Local Authors, Poetry Open Mic at Arts Alive! on April 13

Arts Alive! 2013 is a free afternoon and evening of experiencing the arts – from dance, theatre, music, painting and quilting, to the literary arts on Saturday, April 13 from noon to 8 pm at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Prince William Campus of George Mason University in Manassas.

Many groups and individual artists affiliated with the Prince William County Arts Council will be participating, including Write by the Rails, the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. Meet these local authors, who will be talking one on one with readers and aspiring writers, as well as signing and selling their books:

Carole Bellacera, noon to 3 p.m., author of Border Crossings, Chocolate on a Stick, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Lily of the Springs, Spotlight, Tango’s Edge and Understudy.

Carol Covin, 3 to 5 p.m., author of Who Gets to Name Grandma? The Wisdom of Mothers and Grandmothers.

Patricia Daly-Lipe, 1 to 6 p.m., author of A Cruel Calm, Paris Between the Wars; All Alone, Washington to Rome; Myth, Magic & Metaphor; Messages from Nature and La Jolla, a Celebration of the Past.

“John’s Sister” (pen name), noon to 2 p.m., author of The Forgotten Mourners: Sibling Survivors of Suicide. 

Katherine Gotthardt, 5 to 8 p.m., author of Approaching Felonias Park, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World and Poems from the Battlefield.

Linda Johnston, noon to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m., author and illustrator
of the soon to be released Hope Amid Hardship: Pioneer Voices from Kansas Territory.

Marv Josaitis, noon to 2 p.m., author of Pennies from a Heav’n and Breaking
Grand Silence: A Former Catholic Priest Speaks Out.

Stacia Kelly, 2 to 3 p.m., author of The Goddess Chronicles (Phyxe, Goddess of Fire and Gaian, Goddess of Earth), Nine Months In – Nine Months Out and Reduce You.

June Pair Kilpatrick, 2 to 4 p.m., author of Wasps in the Bedroom, Butter in the Well: Growing Up During the Great Depression.

Nancy Kyme, 5 to 8 p.m., author of Memory Lake: The Forever Friendships of Summer.

Tamela Ritter, 5 to 8 p.m., author of the just released From These Ashes.

Stuart Schadt, 4 to 5 p.m., author of Henry on Fire.

Kathy Smaltz, noon to 4 p.m., PWCS English teacher, teacher consultant with the Northern Virginia Writing Project and recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English as a National Teacher of Excellence.

Maria Stuart, 4 to 8 p.m., volunteer sous chef at Miriam’s Kitchen and author of Harvey and the Little Tomato.

Readings and Poetry Open Mic

Enjoy readings upstairs in the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery of the Hylton Center throughout the afternoon: Dan Verner (as Blind Willie Mo) performs music while and Katherine Gotthardt reads at noon; followed by Stuart Schadt at 12:15 p.m., June Kilpatrick at 1:30 pm, Ressurrection Graves at 1:45 p.m., Kathy Smaltz at 3 p.m. and Marv Josaitis at 3:15 p.m.  At 4:30 pm it's your turn to bring a poem to read aloud to a live audience during the Poetry Open Mic (through 5:30 p.m.)  

For a complete look at all there is to see, do, taste and explore at Arts Alive! 2013, visit www.PWCArtsCouncil.org.

For more information about Write by the Rails, visit www.writebytherails.org or join us at our next casual meet-and-greet on Tuesday, April 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Deja Brew Coffee House, 5311 Merchants View Square, Haymarket.