Event alert: Peter Coviello and Michael Zadoorian, Still Waters poets, Erin Buhr

Wednesday, August 15, 7 pm, at Boswell:
Peter Coviello, author of Long Players: A Love Story in Eighteen Songs, in conversation with Michael Zadoorian, author of Beautiful Music

Peter Coviello, whose previous work tackled Steely Dan, Prince, and the history of sexuality, memoir joins Michael Zadoorian, author of the novel that became this year’s film from Sony Pictures Classics, The Leisure Seekers for an evening of music-inspired fiction and

Coviello’s memoir Long Players considers grief and the things that keep us alive, namely sex, talk, and dancing. It’s about the different ways we have of falling in love: with bands and songs and books, but also with our friends, lovers, the families we imagine, and the families we make. It’s a story of heartbreak, (ex)stepparenthood, and the limitless grace of pop songs for anyone who has loved a record like their life depended on it.

Here's my take on Beautiful Music: It’s late 1960s Detroit and young Danny Yzemski listens to CKLW on his radio. Dad loves music too, but his sound of choice are the beautiful music instrumentals that we now call elevator music. And mom? She sits on the couch drinking and ranting. Danny has to swerve to avoid the bullies at school and work both, and only his friendship with a tall kid with a white boy Afro who shares his taste for Iggy Pop, NME, and secret record runs to Korvettes (a discount department store), keep him sane. Let’s just say that things get worse before they get better, with the family disintegrating and racial tensions ratcheting up at school. Beautiful Music (told in rat-a-tat, diary-like entries) is both funny and poignant, nostalgic and surprisingly of the moment. Danny messes up sometimes, but you’ve got to give this kid props for trying." (Daniel Goldin)

Peter Coviello, Professor of English at University of Illinois at Chicago, has written about Walt Whitman, Mormon polygamy, and Prince, and his work has appeared in The Believer, Raritan, and Los Angeles Review of Books, as well as in several books, including Tomorrow's Parties: Sex and the Untimely in Nineteenth-Century America. He was also a 2017-18 fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Michael Zadoorian the author of The Leisure Seekers, Second Hand, and The Lost Tiki Palaces of Detroit. Zadoorian is a recipient of a Kresge Artist Fellowship, the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award, and the Michigan Notable Book Award. His fiction has appeared in the Literary Review, American Short Fiction, and North American Review.

Thursday, August 16, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
Still Waters Collective Anthology Contributors to Runs Deep

The Still Waters Collective anthology celebrates our community and writing craft. This event features reading from eight contributors, including Nikki Jansen, Lisa Williams, Isaiah Furquan, Rap Kamasutra,Lybra Olbrantz, Cameron Robertson, Ryeshia Farmer, Nia Mooney, Robert Parker, and DIVA.

Runs Deep is a showcase of poetry and stories inspired by workshops from various Still Waters Collective sponsored programs including: PENtastic, FoxTales, The Write In, Voltage, and High School Slam League. The anthology includes 60 pieces to enjoy, written by teens and adults that tell tales of identity, women’s empowerment, Milwaukee neighborhoods, racial justice, family, love, and more!

Still Waters Collective began as an adult open mic at a Milwaukee nightclub called Mecca. From four poets standing sharing their work around a tall cocktail table, the Still Waters series grew to a weekly institution that nurtured a community for more than a decade.

Friday, August 17, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
Erin Buhr, author of Little Walks, Big Adventures: 50+ Ideas for Exploring with Toddlers

Erin Buhr comes to Boswell to take us on little walks that contain big adventures and help parents and guardians teach toddlers about their surroundings through fun and adventurous local explorations, outdoor games, and activities that promote and enhance learning.

While most activity books encourage indoor explorations, countless adventures and learning opportunities await outside! Going for a walk or exploring the local community can bring about much more than just exercise.

Intended for parents and caregivers of children ages 10 months to 3 years, Little Walks, Big Adventures provides at-home or at-school activities that correspond to outdoor explorations, extending the learning opportunities after you return from your adventures. Sections of beautiful photography illustrate various outdoor concepts, from home and community to vehicles to animals.

Erin Buhr has a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and over 15 years of experience working with young children. More upcoming events on our upcoming events page.