poetry

A Pair of April Readings!

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Social Justice Poetry Event & Open Mic

The week of April 17th through the 23rd brings with it wonderful opportunities to share your writing and listen to the fantastic work of your peers at GCC and across the district. First, on April 20th, GCC will host the final open mic of the Spring semester. The even will begin at 7PM outside the east entrance of GCC Main’s Student Union. This is a special open mic for it brings together multiple organizations on campus in order to focus on Social Justice. See the flyer below for more information.

Social Justice Open Mic.png

 

Emerging Writers 2016

The second reading is hosted by our friends at Scottsdale Community College on Thursday, April 21st. This, too, is a special reading. Each college across the district will have two representatives, nominated by faculty, who will read their work. This year, GCC’s own Jamie Heath and Taylor Robinson will regale the audience with their work. The reading is open to the public at Scottsdale Community College, Two Waters Circle, at 7PM. Come, support your fellow Gauchos, and listen to a wonderful night of readings.

Emerging Writers 2016.png

Summer CRW at GCC

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CRW Summer Info

Introduces the student to elements and techniques of creative writing in a variety of genres; teaches terminology and concepts needed for successful participation in writing workshops; facilitates writing practice and evaluation; offers individual guidance on the student’s development as a writer. Prerequisites: None.

*Try a variety of genres and earn three credits in one month.*

Class# Location Delivery Days Times Instructor
10942 HT2-150 In Person M-TH 11:20AM- 1:20PM Kimberly Mathes

NOTE: The summer 2016 CRW 150 course will be offered with two (free!) Saturday morning Creative Writing workshops, one in June and one in July.  These are completely optional and meant to complement the classes. The main course will run from 5/31/2016 through 6/30/2016.

Contact Kimberly Mathes at kimberly.mathes@gccaz.edu for more information.

Open Mic Event! — Two days away!

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Before some of you head off into what’s sure to be a luxurious Spring Break, mark your calendars for the next open mic event at GCC.

  • When: Wednesday, March 23rd at 7:00PM
  • Where: GCC Main – Student Union, Room 104E
  • Why: It provides your daily dose of vitamin C.
stage

The event is free, open to the public, but not recommended for children. So, bring what you’ve been working on and regale everyone with your talent. Hosted by Shawnte Orion, the open mic portion of the evening will begin at 7PM, and the night will conclude with a reading from featured guest, Joel Salcido.

Born a Los Angeles cockroach and smuggled to the Westside of Phoenix, Joel Salcido translates the poetry of the barrio pigeons into surrealist prophecies. He is blessed with a beautiful wife and two sons as well as a cadre of talentedly mad brothers, friends, coconspirators and fellow hood radicals. He writes poetry and prose and is working towards a mastery of arts while building a boat out of editor’s rejection letters to float back to the moon. Joel is an MFA candidate in poetry at Arizona State University.

District Writing Competition Winners!

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This week, the winners of MCCCD’s writing competitions were announced, and GCC is proud to see that four GCC students have been selected by the the judges. We are also thrilled that there is such a healthy crop of writers across the district, and we want to offer special congratulations to GCC’s own:

  • Phillip Boddy Jr. for winning 1st Place in the Essay category!
  • Eric Bond for winning 1st Place in One-Act Plays/Scripts!
  • Raymond Nokes for winning 2nd Place in Fiction!
  • Jamie Lee Heath for winning 3rd Place in Fiction!

We hope to see an even greater GCC presence with these awards next year. For a full list of winners, see below.

Essay:

  • Phillip Boddy Jr., GCC, “Our Summer of Love with the Goddess”, 1st Place*
  • Amanda Burns, SMCC, “The Frozen Chosen”, 2nd Place
  • William Alewyn, MCC, “Lucy’s Nick”, 3rd Place
  • Stephen Byrd, CGCC, “The Smell of Freedom”, Honorable Mention

Fiction:

  • William Alewyn, MCC, “And in Purgatory”, 1st Place*
  • Raymond Nokes, GCC, “New Home”, 2nd Place
  • Jamie Lee Heath, GCC, “Fag Country”, 3rd Place
  • Spencer Litman, PVCC, “The Monster”, Honorable Mention
  • Chaudhry Vidhushi, SCC, “The Shawl Seller”, Honorable Mention
  • James Wright, PC, “Ironic, Ain’t It”, Honorable Mention
  • John Chakravarty, PC, “Brake Lights”, Honorable Mention

Poetry:

  • Valerie Neal, MCC, “Carousel Transitioning into Stage Three”, 1st Place*
  • Matthew Hoober, SCC, “Perigee”,  2nd Place
  • William Pluchel, SCC, “The Rattle”, 3rd Place
  • Howard Gershkowitz, MCC, “A Survivor’s Story.  A Railcar’s Introduction”, Honorable Mention
  • Kylyn McCarty, MCC, “On the Third Street”, Honorable Mention
  • Joy Bickman, MCC, “Hid in a Soft-Sided Suitcase”, Honorable Mention
  • Charlotte Coburn, MCC, “Relative Distance”, Honorable Mention

One Act-Play/Script:

  • Eric Bond, GCC, “Potted Plants”, 1st Place*
  • Caleb Asay, MCC, “A Moment of Clarity”, 2nd Place
  • Ariel Tomb, RSC, “Before You Go”, 3rd Place

 

 

Next Free Association Reading: Bilingual Edition!

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Our next Free Association Open Mic will be Wednesday, Feb. 17 beginning at 7PM in the Student Union room 104E.

This evening’s reading will be a special bilingual English/Spanish edition.

Participants are invited to reading in Spanish or in English (or both!).

