GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC
Hosted by Christopher Luna and Toni Partington
Thursday April 11
7pm
Cover to Cover Books
6300 NE St. James Rd.,
Suite 104B
(St. James & Minnehaha)
Vancouver, WA

http://www.printedmattervancouver.com
christopherjluna@gmail.com
LGBTQ-friendly, all ages,
and uncensored since 2004

With our featured readers Kelly Keigwin and Sam Mackenzie:

Kelly Keigwin is a professional artist and educator who lives in Vancouver, WA. She works in photography, mixed media collage, and ceramics. Her work draws inspiration from social observation and the human condition. Keigwin has been published in Juxtapoz magazine and is represented in private collections in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. She is exhibited nationally and holds a B.A. from Washington State University. Keigwin is a blogger for PQ Monthly, the co-chair of Equality SW Washington’s Queer Art Project, and co-founder of Love is a Radical Act, an interactive art project. She also created Fear is a 4-Letter Word, an on-going blog/zine project that offers support and positive reinforcement in what can be a negative and lonely world.

From “I’m Still Here” (Fear is a 4-Letter Word #1)
By Kelly Keigwin

“Being “normal” is a myth. It doesn’t exist. There are people out there who will try with every ounce of their being to convince you that normal is good and just and what you should strive to be. “Fit in, don’t stand out! Conform and we will accept you as one of us! Don’t be one of ‘them’, they’re disgusting. We are beautiful, popular, wanted, loved, acceptable.” That is a lie. Everyone has something that makes them different, unique and beautiful, whether it’s on the outside or inside. Even if people choose to ignore it, cover it up or bury it down deep inside because they want to fit in, it’s there. If you take the time to step back and observe people you will see everyone wants to be liked, everyone wants to feel loved. We all try to work around the things that we think others might not like about us, so we can be accepted. I have spent most of my life trying to be what I thought would make me socially acceptable. I see that now. And to be honest, the more I look, the more I do not want to have anything to do with that lie and the people who perpetuate it. It took me stepping back and realizing that I only have one life to live and that I actually like myself as I am to find people who genuinely like me for me.”

Sam MacKenzie is an artist, educator, farmer, zinester, and Vancouver native. She bought her first zine in high school but never even got to read it. She is now an avid proponent of zines and zine culture and has been part of the Portland Zine Symposium for the past seven years. Sam has written six issues of chickeney, a zine about the more rural and domestic aspects of her life (http://chickeney.etsy.com/), and chronic: a story about chronic illness, a perzine about her sleep disorder. She is also in the process of writing another perzine about depression and abuse and would also like to write a zine about her multiple stints on jury duty. Although she still finds it hard to identify as a writer, Sam is proud to have her zines represented by Sweet Candy Distro, Once Upon a Distro, and the Multnomah County Library System.

From “i’m tired of sharing” (chickeney #5)
by Sam Mackenzie

“yes, obviously what we do by farming can be considered unnatural and imposing on nature. no person can leave zero impact. but, as things go, we are pretty kind to the earth.

and i’m tired of it.

my breaking point was the figs. it’s been a few years…several years…since we planted two little fig trees. i know someone with such a gigantic fig tree that she sells extras by the box load. they are gloriously delicious. i want my fig trees to be that big and bountiful someday.”

Two Free Workshops
Saturday, April 13

“The Work” with Christopher Luna at noon
And a zine workshop with Kelly Keigwin and Sam Mackenzie at two

Christopher Luna’s monthly poetry workshop, which usually takes place at Niche Wine and Art Bar, will take place at Cover to Cover Books on Saturday, April 13 so that he can properly introduce Kelly and Sam, who will lead a workshop on writing and publishing zines. Luna likes to play spoken word recordings, read poetry, discuss the poet’s role in the community, and lead the group in four to five writing prompts.

Kelly and Sam will share their experience regarding the production and distribution of zines at 2pm.