This upcoming Tuesday the 13th, Nicole Cooley will read from her newly published collection of poems Breach at the Columns Hotel. Cooley is a New Orleans native who received her B.A. from Brown University, her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, her PhD from Emory University and is the daughter of New Orleans poet [...]

For the last event of the fall season, Joseph Boyden will read Tuesday, December 8th at 7pm at the Columns Hotel. Boyden is an internationally renowned Canadian fiction writer who won the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel, Through Black Spruce. His first novel, Three Day Road, has won numerous awards including [...]

This upcoming Tuesday, November 3rd, Creative non-fiction and fiction writer Thomas Beller will read at 1718.  Beller is a professor at Tulane University.  Beller has published a collection of short stories entitled Seduction Theory, a Los Angeles Times Best Book Award winning novel The Sleep-Over Artist and a collection of autobiographical essays entitled How to Be a Man: Scenes from [...]

Cate Marvin will be arriving from New York to read for 1718 this upcoming Tuesday, October 6th. Marvin has published two books of poetry, including “Fragment of the Head of a Queen,” and co-edited the American poet anthology “Legitimate Dangers.” Marvin has received the Kate Tufts Discovery Prize, a Whiting Award, and has [...]

Kicking off the 2009 Fall season, Anne Gisleson will read Tuesday, September 8th at the Columns Hotel. Soon to appear in the upcoming Best American Non-Required Reading, Anne exists as a beloved New Orleans writer and teaches creative writing at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Anne’s fiction, poetry and non-fiction has [...]

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 [...]

The October event brought us some competition on the national level. The reading conflicted with the Vice-Presidential debate, but we still managed to draw a spirited audience to fill every seat. Poetry v. Politics: you decide. I think we won.

It was a bit quieter than usual, but Peter Cooley gave a modest and marvelous reading. [...]

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). [...]

Come support 1718 by coming to our April event next Tuesday the 1st! As usual, the event will be at 7 p.m. at the Columns Hotel (3811 St. Charles Ave).
Mark Yakich is the author of “Unrelated Individuals Forming a Group Waiting to Cross” (2004), “The Making of Collateral Beauty” (2006), and “The Importance of Peeling Potatoes [...]