Literary Firsts

Finally, the AWP reading is tonight! Be there at 5:30pm for the literary force that is James Tadd Adcox, Sam Cha, John Cotter, Melissa Febos, Elisa Gabbert, Robert Kloss, Vanessa Veselka, and Adrian Todd Zuniga!

And, while you’re here, check out the Phoenix interview with founder and host, Carissa Halston.

If you missed last week’s Literary Firsts, I can’t stress enough the talent that was in that room (minus my reading from a work-in-progress that is sure to change). We had a heartrending essay from Jennifer De Leon, a slew of smart and touching poems from Erica Anzalone, and a startlingly funny, yet vulnerable confessional from Ilan Mochari. You can watch the videos here and check out the photos below.

Carissa Halston reads from her work-in-progress novel.

Jennifer De Leon reads her essay, “Mapping Yolanda.”

Erica Anzalone reads her poetry.

Ilan Mochari reads his confessional essay.

Photo credit, as usual, goes to Randolph Pfaff.

This was our final reading for 2012! See you in January for the reading that will close our third year!

I’m sad to say that, due to a medical emergency, Myfanwy Collins won’t be reading at Literary Firsts tonight (but I’m looking forward to having her read at a future event).

That said, I’ll be wearing my fiction reading shoes tonight. So, if you’re in Boston and want to hear me read, I’ll see you at 7pm at Middlesex Lounge!

Heaps of gratitude should be thrown toward our wonderfully talented readers and audience members from Monday night’s reading. What a wonderful way to celebrate the first anniversary of Literary Firsts. If you weren’t able to make it to the reading, you can now watch the videos and pretend you were there. If anyone asks, you loved the free cookies (unless you didn’t–that’s okay too).

Carissa Halston reads from The Mere Weight of Words

April Ranger reads her poetry.

Emily Sweeney reads her essay.

Ethan Gilsdorf reads "Astral Projection, the Silver Cord, and Other Lessons."

Many, many thanks once again to Ethan, Carissa, Emily, and April for reading, to Randolph Pfaff who always captures the events through photography and video, and to the Middlesex who always provide a great venue.

Photo credit: Michael Diskin

Literary Firsts founder and host, Carissa Halston, was recently interviewed for STUFFBoston. She talked about the series, sex, why it’s okay to talk about sex, and why she loves her Hedgehog (named Hedgehog). Check out the interview here and be at the Middlesex Lounge on April 18 when Carissa will be reading from her forthcoming novella, The Mere Weight of Words.

Carissa Halston is your host.

Carissa Halston is the author of A Girl Named Charlie Lester, the editor of apt, and the founder/host of Literary Firsts. Her debut novel was called “emotionally generous” and “a lovely piece of female confessional” by Kirkus Reviews, as well as a “great read” by Curve. She has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize and was honorably mentioned in the 2008 New York Book Festival. Her novella, The Mere Weight of Words, will be published in late 2012 by Aqueous Books.

Carissa is the fiction writer for the April 18 reading.

Our anniversary is fast approaching. Next month, Aforementioned Productions will be six years old and Literary Firsts will start its second year by featuring Ethan Gilsdorf, Carissa Halston, April Ranger, and Emily Sweeney.

To kick off the celebration, here are a couple of little girls reading by disco light.

Join us, won’t you?

So happy to announce that the April date has been confirmed. We’ll be celebrating the one year anniversary of Literary Firsts on Monday, April 18.

Please join us when Emily Sweeney will be our essayist, April Ranger will be our poet, Carissa Halston will be hosting and reading fiction, and Ethan Gilsdorf will be our confessional reader.

It’s going to be a swell evening and we’re going to buy out the Middlesex Lounge’s stock of chocolate chip cookies. Just wait and see.

Carissa Halston is your host.

Carissa Halston‘s novel, A Girl Named Charlie Lester, was called “emotionally generous” and “a lovely piece of female confessional” by Kirkus Reviews. She was honorably mentioned in the 2008 New York Book Festival and has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Last September, she performed in the US and Canada for her one-woman storytelling tour, Portraiture.

Carissa is the confessional writer for the April 19 reading.