Reveille – open-mic stories, songs, poems from youth

Beth Powning

Question: What do you get when you ask adults to read no-holds-barred tales from their youth? Answer: Reveille – a fun-filled night that gives a forum to our early writings, as embarrassing as they may be. This evening of literary hilarity returns to the Frye Festival by popular demand on Wednesday, April 21.

Reveille is an event where members of the audience and special guests, including local celebrities and Frye Festival authors, share “works” they wrote as children and teenagers (e.g. angst-filled poetry,sorrowful diary entries, sappy songs) in an open mic format. The more cringe-worthy, the better!  The event gets underway at 7 p.m. at the Moncton Press Club.

A presentation of the Professional Writers Association of Canada – Moncton Chapter, Reveille’s goal is to give voice to the childhood writer. The event will be emceed by two Chapter members: Brian Cormier, public relations specialist and newspaper columnist and Lana Hansen, communications consultant.

Anyone can participate and admission is free. Spectators should come prepared to groan, laugh and cheer.

To date, four Frye Festival authors have volunteered to step up to the microphone and read writings from their childhood: Beth Powning, Jacob Berkowitz, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer and Kay Stone.

Beth Powning’s bestselling novel The Hatbox Letters was long-listed for the IMPAC Dublin Award, and her memoir, Edge Seasons was a Globe and Mail Best Book. Shadow Child and Seeds of Another Summer were published in the US and Canada. Her latest novel is The Sea Captain’s Wife (Random House). She lives in New Brunswick.

Jacob Berkowitz is an author and performer who loves turning science into stories. He’s written books about fossil poop and aliens. He’s working on a book about how to smell better. He lives with wife Rosemary, and kids Max and Francesca in the Ottawa-Valley town of Almonte, ON.

Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer is the author most recently of the novel Perfecting (Goose Lane Editions). She also wrote The Nettle Spinner (Amazon.ca/Book in Canada First Novel Award finalist) and Way Up (Danuta Gleed 3rd, ReLit finalist). She is formerly the magazine editor for Bookninja.com. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto and online through The New York Times.

Kay Stone, a folklorist specializing in folk tales, has 30 years of experience as a storyteller. She has given performances and workshops in Canadian and U.S. schools, libraries, and universities; in art galleries and museums; and at storytelling festivals. Kay has written three academic books that include her original stories.

For more information contact: Rayanne Brennan, VP, Professional Writers Association of Canada, Moncton Chapter at rayanneb@rogers.com or visit www.monctonwriters.ca.