kYmberly Keeton and Opalina Salas

0 CommentsSaturday • May 3, 2014 • by admin

Poets on X Series
A Summer Series created by Opalina Salas —And she reads in this one!
When: August 16, 7 pm
Where: Lucky Dog Books, 633 W. Davis St. (Oak Cliff

kYmberly mieshia dionne Keeton received a BA with Honors in Creative Writing & Graduate Certificate in African-American Studies from University of Houston. She is the author of six books of poetry, and numerous short-stories. As former City Editor of Rolling Out *Dallas and Entertainment Editor for the Dallas Weekly Newspaper, Keeton interviewed Larenz Tate, Illyasah Shabazz, Haile Gerima, Usher, Dwele, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Qwele, Charles Stone III, Pam Grier, Mara Akil Brock, Tamara Peterson, Chi McBride, Monique, Tim Arnold, Mark Curry and countless others in the industry. Keeton’s articles have been published in the Ave Magazine, Young People For.org, The Atlanta Voice, Washington African American Post, The Capitol Outlook, National Society of Black Engineers, Rolling Out, the Dallas Weekly, SacObserver.com, WHERE Magazine, Miami Times Online, Spinner.com, UJIMA, ThyBlackMan.com and Black Chicago Online.net. Keeton created Literafeelya Magazine in 2003, and is also the former Publisher of Songhai News: The Black Collegiate Voice-Black Newspaper at the University of Houston, and one of three founders of the periodical. She now publishes soflynmythirties, an opinionated cultural blog.

Opalina Salas is a poet, former book store owner, editor of lit magazines and creator of the original Poets on X Reading Series, first held at Cliff Notes, the bookstore she owned with her husband-poet Carlos Salas. The series moved to Mighty Fine Arts when Cliff Notes closed and she has been an indie butterfly curator/hostess for many WordSpace events. Her work has appeared in a number of journals and is included in the Anthology of Texas Beat Poets, published by University of Texas Press. She has read all over Texas in festivals, galleries and nightclubs, is a regular contributor to Mad Swirl, and lives in Dallas with Carlos and their daughter, Paloma.

Christopher Carmona, Paul Koniecki, Isaac Chivarria

0 CommentsSaturday • May 3, 2014 • by admin

 Poets on X Series

A Summer Series hosted by Opalina Salas

When: July 19, 7 pm
Where: Lucky Dog Books, 633 W. Davis St. (Oak Cliff)

Christopher Carmona is a Chican@ Beat poet. He was a nominee for the Alfredo Cisneros de Miral Foundation Award for Writers in 2011 and a Pushcart Prize nominee in 2013. He has been published in numerous journals and magazines. His first collection of poetry called beat was published by Slough Press and his second book, I Have Always Been Here is published by Otras Voces Press. Currently he is the organizer of the Annual Beat Poetry and Arts Festival, the artistic director of the Coalition of New Chican@ Artists (C.O.N.C.A.), and the coordinator of the Writers Live Series at the University of Texas at Brownsville.

Isaac Chivarria is on tour with Christopher: Los Dos Vatos Tour. Isaac is a pocho with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas-Pan American. He assists non-profit organizations in producing chapbooks for workshop participants. His poems are in The Acentos Review and Rio Grande Review online. His first book of poetry called Poxo won the NACCS Tejas Foco Best Poetry Book of 2013. Ultimately, he hopes the term pocho will represent a positive identity rather than a pejorative.  He is the Executive Director of The Coalition of New Chican@ Artists.

Born in back of the caretaker’s cottage at the Potosi Brewery in downstate Wisconsin, Paul Koniecki‘s humble beginnings are shrouded in mystery and yeast. Currently being held against his will in Fort Worth, Texas, his cries for help have been seen across the world and web at, Mad Swirl, Windy Hill Review, Kleft Jaw, Red Fez, The Fermoy International Poetry Festival, and many other places. Paul is the co-founder and co-host of The Pandora’s Box Poetry Showcase and on the staff of Mad Swirl.

Samira Noorali and Tamitha Curiel

0 CommentsSaturday • May 3, 2014 • by admin

“The Poets on X Series”
A Summer Series hosted by Opalina Salas

When: June 14, 7 pm
Where: Lucky Dog Books, OC, 633 W. Davis St.

