Radio
- Ethel Rackin - Silly You
- Heather Starr - Not Calm
- Heather Starr - Then It Was the Atlantic in All Directions
- Heather Starr - This Bow and Arrow
- John Stephens - Loves In Need
- John Stephens - Untitled
- Shawn Walker - 4834
- Shawn Walker - Vivifier
Episode 12 - 11/09/1998
produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
You can hear a recording of the entire program here.
- Barbara Cole - Wandering Rocks
- David Goldman - Fallen
- David Goldman - Poem
- Seth Greenberg - Cherries and Mints
- Seth Greenberg - Untitled
- Rebekah Grossman - Aerial Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Babylon Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Brother Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Cut and Whole Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Doctor
- Rebekah Grossman - Double Compartment Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Earth Box
- Rebekah Grossman - Hotel Mirror Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Love Body Number Five
- Rebekah Grossman - Love Body Number Four
- Rebekah Grossman - Love Body Number One
- Rebekah Grossman - Love Body Number Three
- Rebekah Grossman - Love Body Number Two
- Rebekah Grossman - Post-Carbon Egyptian Bodies
- Rebekah Grossman - Wireless
- Rebekah Grossman - Womans Body
- Jennifer McCreary - In Which Opposition and Sister Squares Are
- Jennifer McCreary - Open Letter to Peggy Guggenheim
- Bob Perelman - Chaim Sutein
- Bob Perelman - The Womb of Avant Garde Reason
- Caitlin Roper - Heat
- Caitlin Roper - How the Roof of the Sky is Made
- Caitlin Roper - Salem Massachusetts Summer Witching
- Madelaine Sauk - Cat Heart Attack
- Madelaine Sauk - Friday Night at OHaggans
- Madelaine Sauk - Philadelphia
- Madelaine Sauk - The Bermuda Triangle Love Style
Episode 11 - 10/13/1998
produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
- Alicia Askenase - Gunlife
- Josephine Foo - The Grass Collects Its Dew
- Josephine Foo - Perception
- Josephine Foo - The Frightened Child
- Josephine Foo - The Literal Mountain
- Hot Mango Chutney - Dragons
- Hot Mango Chutney - Untitled
- Michael Taylor Jon Madof Group - Untitled Two
- Jerry Rudasill - Trapped and Tagged
- Carrie Scanga - Awake
- Carrie Scanga - Seven-Thirty and the Spit Pit
- Carrie Scanga - The Room on Polk Street
- Carrie Scanga - Treat
- Kirsten Thorpe - Reciting Lines
- Kirsten Thorpe - The Morning
- Andrew Zitcer - Reassuring
- Andrew Zitcer - Up and Up
- Rebekah Grossman - Dual Time Body
- Jennifer McCreary - Surrealist Table Tennis
- Caitlin Roper - Daughter Dying in the Hospital
- Andrew Zitcer - Sikha Prefers Fingers
- Michael Taylor Jon Madof Group - Untitled
Episode 10 - 09/14/1998
produced by Heather Starr, directed by Joe Taylor, hosted by Shawn Stewart
- Rachel Blau-DuPlessis - Draft Twenty-Five Seigno
- Rachel Blau-DuPlessis - Excerpt From Draft Nineteen Working C
- Jessica Chiu - At the Khyber Pass Pub
- Jessica Chiu - Poem
- Jessica Chiu - There
- Jessica Chiu - Try To
- Nijmie Dzurinko - A Woman I Know
- Nijmie Dzurinko - Having a Daughter
- Nijmie Dzurinko - In the Case of Young Mister S
- Nijmie Dzurinko - The Storm
- Rachel Raffler - Count Down From Five
- Rachel Raffler - Untitled Two
- Rachel Raffler - Untitled
- John Shea - Tales From Websters Amon Ra to Amort
- John Shea - Tales From Websters Monseignor to Monstrance
- John Shea - Tales From Websters Paramount to Paraphrase
- Kerry Sherin - Love Lyrics
- Kerry Sherin - Song of the Moon
- Kerry Sherin - Why I Dont Wear Pearls
- The Gilroys - Untitled Two
- The Gilroys - Untitled
