10. April 10 – Elizabeth Austen, 7PM. Emcee Kristen Young + Open Mic.
Photo credit, Fat Yeti Photography
Elizabeth Austen spent her teens and twenties working in the theatre and writing poems. Her first full-length collection will be published by Blue Begonia Press in spring, 2011.
A dynamic performer, she has been featured at the Skagit River Poetry Festival, Richard Hugo House Literary Series, Bumbershoot and elsewhere. For 10 years Elizabeth has produced literary programming for KUOW, 94.9, one of Seattle’s NPR affiliates, introducing recordings of Pacific Northwest literary events and interviewing local and national poets. She served as the Washington “roadshow” poet for 2007, giving readings and workshops in rural areas around the state.
April 10 Workshop, 1-4P:
Beyond the Page: Poems Aloud, Poems Alive (Fee: Suggested donation.)
What does it take to make poems come alive in performance? Commitment, practice… and some skills that poet, performer and public radio producer Elizabeth Austen will teach in this interactive workshop.
Performing poems for an audience doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be learned, and the exploration can help you become a better reader and writer. The process involves becoming intimate with the poem—fortunately, it turns out that this is most pleasurable work and extremely useful for revision. This three-hour workshop will provide concrete tools to improve your reading skills and public presence. We’ll explore the physical nature of language, and practice embodying the poem – backing it up with breath, voice and body. Applicable to all styles of poetry. Bring your own poems or poems by another.