Samira R. Noorali: Samira Noorali is a poet and playwright whose works explore trauma survival, relationships and identity.   She is originally from Porterville, California but now calls Austin, Texas home.  Last year, Noorali wrote and published “A Simple Rebirth” and went on tour to promote the book in Florida, California, and Texas.  She transitioned “A Simple Rebirth” into play format earlier this year and will see its first stage reading in June at Houston’s Shunya theater.    A well-rounded writer, Noorali has worked as a staff writer for ITL News and won awards for appellate advocacy while a Juris Doctorate candidate at Pacific McGeorge School of Law.  Noorali is currently teaching a poetry course at University of Texas, which focuses onmythical writing concepts as a tool for personal growth.

Tamitha Curiel is an educator, poet, singer, songwriter, and actress. She works in educational outreach at Writers Garret and along with her husband, Chris Curiel-and Gerald Bendicks, is a member of the spoken word music group Swirve. She has performed at galleries, clubs and theaters all over Dallas and Fort Worth and collaborated with many of the areas most happening projects, including Mad Swirl and productions by Tammy Gomez.

Nicole Callahan

0 CommentsFriday • May 2, 2014 • by admin

May 8 @ Mighty Fine Arts, 409 N. Tyler St. 7 pm

Nicole Callihan’s debut book of poems, SuperLoop, was published by Sock Monkey Press in early 2014. Her poems, stories and essays have appeared in forklift, ohio, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, The L Magazine, North American Review and Cream City Reviewand have been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named Notable Reading for Best American Nonrequired Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. She has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and also co-authored the nonfiction book Henry River Mill Village. A Senior Language Lecturer at New York University, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.
* * *

Borrowing her title from the old carnival ride that loops its riders round and round, Nicole Callihan’s SuperLoop is as familiar and as thrilling as another go on a long loved ride. Paired with artwork from fellow Brooklyn-ite Re Jin, Callihan’s poems—sometimes wild, sometimes quiet, always unassuming—take us to a place we’ve been before, but through her eyes that dusty place becomes a bit more magical. Here, the waitress always brings extra whipped cream; divorced parents fall into each other’s arms; orchids grow; and, in spite of themselves and the world around them, people find love and walk, albeit reluctantly, into the sunset. Fierce, funny, at times, downright sweet—for Callihan, just making it is a miracle, and it’s a miracle she’s not afraid to name.

“Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in Super Loop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention

and a profound compassion. Sometimes the quiet observer, sometimes the kid in the center of the messed-up

carnival, these poems are the fireflies you’ve missed all winter, the longed-for return of the bees. Unaffected

and inherently hopeful, Callihan’s work is as merciful as it is moving.”–Ada Limón

“These poems dig deep into the ragged nature of what it means to be alive, unveiling in bristling clarity, the

cracks, quirks, “thorny edges,” and great beauty of being. A master in the language of blush and bruise, Nicole

Callihan tells stories that rub the mind like a fever in a cool wind.” –Dawn Lundy Martin

“So unpretentious and alive and interesting.”–Jean Valentine

ihan, formerly Nicole Hefner, writes poems, stories and essays. Her work has appeared in, among others, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, New York Quarterly, North American Review and cream city review and has been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named as Notable Reading for Best American Non-required Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. In addition, Nicole was a contributor to Playing with Poems, an educational textbook published by Heinemann, and is a frequent contributor to Teachers & Writers Magazine. She has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and from the Rockefeller Institute and is a founding member of the Brooklyn Writers Collaborative. Her nonfiction book, Henry River Mill Village, which she co-authored with Ruby Young Keller was published by Arcadia Press in July 2012. Her collection of poetry SuperLoop was released by Sock Monkey Press in February 2014.

A 1995 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, summa cum laude, with additional study at Oxford University, Nicole also holds two advanced writing degrees from New York University (MA Poetry–1998; MFA Fiction–2005). Currently a full-time Senior Language Lecturer at New York University where she has received an Excellence in Teaching Award every year since she began in 2002, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

ole Callihan, formerly Nicole Hefner, writes poems, stories and essays. Her work has appeared in, among others, Painted Bride Quarterly, Salt Hill, New York Quarterly, North American Review and cream city review and has been translated into German and Spanish. A finalist for the Iowa Review’s Award for Literary Nonfiction, she was named as Notable Reading for Best American Non-required Reading and awarded Best of the Net 2010 for fiction. In addition, Nicole was a contributor to Playing with Poems, an educational textbook published by Heinemann, and is a frequent contributor to Teachers & Writers Magazine. She has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation and from the Rockefeller Institute and is a founding member of the Brooklyn Writers Collaborative. Her nonfiction book, Henry River Mill Village, which she co-authored with Ruby Young Keller was published by Arcadia Press in July 2012. Her collection of poetry SuperLoop was released by Sock Monkey Press in February 2014.

