AQLF Events for Autumn

AQLF has decided to end its annual weekend festival after five years. Instead, we will be hosting events year-round or partnering with other organizations to present LGBTQ programming to Atlanta. We have a very exciting calendar of upcoming events this fall. Check them out!  

Thursday, October 20, 6 to 8:00 p.m. 
AQLF Graphic Intervention Reading
Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
The Atlanta Queer Literary Festival partners with MODA as part the museum's Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Posters exhibition. Local poets will read poems inspired by posters on display. Expected to read are Cleo Creech, Franklin Abbott, Megan Volpert, Collin Kelley and more. MODA, 1315 Peachtree St. (across from the High Museum). www.museumofdesign.org.

Saturday, October 22, 1-6 p.m.
Athens Queer Literary Afternoon (AQLA) 
Hendershot's Coffee Bar, Athens 
This special event will feature Amanda C. Gable (Georgia's Author of the Year 2010) and Franklin Abbott (chairperson of the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival), Janine Aronson, Ben Hudson, Tricia Lootens, Alice Mohor (and Lois), Aralee Strange and Bellah Sparxx! Open Mic with Athens' own Avid Bookshop selling LGBTQ books of poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction. UGA and community writers are welcome to read as well, published or unpublished. Hendershot's Coffee Bar, 1560 Oglethorpe Dr. For more information and directions, visit this link.

Saturday, October 29, 7:30 p.m. 
Poetry Atlanta & AQLF Present VOICES CARRY 
Philip Rush Center 
Poetry Atlanta and Atlanta Queer Literary Festival present the seventh annual reading featuring poets Cecilia Woloch, Rupert Fike, Alice Lovelace, Franklin Abbott and Karen Head. Collin Kelley will host. Free! Philip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave. (same building as Radial Cafe).

Tuesday, November 8, 6:15 p.m.
Premiere of A Portrait of Peaches
Philip Rush Center
Queer folk have been the gatekeepers between the everyday and spirit worlds in myriad ways in many indigenous societies. How are are artists, poets and musicians queer shamans in our postmodern world? One question leads to another and another. On Tuesday evening, November,  we will debut A Portrait of Peaches directed and produced by Taryn Lee Crenshaw and Jessica Burton. The evening will begin with a potluck and the film will be  followed by a conversation on queer aesthetics. Philip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave. (same building as Radial Cafe).

Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m.
An Evening of Spoken Word with Kimberly Dark
Bound to Be Read Books
Kimberly Dark’s spoken word shows have twice been named on Curve magazine’s top 10 performances of the year and, in 2010, Campus Pride named her one of the “Top 25 LGBT Favorites” on Campus Pride’s 2010 “HOT LIST!” –  the ‘best of the best’ in LGBT actors, comedians, performers, and more – diverse, provocative, inspiring, and enlightening. Bound to Be Read Books, 481-B Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com

November 10-13
Tim Miller's Lay of the Land
7 Stages Theatre
Gay and human rights activist Tim Miller returns to 7 Stages with his all new queer tale. Lay of the Land  is Tim Miller’s saucy, sharp-knifed look at the State of the Queer Union during a time of trial! Lay of the Land friskily gets at that feeling of gay folks being perpetually on trial, on the ballot, and on the menu. Call 404.523.7647 for reservations. Ask for the special AQLF price. 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave. www.7stages.org

Saturday, November 12, noon
A Conversation on Race & Gender in Queer Culture
Auburn Avenue Research Library
A free event with some of Atlanta's notable members of the LGBTQ community on race and gender in queer culture. More details on panelists soon. The event is free and open to the public. 101 Auburn Ave. www.afpls.org

Photos from Big Joy Salon

Julie Bloemeke and Cleo Creech

Cal Gough

A'Roara Thunder

Brent Calderwood

Julie Bloemeke

Chad Shone and Griff Tester

Don Perryman

Rupert Fike

Big Joy Salon Benefit & Reading, Aug. 26

AQLF is hosting a reading/screening/benefit for the Big Joy Project which is making a film about the late filmmaker, poet, playwright and faerie shaman James Broughton (aka Big Joy). Join us and lots of queer poets, radical faeries, sisters of perpetual indulgence and avant garde cinephiles for an evening of spoken word, film and faerie buffet. The event will be held at The Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Avenue. Doors open at 6:30, the reading begins at 7:30 and after a dalliance the films begin around 9. $5 donation is requested (please give more if you can and less if need be). Feel free to bring food and bev for the buffet. Of course there will be door prizes, faerie dust and Big Joy blessings. For more on the film project go to www.bigjoy.org. The Rush Center is next to the Radial Cafe and across from the Candler Park Marta Station. Free parking.

Remembering Blair

We were stunned to hear of the weekend death of poet, singer and spoken word artist David Blair from Detroit. He was a past performer at AQLF, National Slam Champ and friend to us all. You can read more about him in this article in the MetroTimes. Below is Blair performing at AQLF 2010.

2011 AQLF Festival Photos

Keynote speakers Bryan Borland and Theresa Davis with broadside contest winner Brent Calderwood.

Brent Calderwood

Daniel Allen Cox reads from "Krakow Melt"

AQLF co-director and poet Megan Volpert

The opening night event at Charis Books was standing room only.

Theresa Davis Delivers Keynote, Performs at 2011 AQLF

Local favorite Theresa Davis, talks about her influences and perspectives. Theresa tells about her recent slam championship. She also performs Going on a Bender, 451, and "Breathing Lessons".

Part 1, Keynote Address

Part 2, Keynote and Going on a Bender

Part 3, Views and Perspectives, Crazy Stuff Kids Think

Part 4, Theresa performs 451

Part 4, Breathing Lessons

Brent Calderwood Reads His Winning Entry in the Broadside Competition

Brent Calderwood reads his poem "Golden Hour" that won this years broadside competition. He also reads "The Headless Men' and "Elegy." Brent will be spending some time in Atanta doing readings in the area, so please look for these upcoming events.

This year's broadside, email us for info on getting a copy of this or past broadsides.

Below Brent reads some of his work.

Golden Hour

The Headless Men

Elegy