This facilitated group discusses books which feature queer characters/storylines as well as a strong attention to literary craft and style. September's book pick is The More I Owe You by Michael Sledge.
In this mesmerizing debut novel\, Michael Sledge creates an intimate portrait of the beloved poet Elizabeth Bishop--of her life in Brazil and her relationship with her lover\, the dazzling\, aristocratic Lota de Macedo Soares. Sledge artfully draws from Bishop's lifelong correspondences and biography to imagine the poet's intensely private world\, revealing the literary genius who lived in conflict with herself both as a writer and as a woman. A seemingly idyllic existence in Soares's glass house in the jungle gives way to the truth of Bishop's lifelong battle with alcoholism\, as well as her eventual status as one of modernism's most prominent writers. Though connected to many of the most famous cultural and political figures of the era\, Soares too is haunted by her own demons. As their secrets unfold\, the sensuous landscape of Rio de Janeiro\, the rhythms of the samba and the bossa nova\, and the political turmoil of 1950s Brazil envelop Bishop in a world she never expected to inhabit. The More I Owe You is a vivid portrait of two brilliant women whose love for one another pushes them to accomplish enduring works of art.
END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120525T100150Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20100927T223000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20100928T003000Z UID:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/writing-intent-69 URL;VALUE=URI:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/writing-intent-69 SUMMARY:Writing With Intent DESCRIPTION:
This facilitated group is open to all writers of fiction and creative
non-fiction who want a serious group to provide constructive criticism\,
motivational exercises\, and interpersonal accountability to keep their
writing on track. We do in group exercises and critiques with an eye
towards individual improvement and the eventual goal of
publication. Writers are encouraged to bring copies of their work to
share for critique. Please direct inquiries to elizabeth@chariscircle.org.
Join prize winning author\, Lori Ostlund\, as she reads from her debut fiction collection\, The Bigness of the World. Dorothy Allison praises Ostlund\, saying\: “This is a book to remake our imaginary landscape—the kind of book I
not only recommend\, I advocate. Read this\, I want to tell people. You
need these stories. You do.” In prose highlighted by both satire and poignant observation\, Ostlund
offers characters that represent a different sort of everyman—men and
women who poke fun at ideological rigidity while holding fast to good
grammar and manners\, people seeking connections in a world that seems
increasingly foreign. Come to the reading and then join us on October 27th to discuss the book in the Queer Literary Fiction Book Group!
Charis will be hosting a book fair for students\, teachers and parents at the Phoenix School. For more information about the Phoenix School please visit\: http\://thephoenixschool.com/
END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120525T100150Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101007T233000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101008T010000Z UID:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/lisa-johnson-girl-need-tourniquet-memoir-borderline-personality URL;VALUE=URI:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/lisa-johnson-girl-need-tourniquet-memoir-borderline-personality SUMMARY:Lisa Johnson with Girl in Need of a Tourniquet\: A Memoir of a Borderline Personality DESCRIPTION:An honest and compelling memoir\, Girl in Need of a Tourniquet is
Merri Lisa Johnson’s account of her borderline personality disorder and
how it has affected her life and relationships. Johnson describes the
feeling of "\;bleeding out"\; — unable to tell where she stopped and where
her partner began. A self-confessed "\;psycho girlfriend\,"\; she was
influenced by many emotional factors from her past. She recalls her
path through a dysfunctional\, destructive relationship\, while
recounting the experiences that brought her to her breaking point. In
recognizing her struggle with borderline personality disorder\, Johnson
is ultimately able to seek help\, embarking on a soul-searching healing
process. Equal parts literary experiment\, psychological inventory\, scholarly inquiry\, and autoethnographic cultural intervention\, Girl in Need of a Tourniquet is Lisa Johnson’s account of coming of age\, coming out \, coming to terms with grief \, and becoming borderline .
This facilitated group is open to all writers of fiction and creative
non-fiction who want a serious group to provide constructive criticism\,
motivational exercises\, and interpersonal accountability to keep their
writing on track. We do in group exercises and critiques with an eye
towards individual improvement and the eventual goal of
publication. Writers are encouraged to bring copies of their work to
share for critique. Please direct inquiries to chariswriters@gmail.com
Join us in celebrating the kick off of the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival with readings by featured performers\:
Maudelle Driskell\, Alice Teeter\, Timothy Wright\,Phyllis Free\, Mose Hardin\, Reginald
Jackson and Bailey Lynn Hosted by Lisa Allender.
