{SALON READS}

Make friends, enjoy a drink and stimulate your creative juices as both established and new writers share selections from their works. Don't be shy. Please do drop on by.

{ON TAP TO READ}

NYC | July 20, 2008

Oh boy, have we got a treat for you at our first annual, themed "Have I got a guy for you" Salon reading with these writers:

Have I Got a Guy for You: What Really Happens When Mom Fixes You UpThe Joy of Funerals: A Novel in StoriesAlix Strauss has been a featured lifestyle trend writer on national morning shows and talk shows including ABC, CBS, CNN and most recently, VH1. Her articles cover a range of topics, from beauty and food trends to celebrity interviews, appearing in an array of publications and newspapers such as: The New York Times, The New York Post, and Daily News, as well as national magazines: Time Magazine, Town & Country Travel, Travel & Leisure Golf, Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, Self, Time Out, Wine Enthusiast, Esquire and Departures, among others. Her collection of shorts,The Joy of Funerals is the recent winner of the Ingram Award, and was named Best Debut Novel by The New York Resident. Alix's work has been anthologized, and her short fiction has appeared in the Primavera Literary Journal, Hampton Shorts Literary Journal, the Idaho Review, Quality Women's Fiction, The Blue Moon Café III, and A Kudzu Christmas.

Leora Klein is a freelance writer who teaches eighth grade English in Manhattan. Her essays and articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Sun, The New Jersey Jewish News, The Pennsylvania Gazette, and Yad Vashem's Martyrdom and Resistance Magazine. She received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in English Literature and Theatre Arts and a MA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. She lives in New York City and no longer accepts her parents' romantic introductions.

Backstage at a Movie Set (High Interest Books: Backstage Pass)Katherine Wessling has been everything from a bicycle courier to a fashion stylist at a magazine, but she's happiest when she's writing or acting. Her personal essays have been published in Swing and Speak magazines and heard on WNYC's broadcast of NPR's Morning Edition. She's written various other bits and pieces for Marie Claire, CosmoGirl, Elle (UK), Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, (ai) performance for the planet, and Plumb. She also wrote the young reader's book, Backstage at a Movie Set. Katherine's short plays have been produced in New York City, where she's lived for many years.

Adina Kay is a nonfiction writer living in New York City. She is currently finishing her MFA at Columbia University's School of the Arts and working on a nonfiction novel about growing up and getting caught amidst life, love and landscape in New York and Jerusalem. Her creative writing has been published in the Blood Orange Review and 580 Split. She loves her mother very much despite that crazy set-up.

Heather Robinson is a Senior Writer for The New York Daily News' Big Town Big Heart section, in which she profiles New Yorkers who are making a difference via charitable or humanitarian work. She has also written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, New York magazine, Time Out New York, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Los Angeles Daily News.

Nairobi | July 20, 2008

Four readers, four unique voices, in a tranquil outdoor setting. An evening of entertainment for discerning lovers of the written word.

Gitura Kamau is a young Nairobi theatre and film actor who has recently begun to direct his own movies. His first feature film, "Wangai's Cross," was shot in Nairobi and premiered June 18th, 2008. Kamau is currently involved in several film projects, including his second film, "Odohoz."

Makena Ringera (formerly known to use 'Jackline' but discarded it after discovering herself to be African) took pen to paper at age 15. The result of that effort was 'The Mystery of the Twin Webs', a fantasy novel laced with thrilling adventures, a pinch of romance and some bad grammar. Good luck sent Makena across the Atlantic to Amherst College in 2006 where she is a devote Economics student. Having learned a thing or two in creative writing classes, she is working on a rewrite of 'Twin Webs'.

Al Kags is the publisher of The Quarterly Colour Series of Poetry, a poetry ebook series that is now distributed virally to over 160,000 people all over the world. He has been writing since he was twelve and has been a regular columnist and feature writer in various publications both in Kenya and Internationally.

Peter Chepkonga grew up in Eldoret and can run very fast. He writes for KASS magazine.

Ghana | July 14, 2008

Join us in Kokrobitey, Ghana at the Kokrobitey Coastal Village Retreat on July 14 at 7 p.m. for poetry readings from Matthew Sharpe, Salini Gidoomal, Fran Gordon and an open mic session. Music will be provided by Grandmaster Masese.