Slash Pine Writer’s Festival Returns to UA, Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Slash Pine Writer’s Festival 2011, an event that will bring more than 40 writers from across the nation to Tuscaloosa for readings and workshops, will be from Wednesday, March 30 through Saturday, April 2, at venues throughout the city, including The University of Alabama.

Poets and writers include Joel Brouwer, professor of English at UA; Wille James King; Oliver de la Paz; Jake Adam York; Sue Brannon Walker; and Andrew Zawacki. On Wednesday, March 30, eight writers will be leading creative-writing workshops at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer and the Bibb County Correctional Facility in Brent in the presence of veteran teachers and officers. Writers will read from their own work, assign writing prompts and field questions.

The rest of the schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 31: Small Press Panel: 6 to 8 p.m. Morgan Hall 301, UA. The same eight writers participating in the correctional facilities will engage in a moderated panel discussion on how editorial projects enhance the creative process. The panel will particularly examine starting a press. The event is free and open to the public. The panel will feature writers Carmen Gimenez Smith, William Allegrezza, Gina Myers, Randall Horton, Stephanie Anderson, Jenn McCreary, Whitney Holmes and Stacy Kidd.

Friday, April 1: Undergraduate Exchange Reading, 3 to 6 p.m., Gorgas House, UA.   This reading will include undergraduates from UA, Ball State University in Indiana and Flagler College in Florida.

Reading, 8 to 11 p.m., Children’s Hands On Museum, Tuscaloosa. Participating writers are T.J. Beitelman, Jenn McCreary, A.B. Gorham, William Allegrezza, Joel Brouwer, Sean Lovelace, Stacy Kidd, Adam Weinstein and Eric Parker.

Saturday, April 2: Reading, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 205 Gorgas Library, UA. Participating writers are Amber Nelson, Nicky Beer, Sue Brannon Walker, Lisa Tallin, Stephanie Anderson, Ryan J. Browne, Laura Kochman, David Welch and Andrew Zawacki.

Reading, 2:30-5 p.m., Green Bar (formerly known as Little Willie’s), Tuscaloosa. Participating writers are Jake Adam York, Brandi Wells, Randall Horton, Dot Franklin, Katy Gunn, Gina Myers, Ellie Isenhart, Peter Streckfus and Oliver de la Paz. Streckfus is an assistant professor of English at UA.

Reading, 6 to 9 p.m., Stinson Auditorium, Stillman College. Stillman College Undergraduate Showcase (Five undergraduate readers will read for five minutes each). Participating writers are Carmen Gimenez Smith, Brian Barker, Norman Golar, Juan Carlos Reyes, Cade Collum, Emma Sovich and Willie James King

Reading, 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Bama Theatre. Participating writers are Amanda Auchter, S. Whitney Holmes, Jess Richardson, James Wilson, Matt Mullins, Pia Simone Garber, Kyes Stevens, Katie Berger and Christopher DeWeese.

Support for Slash Pine Projects comes from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, the Alabama State Council of the Arts, The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, The National Endowment for the Arts, SouthArts, UA’s English department and the Creative Writing Program and UA’s College of Arts and Sciences.