- Toscano Rodrigo - Premise Number One
- Kirsten Thorpe - Definitions
- Kirsten Thorpe - In the Red
Episode 8 - 03/21/1998
produced by Kristen Gallagher and Holly Johnson, hosted by Kerry Sherin
- Ben And Yanni - Untitled Two
- Rebekah Grossman - Ethnography of the Body
- Rebekah Grossman - Shapenote
- Rebekah Grossman - Weeds
- Matthew Hart - Four Poems
- Matthew Hart - In the English Lake District
- Matthew Hart - Notes to His Wife at the Foot of a Cliff
- Carolyn Jacobson - Grappling With Charlotte Bronte
- Christopher McCreary - Blue Lines
- Christopher McCreary - Legends
- Christopher McCreary - Sublimation
- Christopher McCreary - Whirlybird
- She Haw - Gold Watch and Chain
- She Haw - Oh Death
- Lamer Steptoe - America
- Lamer Steptoe - Bored
- Lamer Steptoe - Scared
- Lamer Steptoe - Thought
- Lamer Steptoe - Untitled
- Lamont Steptoe - A Genied Lamp
- Lamont Steptoe - Coming Ashore
- Lamont Steptoe - Contraband
- Lamont Steptoe - Dayworker
- Lamont Steptoe - My Daughter
- Lamont Steptoe - Part
- Lamont Steptoe - Spookism
- Lamont Steptoe - Supper
- Lamont Steptoe - To Lamer Belle
- Lamont Steptoe - With Every Breath
- Michael James Trainer - Go
- Shulamith Wechter-Caine - Craniology
- Shulamith Wechter-Caine - How To Throw a Spear or Write a Poem
- Shulamith Wechter-Caine - Love Fugue
- Ben and Yanni - Untitled
- Michael James Trainer - The Thief
Episode 7 - 02/21/1998
produced by Kristen Gallagher and Holly Johnson, hosted by Kerry Sherin
- Nate Chinen - Ode
- Nate Chinen - Conjugation
- Gregory Djanikian - Phone Call From Arizona
- Gregory Djanikian - Shooting Star
- Gregory Djanikian - The Physics of Traveling Away
- Gregory Djanikian - Voyeur
- Gregory Djanikian - Years Later
- Holly Johnson - Antipedes
- Holly Johnson - Untitled
- Elliot Levin - Complete Performance
- Elliot Levin - Juan
- Elliot Levin - Slow Mo Oh Roman Aroma
- Elliot Levin - To Be Perfectly Frank
- Elliot Levin - Untitled
- Brenda McMillan - Cotton
- Brenda McMillan - Daddy
- Brenda McMillan - Narrative
- Brenda McMillan - P Funk
- David Quintilliani - Untitled Four
- David Quintilliani - Untitled Three
- David Quintilliani - Untitled
- Heather Starr - Flush
- Heather Starr - Thursday Night Series
- Lamont Steptoe - My Daughter
Episode 6 - 11/08/1997
produced by Kristen Gallagher and Holly Johnson, hosted by Kerry Sherin
- Betsy Andrews - For Louis
- Betsy Andrews - The Crypts of Lieberkouhn
- Gregory Biglieri - Eyelicks In Exile
- Kristen Gallagher - Christ Market
- Kristen Gallagher - Untitled
- Kristen Gallagher - Zone
- Mytili Jagannathan - American Fantasies (Password Protected)
- Mytili Jagannathan - Liberation
- Mytili Jagannathan - Training
- Patty McCarthy - Octaves Three
- Maya Mojo - City Wings
- Maya Mojo - Remember
- Maya Mojo - Untitled
- Ron Silliman - Excerpt From Oz
- Kevin Verrone - Faux or Flow or Flaw
- Holly Johnson - Pencils
- David Quintilliani - Untitled Two
- Ron Silliman - Philadelphia
Episode 5 - 10/11/1997
produced by Kristen Gallagher and Holly Johnson, hosted by Kerry Sherin
- Louis Cabri - Excerpt From Disposed
- Louis Cabri - Excerpt
- Louis Cabri - Untitled
- Jessica Chiu - A Commentary on Asian Movies
- Jessica Chiu - At The Podium
- Jessica Chiu - July
- Barbara Cole - Vivian In Ink On Smoothest Paper
- Holly Johnson - Paintings in a Foreign Language
- Holly Johnson - Treatise on Academia
- Jeffrey Loo - Lambs
- Michael Magee - A Kind of Woman
- Michael Magee - Poem Beginning With a Line of O'Hara's
- Perry Aaron Yeats - The Yes's of the Body to the No's of the Mind
- Betsy Andrews - Hand Born
- Patty McCarthy - If Then
