Four Chicago-based poets, including a National Poetry Series winner, visit the Quad Cities for the SPECTRA Poetry Reading Series Nov 9

What: Midwest Writing Center presents SPECTRA: Hoks, Adams, Craig, Anderson with musical guests Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas

When: Saturday, November 9^th at 8:00 p.m.

Where: Rozz-Tox (2108 3^rd Ave. Rock Island, IL)

The SPECTRA Poetry Reading Series, voted a top 10 reading series in the Midwest by LitBridge, returns to Rozz-Tox on Saturday, November 9that 8pm for the last reading of the fall season.  For this reading, we will be featuring four poets—more than at any previous SPECTRA event—all from in and around Chicago.  One of them, Nathan Hoks, was selected for this year’s National Poetry Series by Dean Young, one of the nation’s premiere poetry book competitions. 

This fall, SPECTRA will also be including musical performances after the readings, to continue to bridge the gap between creative communities and audiences.  For our last musical guest of the season, we are pleased to welcome Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas.

The show will start at 8pm, and will be free & open to the public with a $5 suggested donation to support Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas while they are on tour.

SPECTRA is also accepting submissions from local poets to read at future events.  To submit, email up to 3 poems to mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org with the phrase “SPECTRA Submission” in the subject line. 

Please contact Ryan Collins at Midwest Writing Center if you are interested in speaking to any of the featured readers, or for more information: (563) 324-1410 | mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org. 

SPECTRA will return in the spring of 2014—dates, featured readers & other info TBA.  Updates will be available on the MWC website: www.midwestwritingcenter.org. 

The 2013 season of SPECTRA manifests thanks to the generous support of the Scott County Regional Authority.
 
Bios for Adams, Anderson, Craig, Hoks:

Carrie Olivia Adams lives in Chicago, where she is a book publicist for the University of Chicago Press and the poetry editor for Black Ocean. She is the author of Forty-One Jane Doe’s (book and companion DVD, Ahsahta 2013) and Intervening Absence (Ahsahta 2009).

Stephanie Anderson is the author of In the Key of Those Who Can No Longer Organize Their Environments (Horse Less Press) and five chapbooks, including the forthcoming Sentence, Signal, Stain (Greying Ghost Press) and LIGHTBOX (The New Megaphone).  Her poems have recently appeared or are forthcoming in 6x6, The Brooklyn Rail, Denver Quarterly, Lana Turner, POOL, and elsewhere.  She lives in Chicago and edits Projective Industries.

Joel Craig is the author of The White House (Green Lantern Press, 2012), and the chapbook Shine Tomorrow (Lost Horse, 2009). His poems have appeared lately in Boston Review, GutCult, A Public Space, TYPO, and Rabbit Light Movies. He co-founded and curates The Danny’s Reading Series and edits poetry for MAKE: A Literary Magazine—where he lives, in Chicago, Illinois.

Nathan Hoks is the author of two books of poetry, Reveilles and The Narrow Circle, which was chosen by Dean Young as a winner of the 2012 National Poetry Series. He has also published a chapbook, Birds Mistaken As Wind, and a translation of Vicente Huidobro’s Arctic Poems. He is currently an editor and letterpress printer for Convulsive Editions, a micro-press that publishes chapbooks and broadsides. He teaches at Columbia College and lives in Chicago with his family.

Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas

Life has a way of letting us know what we’re supposed to do and when we’re supposed to do it. We can distract ourselves, but life is persistent. Jessica Hernandez knows that. She knows that no matter what gets in the way, time won’t stop for anyone. Be it struggles or triumphs, Hernandez is ready for whatever, whenever.

This malleability expresses itself in so many facets of Jessica’s life. The first-generation American grew up in and around Detroit. There are few regions more impressing as the nitty-gritty of Rock City and it left its mark on the 25-year-old artist. Her voice is instantly recognizable. Its strength and soul are matched by an honest vulnerability. Whether she is singing heartfelt words about someone that has left this world too early, or belting out a danceable tune through a big smile, Hernandez is unforgettable… especially with the ultra-talented Deltas behind her.

Never one to adhere to norms or outside pressures, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas have learned lesson after lesson along their rise as one of Detroit’s favorite bands. They’ve honed their craft in sell-out shows and tours than span the nation. It’s easiest to classify Hernandez by seeing the people that come to every show. All races, all ages, all fans of good music.