Kevin and Matthew are at it again with a new set of poetic shenanigans sure to cause buried members of the English lexicon to roll in their graves (whatever that means). Joined by Bellingham poetry stalwarts Shannon Laws, Joe Nolting, and CJ Prince be prepared for a night of poesy so mind-bendingly grand, so soul-shakingly shaking it may just inspire you to quit your day job and pursue a hermetic life of poetic penury…not that you should come with any expectations or anything…

$10 recommended donation.
Will be held in the Mt. Baker Theatre Encore Room.

Proceeds will benefit the Whatcom Juvenile Justice Creative Writing Project which leads writing workshops with kids in the juvenile justice system. JJCWP affirms that all youth have a unique voice that deserves to be shared with the community and that helping teens to connect with the vitality of their imaginations can be a powerful means for self expression and personal growth.

The 2013 Mayor’s Arts Award recipient, poet, author and community radio personality, Shannon P. Laws, is a regular at open mics, sharing poems and excerpts from her work of literary fiction. She is a founding member of World Peace Poets, who encourage harmony through words for international writers at various public readings. In her spare time she hosts the Village Books Poetry Group, and is a volunteer producer at a non-profit community radio station. shannonplawswriter.com/about/

Kevin Murphy has been performing his poetry for over 30 years. He is the author of A Beautiful Chaos Demands Energy and also has a poetry CD, Between Onions and Oxygen. He regularly performs on the Chuckanut Radio Hour, has toured the Pacific Northwest and beyond as a member of the New Old Time Chautauqua, and teaches poetry through the Whatcom Juvenile Justice Creative Writing Project. Kevin’s poetry tends toward the comic and the surreal, and he often accompanies himself on guitar or drum.He lives in Bellingham with his wife Jeannie.

Joe Nolting grew up in Vermont and lived in Alaska for 35 years, where he taught middle school language arts and math. He and his wife Annie moved to Bellingham just over two years ago and thoroughly embrace the local scene with its rich literary culture. Joe enjoys writing, photography, biking, cross-country skiing, and gazing out at the ocean. His poetry and essays have been featured in Cirque, Understory, Voices Between Mountains, and Sue C. Boynton Poetry (2013). He volunteers with Whatcom Young Writers, the Bellingham Chore Program, Sterling Bike Works, and in local schools.

C.J. Prince found the Muse on the tar-spattered shores of Summerland, California, in fourth grade where she gouged words into sand. She’s been writing ever since. Her credits include stage, screen and TV scripts. She wrote for Colorado newspapers for eighteen years. Her first novel, Canvas Angels, is published in Catching My Breath. Her work appears in several anthologies including Leaning into the Wind: Women Write from the Heart of the West. Prince lives in the Pacific Northwest with husband Michael E. Berg, two Papillons, and one rescued orange marmalade tabby. She teaches Tai Chi and studies the dress code of cedars, the vocal symphony of ravens and the length of a moonbeam at midnight.

Matthew Brouwer’s work bridges the worlds of spoken word and literary poetry to create a style that can be both evocative and subtle, enlivening and profound. He has performed in cities throughout the west and been featured in regional literary, performance, and visual arts showcases such as Cirque, Phrasings, and Strands. He has taught creative writing in the Bellingham Public Schools and led a writing circle for people suffering chronic medical conditions. He is the author of five chapbooks including The Gospel According to Matthew and Men Who Walk with Canes. For more on Matthew’s poetry and work visit: www.matthewbrouwerpoet.com