- Maya Mojo - Moments of Understanding
Episode 4 - 09/13/1997
produced by Kristen Gallagher and Holly Johnson, hosted by Kerry Sherin
- Herman Beavers - Crossings
- Herman Beavers - Eclipse
- Herman Beavers - Heart Murmur
- Herman Beavers - Mourning
- Kristen Gallagher - The Verb Poetry
- Herman Beavers - Spy Glass
- Herman Beavers - Still Life Narrative
- Herman Beavers - The Journeyman
- Herman Beavers - The Witness Stone
- Herman Beavers - Untitled
- Nate Chinen - Movement Acceleration
- Nate Chinen - On Location
- Nate Chinen - On The Eve of John Coltrane's Seventieth Birthday
- Kyle Connor - Art Lesson
- Kyle Connor - The Happy Head or An Afternoon at the Parade
- Kristen Gallagher - Borders
- Kristen Gallagher - Citescape
- Kristen Gallagher - Missing
- Holly Johnson - Question or Direction
- Holly Johnson - Two Fearful Maidens
- Holly Johnson - Untitled
- Colleen O'Neill - Epic
- Colleen O'Neill - Incidentally
- John Parker - Bibliotheque Mazarene
- David Slarskey - I Am Anachronism
- David Slarksey - I Sit By the Banks and It Takes Me In
- David Slarksey - Pastel
- Kirsten Thorpe - Bang Bang
- Kirsten Thorpe - Not With
- Kirsten Thorpe - Oh Man
- Kirsten Thorpe - Playing
- Jessica Chiu - Being Frank
Episode 3 - 04/12/1997
produced by Sarah Giulian and Joe Taylor; hosted by Jeff Wachs
Episode 2 - 03/22/1997
produced by Sarah Giulian and Joe Taylor; hosted by Jeff Wachs
- Tali Aronsky - Scenarios
- Tali Aronsky - Senior Year Spring Semester
- Edward Francis - Bay Views
- Edward Francis - Bitch Burnt My Scrapple
- Edward Francis - Directors Cut
- Edward Francis - Grave Concerns
- Edward Francis - The Love Song of JCPenny
- Major Jackson - Leaving Saturn Sun-Ra and Myth Science Orchestra Painted Bride
- Jeffrey Loo - Crossing Walt Whitman Bridge
- Jeffrey Loo - Out of the Machine
- Tina Lopez - Caesar's Palace Atlantic City
- Tina Lopez - Ready Made
- Michael Magee - A Detroit of the Mind
- Michael Magee - Stranger's Visit
- Antonio Shagnasti - Untitled
- Karina Sliwinski - Once Upon a Polish Village
- Shawn Walker - Corner B
- Shawn Walker - Sixty-Four Cent Sonnet
- Hop Wechsler - Dream Server
- Hop Wechsler - Ghost Bride
- Hop Wechsler - Phluphia
- Major Jackson - Ours Poetica for Charles Semmig
- Hop Wechsler - Day In Day Out
- Holly Johnson - Scowl for Jack Kerouac
Episode 1 - 02/15/1997 - Writers House
produced by Sarah Giulian and Joe Taylor; hosted by Jeff Wachs
- Claire Bayard - Midwinter
- Claire Bayard - The Worm and the Toothache
- Andrew Chandler - Urban Romance Number Eleven
- Andrew Chandler - Western Mobeus In Spasm
- Nate Chinen - Blues Fivespot For Johnny Griffin
- Jennifer Connolly - In Dedication to Silence
- Jennifer Connolly - Losing Arlena
- David Deifer and Leah Sheppard - on Robert Klein Engler's "Resurrection"
- Linh Dinh - Diorama
- Linh Dinh - Drunkard Boxing
- Nijmie Dzurinko - Untitled One
- Al Filreis - Silence
- Kristen Gallagher - Tape Recorder, Radio, Producer, Girl with Microphone
- Sarah Giulian - Peter Tchaikovskys Symphony Number Four
- Patrick Kelly - Autobiography Volume One
- Patrick Kelly - Let Me Tell You About My Baby
- Patrick Kelly - Opportunity Knocks
- Patrick Kelly - The Hollow Men
- Bob Perelman - Confessing to the Listserv
- Bob Perelman - To The Future
- Josh Schuster - Probably About Jewish Extremism
- Josh Schuster - Security
- Josh Schuster - Wellness
- Jeff Wachs - A Visit
- Jeff Wachs - Introduction
- Shawn Walker - The Bottomless Bottle
- Shawn Walker - Push
- Leah Sheppard - On Poetry
- Leah Sheppard - Snapshot Number Twelve
- Nijmie Dzurinko - Untitled Two