Seventeen-Eighteen

Nicole Cooley reads Tuesday the 13th!

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:01:47 +0000

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 Peter Cooley. Her first book of poetry, Resurrection, won the Walt Whitman Award and her book The Afflicted Girls was chosen as one of the year’s best poetry books by Library Journal. She has also published a novel entitled Judy Garland, Ginger Love and will publish a fourth book of poetry this November entitled Milk Dress. She has received a Discovery/The Nation Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Grant and even the Emily Dickinson Award from the Poetry Society of America. Her poems have appeared in magazines such as The Nation and Poetry. She has published fiction in many journals including The Paris Review and The Southwest Review. She is a member of the Academy of American Poets and has published scholarly work on women’s writing and experimental poetics.

Cooley is visiting 1718 from New York, where she is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Queens College—City University of New York where she directs the MFA program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation.

Please arrive early to enjoy the Columns generous happy hour and grab a seat for 7pm. Student readers to follow.

Rikki Ducornet reads March 2nd!

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:02:49 +0000

This upcoming Tuesday, March 2nd, Rikki Ducornet will be reading at the Columns Hotel. Ducornet is a renowned novelist, poet, and artist. She has published seven novels, two short-story collections, five books of poetry, illustrated Jorge Luis Borge’s “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius,” and has lived in four different continents. Her paintings, illustrations and lithographs are exhibited internationally. She received the Lannan Literary Award in Fiction in 1993. Her novel The Fan Maker’s Inquisition won L.A. Time’s book of the year and The Jade Cabinet was a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award. She is even allegedly the inspiration for the Steely Dan song “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and is guaranteed to brighten your evening.

Please arrive early to enjoy happy hour at the Columns. The reading will start at 7pm, with student readers Nicola Wolf and Chris Jennings to follow Ducornet after a brief intermission.

“It is the work of the writer to move beyond the simple definitions or descriptions of things– which is of limited interest after all– and to bring a dream to life through the alchemy of language; to move from the street– the place of received ideas– into the forest, the place of the unknown.” – Rikki Ducornet, on the subject of writing (Lannan)

Laura Glenum wrap up!

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:54:20 +0000

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 of her melodic voice. She brought a new perspective on life and organisms, relishing in the grotesque. She read from two of her books, The Hounds of No and Maximum Gaga, to the enjoyment of all.

After the intermission, we enjoyed listening to the fictional works of Tulane sophomore Sophie Untermann, followed by the fiction of Loyola senior Michael Truran. It was a great night, and if you missed it, then you should put 1718’s March 2nd reading on your calendar right now!

Lara Glenum reads February 2nd!

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:00:40 +0000

On the 2nd day of February (Tuesday), featured reader Lara Glenum will read from her poetry at 7pm at the Columns Hotel. In addition to having published two books of poetry, The Hounds of No and Maximum Gaga, Glenum is also the co-editor of Gurlesque. She is a translator of the Czech language, received a Fulbright Fellowship to Prague and her translation of Vladmir Holan has received an NEA translation fellowship. Additionally, Glenum’s critical research includes women Modernists, the historical avant-garde, gender and the grotesque, and the gothic. Glenum teaches creative writing in LSU’s MFA program and holds the chair of Writing Advisory Board on WILA (Women in the Literary Arts, also co-directed by past featured reader Cate Marvin).

Arrive early to get a seat and enjoy the Columns’ happy hour. Student readers to follow.

1718 Presents Ed Skoog

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:15:08 +0000

The first 1718 event of 2010 will be held Tuesday, January 19th at 7pm! Our featured reader, Ed Skoog, is flying in from Seattle and is the author of “Mister Skylight.” Though Skoog was born in Topeka, Kansas, he served as an Adjunct Instructor at both U.N.O. and Tulane, taught poetry at N.O.C.C.A. and served as a grant writer and website manager for the New Orleans Museum of Art. His poetry has appeared many prestigious literary journals such as American Poetry Review, Paris Review, Poetry, and Plougshares. He’s received awards such as four Pushcart nominations, the Poetry Society of America’s Lyric Poetry Award and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference Morrison Scholar.

And, as always, student readers from the local universities will follow Skoog after a brief intermission. So put on your scarf and gloves and meet at the Columns for a warm night in the cramped space of spoken literature.

Also, feel free to look at Ed Skoog’s website at www.edskoog.com to learn more about his work.

Our student readers include Engram Wilkinson from Tulane and Jonas Griffin from Loyola.

2009 Wrap-Up!

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:28:22 +0000

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 car-rides and the power of birth and death, and the fiction held some of the horrors of war. To paraphrase Mr. Boyden from the question and answer session, it was not possible to make up anything more horrifying than what actually happened. Still, the overall result of Mr. Boyden’s reading was not chilling, but quite simply, captivating.

After the intermission, Katie McGinnis from Tulane read a collection of Jewish-themed poetry, followed by Britton Blackall of UNO, reading a miscellaneous collection of poetry, including a few that seemed to follow the Native American theme that had risen in Joseph Boyden’s fiction. Kathryn Bell, a senior at Loyola, finished the evening with a gripping work of fiction reflecting the bloody tale of a modern Prometheus.

That wraps it up for 2009, but 1718 is headed for a great year in 2010! Hope to see you next month!

Joseph Boyden to read on December 8th!

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:35:20 +0000

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 the Roger’s Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize in 2006. Boyden studied writing at York University and the University of New Orleans and has taught at the Aboriginal Student Program at Northern College.

Following Joseph’s reading, student readers Kathryn Bell from Loyola University, Britton Blackall from University of New Orleans and Katie McGinnis from Tulane University. Arrive early for a seat and to enjoy happy hour from 5-7pm!

Thomas Beller’s Reading a Success!

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:30:41 +0000

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 the Tracks,” and we learned it is a matter of pride not to ask a man in a wheelchair for help, however un-handicapped that man may be. This was followed by the more risque short story, “The Baggage Carousel,” which had many comedic moments but also an undeniable feeling of tragedy. His reading was very engaging; Beller’s tone during dialogue really emphasized the tension between the characters, and the audience was hanging on every word. We’re so glad he was able to read!

After the brief intermission, we enoyed three very different styles of poetry from Loyola senior Nate Thacker, Tulane junior Betsy Porritt (1718 Staff), and UNO senior Bobby Ledoux. What a great night! Hope to see you at the next reading!

Thomas Beller reads November 3rd!

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:45:51 +0000

This upcoming Tuesday, November 3^rd, 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 a Protracted Boyhood. Additionally, Beller has edited three anthologies, founded the literary website Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, and co-founded the literary magazine Open City. Beller’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, ELLE, Spin, Vogue, Slate and The Village Voice. You can visit his website at http://www.thomasbeller.com/ and http://www.mrbellersneighborhood.com/.

After a brief intermission, student readers from UNO, Tulane and Loyola will follow. Please come early to enjoy happy hour at the historic Columns Hotel. The reading will start at 7.

Cate Marvin reads Oct. 6th!!

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:21:32 +0000

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 been a 2007 Gregory Millard Fellow. Marvin served as writer in resident at the Lesley University low-residency M.F.A. program and is associate professor in creative writing at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Marvin is known not only for her evocative poetry but also for her intimate presence as a reader.

Following Cate’s reading will be student readers Mia Borders, Abi Pollokoff, and Daniel Dekerlegand.

The reading will start at 7, though we encourage you to arrive early for happy hour at the Columns.