A 1995 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, summa cum laude, with additional study at Oxford University, Nicole also holds two advanced writing degrees from New York University (MA Poetry–1998; MFA Fiction–2005). Currently a full-time Senior Language Lecturer at New York University where she has received an Excellence in Teaching Award every year since she began in 2002, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

Youth Poets Workshops 1 & 3 Saturdays

0 CommentsMonday • April 21, 2014 • by admin

Next Generation Writing and Performance Workshops 1st & 3rd Saturdays

0 CommentsMonday • April 21, 2014 • by admin

1st Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Half Price Books, 5803 E. NW Highway
3rd Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson

WordSpace Next Generation Project supports the development of young writers, presenting writing and performance workshops mentored by top Dallas poets and educators. The workshops are open to ages 13-19. Selected participants also have the opportunity to appear in WordSpace Salons alongside experienced writers. Traveling writers visit workhops as special guests and young writers are given opportunities to submit their work to publications and performances.

Atma Bhakti Yoga Center offers a weekly Monday night yoga class benefiting WordSpace Next Generation youth projects. Suggested Donation: $5-15. Mondays, 6:30, 6315 Lindsley Ave, Dallas, TX 75223 in East Dallas near Lindsley Park.

Taught by an Experience Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT  500 hour), this gentle yoga class culminates with a writing exercise and open floor reading by participants. Or bring your own rigorously self-investigative poems to share.

Youth Poets Workshops 1st & 3rd Saturdays

0 CommentsMonday • April 21, 2014 • by admin

1st Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Half Price Books, 5803 E. NW Highway
3rd Saturdays: 4-6 pm @ Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson 

 Youth Poets Workshops is a component of WS Next Generation Project in support and development of young writers. WordSpace presents workshops mentored by top performance poet and Dallas Youth Poets Executive Director, Joaquin Zihuatanejo and co-founder Alexandra Marie Thurston.  They provide poetry and slam outreach to area youth in two great locations. The workshops are open to ages 11-17. Participants receive instruction in writing and performance with a chance to compete for the  Dallas Youth Poetssponsored team that will represent Dallas in the annual conference, Brave New Voices.  The workshop participants are also eligible to compete in other area youth team competitions.

Joaquin Zihuatanejo (born in Dallas, Texas) is an award-winning American slam poet and teacher. In 2004, Zihuatanejo competed in the National Poetry Slam as part of the Dallas Poetry Slam team, which placed third. He also appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry in 2005.  In 2008, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam and was the winner of the World Cup of Poetry Slam in 2009. Currently, Zihuatanejo resides near his hometown of Dallas with his wife and two daughters. Outside of poetry, Zihuatanejo taught English and creative writing for seven years.

Alexandra Marie Thurston, is a writer from Los Angeles and Director of the Dallas Poetry Slam. She bring years of service to the poetry community and inspiring mentorship to young writers. Alexandra Marie Thurston serves as the board of directors of WordSpace.

WordSpace is honored to partner with Oak Cliff Cultural Center to produce Youth Poets Workhops at their facility. Funding for this program is made possible by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and WordSpace Members.

Special Thanks to Half Price Books, sponsors of WordSpace at The Kessler, for use of their facilities for this program. WordSpace is also honored to be a 2014 recipient of TACA’s generosity.

Fernando Flores Signing at CentralTrak

0 CommentsSunday • March 30, 2014 • by admin

When: Thursday, April 17, 7 pm
Where: CentralTrak, 800 Exposition Ave, Dallas, TX 75226

McAllen, Texas is the indie-rock capital of the world; or at least it would be, if all their bands didn’t have the pesky habit of disintegrating before ever having their first big success. That’s the central premise of Austinite Fernando A. Flores’ literary debut, and anyone who’s ever pawned their guitar to buy more beer will find much in this book to celebrate. Working from the conceit that all acts of creativity are vital to human happiness, no matter what the public reaction, Flores presents a smorgasbord of interconnected tales about artists who can’t quite seem to get their act together–from the performance artist whose most important work was only ever seen by five people, to the revered punk singer who never recorded a single album, to the bar band who accidentally become pawns of a local political campaign–and shows how in all these cases, the mere existence of these artists is a magical antidote against day-to-day ennui and adversity, and that it’s actually the rest of the squares who are the true bullshit artists. By turns hilarious, heartbreaking and infuriating, this compact story collection is a loving ode to small-town music scenes in all their messy glory, and a welcome slap in the face to our “Yes We Can” times.

Youth Poets Workshops 1st and 3rd Saturdays

0 CommentsFriday • February 14, 2014 • by admin