SPECIAL EVENT - Patricia Smith Presents Staten Island Noir: Dark Tales from the Forgotten Borough - Thursday, Nov. 8

An Inspired Word SPECIAL EVENT: Patricia Smith Presents Staten Island Noir: Dark Tales from the Forgotten Borough, featuring award-winning writers Patricia Smith and Bruce DeSilva, former criminal defense attorney Eddie Joyce (who published his first story in this anthology), and acclaimed poets Marguerite Rivas, Eric Alter and Thomas Fucaloro - all Staten Island natives who will read original work created and set in New York's most maligned and underrated borough.

Signed copies of Staten Island Noir will be available!

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BIOS:

Patricia Smith is the author of six books of poetry, including "Blood Dazzler" and the recently released "Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah." This is her first published short story.

Bruce DeSilva is the author of the Mulligan novels, including the Edgar Award-winning "Rogue Island" and his latest, "Cliff Walk." He is a former editor for the Associated Press and a master's thesis advisor at the Columbia University School of Journalism.

Staten Island native Eddie Joyce was a criminal defensive attorney for 10 years. This is his first published story.

Thomas Fucaloro is the author of "Inheriting Craziness," from three rooms press, and is editor of Great Weather for Media. He is pursuing his MFA in creative writing at The New School. His team came in 21st at this year's 2012 Poetry Slam Nationals in Charlotte NC.

Eric Alter is a 33.4 ton M4 Sherman Tank. His work focuses on family, space, Staten Island and can be found at the bottom of a whole bunch of garbage cans.

A native Staten Islander, Marguerite María Rivas’s essays and poems have been published in such journals as The Americas Review, Earth’s Daughters, Medicinal Purposes, Acentos Review, and The Más Tequila Review, and her first full-length collection, Tell No One: Poems of Witness, was recently published by Chimbarazu Press. A recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the Marg Chandler Memorial Award from A Room of Her Own Foundation, Rivas was cited by the New York State Assembly as a Staten Island Woman in History for her contribution to the literary arts and is widely regarded as the de facto Poet Laureate of Staten Island. She is an Associate Professor of English at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

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Staten Island Noir, an anthology edted by Patricia Smith and published by Akashic Books (http://www.akashicbooks.com/), contains stories from B-BOYS and Staten Island natives to Edgar Award–winners, bringing Staten Island front and center as a borough that's bellowing and boisterous and insisting on identity. Staten Island may be the last New York borough to be represented in the Noir Series, but that’s only because no one knows it. This introduction will be intriguing, addictive, and not totally comfortable.

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About the Editor:

Patricia Smith is the author of six acclaimed poetry volumes, including Blood Dazzler, a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, and Teahouse of the Almighty, a National Poetry Series selection. Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah was published by Coffee House Press in the spring of 2012. Her work has been published in Poetry, the Paris Review, Tin House, TriQuarterly, and other literary journals and anthologies, including the 2011 editions of both Best American Poetry and Best American Essays. In addition to her poetic works, Smith is also the author of Africans in America, a companion volume to the groundbreaking PBS documentary, and the children’s book Janna and the Kings, which won Lee & Low Books’ New Voices Award. She is currently is a professor at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island, and serves on the faculties of Cave Canem and the MFA programs at Stonecoast/University of Southern Maine and Sierra Nevada College.

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Where: One and One Bar/Restaurant
Downstairs Nexus Lounge
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, New York
(917) 703-1512

By subway, take the F train to Second Avenue and exit the 1st Avenue side.

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 7pm

Show starts @ 7:30pm

Cover charge: $12 for general seating, $20 for front row reserved.

No age limit.

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Produced by Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word
http://inspiredwordnyc.com/.

Videos - Poet Patricia Smith & Novelist Bruce DeSilva @ The Inspired Word

The married couple of poet Patricia Smith & novelist Bruce DeSilva @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, New York City. Hosted by Nathan P. Patricia Smith is the author of five books of poetry, including "Blood Dazzler," a 2008 National Book Award finalist, and "Teahouse of the Almighty," a National Poetry Series selection. In addition to appearing in The Best American Poetry 2011 and The Best American Essays 2011, her work has been published in The Paris Review, Poetry, TriQuarterly and many other anthologies and journals. She is a four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam, the most successful poet in the competition's history. Patricia is the editor of the anthology "Staten Island Noir" and teaches at CUNY/College of Staten Island and in the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. For more info, please visit http://wordwoman.ws/.

Bruce DeSilva is the author of "Rogue Island," winner of the Mystery Writers of America's coveted Edgar Award for best first novel of 2010. The book has also been nominated for the Anthony and Barry awards and was a Publishers Weekly "first fiction" selection as one of the year's top debut novels. "Cliff Walk," the second book in the series, will be published early in 2012, and DeSilva is currently writing the third. DeSilva worked as an investigative reporter, editor, and writing coach at The Providence Journal, The Hartford Courant, and, most recently, The Associated Press, before retiring from journalism two years ago to write fiction. Stories he edited have won virtually every major journalism prize including The Polk (twice), The Livingston (twice) and The Pulitzer. His book reviews have appeared in The New York Times book review section, and he continues to review fiction regularly for the AP. For more info, please visit http://www.brucedesilva.com/.

