February has been a great month for New Orleans, but let’s not forget the great 1718 reading that happened on February 2nd!
Although the room was not quite as packed as it normally is, the reading went very well; Lara Glenum has a great stage presence. Her poetry really came to life through the careful rhythm [...]

I hope you didn’t miss December’s reading! Joseph Boyden interspersed Canadian jokes–the repeating of which this American dares not attempt–between his readings: creative non-fiction and excerpts from two of his novels (part of a proposed trilogy). Perhaps this was to lighten the rather somber mood of his readings; the non-fiction pieces were tied together by [...]

To say the evening began with a bit of excitement would be an understatement! Despite a few necessary furniture rearrangements, our dear Lesley staving off illness, and the appearance of a celebrity, the reading was quite phenomenal, and our beautiful room at the Columns Hotel was packed! Thomas Beller read an essay entitled “Ipod on [...]

Though we were immediately greeted with tasks of room change/rearrangement on Tuesday night, the subsuquent reading went without a hitch. Our dear Britton opened the evening with a lurid piece by Bukowski, much appreciated by the audience. Jarret read various selections from the three books published by NOLAfugees: Life in the Wake, Year Zero, and [...]

Our evening with Andy Young started out with a burst of energy and just kept going. After Sam Jannenga’s stirring invocation, Ms. Young jumped right in, carrying us with her through her mesmerizing voice. This event was undoubtedly an “auspicious evening” for 1718 as well—a great start to our Spring series! Andy Young’s work had [...]

Having flown in from across the country, Claudia Rankine gave her multi-media reading to a full house. Claudia began her reading by playing a DVD which consisted of slow visuals, such as a scene from the World Cup or strangers sleeping on planes. One of the more interesting pieces featured two layers of sound: phone [...]

Well, folks, we’ve proved this month that we are unstoppable in the face of not one, but two hurricanes. The belated event on September 16th brought in a remarkable crowd, thanks to Brad Richard, high school teacher, poet, and 1718’s September reader. We thank Brad for being patient and flexible with us (and Mother Nature). [...]

Our March event, featuring poet Richard Siken, was amazing!

We were fortunate to have the biggest crowd we’ve ever seen, some knockout student readers, and a featured reader as talented and commanding as Richard Siken.

Paula Morris
The final 1718 event of the season, hosted at the Columns on December 4th and featuring local writer (and Tulane prof) Paula Morris, was a HUGE success! Thanks to all who came out for the reading.