March Featured Reader Bernard Cox

 

Bernard M. Cox is a graduate of 2015 Class of Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Roosevelt University.

They have taught fiction writing, screenwriting, literature, and composition; curated an experimental music concert series called FeedBack; ran a staged reading series for screenwriters; served as Assistant Artistic Director for the Tamale Hut Café Reading Series in North Riverside, IL; served on the Board of Directors of the University City Arts League in Philadelphia; and volunteered in the San Diego LGBT community.

Bernie’s writing has appeared in A cappella Zoo, Blood and Lullabies, Collective Fallout, Crack the Spine, Five on the Fifth, Reckoning, Red Lightbulbs, and Up the Staircase Quarterly.

Nasty ice storms in January prevented us from enjoying Bernie’s work, so now that spring has sprung, there’s no excuse not to come out for a fabulous evening.

As always, there is no cover charge. THC — Supporting the Arts!

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Featured Reader D.M. Pirone Saturday, February 23rd

Tamale Hut Cafe is pleased to announce that our Featured Reader for February will be Kirkus Prize nominee D. M. Pirone.

D.M. Pirone is the nom de plume of Diane Piron-Gelman, who works as an editor and audiobook narrator when she isn’t writing. Both books in her Hanley & Rivka historical mystery series, Shall We Not Revenge and For You Were Strangers (Allium Press of Chicago, 2014 and 2015), were named Notable Page-Turners in the Shelf Unbound Indie Novel Competition. Shall We Not Revenge was also a 2014 Kirkus Prize nominee. Ms. Pironne’s debut suspense novel, No Less In Blood (Five Star, 2011) received excellent reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly.

A Chicago native and history buff, Ms. Pirrone is a longtime member of Mystery Writers of America Midwest and Sisters in Crime Chicagoland, and also belongs to the Chicago Writers’ Association and the Society for Midland Authors.

Ms. Pirone will kick off the evening at 7:00 by reading from her novels and will be available to sign copies afterwards. Then we’ll open the microphone for any who want to share their words.

As always, there is no cover charge. THC — Supporting the Arts!

 

Bernard Cox January Featured Reader

Saturday Janauary 19^th  @ 7:00 p.m.

Bernard M Cox is a graduate of 2015 Class of Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Roosevelt University.

They have taught fiction writing, screenwriting, literature, and composition; curated an experimental music concert series called FeedBack; ran a staged reading series for screenwriters; served as Assistant Artistic Director for the Tamale Hut Café Reading Series in North Riverside, IL; served on the Board of Directors of the University City Arts League in Philadelphia; and volunteered in the San Diego LGBT community.

Bernie’s writing has appeared in A cappella Zoo, Blood and Lullabies, Collective Fallout, Crack the Spine, Five on the Fifth, Reckoning, Red Lightbulbs, and Up the Staircase Quarterly.

As always, there is no cover charge. THC — Supporting the Arts!

 

Short Story Contest!

The Tamale Hut Cafe Short Story Contest winners will be announced Saturday, November 17th at 7:00pm. The five finalists will read their work and then the rankings will be announced. After the presentation of prizes ($500 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place, and two $25 honorable mentions), we will open the mic for anyone else who would like to share their words.

As always, there is no cover. THC — Supporting the Arts.

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THC Writers Group as Featured Readers

It’s October, so that means our Featured Readers will be our very own Tamale Hut Writers Group! Join us on Saturday, October the 27th at 7:00 pm to hear their take on Olfaction Fiction.

After the Group has read, we will open the mic to anyone else who wants to share their words. As always, there is no cover charge. THC — Supporting the Arts.

Chris Krazmus — September Featured Reader

We’re pleased to welcome Chris Krazmus as he reads from his new short story coffee table collection  What things we can do… this Saturday, September 22nd. The evening begins at 7:00 pm .

