Liz Meyer of the Seattle Gay News says the performers "...all showed such a mastery of the wonders of words that I was left thinking not, 'Carpe diem,' but rather, 'Carpe GODDAMN!'"

Check out the entire article at the SGN website!

The Showcase would not have been possible without the work of the students, volunteers, donors, and guests. Bent is especially grateful for the support of the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and Poets & Writers.

If you're thinking about a career in non-profit management, or if you're interested in picking up some credits for helping out a great organization, this internship is for you. It's low stress, high reward, you get to hang out with great queer writers, and it's a good notch on your resume.

Are there other areas of arts and non-profit management that interest you? It's possible we could work those into the internship -- contact Chris Leasure at lcleasure@gmail.com, and we'll talk.

Don't let this one slip by, apply before September 15.

They will be performing spoken word at the Kickoff on Friday night, as well as between films, 3:30 - 4:00 p.m., at the Film Festival on Saturday. Tickets to the Kickoff are $15, and for the Film Festival $12. See the full schedule for film times and descriptions, as well as other great events all weekend long.

All are welcome!

For more information, or to apply, e-mail Chris Leasure at lcleasure@gmail.com.

This year, Chad will produce Sitting In Circles With Rich White Girls Memoirs Of A Bulimic Black Boy, a one-person show funded by the NEA via the CD Forum. Also look for Chad at Voices Rising, an LGBTQ of color literary arts and culture festival on July 1 at Richard Hugo House. (Info: stormepoet@hotmail.com)

Not only are we thrilled that Chad is a candidate for Poet Populist, but we are excited by the company he keeps in Poet Populist-land. Among representatives of organizations close to Bent's heart like the Seattle Poetry Slam and Youth Speaks, a former Bent student, Amy Mahoney, has also been nominated by Knock Journal.

Visit the Poet Populist website to vote. And if you'd like to hear some great poetry, you can hear Chad on stage at the downtown Seattle Public Library for the first of two nominee read-offs.

Don't forget to vote by August 1! Tell your friends! Go Chad!

Voices Rising:

[Via Seattle Poetry Slam]

This Tuesday June 26th is the 3rd annual QUEER Slam, the Seattle Poetry Slam's event in honor of Seattle PRIDE. Hosted by Tara Hardy, founder of the Bent Writing Institute. This slam is for "self identified QUEERS" only.

Every Tuesday night at ToST, Seattle Poetry Slam (Seattle's longest running weekly show) hosts a spoken word blow-out: an extravaganza of words, performance and passion that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else.

To get on the mic you'll need to sign-up between 8 & 8:30pm. First comes the OPEN MIC - an open stage for anyone to share their words with the audience.

At 9pm, a Featured Poet take center stage with an extended set. Then, finally - The SLAM.

A Poetry Slam is a competitive poetry reading in which the focus is placed on the content as well as the performance.

Don't miss it, and click below for more information on Elaina and her work, and for directions to ToST.

Featured Bent performers include 2002 Seattle Poet Populist Tara Hardy and current Seattle Poet Populist nominee Chad Goller-Sojourner. From Stonewall '69 to Gay Marriage '07, our words will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you think. You don't want to miss it.

Check out the entire Queerfest entertainment lineup.

If you were unable to attend, don't fret! The Seattle Gay News (SGN)
will be bringing coverage to your local newsstand right quick. As well, check back with our website to find photos of the event and clips of Dorothy Allison, Tara Hardy, and Bent students performing the heck outta the stage.

We also want to give a big shout out to our award recipients for this year.
The Queer People of Color Liberation Project accepted the Organizer of the Year award for their tireless work of bringing to the fore voices of queer people of color through theatre productions and discussion series. Likewise, Katinka Kraft accepted the Volunteer of the Year award for her countless hours and efforts to grow Bent from a dream to a lived reality.

Last but certainly not least, we must give utter THANKS to our volunteers,
community partners, and allies for making this event possible and a huge
success. So THANK YOU:

Dorothy Allison, First United Methodist Church, John Breene, Sisters of
Perpetual Indulgence, Poets & Writers, Pride Foundation, Tara Hardy, G&H
Printing, Britt Ashley, Patch Avery, Sean Bishop, Ty Bosma, Ken Bowman, Greg
Brisendine, Laurie Cox, Jacob D’Annunzio, Amy Davies, Barbie Danielle
Decarlo, Kim Driscoll, Elaina Ellis, Martha Elridge, Roma Everly, Suzanna
Everly, Ingrid Eyen, Bess Fernandez, Amber Flame, Chad Goller-Sojourner,
Miryam Gordon, Sarah Gustavus, Karolyn Hicks, Cass Hodges, Martin Horn, Leah
Hughes, Meg Hunter, Erin Kilpatrick, Katinka Kraft, Sye Laird, Toby
Langford, Erin Lavery, Jenny Lowery, Airen Lydick, MacFinn, Kaden Mack,
Carol Maki, Piper MacKenzie, Amy Mahoney, Lindsay Martin, Joanna Michelson,
Mary Anne Moorman, A. Tyler Perry, Sid Peterson, Kathy Reim, Anthony
Ricardi, Zan Scommodau, Erick Seelbach, Jill Seidenstein, Sister Glo Euro
N’Wei, Jenn Steff, Sandi Strehlau, Joe Stevens, Zorn B. Taylor, Davey
Wilkes, Auction Donors, Queer People of Color Liberation Project, The
Audience, Food Donors, and Showcase Performers.

Bent Writing Institute & Dorothy Allison
Seattle First United Methodist Church, 811 Fifth Avenue
Friday October 13 & Saturday October 14
Doors 7:30pm / Curtain 8:00pm

Dorothy Allison Mentor Writing Workshop
Seattle First United Methodist Church
Saturday October 14
1pm-3pm

Tickets :: brownpapertickets.com

Bent, the nation's only "little queer writing institute that could," is proud to bring to the Seattle stage an incomparable queer artist who can and who has: Dorothy Allison.
Heralded as "One of the finest writers of her generation" by the Boston Globe and
"Simply stunning!" by the New York Times Book Review, Allison will again electrify and
transform audiences. Over two nights at the First United Methodist Church, more than
30 Bent students will share the stage with Allison for Bent¹s fifth annual mentor and student showcase and award show.

This Showcase is a rare opportunity to hear not only one of the most
talented writers of our time give voice to underrepresented life
experiences, but also to hear an array of emerging and acclaimed queer
artists attest to the complex intersections of living at the margins of
margins. As Tara Hardy, Bent Founder, remarks, "Dorothy Allison has
liberated an entire generation of poor and queer voices." As Bent is guided
by that value, the chance to honor her as a mentor is not only a landmark
for the organization, but an opportunity to say thank you from an entire
community of voices who, without her example, might still be living out our
own unique, silent solitude.

Also, Allison will facilitate a writing workshop on Saturday, October 14.
This exclusive offering is an intimate environment for community members to
interact with Allison. Participants will receive advice about their own
works as well as insight into the subject of writing itself.

Bent is beyond joyful that she will be sharing the stage with our writers,
and bringing her power to our community. Always compassionate and ruthlessly
honest, Dorothy says of her work, "What I am here for is to tell you stories
you may not want to hear." Please join us to hear and to be transformed.

DOROTHY ALLISON :: Dorothy Allison grew up in Greenville, South Carolina,
and describes herself as a feminist, working class story teller, southern
expatriate, sometime poet and a happily born-again Californian. She is the
author of numerous award-winning works, including Trash, Bastard Out of
Carolina, and Cavedweller. For more information on Dorothy Allison, go to:
dorothyallison.net.