The other night, I met with Jess Meoni, the organizer of Scranton’s first ever ZineFest, and the writers who will take part in the reading portion of the festival from 4-6 pm on Saturday, June 11 at Pages and Places at Anthology (515 Center Street, Scranton).

The closer this event draws, the more excited I am about it, and I’m confident that the mix of people reading will sustain and maintain the audience’s interest. Everyone’s work is unique and different from each other’s. I wanted to take some time and share some basic info about the different writers.

Alexis Czencz Belluzi has a chapbook of poems out with the Boston-based press/publisher Big Table Publishing (These guys also put out my book, Front Man). Her book, Practicing Distance, was hailed as “teasingly original” and “a finely wrought chapbook of poems” by renowned poet Eric Tretheway, father of award-winning poet Natasha Tretheway.

Dale Wilsey Jr. is a friend and poet I’ve met over the last year. He has no qualms writing honest poems about sex and relationships, but I’ve also heard him read moving poems that explore  father/son relationships. You should check out his blog by clicking here.

Amye Barresse Archer is a friend I’ve made through the Wilkes University Graduate Creative Writing Program, where we both completed an M.A. and M.F.A.  in creative writing. She’s a witty, talented memoirist and poet. The latest collection of poems she’s working on is set to the 80s hair metal scene! How cool is that? She also just started a reading series in the Scranton area called Prose in Pubs. You should check out her blog here.

Rachael Goetzke is another friend I made through the Wilkes Program. She’s currently working on a memoir about the importance of music, especially Pearl Jam, in her life. Like her memoir, her poetry is also filled with references to music and pop culture. She is also a co-founder and editor of the literary journal Word Fountain. The new music-themed issue will be available at ZineFest. Check out her blog here.

I’ll also be reading at the event, and if you reading this blog, then you probably know my work. But if you just stumbled upon this blog, and want a sample of my stuff, check out my site here.

Also, if you are interested in showcasing your zine, poetry chapbook, jewelry, or art, there is still some time to sign up for a table. Just check the ZineFest website for more info. The cut-off date to get a table is Friday, May 27.

And before you come to the reading, make sure to check out all of the vender tables from noon-3 p.m. along Center Street.