The Inspired Word is New York City's hottest new spoken word poetry open mic series happening every Tuesday and Thursday night in downtown Manhattan, produced by longtime journalist and former Village Voice columnist Mike Geffner and hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye and the NYC spoken word legend Nathan P.

Videographer: Denise Goins http://www.denisegoins.com/
 

Literary Soulmates: Poet Patricia Smith & Novelist Bruce DeSilva + Open Mic - Thursday, Aug. 4

The Inspired Word Presents Soulmates: The Dynamic Literary Marriage of Poet Patricia Smith and Crime Novelist Bruce DeSilva.+ a 15-slot open mic open to all types of artists.

Patricia and Bruce will first read their work, then share how they help each other with the creative process.

A rare chance to get into the heads of two great writers!

Hosted by the legendary Nathan P.

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BIOS:

Patricia Smith is the author of five books of poetry, including "Blood Dazzler," a 2008 National Book Award finalist, and "Teahouse of the Almighty," a National Poetry Series selection. In addition to appearing in The Best American Poetry 2011 and The Best American Essays 2011, her work has been published in The Paris Review, Poetry, TriQuarterly and many other anthologies and journals. She is a four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam, the most successful poet in the competition's history. Patricia is the editor of the anthology "Staten Island Noir" and teaches at CUNY/College of Staten Island and in the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine.



Bruce DeSilva is the author of “Rogue Island,” winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s coveted Edgar Award for best first novel of 2010. The book has also been nominated for the Anthony and Barry awards and was a Publishers Weekly “first fiction” selection as one of the year’s top debut novels. “Cliff Walk,” the second book in the series, will be published early in 2012, and DeSilva is currently writing the third. DeSilva worked as an investigative reporter, editor, and writing coach at The Providence Journal, The Hartford Courant, and, most recently, The Associated Press, before retiring from journalism two years ago to write fiction. Stories he edited have won virtually every major journalism prize including The Polk (twice), The Livingston (twice) and The Pulitzer. His book reviews have appeared in The New York Times book review section, and he continues to review fiction regularly for the AP.




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When: Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7:30

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

The Inspired Word's Crime Fiction Night - Thomas H. Cook & Bruce DeSilva - Jan 20

Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word features two of today's finest crime fiction writers, Thomas H. Cook(Edgar Allan Poe Award winner) and Bruce DeSilva (widely acclaimed for his recent debut novel Rogue Island).

In addition to Mr. Cook and Mr. DeSilva, there will be a 12-slot open mic (open to all types of artists).

When: Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
http://www.oneandoneny.com/
Phone: (212) 598-9126

Time: 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

Must be 21 years of age or older. Please make sure to bring ID.

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Thomas H. Cook is the author of twenty-five novels and two works of non-fiction. He has been nominated seven times for the EDGAR ALLAN POE AWARD in five different categories. His book, THE ChATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR won the EDGAR for Best Novel in 1996. In addition his works have won the MARTIN BECK AWARD of the Swedish Academy of Detection twice, the only author ever to have done so. His book, RED LEAVES, won the Barry Award and he has been nominated for the Macavity, the Anthony, the Silver Dagger from the British Association of Crime Writers and the Hammett Prize. His short story, "Fatherhood" won the Herodotus Prize. His books have been translated into twenty languages. He lives with his family in Cape Cod and New York City.

Bruce DeSilva worked as a journalist for 40 years, most recently as a senior editor for The Associated Press, before retiring to write crime novels full time. Stories edited by DeSilva have won virtually every major journalism prize including the Polk Award (twice), the Livingston (twice), the ASNE, and the Batten Medal. He also edited two Pulitzer finalists and helped edit a Pulitzer winner. His first novel, "Rogue Island," is being praised by 14 A-list crime writers including Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly and has received rave reviews from The New York Times, The Associated Press, and KIrkus Reviews, to name just a few. The Dallas Morning News said the novel "raises the bar for all books of its kind." The Washington Post called it "as good and true a look at the news game as you'll find this side of "The Front Page." And Publisher's Weekly called its protagonist "a masterpiece of irreverence and street savvy." DeSilva is also a book critic whose reviews have appeared in The New York Times book review section and continue to be published occasioonally by The Associated Press. He and his wife Patricia Smith, an award-winning poet, live in Howell, NJ, with their granddaughter Mikaila and an enormous Bernese Mountain Dog named Brady. For more info, please visit his website http://brucedesilva.com/ and blog: http://brucedesilva.wordpress.com/