This conversation between KB Brookins and Maya Salameh will explore friendship and community in poetry.
Join us for our first live reading of the season: Friday, Sep 12 at Segue - the rooftop venue at the @beverlytheater. Admission is always FREE! Everyone who attends will get a complimentary drink ticket upon entry. 🍸Come check out a brand new lineup of readers, including a handful of first year MFA students who just arrived in Las Vegas! 🎤✨️👏🏻
Readers: @wordsmithpraise @sumayya_jaeh @jskin94 @poeta.paz @yo.its_linds and BMI Shearing Fellow: @earthtokb @blackmtninst
Live Music: Dave Wright
Doors / Live Music: 6:30 pm PT
Showtime: 7 - 9 pm PT
#neonlit #neonlitlv #lasvegaslit #livereading #unlvmfa
Poster by: @taylorbradley91
A Variation on "The Son of Man" by Rene Magritte
This is a free, virtual event celebrating the release of the monumental debut poetry collection Bloodmercy from poet I.S. Jones. The lineup features Sarah Ghazal Ali, Gabrielle Bates, Jari Bradley, KB Brookins, Kameryn Alexa Carter, Ajanae Dawkins, Séamus Fey, Brittany Rogers, & I.S. Jones.
RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/isjones
Join us for an educational workshop where we’ll learn about epistolary poetry, then write our own poems to people in Harris County Jail, state/federal prison, and immigration detention. Refreshments provided!
Come out to Poets & Advocates Against Cash Bail, which will feature performances by Houston Poet Laureates Reyes Ramirez, Aris Kian, & Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.
Come make zines and talk creative writing and carceral justice with Zine Fest Houston and KB Brookins! This event is Saturday, September 6, 11am-1pm CT at The Orange Show (2402 Munger St, East End, Houston, TX 77023-5140).
In this workshop, we will learn and write about Texas jails — with a specific focus on opinion editorials.
A generative writing workshop on erasure and speaking truth to power
INSTRUCTOR: KB Brookins
TIME: Wednesday, July 9, 6-9 pm CST/CDT
PRICE: Free, though intended for the formerly incarcerated, their friends and family (all are welcome)
Become a Writespace Member here.
RSVP link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-writing-for-carceral-justice-tickets-1409860032309
LOCATION: Writespace, 1907 Sabine Street, #125, Houston, TX 77007 (map)
LEVEL: All levels
CAP: 15
Did you know that Texas taxpayers spend over $1 billion on keeping Texans in jail? Did you know, also, that more than 70% of jail populations in Texas are people who haven’t been found guilty of a crime, and you can do something about it? In this workshop, we will learn and write about Texas jails — with a specific focus on erasure poetry and opinion editorials using excerpts from the ACLU of Texas’ groundbreaking jail brief. By the end of the session, participants will have at least two pieces that speak truth to power, and serve as a tool to talk about the criminal (in)justice system.
This workshop is free and open to the public, though it is made with currently and formerly incarcerated writers in mind. All participants in this workshop have the opportunity to be considered for two paid performance and writing opportunities with the ACLU of Texas.
KB Brookins is a Black queer and trans writer, educator, and cultural worker from Texas. KB’s poetry collection Freedom House (2023) won the American Library Association Barbara Gittings Literature Award and the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best First Book of Poetry. KB’s memoir Pretty (2024) won the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award and the Dorothy Allison/Felice Picano Emerging Writer Award. They are currently the ACLU of Texas Artist-in-Residence and a Black Mountain Institute Shearing Fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Follow KB online at @earthtokb.
Join the San Antonio literary community for this dynamic reading and open mic series! Featuring KB Brookins and Anthony Sutton with an open mic to follow.
In this talk with KB Brookins, you’ll learn more about the world of magazine publishing and how to best pitch, edit, and publish your ideas.
A reading and conversation between trans nonbinary poets and writers about their recent collections, featuring CD Eskilson, SG Huerta, and KB Brookins.
