Singapore Unbound/Second Saturday Reading Series

SINGAPORE UNBOUND Freedom of Expression. Equal Rights for All.

SECOND SATURDAYS READING SERIES On March 11, 7-9 pm, Second Saturdays features a pair of poets from Pittsburgh, Jason Irwin and Jen Ashburn, who look at life with an unflinching yet compassionate gaze. They will read from their new books A Blister of Stars and The Light on the Wall. Potluck and open-mic as usual. Please RSVP Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org for directions.   Jason Irwin was born with a litany of birth defects. A Blister of Stars (Low Ghost Press, 2016) is Irwin's interrogation of his own biography. His poems reveal the terror felt by a child confused about what is happening to his body; the endless surgeries and difficult recoveries, the strain it all puts on his parents both emotionally and financially. Irwin's luminous, reflective poems strive for solace in the face of horror, hold fast to faith while staring into the void.  Jason is also the author of Watering the Dead (Pavement Saw Press, 2008), winner of the Transcontinental Poetry Award, and the chapbooks Where You Are (Night Ballet Press, 2014), & Some Days It's A Love Story (Slipstream Press, 2005). He grew up in Dunkirk, NY, and received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College in 2004.    "In The Light on the Wall, Jen Ashburn powerfully depicts the fragility and complexities of childhood alongside the wonder of exploring and observing the world around us. This is a poetry of memory but also of awakening—written with great musicality, a precise eye for image, and a spirited tenderness. “I need the dark to see the starlight,” Ashburn says. She captures both darkness and light elegantly in this stunning debut collection of poems." -Scott Silsbe. Jen holds an MFA in creative writing from Chatham University, where she taught creative writing to inmates in the Allegheny County Jail through Chatham’s Words Without Walls program. Originally from southern Indiana, she spent four years in Japan and greater Asia.   Date and Time: Saturday, March 11, 7 pm Venue: Private home in Lower East Side, NY, NY RSVP: Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org About Second Saturdays Reading Series The Second Saturdays Reading Series is a monthly literary gathering in New York City for the reading of Singaporean and American literatures. Typically we have 20 - 30 people assembling in a private home. The two-hour event begins with a potluck, followed by an open reading and the featured author. For our fourth season (October 2016 - June 2017), we have a terrific line-up, including Naomi Novik, Chinelo Okparanta, Jason Irwin, Sohrab Homi Fracis, George Kalogeris, and a recital-talk by Singaporean singer and conductor Phillip Cheah. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list or to host an event, please contact Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. Follow us on Facebook.

Jen Ashburn's Book Launch Reading 1/28/17

http://irmafreeman.org/events/light-on-the-wall/

On the evening of January 28th, alumna Jennifer Ashburn released her new poetry book, The Light on the Wall. At Irma Freeman Center, Ashburn read with special guests Daniela Buccilli, Brittany Hailer, and Scott Silsbe. Emcee Paula Levin led the book launch.

First, Ashburn read multiple pieces from the new publication. Buccilli and Silsbe read poetry, while Hailer shared nonfiction.

“I had it in mind to write about my travels, but the family poems kept creeping in. For a while it seemed like I was writing two different collections. In the end, the family and travel poems worked together to essentially tell the story of my life thus far,” Ashburn said.

With themes of family dysfunction, mental illness, and the “uncomfortableness, escapism, and wonder of travel,” The Light on the Wall is her first full-length poetry book.

At the event, Ashburn also started a collection for a local community organization, Bethlehem Haven, which supports women who are homeless or mentally ill. “By the time it’s finally out, you’re ready to move on creatively. I was really pleased we were able to raise some money for Bethlehem Haven. Also, it felt really good to have my friends and colleagues there.”

Attendees enjoyed a book signing, wine, lemonade, and light hors d'oeuvres. An after party occurred at Mixtape for writers and readers to converse more and celebrate the book’s release.

“I think it went well. I’m grateful to my fellow readers, the emcee Paula Levin, and everyone who attended,” said Ashburn.

For more information about Ashburn, The Light on the Wall, and her other work, please visit http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15589998.Jen_Ashburn