The Akoma Book Club (of Women Healing Women) is open to any woman seeking camaraderie with like-minded women for fun\, self-empowerment and growth. Even if you haven't read the book\, but are willing to talk about the principles in the book\, you can join us for a lively discussion. October's book pick is Fledgling\, by Octavia Butler which tells the story of an apparently young\, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion\: She is in fact a genetically modified\, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life\, she must at the same time learn who wanted-and still wants-to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of "\;otherness"\; and questions what it means to be truly human.
END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120525T100150Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101018T130000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101022T190000Z UID:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/book-fair-centrals-child-development-center URL;VALUE=URI:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/book-fair-centrals-child-development-center SUMMARY:Book Fair at Central's Child Development Center DESCRIPTION:Charis will host a book fair for students\, teachers\, and parents at Central Presbyterian's Child Devlopment Center. For more information about Central click here\: http\://www.centralchildren.com/
To book a Charis book fair at your school please email Angela@Charisbooksandmore.com
END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120525T100150Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101019T233000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101020T010000Z UID:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/sycamore-grows-narrative-escaping-abuse URL;VALUE=URI:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/sycamore-grows-narrative-escaping-abuse SUMMARY:Faiths and Feminisms\: As the Sycamore Grows\: A Narrative of Escaping Abuse DESCRIPTION:
In honor of Domestic Violence Prevention Month join us in welcoming Jennie Helderman\, author of As the Sycamore Grows\, a non-fiction narrative detailing a woman’s descent into poverty and abuse at the hands of three ice-hearted and controlling men\: her stern\, self-righteous\, father\; her vengeful\, bad-boy first husband\; and her bible-toting\, pistol-packing second husband. Sycamore also deals with religious abuse of women. Ginger was
brought up in a very strict Christian household\, blindly following teachings that helped her
attract a batterer. Ginger’s second husband\, Mike\, grew a Moses beard and learned how
religion could be a tool for cruelty and control.It also chronicles her challenging steps to recovery\, resulting in her graduating from college and becoming a court advocate for battered women in the shelter to which she had previously escaped.
Join us in welcoming Alice Walker as she reads from her new book of poetry\: Hard Times Require Furious Dancing.
Tickets are $25 and are available online at http\://an-evening-with-alice-walker.eventbrite.com and at Charis Books and More\, 1189 Euclid Ave\, Atlanta\, GA 30307 (404) 524-0304
Event will take place at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta\, 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE Atlanta\, GA 30329 www.uuca.org
END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20120525T100150Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101021T233000Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20101022T010000Z UID:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/cliterati-open-no-mic-featuring-alice-shindelar URL;VALUE=URI:http://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/cliterati-open-no-mic-featuring-alice-shindelar SUMMARY:Cliterati Open No Mic featuring Alice Shindelar DESCRIPTION:Kick
off the 11th year of Cliterati by signing up and sharing your poems\,
stories &\; songs on the open NO MIC! First come\, first served. Bring
a little extra change for change in the love basket &\; to support
our feature.
All the way from sister city and scene\,
Minneapolis\, Minnesota\, Alice was on the 1st Punch Out Poetry Slam
team\, of all women in 2010 (sound familiar? Like our own Art Amok's
first team \;-).
Here's a little bit abo...ut her\:
Alice
Shindelar is a fresh voice in the Twin Cities spoken word community\,
turning many heads with her bold wordplay\, strong subject matter and
deceptively coy delivery. Alice Shindelar is a recipient of the 2010
Jerome Foundation VERVE Spoken word grant awarded by Intermedia Arts\,
the only spoken word grant in the country. She is a regular at the
all-woman’s slam\, Punch Out Poetry. Alice hosts a bi-weekly workshop
called Talk Story Salon for poets\, storytellers\, emcees\, and
performance based writers of all kinds and is a volunteer editor for
the erotica magazine Whole Beast Rag.