This week the 8th annual Spring Writes! Literary Arts Festival takes place. The festival is organized by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, and is sponsored this year by Wegmans. Over the course of four days, there will be over 35 literary-themed events happening throughout the Ithaca area. As I read through the schedule of events, I was excited (and a little overwhelmed) by the variety of topics and writers featured. I’ve read through the descriptions of most, and will highlight the ones that are particularly interesting to me.
Thursday, May 4
Trampoline Storytelling Competition, Lot 10, 7:15-9:00pm: Storytelling event that takes inspiration from the song “She Blinded Me With Science.” Performances by the public to be enjoyed by the audience and evaluated by judges.
Friday, May 5
Readings: Genre Savvy Presents Science Fiction, The Range, 6-8pm: Hosted by Bob Proehl with fiction readings by several authors, as well as an excerpt from the play What Happens Next by Saviana Sanescu.
Saturday, May 6
Workshop: “Translating Is Writing Is Translating,” Cinemopolis, 11-12:15: Introductory workshop with Dan Rosenberg that explores the boundaries between writing and translating and the difficulties that exist within the act of translation.
Demonstration: Coptic Stitch Bookbinding, Ink Shop, 12:30-2pm: Presented by Rebecca Hahn, this demonstration will focus on the basics of bookbinding, the makeup of a book, and choosing materials.
Entertainment: Cosmic Joke Collective, “Hope Springs Eternal,” Lot 10, 7-9pm: This event will feature music, poetry, and a puppet show.
Sunday, May 7
Panel: “Intimate Communities: Starting and Sustaining a Writing Group,” CAP ArtSpace, 12-1:15pm: Several authors will give insight into the importance and the challenges that come with maintaining a writing group. They will give advice on organizing, the writing process, and critiquing fairly.
Panel: VIDA: Women and Writers of Color in Literary Arts, CSMA Lower Level, 3-4:15: VIDA is a group dedicated to highlighting inequalities that exist within the writing world. A panel of local authors will discuss the goals and projects of the group, emphasizing their own personal experience.
The literary festival will be sure to be a busy and fulfilling week for writers and readers alike. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
