Past Events

Saturday, March 23rd, 2pm at Nothing New Thrift Shop, 4916 Arthur Kill Road, SINY 10309. Special thanks to Jodi Kenny of Nothing New, for her hospitality!

Staten Island OutLOUD hosts a stage reading of Kelly Link’s magical story.
Directed by Vincent Vok. Featuring Melisande Echanique, Rona Solomon and others TBA.
A sweet grandmother has a very old handbag. If you open the clasp one way, you’ll look inside her purse and see her grandmotherly handbag things.
But if you open the clasp another way, the handbag opens to reveal an old European village with cobblestone streets, wishing wells, picturesque people, steeples and cats.
Be careful, or you could fall in. And then, you could …
This event is free & open to the public.
Book giveaway, too!

This event is part of our series on Kelly Link’s short story collection, Pretty Monsters, for the National Endowment for the Arts / The Big Read. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute for Museum and Library services, and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. www.neabigread.org

Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, 8pm. At Everythong Goes Book Cafe & Neighborhood Stage, 208 Bay St, SINY 10301.

A spoken word performance with music, inspired by Jacob Riss’ pioneering journalism.

We are proud to collaborate with Island musicians Elle La Forge, Rob Landsman, and Rich Barbera.

A spoken word performance with music, exploring Jacob Riis’ groundbreaking journalism “How the Other Half Lives”.
Presented by Staten Island OutLOUD with music by Ellen La Forge, Rob Landsman, and Rich Barbera.
Riis’ book broke new ground in combining photography with a compelling narrative about the brutal challenges that working people, especially new Americans, overcame to survive in New York City.
“How the Other Half Lives” helped raise awareness of 19th century urban housing and public health issues. It’s publication helped bring about reforms in fire safety, fair housing, and child labor laws, among other issues.

Sunday, Feb 17th, 2pm at Duzer’s Local Cafe & Market, 387 Van Duzer St, SINY 10304

This is the second poetry workshop that Staten Island poet Thomas Fucaloro is presenting for the NEA/The Big Read with Staten Island OutLOUD. In his previous workshop session, Tom led a discussion on the writing process, using text from Kelly Link’s “The Wrong Grave” – and taking as a jumping-off point the predicament of Miles, the young poet in that story. Everyone who participated in that workshop received a writing prompt, so in this session we’ll workshop the poetry that each person has written.
If you’re joining us for the first time on Feb 17th, please feel free to bring any of your writing and Tom will be happy to workshop that, too.
If you wrote a poem based on “The Wrong Grave” or if you want to bring in other work, that’s fine. But please don’t bring anything longer than 1 page, please. Also, please bring in at least 5 copies to share with the group. If you email your work to sioutloud@yahoo.com by Feb 15th, we’ll be happy to make copies for you.

Saturday,Jan 26th, 2pm at Every Thing Goes Book Cafe, 208 Bay St, SINY 10301 (between Victory Blvd & Hannah St).

Island poet Marguerite Maria Rivas hosts this gathering, focused on “Goblin Market”, a fantastical and erotic tale by Christina Rossetti. This event concludes Staten Island OutLOUD’s series for The Big Read/National Endowment for the Arts on Kelly Link’s story story collection Pretty Monsters.

Kelly Link’s stories are fantastical Gothic tales, and she has said that she draws inspiration earlier works by such writers as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Christina Rossetti. As we explore “Goblin Market”, Prof. Rivas will underscore some of the fascinating connections between the works of Christina Rossetti, Dante Rossetti and Kelly Link.

8pm on Saturday, January 12, 2019. Limited Space – Reservations essential! This event takes place in a private Victorian home.

Please RSVP by Jan 12th, via email to sioutloud@yahoo.com
Address information provided when you RSVP.
Sorry, we cannot take phone reservations.

A spoken word performance based on Kelly Link’s whimsical short story, “The Specialist’s Hat.” Directed by Vincent Vok, featuring performances by Julie Bentsen, Melisande Echanique, Hannah Jay, Julia Simoniello, and others TBA.

Two young sisters live in a big Victorian house with their father, a lonely widower. The girls learn to entertain themselves because their father leaves the house for long stretches of time. Then a babysitter arrives. She is amazing. And not just because she might be a zombie…

Sunday, Jan 6th, 2pm at Duzer’s Local Cafe, 387 Van Duzer Street, SINY 10304 (near the corner of Beach St & Van Duzer).
Plenty of free parking on surrounding streets.

This event is part of Staten Island OutLOUD’s series of events for The Big Read/National Endowment for the Arts. FREE! Book giveaway!

Join Staten Island OutLOUD and Island poet Victoria Hallerman for this lively reading and community conversation. Vicki will explore the gap (or is it a connection?) between poetry and our daily lives.

Is there a disconnect between poetry and daily life? For some of us, poetry is a familiar friend. Others may find it a struggle to understand what we read. Do you agree? If not, what are your thoughts?

What’s the life of poetry in the digital age? What’s the life of poetry in contemporary American life? What is poetry in your own life?

Join us, share your ideas and explore some fresh viewpoints!

Saturday, Dec 15th 2pm at the Tottenville Library, 7430 Amboy Road, SINY 10307

Join our librarian pal Colin and the staff of the Tottenville Library for another fun gathering and community conversation. Free books too!

Saturday, Dec 8th, 2pm. Clay Pit Pnds State Forest Preserve, 2351 Veterans Road, SINY 10309 (corner of Sharrotts Rd)

Staten Island OutLOUD and the friendly forest rangers host a reading for all ages on “Pretty Monsters” and woodland creatures. We’ll meet inside the warm & cozy interpretive center.
Forest Rangers will also offer a short optional stroll in the woods, weather permitting.

Book giveaway, too. Free!

Free parking in the visitors’ lot.

Sunday, Dec 2nd, 2pm at Huguenot House, 5474 Amboy Road, SINY 10312 (on the grounds of the Reformed Church of Huguenot Park).
We’ll gather in Huguenot House, the new community center on the grounds of the Reformed Church of Huguenot Park, 5474 Amboy Road (corner Huguenot Ave), SINY 10312.
Special guests: Psychotherapists Joyce Malerba Goldstein and Ira Goldstein.
Great thanks to our host, Rev Terry Troia.
This event is part of Staten Island OutLOUD’s series for the National Endowment for the Arts/The Big Read.
This fall, OutLOUD has been exploring Kelly Link’s short story collection, “Pretty Monsters”. Ms. Link’s stories invite us into unusual situations or magical worlds in which we can reflect on life’s challenges in surprising new ways.
Our special guests, psychologists Joyce and Ira Goldstein, help us discover how fantasy can provide a healthy way of facing issues. It can enable us to cope with didficulties, or to overcome problems. Fantasy can be a source of healing, not merely a form of escape.
Book giveaway: Free copies of “Pretty Monsters” for our guests.
Free parking in the church parking lot, and on surrounding streets.

Nov 1st, 6pm. At the St George Library Center, Central Ave & Hyatt St, SINY 10301 (just a half block up the hill from the Ferry Terminal, and across the street from Borough Hall).

Join our pals, the cool librarians at the St George Library Center. Book giveaway.