Book Launch for Two Mystery Writers

Friday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.
Book launch party for Kathleen George and Kathryn Miller Haines
Mystery Lovers Bookstore
Oakmont, PA

Kathleen George is, in fact, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Both Frank and myself recently took Special Topics in Theater with her. I think she's a fantastic professor, and though I haven't had a chance to read any of her books (to be honest, I didn't even know she wrote mysteries!) here's a look at some things said about her previous novels:

Fallen:
"George . . . writes with the kind of attention to detail that's rare in any genre. Using her stage background, she uses the interior language of her characters like a master psychologist, revealing the story in escalating layers of suspense."
—Rege Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Fallen is an absolute page-turner, as well it should be. Let's get that out of the way. But what really lifts this beautifully written book above any limitations of genre is its depth of characterization. The people George brings to life on the page are among the most interesting, complex, and frightening I have encountered anywhere. Never has evil been so seductive, even understandable, and, gasp, almost forgivable. That's what finally makes this wonderful novel so scary in the end. Forgive me, Lord, for I have rooted for the Devil, & Kathy George made me do it."
—Chuck Kinder, HONEYMOONERS

Taken:
A first-class first novel...plenty of suspense....it is George's grasp of the human factor that makes her novel such a pleasure..."
—The Washington Post

"[An] offbeat thriller...Taken boasts three ingredients too often missing from the suspense genre: irony, humor, and plausibly flawed, cliche-free characters."
—Entertainment Weekly

Event: Two Titans of Pittsburgh Lit..

Cathy Day (fiction!) and Terrance Hayes (poetry!) will be reading at the Pittsburgh Association for the Deaf, which is across the street from the studio, as part of a partnership with Gist Street brought together by POP UP PITTSBURGH! A celebration of Uptown. The reading is open to the general public. There will be sign language interpreters and hard copies of the work available. It's FREE.

P.S. But more importantly - it's Cathy Day and it's Terrance Hayes! If you haven't read Cathy's "The Circus in Winter" ... then my friend, I suggest you go to a store where books can be purchased... and go about purchasing.

http://www.popuppittsburgh.com/
www.giststreet.orgwww.pghdeafclub.org.

Welcome!

Frank sent me a message a day or so ago asking me about if I'd like to help him with a blog for Pittsburgh Writers. I, personally, thought this to be a fantastic idea; a group whose sole purpose belongs to the interactivity and proliferation of thought amongst our Pittsburgh peers. Too often the stereotype of the lone writer, friendless and angry at the world, makes some impression on our lives. I believe that this blog could, in many ways, change that very idea around. At the very least, the plans Frank and I have for this blog mean building a stronger, better-connected community.

Though I love the thought of being this self righteous drunk singularly wielding a mighty pen (keyboard) against the numerous forces covering the subtle truths of society-- and I do love it-- I feel writers need their peers in order to write well. I believe that it's important for fellow writers to chat together, write together, brainstorm together, even socialize together. We can all benefit from one another... so why not give it a try?

I think Frank had the right idea when he birthed this blog. It means so much more than letting writers talk to one another in an open, easy format. To me, and I hope you'll agree, this blog means solace for those writers and artists who find it difficult to go day in and day out without social contact or sharing an idea. This blog means changing writing from a perceived solitary challenge to an emporium of thought, socializing, and eloquent prose.

Yinzerspielen!

Type "Yinzerspielen" into dictionary.com and your computer will spontaneously combust.

So instead, for all information regarding the enormously ambitious Pittsburgh-student project follow their progress and be sure to comment your support at:

(http://yinzerspielen.wordpress.com)

An email from the University of Pittsburgh's Redeye Theatre Project described the latest project as "a summer-long German-American theatre collaboration that's been nearly a year in the planning."

The project is led by Pitt student/playwright Cory Tamler, who is an enormously gifted writer and leader for the Pitt Repertory and has produced many fine works, and I believe also has been produced by Pittsburgh New Works. No word yet if their Iron-City Pittsburgh palate has adjusted to the weaker, inferior German breweries...

Manifesto - Writers of Pittsburgh unite!!!

You know what I always thought would be great? If one brave soul got off his lazy Pittsburgh ass, and did something to connect/network all the starving Pittsburgh writers in the region. And what if they could do it using this fancy thing called technology. Well, unfortuanately all you have is me. One man who will dedicate his life's work to being the Marketing/PR wizard for all things relating to literary Pittsburgh - until at least something better comes along. But until then, contact me and join in my quest, because only you can prevent forest fires... and only you can make Pittsburgh the next really cool, hip, artsy city-place-thing. Check back for updates including all kinds of crazy stuff I/you haven't even thought up yet.