Address
1634 11th Avenue
Seattle
Washington

98122
United States

“Cheap Wine and Poetry” presents its annual ladies’ night featuring poets Tara Hardy, Washington State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken, Kristen McHenry and Jeanine Walker, plus the wonders of two-buck Chuck. Hosted by Charla Grenz, the reading is free and an open mic follows the featured readers.

About the Poets

Kathleen Flenniken is the newly appointed Washington State Poet Laureate for 2012 – 2014. Her second collection of poems, “Plume,” about growing up in Richland and working at the Hanford Nuclear Site, is just released from University of Washington Press. Her first book, “Famous” (University of Nebraska, 2006), won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and was named a Notable Book by the American Library Association.

Tara Hardy is the working class queer femme poet who founded Bent, a writing institute for LGBTIQ people in Seattle. Her first full length book of poems, “Bring Down the Chandeliers,” was published by Write Bloody Press in the spring, 2011 and she is currently a writer-in-residence at Richard Hugo House. Tara is a founding member of Salt Lines, the all woman performance poetry group that has toured the U.S. since March, 2009. By a vote of the people, the Seattle City Council named Tara Hardy Seattle Poet Populist in 2002. She is the recipient of the 2011 Washington Poets Association Burning Word Award. She has been a finalist on seven National Poetry Slam stages. A daughter of the United Auto Workers, and activist in the Battered Women’s Movement, Tara is committed to art as a tool for social change. Her work has been published in various journals and anthologies, including two anthologies by Seal Press, “Sex and Single Girls” and “Without A Net.” Tara has been a keynote speaker and performer on hundreds of campuses for Take Back the Night, LGBT Pride, Women’s History Month, Trans Awareness Week, Kink on Campus, Women’s Studies and Lavender graduations, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Coming out Day and various gender, sexuality, social class and poetry related events. More about Tara at tarahardy.net

Kristen McHenry is a resident of Seattle, Washington and is a poet by night, and supervisor of volunteers for an urban hospital by day. Among other publications, her work has been seen in Bare Root Review, Numinous, Tiferet, Sybil’s Garage, Big Pulp and the anthology, “Many Trails to the Summit” published by Rose Alley Press. She was a top five finalist in the 2009 national poetry competition Project Verse. Her chapbook “The Goatfish Alphabet” was runner-up in qarrtsiluni’s 2009 chapbook contest, and was published by Naissance Press in 2010. Her second chapbook, “Triplicity: Poems in Threes” was published by Indigo Ink Press is 2011. Kristen serves on the editorial staff for Literary Bohemian and teaches creativity workshops in her “spare” time. She lives in the Ballard neighborhood with three cats, four fire-bellied toads and one husband. She loves to sing, but only in the car with all of the windows rolled up.

Jeanine Walker has been documented as loving the following non-food and non-drink items: whale bones, dead trees, murk, blankets, sandals, saddles, kind of fast clouds, smiling, tapping, holding a note with her breath, bunkers, refurbished cobblestone, turning up at strange places having no memory as per how she got there, groves, construction sites, plankton, the human ego, the human automobile, light posts, pen caps, burnt driftwood, loops, tests, fumes, ponds, basketball, doh, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, doh.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

Write Out is a happy hour for writers to do what we do most—or should do more of: write.

Each Write Out features a writing prompt offered by a local author, who will also be on hand writing, a grab-bag of writing prompts, and exercises and a small library of books on writing to inspire you. And to further inspire you, happy hour specials are available at the bar.

There are no rules for Write Out—just come any time between 6 and 8 p.m. and write. We’ll provide pens and paper, but if you have a lucky pen or a favorite journal, bring it. Laptops are fine, too. We’ll have power strips available should you need to power up. Light conversation is acceptable, but Write Out is about writing. Bring something you’re working on or start something fresh—just be ready to write!

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

The Vis-à-Vis Society, led by Dr. Ink (Sierra Nelson) and Dr. Owning (Rachel Kessler), turn Hugo House’s gallery into an interactive poetry-science installation and data collection machine from April 1 – May 11. Using self-graphing exercises, multiple-choice poems and on-site telephone interactions, participants contemplate Shame, Pantyhose, The Scientific Method, Bad Habits, Camouflage, Snack Dust, The Polka, Secrets and Individual Perception of Time-Speed in Relation to Distance from Optimal Position (with glowing lights).

