On Wednesday night, instead of watching the third and final presidential debate – or, after watching the first half-hour or so – you are invited to explore “Literary Citizenship” at this month’s WordsWest Literary Series event. It’s at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm Wednesday (October 19th):

In this season of electoral madness, what does it mean to be a citizen? What is ‘citizenship’– in all its perturbing and powerful dimensions– what does it means to be a literary citizen? On Wednesday, October 19th, WordsWest Literary Series presents award-winning poet Quenton Baker and cross-genre writer Lori A. May as they demonstrate the interconnections between citizenship, community, and writing. After the writers share their work, the audience will be invited to engage in a literary citizenship activity and learn a few tools from the writing toolbox — in both poetry and prose. This evening is partially funded by Poets & Writers, Inc.

*Quenton Baker is a poet and educator from Seattle. His current focus is the fact of blackness in American society. He is a 2015-16 Made at Hugo House fellow and a 2014 Pushcart Prize nominee. He is the author of This Glittering Republic, forthcoming from Willow Books in 2017.

*Lori A. May is the author of six books, including Square Feet and The Write Crowd: Literary Citizenship & The Writing Life. She writes across the genres and her work may be found in The Atlantic, Brevity, and other literary journals. Lori roadtrips an average of 30,000 miles each year and, on one of her infamous roadtrips years ago, she visited Seattle and said, “Well, wouldn’t this be a great place to live.” She now lives near Alki Beach and happily calls the Pacific Northwest home.

Every third Wednesday, 7 pm, at C & P Coffee Company, WordsWest hosts literary events that range from readings by published local and national authors, to guided writing explorations. Each month we host a community member to share his or her favorite poem as part of the Favorite Poem Project. On October 19, 2016, we welcome the West Seattle representative of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

WordsWest Literary is curated by West Seattle writers Katy E. Ellis, Susan Rich, and Harold Taw.