The Other Voices Women’s Reading Series, organized by poet Liza Porter, has been a consistent monthly event for many years thanks in part to the dedication of Ms Porter and in part to the wealth of talented women writers in Southern Arizona.  The event started as a poetry reading but has morphed into presenting female writers of all sorts and sometimes an occasional performance piece.

On Friday, August 14, at 7 p.m. you can hear readers Roz Spafford and Shawn Finn  at Antigone Books, 411 North 4th Ave.  The reading will be followed by an open mic and it’s important to arrive 15 minutes early if you’d like to sign up to read.

Roz Spafford‘s book Requiem won the 2008 Gell Poetry Prize.  She has been a writer, teacher and activist for the last three decades. Until recently she taught writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz and wrote book reviews and a newspaper column of media and cultural criticism, called Mediations.  Her poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous literary magazines.  Ms. Spafford grew up on a cattle ranch in northwestern Arizona and is currently living with her family and writing in Canada.

Shawn Finn is a feminist, a poet, and creative nonfiction writer.  Her poetry explores personal experience, spirituality, the beauties of nature, and the faces of the Goddess. She has been published in Of a Like Mind and Sagewoman. She lives in the beautiful Sonoran Desert.

This event is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc.

The circumstances were less than ideal.  The outdoor courtyard where Glenda Bonin was to tell her story at the grand opening of the UA Poetry Center had no mic nor stage.  She gamely climbed on top of a large rock in her long skirt and silver concho belt and mesmerized her audience with a tale of early settlers in the west.

Glenda was introduced to storytelling many years ago when her children where young and she volunteered to tell stories at her local library.  She had learned magic and was working part-time as a clown but didn’t consider it a serious career so she took a “real job”.  After she was downsized and was helping her ill father she had the opportunity to review her life and asked herself the question, “when was I the most happy in my life?”  The answer turned out to be when she was telling stories.

She immersed herself in learning the craft by attending workshops and festivals and read everything she could get her hands on.  She began by offering her services for free in order to get experience and to build a customer base and after two years she felt confident that she was ready to turn pro.  She still will do an occasional benefit for a worthy cause but now she’s able to support herself with her art.

Glenda specializes in stories for kids and families although she loves working with special populations such as college classes, special needs folks and seniors.  In addition to plying her trade in Tucson and Phoenix her work takes her all over the country.  She travels  to rural areas in an RV, sometimes for month long residencies.  She also offers workshops and digital storytelling; visit her website, Story Works Group to learn more.

Some of the stories that Glenda tells are original and some are re-creations of traditional stories with her personal stamp on them.  She puts a lot of time into learning and rehearsing them both with a tape recorder and with her peer group of other storytellers. She’s working on a book collection of the stories that she tells.

Glenda is also deep into a research project that revolves around her grandmother, a fascinating woman named Vera Martin.  She is creating a Chautauqua, a performance where one takes on the persona of another person and tells the story from their point of view. Some of you might remember Hal Holbrook becoming Mark Twain on stage, that’s a Chautauqua.

When I asked her the hardest part of the life of a professional storyteller she answered, “not making enough to put money into savings,” a common dilemma of creative self-employed people who are practicing their art.

Edge, the reading series of emerging and younger writers presents Sean Nevin and Kara Waite on Wednesday, July 29 at 8 p.m. at Casa Libre en la Solana, Tucson’s hidden literary treasure, 228 N. Fourth Ave, for a suggested donation of $5.  Refreshments will be available after the reading.

If you’ve never been to Casa Libre before, you’re in for a treat.  It’s a non-profit community resource center and funky yet comfortably restored multi-roomed inn for writers.  They often have readings  in the center courtyard next to the sparkling swimming pool in the summer or  tucked in the cozy library in the winter.

Their mission is “to contribute to the development of a more cohesive literary culture in Tucson by acting as a physical hub where smaller groups may find refuge and connections.”  Their website describes how they picked their name that roughly translates as Free House in the Sun.

In addition to classes and community meetings, Casa hosts the Lamplight Reading Series on the first Sunday of every month from 4 to 6 p.m. and the monthly Wednesday Night Salons (no meeting in August.)

For more information contact co-founder / executive director Kristen Nelson at casakeepers@casalibre.org.