Much has changed in queer writing since the Stonewall riots in New York in June 1969, which launched the gay-liberation movement. What does “queer” mean today? How far has a literature that once could not dare speak its name really come? Has its moment come and gone? Or is it still relevant to write queer stories and, if so, how should they be written now? Does it matter who tells them? The evening will begin with a reading of participants’ work, followed by a group discussion led by John Barton where participants are encouraged to talk about their experiences of writing, sharing, and publishing their queer-themed work and how they see queer writing today and in the future. Everyone welcome, the unpublished and the published, the queer and the not queer alike. 

Advance preparation: Bring a poem (30 lines or one page, which ever is shorter), short fiction excerpt (up to 750 words long) or nonfiction excerpt (up to 750 words long) to read in the open-mike. Bring a short biographical note with you, which John Barton, as emcee, can read to introduce you. The number of readers will be capped at ten. Arrive at 6:45 pm. to get on the readers’ list.

John Barton is Memorial University’s 2015 Writer in Residence. He is the author of  11 books of poetry, co-editor, with Billeh Nickerson, of Seminal: The Anthology of Canada’s Gay Male Poets (Arsenal Pulp Press), and the longtime editor of The Malahat Review.

This event is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Faculty of Arts at Memorial.