Upcoming Events in September
Hello Kerouacians!
Here are the offerings at the Kerouac House this month:
On Saturday Sept 12th from 12 to 4pm we will host our next Underground Book Fair in cooperation with Wordier Than Thou. If you’re a book nerd and like meeting local authors and other book nerds, don’t miss this quarterly event.
On Saturday Sept 19th from 1-4 pm Victoria Dym will facilitate “An Ekphrastic Writing Workshop,” a workshop practicing descriptive writing using items and artworks in the Kerouac House for inspiration.
On Saturday Sept 26th from 7 - 9pm is our monthly storytelling event, Storytelling @ the Kerouac House, this month featuring Darrell Nicholson.
Finally, on Sunday Sept 27th from 3-6pm we will have the next edition of Coffee and Poetry @ Jack’s, this month featuring Charmaine Jennings.
Of course, all of the above will be held at your friendly neighborhood Jack Kerouac House of St Petersburg at 5169 10th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710. Details and ticket info about each event are provided below and on our Facebook page.
Every three months, The Underground Book Fair is co-hosted by the Jack Kerouac House and local literary group Wordier Than Thou. On Sat 09/12 from 12 – 4pm come meet and shop with local authors, booksellers, vinyl and collectible pop-up shops, artists, organizations and more while hanging out in Jack Kerouac's St. Petersburg home.
Local authors will read from and discuss their works, and the shopkeepers will talk about what they do and/or sell their wares. Drinks will be available for a donation and tours of the house are free. Entry is a suggested tax-deductible donation of $5 at the door, which goes directly to maintaining the Jack Kerouac House.
Info for venders: Remember, this is an atypical venue with atypical vendor spaces! There are two large indoor spaces and a large screened porch that will venders will share as well three standard bedrooms (reserved for booksellers). No tents, and there is some furniture in the small rooms, some (like beds) that can't be moved. Please bring your own table (the smallest that will suit your needs, please). Ideal for authors, artists, organizations, and small businesses. Vender registration is $10 + tax.
Click here for vendor registration
Ekphrastic Workshop at the Kerouac House
Ekphrasis means ‘description” in Greek. Ekphrastic writing uses a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting, sculpture, or artifact, the writer may amplify and expand its meaning.
Spend the afternoon with your workshop facilitator, Victoria Dym, using ekphrasis to explore Kerouac’s furnishings, artifacts and artwork to inspire your own writing. Perhaps, you will be inspired to start a story set in the 1950’s or 60’s. Or write a poem as Keat’s did with Ode to a Grecian Urn.
This workshop at the Jack Kerouac House on 9/19 from 1-4pm is meant to be inspirational and generative no matter what stage of writer you define yourself as. Appropriate for beginners to published authors. And even if you are not a writer, Victoria has studied up on the historical artifacts, artwork and stories that she has curated for this workshop, both inside and outside the house. Fun and informative and as always sharing is optional.
Prerequisite: Curiosity
Tickets $30 plus tax
Ekphrastic Writing Workshop Tickets
Storytelling @ the Kerouac House feat. Darrell Nicholson
On September 26 from 7-9 pm, sailor, writer and storyteller Darrell Nicholsonand his restless spirit will be welcomed back as our Feature Storyteller at the Jack Kerouac House.
Darrell is the kind of person Jack might choose as a road companion — mad to live, mad to move, and constitutionally incapable of the commonplace. He bicycled across the Eastern Bloc before the wall came down, rebuilt a 62-year-old wooden ketch and sailed it across the Pacific, and backpacked through the Himalayas — adding to a lifetime tally of getting lost—often very lost—in 67 countries.
Along the way he served as a pilot boat captain, wrote screenplays for Disney, filed stories from Guam, and accumulated more than two dozen awards for magazine and newspaper writing across technical, environmental, investigative, and travel journalism. He is also an award-winning fiction writer, with poetry and short stories appearing in several prominent journals and the anthology 15 Views of Tampa Bay. His debut story collection, Prudence and Other Stories, is forthcoming. A proud father and grandfather, Darrell currently acts and directs with the beloved playback theatre troupe “Thread,” based in Sarasota, Florida.
Clark Brooks will be our opener. Originally from Benton Harbor, Michigan, Clark is a writer and comedian in Tampa. He is a published author with two books and was the first blogger to be granted full-access media credentials to cover the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has performed at comedy clubs all over Florida and is currently the Senior Supreme Executive Premium Content Editor and a contributing writer for Tampa News Force.
Victoria Dym is the host and will also tell a story to open the open mic. Sign up to tell a 5-7 minute story at the event. Libations, snacks and Kerouac merch are available.
Tickets $10 plus tax.
Storytelling featuring Darrell Nicholson Tickets
Coffee and Poetry at Jack's feat. Charmaine
Charmaine “C-Maine” Jennings is a published author, poet, and co-founder & CEO of Chosen Life Specialists, LLC, an Arts-Infused Relationship Counseling organization serving individuals, groups, and organizations nationally and internationally. She integrates emotional intelligence, psychological principles, and creative arts to achieve high-impact outcomes in relational health and growth/personal development via interactive accountability, artful resilience, and intentional transformation. Her poetry serves as a bold call to action for healing, growth, and transformation.
Victoria Dym will host and read to open the open mic. Sign up at the event to read 1 or 2 poems max. Coffee and sweets will be served.
Tickets $10 plus tax
Coffee & Poetry featuring Charmaine Jennings
That’s it for our offerings this month. Don’t forget, the Jack Kerouac House is also available for private events, parties, tours, and overnight stays. Keep in touch by following us on Facebook and Instagram!
Jack Kerouac Photo by: Henri Cru