Christopher is just another of the so very many THC Supporting the Arts success stories. He writes stories about friendship and travel; little adventures and good deeds; and other things that make life meaningful, plus some science fiction and art and fashion review, and will be presenting from his new (his fourth) short story coffee table book collection,

Chris has been a hobbyist fiction writer on and off all his life since he was a small guy—grammar school back in the 1970s! Apart from a few a few high school and college classroom presentations, and to a few close friends over the years, he’d never shared his work anyone.

He attended THC Presents: the Reading Series for his first time in 2007 and, inspired by the great event featuring a fantastic local writer showcasing his work, Krazmus took out an old story, spruced it up, and presented it at the next event. Thrilled by the experience, he became a regular participant and open-miker—writing a new story for each month—and in 2011 he published his first short story collection, Selected THC Readings.

Before that exciting event, he’d never thought of his writing as more than a private pastime, then suddenly there was new and exciting meaning that could come from his hobby. That massive inspiration taken from his very first time has continued uninterrupted over all these years since and by now it’s hundreds of people who’ve heard his words, and it must hundreds of thousands of them he’s written, so much in part because of this Hut.

Copies of the new series and of the first three collections will be available for sale, with all proceeds going to THC Supporting the Arts.

Phil and Rita, August Featured Readers

Lucky us! Phil and Rita have agreed to be our Featured Readers this Saturday, August 25th at 7:00pm.

Phil and Rita Reebius were born on the exact same planet; they write, produce, and perform the podcast “Prehensile and Gretel”, along with their trusty dog, Barry Flavanoid. They also write stories. Tonight, they have combined their talents for good rather than evil- they come to the Tamale Hut to fill your head with frippery, temple-tappers and the occasional knuckle-biter. They hope to entertain, amuse, and charm you with the verbal products of their intertwined souls. Just remember, the planet they were born on may not be the one you consider home. Phil and Rita have been together for almost 28 years and consider their relationship completely normal, which is good. For this evening, Rita and Phil will be reading a variety of pieces created individually and as a team. They hope you attend and enjoy the evening, and maybe also read something you have written during the open mic that follows their presentation.

 

Phil’s Classmate in a Creative Writing Class once said about Phil:

 

“Whoever wrote this needs to seek psychological help”.

Someone once said to a friend of Rita’s about Rita:

“Who was that snaky bitch I saw you with last night?”

Interesting facts:

Phil was a Boy Scout.

Rita got kicked out of Girl Scouts for balancing a cookie on her nose.

They are made for each other.

 

As always, there is free parking and no cover. Tamale Hut — Supporting the Arts!

Alice Liddell, June Featured Reader

Tamale Hut Cafe is proud to present Alice Liddell as our Featured Reader  on June 23rd

Alice, aka Lauren A.R. Masterson, graduated from Columbia College of Chicago with a degree in Fiction Writing. During her college days, she began working as a freelance model eventually making it her full-time profession after graduating. She toured nationally, met scores of creative people, and had many adventures. After retiring from modeling, and experiencing a divorce, Alice felt the drain of her creativity. But after finding a loving and supporting community she began exploring her writing talent and art again. Alice is now a regular in the local Chicago writing communities and is dedicated to enhancing her craft.

The evening begins at 7:00 when Alice will read from her new book Love of the Sea. Afterward, we’ll open the mic for anyone else who would like to share. As always, there is no cover. Tamale Hut  — Supporting the Arts!

May Featured Reader Shawn Shiflett

Tamale Hut Cafe is pleased to present Shawn Shiflett as our Featured Reader for May. Join us on Saturday the 26th at 7:oo pm as he reads from his works.

Shawn grew up in Chicago and is the author of short stories and two novels: Hey, Liberal! (Chicago Review Press), a semi-autobiographical story about a white boy going to a predominately black high school in Chicago just after the Martin Luther King Jr. riots, and Hidden Place (Akashic Books), which was included in Library Journal’s “Summer Highs, Fall Firsts,” a 2004 list of “most successful debuts.” He is an Associate Professor in the English and Creative Writing department at Columbia College Chicago.

As always, there is no cover. Tamale Hut — Supporting the Arts!