The annual Fall Reading Series presents a season of events celebrating literature,
showcasing award-winning authors, and honoring the inspiration to write. Events are
sponsored by the English Department and Creative Writing Program of Grossmont College,
as well as a variety of other campus agencies and programs.
Friday, August 24
Acorn Review Reading/Launch
7-8:30pm, Public Square Coffee House, 8278 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
In this "Early Bird" special, the first event of the 2018 Fall Reading Series celebrates the launch of the new issue of the Acorn Review, Grossmont College’s student-produced literary journal. Come hear contributors perform their published works sign your copy of the Acorn Review. You can buy a published copy of Acorn Review at this event. Coffee, tea, and pastries will also be available for purchase. Contact Julie Cardenas for info: julie.cardenas@gcccd.edu.
Wednesday, Sep. 12
Chest-O-Drawers Press: An Open Reading
7-8:30pm, GC Library, 1st Floor
Reading is fundamental, but a reading in the library’s inspiring ambiance of books
and couches is sublimely decadent. Open to anyone (staff, faculty, and students),
participants may use up to five minutes to read original writing from any creative
genre: poetry, creative non-fiction, short fiction, spoken word performance, etc.
This event is collaboratively sponsored by the Grossmont College Library and GC’s
own Chest-O-Drawers Press.
Want more info? Contact nadra.farina-hess@gcccd.edu or daniela.sow@gcccd.edu.
Thursday, September 27
Banned Books/Banned Lives
7-8:15pm, Griffin Gate (Bldg 60)
Sponsored by WACC, the World Arts & Cultures Committee of Grossmont College.
This year’s event celebrates 2018 National Banned Books Week and the power of the outsider, with performance readings of marginalized and censured voices, featuring Erica Blunt, Brendan Praniewicz, Vera Sanchez, Cayla Vizcarra, San Diego Slam Team. For more information about this year's event, contact Alan Traylor: alan.traylor@gcccd.edu.
U.S. National Banned Books Week, an annual awareness campaign sponsored by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, promotes the freedom to read by showcasing banned / challenged books, persecuted individuals, and disenfranchised populations.
Thursday, October 9
Lester Bangs Memorial Reading, feat. rock critic/memoirist Pamela Des Barres
7-8:30pm, Griffin Gate
This event made possible by the generosity of the World Arts & Cultures Committee.
Super-groupie and memoirist Pamela Des Barres comes to Grossmont College to spill
the tea on such rock luminaries as Elvis, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and others. A former rock-n-roll groupie, musician, author, and magazine writer, Des Barres
is the author of five memoirs: Rock Bottom: Dark Moments In Music Babylon (St. Martins Press 1996); on Chicago Review Press, Take Another Little Piece of My Heart (2008), Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies
(2013), and international bestsellers, I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie (2005) and Let it Bleed: How to Write a Rockin' Memoir (2017). Her sixth book, Sex, God, and Rock n Roll, is due to be released by Chicago Review Press in fall of 2019. Selected books available
for purchase and signing at the event. For more info, contact karl.sherlock@gcccd.edu or daniela.sow@gcccd.edu.
Thursday, November 1
poet Joe Medina Reading/Book Launch
7-8:30pm, Griffin Gate
a multimedia presentation and book signing
The Creative Writing Program is honored and excited to showcase one of our own, Joe
Medina, in a reading and launch of his new poetry collection, The Scorpion's Mineral Eye (San Diego City Works Press 2018.) Having completed his Master’s from San Diego State
with a creative dissertation in poetry, Medina joined the GC faculty in 1987 and spearheaded
Grossmont College’s first Puente Project, as well as launching the annual Celebration
of Banned Books readings. After his retirement in spring of 2012, Medina set to work
on completing his first book-length collection poetry. Joe’s engagement in Griffin
Gate is part of a regional reading tour to promote his new book. Copies will be available
for purchase and signing.
Monday, December 3
New Voices: A Student Reading
7-8:30pm, Griffin Gate
In this crowd-pleasing final event of the 2018 Fall Readings Series, the semester’s most talented students from the Creative Writing Program courses perform their original works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, and other unique forms of literary and spoken word art. Invited exclusively by this semester’s instructors of creative writing classes and workshops.
The Fall 2018 batch of New Voices readers includes
Rita Herfi
Sierra Robinson
Van Thaxton
Ryan Harper
Stephanie Manderville
Brian Woolsey
Franziska C. George
Raymond Vera Cruz
William Mackey
Megan Houlihan
Megan Houlihan
Michelle Magnuson
Sara Shah
Charlie Sale
Mariana Lopez, Austin Peregud, and Armando Albañez (as a collaboration)
Gabriel Dupree
Sarah Georgens