SHOP LOCAL MAKERS, HANG WITH YOUR LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY, AND SUPPORT QUEER-OWNED BUSINESSES THIS PRIDE MONTH!
Sunday, June 8
11am-5pm (KB will be signing books from 2:30-3:15pm)
Distribution Hall
RSVP AND BE ENTERED TO WIN $250: https://thelittlegayshop.com/pages/events#?event-id=48553
The event is free, open to all, pet friendly, and indoor/outdoor. FREE drinks (21+) from Bacardi and free street parking on Sundays.
Shop and support 100+ local, queer businesses, artists, makers, and nonprofits. Plus, enjoy:
-Drag Story Hour with Brigitte Bandit
-Book signing and meets with local authors
-FREE drinks from Bacardi
-Music from Queer Vinyl Co.
-Food, drinks, and sweet from local vendors
-Community hangs during our favorite month
A Pride Celebration centering trans people in Austin, TX!
Poetry, Jazz, and Live Painting from award-winning artists!
Join me for a writer’s workshop THIS Saturday, May 10th! We’ll be going over opinion editorials, storytelling, and pitching your story! Free, trans led, and community oriented - this will be a 2 hour time commitment. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.
The Greater Austin Book (GAB) Fest invites our community of readers, writers and illustrators from Travis, Williamson, and Hays Counties to come together for a full day celebration of books. At GAB Fest you can meet participating authors, buy books and get them signed, explore the Central Library, and enjoy a full day of panels, workshops, and programs. This event fosters an environment of inclusivity, encouraging individuals to come together, and celebrate their appreciation for literature.
Join Torch Literary Arts at the Carver Museum for this special National Poetry Month event celebrating Texas Poet Laureate and Torch Founder, Amanda Johnston. Johnston is the founder and executive director of Torch Literary Arts and the first Black woman to hold the position of Texas Poet Laureate.
Join us for an evening of poetry, connection, and celebration as we welcome Zell Miller III, our first Austin Poet Laureate!
Join us for an evening of poetry, connection, and celebration as we welcome Zell Miller III, the 2025-2027 Austin Poet Laureate! This special event will feature music by inspiring performances by:
🎤 Amanda Johnston, 2024 Texas Poet Laureate
🎤 KB Brookins, Founder of Austin Poet Laureate
🎤 Ella Kim, Austin Youth Poet Laureate
🎤 Zell Miller III, 2025-2027 Austin Poet Laureate
Music by DJ Chorizo Funk!
Appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, held over 3 days each spring at the Hotel Monteleone in the New Orleans French Quarter, features panel discussions and master classes around literary topics that provide a forum for authors, editors and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBTQ+ literature.
TIME: 8:30 - 10pm PDT
LOCATION: Prank Bar LA, 1100 S Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
RSVP: not needed!
BLURB: PoemoftheWeek.com presents 9 fabulous poets reading from their latest collections of poetry. Readings by: C Dale Young, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Allisa Cherry, Jen Yanez-Alaniz, Aaron Coleman, Faylita Hicks, Gerard Robledo, Todd Dillard and KB Brookins.
TIME: 4-6pm PT
LOCATION: ORA (4331 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008)
RSVP: Not needed!
BLURB: An AWP off-site reading hosted and produced by Ashley Devon-Williamston where authors read selections by writers who historically used their poetic voice to speak truth to power and motivate us in resistance to oppressive forces. It features Darius Simpson, Aris Brown, KB Brookins, Elese Daniel, Ayling Dominguez, and Stephanie Niu. Join us!
TIME: 5-7pm PT
LOCATION: KISO Los Angeles (107 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013)
RSVP: Not needed!
BLURB: Join Brevity Magazine for an all-trans AWP off-site reading featuring Marisa “Mac” Crane, Melissa Faliveno, Krys Malcolm Belc, KB Brookins, Rivka Clifton, Nic Anstett, Katherine Scott Nelson, and more!