During Capitol Hill’s Blitz Arts Walk on April 12 from 5-8 p.m., the Vis-à-Vis Society will be on-site to gather further data, lead live experiments and report initial findings via song, dance and poems camouflaged as bushes. Hugo House’s bar will be open serving drinks inspired by the installation.

In conjunction with the installation and using their innovative poetry, science, and performance methods, the Vis-à-Vis Society will also teach a one-day generative writing class, “All of the Above,” on May 5, 1-5 p.m. To register for the workshop, click here.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

“A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry,” edited by Stacey Lynn Brown and Oliver de la Paz, is a groundbreaking anthology of works by contemporary poets writing in personas. The reading will feature the following writers reading their poem from the anthology: Jeannine Hall Gailey, Martha Silano, Peter Pereira, Elizabeth J. Colen, Jeremy Halinen, Carol Guess, Luke Johnson, Kathleen Flenniken, Matthew Nienow, and Peter Ludwin.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

Four writers from Alaska, including Peggy Shumaker, the Alaska State Writer Laureate, Joan Kane, Amber Flora Thomas, Nicole Stellon-O’Donnell,will read from their new books published by The Alaska Literary Series of the University of Alaska Press. The event is FREE.

The Alaska Literary Series of the University of Alaska Press publishes three titles a year in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction that has a strong connection to Alaska or the circumpolar north, making the northern experience available to the world.

Read more about the artists here.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

“A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry,” edited by Stacey Lynn Brown and Oliver de la Paz, is a groundbreaking anthology of works by contemporary poets writing in personas. The reading will feature the following writers reading their poem from the anthology: Jeannine Hall Gailey, Martha Silano, Peter Pereira, Elizabeth J. Colen, Jeremy Halinen, Carol Guess, Luke Johnson, Kathleen Flenniken, Matthew Nienow and Peter Ludwin.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

Dozens of the finest small presses from the Northwest and beyond converge on the epicenter of Seattle’s literary world for a one-of-a-kind book fair. Book-buyers’ best chance to see a bevy of small press books rarely seen on bookstore shelves. The first twenty people get a free APRIL tote bag. Readings throughout the day in the Hugo House Theater. The Hugo House bar will be open.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

For brainy Seattleites, pub trivia has become a combat sport. Hugo House has stepped into the ring with our own spin on the popular game: a night of literary trivia, led by quizmasters Steve Barker and Elissa Washuta.

The quizmasters will ask four rounds of questions about books, authors and other literary factoids. The top-scoring team wins a prize pack of books and other goodies.

If you’ve been dying to show off your book-smarts in front of people who actually care, here’s your chance.

This event is FREE, and the bar will be open beginning at 6:30 p.m. serving $2 Rainiers, select wells for $4 and more.

PLEASE NOTE: Teams are limited to five people.

Upcoming Events

Address
1634 11th Ave
Seattle
WA

98122
United States

The legendary, raucous, rowdy performance gang, Sister Spit, comes to Richard Hugo House with a vanload of multimedia, queer-centric brilliance! Don’t miss this multimedia explosion of taste-makers, novelists, luminaries, chanteuses, performance artists, poets and filmmakers.

Featuring your host Michelle Tea (Best Music Writing 2010, “Chelsea Whistle,” “Valencia,” “Rent Girl”), legendary author Dorothy Allison (“Bastard Out of Carolina,” “Two or Three Things I Know for Sure,” “Cavedweller”), writer and musician Brontez Purnell (“FAG School,” Younger Lovers, Gravy Train!!!), performer and playwright Erin Markey (“Green Eyes,” “Puppy Love: A Stripper’s Tail”), comic artist and writer Cassie J Sneider (“Fine Fine Music”) and nationally-ranking slam poet and Mr. Transman 2010 Kit Yan!

Also featuring special guests David Schmader and Rebecca Brown!

Tickets are $20/$15 for Hugo House members and students and can be purchased online here, or by calling (206) 322-7030. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

More information about the artists here!

Upcoming Events