Todos son invitados participar en Espanol o Ingles o los dos!

Members of the Cardboard House Press will host the bilingual evening along with Shawnte Orion.

Please share this information with your students!

All are welcome in the community, but the event is not recommended for children.

Please contact Kimberly Mathes at kimberly.mathes@gccaz.edu with any questions.

There’s Still Time to Register!

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The Spring 2016 semester is right around the corner, but there is still time left to register for creative writing goodness. There are only so many seats left, so don’t wait too long! Here is what’s on the docket for GCC in the Spring:

  • CRW120 – Introduction to Writing Children’s Literature
  • CRW150 – Introduction to Creative Writing
  • CRW160 – Introduction to Writing Poetry
  • CRW170 – Introduction to Writing Fiction
  • CRW190 – Introduction to Screenwriting
  • CRW220 – Intermediate Children’s Literature
  • CRW260 – Intermediate Poetry Writing
  • CRW270 – Intermediate Fiction Writing
  • CRW272 – Planning and Structuring the Novel
  • CRW273 – Writing the Novel
  • CRW274 – Revising the Novel
  • CRW290 – Intermediate Screenwriting

Find official course notes, meeting times, instructors, and open seats at GCC’s Find a Class. For additional course descriptions written by the instructors themselves, take a look at our Upcoming Classes page on the blog. If you find a course that you like but it’s full, email the instructor! We’re friendly people, so you might be able to get an override.

We hope to see you in some classes and at all of the great events we have planned for Spring!

Tonight! 7 p.m. Celebrate Poetry at GCC

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Annual Glendale Community College White Elephant Poetry Exchange

 TONIGHT!!!   Celebrate Poetry!!!

When: Weds., Dec. 9th at 7:30 p.m.
Where: GCC, Main Campus, Room MA 142

Hosted by Shawnte Orion

What: Come prepared to read some of your favorite poems. Bring a used book of poetry to exchange, or come without a book and just recite your favorite poem from memory.

Note: This event is not an open mic. The next open mic at GCC will be January 20, 2016.

Last Day to Submit to CRW Competitions!

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Traveler Train 2015

Today, December 4th, is the FINAL DAY to submit your creative work to The Traveler and the district’s Creative Writing Competition deadline!

You have until 10:59PM to submit your poems, stories, scripts, and creative essays. Winning entries from the district competition go onto the national competition hosted by the League of Innovation. At both levels, the winning students will win cash awards and be published. At the district level, we publish a very nice paperback book of all first through third place entries. Chosen entries from The Traveler submissions will be published in our next issue, set to go into production in the spring.

MCCCD Competition 2015

Things to Know:

  • Requirements and submissions page for The Traveler can be found here: www.gccaz.edu/traveler-entry
  • Requirements and submissions page for the district competition can be found here: https://mcli.maricopa.edu/arts/creative-writing
  • The district creative writing competition awards $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place.
  • For submitting to The Traveler, you must have an active GCC email account. It is required by the submission page.
  • For submitting to the district competition, you must be an active student in the district, and you must create a CaFE account to submit your entries. Instructions for creating this account can be found at the submission page.
  • Both competitions require you to submit your work electronically. There are no physical submissions.
  • You are allowed to submit to both competitions at the same time. So, if you are submitting a short story, for example, you can submit it to both The Traveler and the district competition. Do not be shy.

They Came, They Slammed, They Conquered

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Slam2015 - MCcrowd
MC Charles Threat beginning the night

On Wednesday, November 18th, Glendale Community College held its annual prose and poetry slam. Thirty writers and performers braved post rush hour traffic, a slight nip in the air, and the temptations brought on by baked goods and complimentary bottles of water. In doing so, these writers and performers put on an impressive display of the creative work being done at GCC and in the West Valley as a whole.  From parody songs about Donald Trump’s political candidacy to poems that eulogized lost friends and love ones, the night was filled with laughter, chills, and an appreciation for language.

By the end of the night, three winners were crowned:

  • First Prize: Jimmie Gathings
  • Second Prize: Jamie Heath
  • Third Prize: Tristan Marshall

Congratulations to Jimmie, Jamie, and Tristan.

Slam2015 - Jimmie
Charles congratulating Jimmie Gathings

Heartfelt thank yous go out to all of our readers, audience members, judges, our Master of Ceremonies: Charles Threat, Midnight Metaphors, and all faculty and students who helped organize and make the slam the wonderful night it was.

As the Fall semester comes to a close, do not forget to come to our annual White Elephant Exchange on Wednesday, December 9th from 7 to 9PM. We will be holding it on GCC Main in MA142. Come celebrate the holiday season and the end of another great semester with your fellow writers.

This Wednesday: Slam at GCC!!

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November 18th at 7PM. In GCC Main’s SU 104E

November is the month for GCC’s annual Poetry and Prose Slam.  The prize is Cold Hard Cash! This year, the slam will take place on GCC’s main campus in SU 104E. It begins at 7:00 p.m on November 18th.

Things to Know:

  • Registration forms must be submitted by the day and time of the event
  • Registration forms can be found at the English Department lobby in the 05 building on GCC Main, in 05-122, or via email at david.nelson@gccaz.edu
  • Enter short stories, poetry, drama, essay, song lyrics, non-fiction, or other types of creative writing
  • Arrive five to ten minutes early to sign up to read
  • Three minute time limit to read/perform each piece
  • Contestants may read/perform up to three pieces (once per round)
  • Each piece will be judged on the quality of writing/performance
  • There will be prizes for first, second, and third place
  • All decisions of the judges are judicious, righteous, and final

Questions?  Please email kimberly.mathes@gccaz.edu.