Holding Court features two rounds of literary luminaries at an outdoor venue, with amenities such as food and drink specials, parking, accessible entrances, and easy access to public transportation.
Join award-winning authors as they discuss queer and trans memoir as a form of resistance in the current political climate.
Saturday, March 22, 1:20-2:20pm ET
Join us for a cross-genre gathering of queer and adopted writers discussing the intersectionality of adoption stories, queerness, and their publishing journeys, moderated by Shelley Gaske.
LOCATION: Dougherty Arts Center (1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704)
DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 2024
TIME: 6:30-8pm
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/literary-publishing-101-tickets-1255945860879
Have you written a poem, essay, short story, or other literary piece that you’re eager to get published? Do you have questions ranging from “how do I publish a book” to “how do I find publishing opportunities”? Literary Publishing 101 is for you! Led by award-winning poet and memoirist KB Brookins, this workshop will cover the basics of putting together a submission to literary magazines and presses, from writing a 3rd person bio to what to expect in a writer-editor relationship once you get a yes.
This event is free and open to the public, registration is encouraged but not required.
📍 Where: Austin Public, 1143 Northwestern Ave, Austin, TX
📆 When: January 29, 2025, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
On January 29th from 7-9 PM, four talented local screenwriters will present live table readings of their original scripts. Performed by an incredible lineup of local actors, this event will offer a first live reading of scripts that will be tomorrow’s cinematic masterpieces.
Whether you’re a film lover, a writer, or just curious about the art of storytelling, this event is your chance to connect with Austin’s creative talent and be inspired🎭
What to expect:
• 5 original scripts performed live by local actors, written by local screenwriters
• Live feedback given by local producers, directors, and professional script readers
• Networking opportunities with Austin’s film community
Screenwriters:
KB Brookins
Maryan Nagy Captan
Jose Da Hype
Tony Faia
Actors:
Iba Thiam
Mase Kerwick
Jose Da Hype
Micailah OCaii Nobles
Essynce
Marzetta
Rex Stanfield
Paige Freeman
Ray Perez
Jason Reyes
Carolyn Koskan
Erin Simpson
P Michael Hayes
This is a free event, but seating is limited—so reserve your spot now!
Come celebrate Austin’s thriving film scene. We can’t wait to see you there!
NOTES: If you can’t come, please cancel your RSVP to make space for someone that would like to come. Masks are required for attendees, and we will have free masks at the front door, Far UVC lights, and an air purifier running throughout, courtesy of Clear the Air ATX. Austin Public has a wheelchair accessible entrance and bathroom (call them at (512) 322-0145 ext. 3235 for more details). This event is all ages, but strong language will be used in some of the scripts, so take caution when bringing small children. This event has a zero tolerance policy for hate speech or heckling of any kind. Last, this event is hosted and produced by KB Brookins.
Get a sneak peek at the next big thing in film with First Three Pages, Live!
‘Zine Lunch!’ presented by Sarabande Books is a free online workshop on micro-writing and art. Hosted nearly every Friday from 12 - 1PM EST via Zoom, the workshops are designed to be a fun and low-stakes way to make time for creativity. In each lunchtime session, a Sarabande author or friend of the press leads attendees through the creation of a small work of writing or art in zine form. Bookmark this space to see our upcoming ‘Zine Lunch!’ sessions. You can register for upcoming workshops and view recordings of past workshops through the linked images below. Learn more about zine art here.
Workshop title: Mama Let’s PRAISE!
Description: A workshop where participants will close read and create their own poems of praise — including odes, afters, and more!
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqdeypqj4pHtGXh2dLwzLk6Yxvl0c_P6JM#/registration
Trying to get your work published can feel like wandering in a maze. If you're running into one dead end after another, not sure which way to turn, this workshop can demystify the process and help you reach your destination—publication.
Mapping the Maze is an online workshop designed for writers who have developed their craft and are now ready to make a concrete plan for getting their work published.
