Friday, January 14th:Olson's 'Maximus' Marathon, Day 1, Vol. 1

On Friday, January 14th, The Switch is co-hosting the kickoff day, of a marathon reading of poet Charles Olson's Maximus. It is a three day event in Portland, to commemorate Olson's hundredth birthday.

Friday, Jan. 14th

4:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Olson's Maximus Marathon, Day 1, Vol. 1

poets & artists to be announced

Here is the release about the marathon:

Friday-Sunday, January 14-16, 2011
A Marathon Reading of The Maximus Poems by Charles Olson (1910-1970)

Joining the many celebrations of Charles Olson's centennial that have taken place over the past year, Spare Room, in Portland OR, has organized a three-day marathon reading of Olson's book-length epic, The Maximus Poems.

Friday, January 14, 4:00 - 9:00 pm
Switchyard Studios 109 E Salmon Street
Jacqueline Motzer, Jesse Morse, Zachary Schomburg, Christopher Luna, Dan Raphael, Laura Feldman, Michael Weaver, David Abel

Saturday, January 15, 2:00 - 7:00 pm
galleryHOMELAND 2505 SE 11th Avenue
Alicia Cohen, Sam Lohmann, Jennifer Bartlett, Jaye Harris, Donald Dunbar, John Hall, Susan Rankin, Dan Raphael, Rodney Koeneke, Endi Hartigan

Sunday, January 16, 2:00 - 7:00 pm
YU 800 SE 10th Avenue
Lisa Radon, Linda Austin, Tim DuRoche, Patrick Hartigan, Meredith Blankinship, Joseph Mainz,
Jamalieh Haley, David Weinberg, Castle, Paul Maziar, Drew Swenhaugen, James Yeary

For a compendium of Olson resources, including links to recordings, interviews, essays, and other documents, see the Olson pages at SUNY Buffalo's Electronic Poetry Center and the Poetry Foundation.

Tues, December 7th: Poets George Rachel, James Gendron, Michael Roberts. Artwork by Nicholas Nemo Bottman + Music (TBA)

The ever talented artist, writer and poet George Rachel will be reading this December Switch, along with poet James Gendron, who has a new, wonderfully sharp book called Money Poems with Poor Claudia.

This night is poet Michael Roberts' birthday, and he will be joining us from SoCal to read poems from No More Poems About the Moon, & new poems. There will also be a very special musical guest, who we're keeping under our hats until the event. Trust us, it's gonna be good. Nicholas Nemo Bottman's artwork will be featured as well. Info after the hump.

xox
Paul & Jeremy

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Tuesday, Dec. 7th

@ 7:30 p.m.

George Rachel

James Gendron

Michael Roberts

+ A secret performance (TBA)

Featured artwork by Nicholas Nemo Bottman

Bring your own what-have-yous

including your listening ears (a must)

George Rachel is a writer, print artist, and student of literature. She is the recipient of the Jackie Mosier Emerging Writer Award, and her most recent work can be viewed in the forthcoming literary journal Habit, as well as the online journal M Review. http://www.marylhurst.edu/mreview/Rachel_Lines.html

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James Gendron is 28 1/2. His poetry has appeared in Fence, The Indiana Review, Salt Hill, Poor Claudia, etc. He received his MFA from Syracuse University, and currently teaches writing at PSU. His chapbook, Money Poems, was published last summer by Poor Claudia Press.

http://indianareview.org/content/issue262/262poetry3.html
http://www.lafovea.org/La_Fovea/james_gendron.html

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Michael Roberts is sitting under a blue a sky. It's November. He can see the ocean. According to his sources, the Sirens, the water is 61°F. So inviting. He is the author of the book No More Poems About The Moon and co-creator of the poetry blog Don't Fog The Feelers. He is also a weekly photo columnist for Small Doggies Magazine. He lives with billions of others on a pale blue dot. His work can be read here:

http://www.smalldoggiesmagazine.com/poetry/new-work/michael-roberts-orange-county/ and here:

www.thehopemeat.com

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Lifelong artist Nicholas Nemo Bottman is chiefly a painter and printmaker. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Nicholas relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1998, eventually landing in Portland where he received his B.A. with honors from Portland State University in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking in 2005

http://www.nemobott.com

The Switch in Photos

The Switch reading series is approaching its fourth event, and we'd like to share with you some info and photos from the past events.

On Thursday, August 5th, we had our very first event. It was then called Summer Teeth, and poets Zachary Schomburg, Michael Roberts, Jamalieh Haley, and Paul G. Maziar read-- and the supremely talented Katrina Skalland played songs. The artwork of Jeremy Okai Davis was showing on the gallery walls, alongside photography by Liz Devine. Liz was has also been kind enough to lend her photography for this blog (peep her site, it's boss).

The second event was held on Thursday, September 23rd, and it featured the artwork of Lettie Jane Rennekamp, Leslie Butler, Jeremy Okai Davis, Will Bruno, and Amelia Pillow; along with poets Drew Scott Swenhaugen, Jamalieh Haley, and Joseph Mains. Kelli Schaefer played songs that night, and what a special treat it was for us to have her.

And now here are some photos...

Here is our Flickr group, where photos will constantly appear: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1344398@N21/

And more:

(Laura Knox, Joseph Mains, Drew Scott Swenhaugen)

(Kelli Schaefer)

(Zachary Schomburg)

(Paul G. Maziar reading)

(Dean Gorman reading)

(Krislyn Dillart)

(Donald Dunbar, Jamalieh Haley, Paul G. Maziar (nerds!))

November 12th: Emily Kendal Frey, Sarah Bartlett, & Dean Gorman + Music by Krislyn Dillart

Welcome to our new blog for The Switch! This next reading will be by a couple of our favorites here in town: Emily Kendal Frey, Sarah Bartlett, and Dean Gorman. Check the info below, and come back to read about past events too. xox - P

Friday, Nov 12th

@ 7:30 p.m.

Emily Kendal Frey

Sarah Bartlett

Dean Gorman

+ Music by Tara Williamson

Featured artwork by Krislyn Dillart

& Lindsay De Armond

Bring your own what-have-yous

including your listening ears (a must)

Emily Kendal Frey is the author of AIRPORT (Blue Hour 2009), FRANCES (Poor Claudia 2010), and THE NEW PLANET (Mindmade Books 2010) as well as three chapbook collaborations. Her first full-length collection, THE GRIEF PERFORMANCE, will be published by Cleveland State University Poetry Center in 2011. A two-volume chapbook series entitled THE PAIN ARCHIVIST will be published by Cinematheque in 2011 as well. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

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Sarah Bartlett lives in Portland, OR. Her chapbook (co-written with Chris Tonelli), A Mule-Shaped Cloud, was published by horse less press in 2008. Her recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in NOÖ, Burnside Review, Raleigh Quarterly, Coconut, Sir!, Sixth Finch, Diagram, and elsewhere.

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Dean Gorman lives in Portland, Oregon, where he plays in the bands The Tumblers, and Sweet William's Ghost. His poems and essays have appeared in Forklift Ohio, Gulf Coast, and Octopus, among other places. He is co-founder and former co-editor of Pilot Books and is a graduate of the writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.