Maine Humanities Council

In the “flash reading” by Stonecoast MFA program faculty members, each writer gets three minutes in which to share his or her work before introducing the next writer in the queue. The flash reading from Stonecoast’s summer residency in July 2009 began with an introduction by director Annie Finch. Joan Connor started the reading with her “Three-Minute Love Story.” Aaron Hamburger read an excerpt from his story “Ludmilla in the New World,” published in the anthology Between Men 2. The next reader was Richard Hoffman, who read from his collection, Interference and Other Stories. Barbara Hurd shared the opening of a novel, Slow Dance on a Slanted Floor, then Michael Kimball read from his novel Mouth to Mouth. Debra Marquart read the essay “Whisker Meditations,” and finally, Suzanne Strempek Shea closed the reading with an excerpt from a story published in “Golf World” magazine.

This reading took place in Brunswick, Maine, on July 10, 2009. Stonecoast is the low-residency MFA program in creative writing at the University of Southern Maine. For more readings from faculty members, including other flash readings, click on the “Stonecoast” tag, below.

 

 Flash Reading [37:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (516)

This episode is the continuation of the Stonecoast MFA Faculty “flash reading” from the winter residency in January 2009, in which each writer gets three minutes in which to share his or her work before introducing the next writer in the queue.

The first reader is Richard Hoffman, who writes in multiple genres and here shares both a short short, “Phototaxis,” and two poems, “A Good While” and “Watching.” Fantasy fiction writer Nancy Holder reads a short story about the character Zorro, and Charles Martin reads his poem “Poison.” April Ossman closed the reading with two poems, “Whose Fragile Lips” and “The Name of the Mold,” from her collection Anxious Music.

 

 Richard Hoffman [4:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)

 

 Nancy Holder [7:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (134)

 

 Charles Martin [7:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (132)

 

 April Ossman [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (143)

One of the highlights of each 10-day residency in the Stonecoast MFA program is the “flash reading” by faculty members. Each writer gets three minutes in which to share his or her work before introducing the next writer in the queue.

The flash reading from the winter residency in January 2009 began with Jaed Coffin reading an excerpt from his memoir, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants. The next reader was David Durham, who read from his forthcoming novel The Other Land. Annie Finch shared one poem from her collection Calendars, and another from her new manuscript, American Witch. Poet Jeffrey Harrison read “Ivan Ilyich at the Lake” and “Shaking Off the Snow.” This reading continues in the next episode of the podcast.

 

 Jaed Coffin [4:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)

 

 David Durham [4:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (133)

 

 Annie Finch [5:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (136)

 

 Jeffrey Harrison [4:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (132)

In this Stonecoast Faculty Flash Reading from January 2008, Tanya Maria Barrientos reads her essay “Se Habla Español,” published in Borderline Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish On Sex, Sass & Cultural Shifting (HarperCollins, 2004). Then Michael Kimball performs a monologue from a short play in progress, entitled “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” Finally, Leila Philip read chapter two, “The Count,” from A Family Place: A Hudson Valley Farm, Three Centuries, Five Wars, One Family (Viking, 2001).

 

 Tanya Maria Barrientos [10:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (241)

 

 Michael Kimball [4:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (86)

 

 Leila Philip [3:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (87)

One of the highlights of each 10-day residency in the Stonecoast MFA program is the “flash reading” by faculty members. Each writer gets three minutes in which to share his or her work before introducing the next writer in the queue.

During the winter residency in January 2008, Joan Connor read her short short called “High Flyer” and Alan Davis read his short short “The Vanishing.” (To hear Joan read two other stories, visit Wired for Books. For more of Alan’s work, see his Minnesota State University faculty page.) Jim Kelly shared a selection of the six-word stories published in the November 2006 issue of Wired magazine. Kelly Link read an excerpt from her short story “Light,” which appeared in the “Fantastic Women” issue of Tin House. Michael White shared an excerpt from his forthcoming novel, Beautiful Assassin. Michael already has six published books, which are described at his website.

 

 Joan Connor [5:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (216)

 

 Alan Davis [5:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (82)

 

 Jim Kelly [3:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (84)

 

 Kelly Link [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (97)

 

 Michael White [5:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (90)

One of the highlights of each 10-day residency in the Stonecoast MFA program is the “flash reading” by faculty members. Each writer gets three minutes in which to share his or her work before introducing the next writer in the queue.

Here are five flash readings by Stonecoast poetry faculty, all recorded at the January 2008 Winter Residency. The first is Annie Finch, director of the Stonecoast MFA program, reading two poems: “Esbat” and “Moon from the Porch.” More of Annie’s poems are available in audio format at From the Fishouse. Then Lesléa Newman, whose web page consists of excerpts and information on her writing for both adults and children, reads a poem called “Mugged.” Timothy Seibles reads three pieces: “Edge,” “Booty-full,” and “Alison Wolf.” Baron Wormser, whose website, Teach Poetry, includes an archive of his work and several audio recordings of poems from his 2005 chapbook, Carthage, reads “A Visitation: 1968.” Finally, Ted Deppe, director of the Stonecoast program in Ireland, reads his poem “Phone Call from Finland.”

 

 Annie Finch [4:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (208)

 

 Lesléa Newman [3:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (84)

 

 Timothy Seibles [9:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (82)

 

 Baron Wormser [4:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (81)

 

 Ted Deppe [4:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (84)