Your Scribbler is tickled to host Jacksonville poet Lynn Skapyak Harlin at the Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour at 7 p.m. on April 7th at Bab’s Lab, 603 King Street, Jacksonville,  FL 32204.

Poet, writer and editor, Lynn Skapyak Harlin led the Shantyboat Writers Workshop on her boat until Hurricane Irma destroyed it. She continues holding workshops at her home. She has coached and edited many local writers’ and poets’ manuscripts over the past 20 years. For four years, with Carolee Bertisch and Sharon Scholl, she led a poetry workshop at the Florida Heritage Book Festival. She has supported local poetry venues since the 1960s. Her first published poem “War Waste” appeared in Time magazine, in 1970. Her poems appeared in Women’s Voices, State Street Review, Arbus, Section Eight Magazine, Florida Speaks, The Gate, Aquarian, AC PAPA (Ancient City Poets, Authors, Photographers and Authors), deadpaper. org and ashandbones.com. Her books, “Real Women Drive Trucks” and “Press One for More Options” were published in 1997

The Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour concept is simple. Our writers read in your town. Then your writers read in our town.

A group of Jacksonville authors visited St. Petersburg for the first event. In turn, a group of St. Pete authors will read in Jacksonville on April 7th. Everybody wins!

Visiting writers from St. Pete include: Tiffany Razzano, Cole Bellamy, Gloria Munoz, Wayne Lemmons, and Cathy Salustri. PLUS, hear Jacksonville poet Lynn Skapyak Harlin.

You won’t want to miss it!

Free and open to the public.

This event is co-presented by Wordier Than Thou and Scribbles, with thanks to Bab’s Lab. It is part of Public Art Week 2018 – Building a Better Community.

Public Art Week (PAW) is an annual, week-long initiative that celebrates Jacksonville’s public art and highlights the benefits that are created when investments are made in art that is accessible by all. It is led by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville to encourage residents and visitors to explore and engage with works of art that comprise Jacksonville’s rapidly developing artistic and creative landscape. In addition to advancing the community’s awareness of and engagement with the City of Jacksonville’s official public art collection, PAW also showcases public art initiatives led by private entities and individuals.

PAW supports the Cultural Council’s role of ensuring broad accessibility and public engagement with the arts culturally, socially, educationally, and economically. It also supports the Cultural Council’s role of advocating for public and private financial support for Jacksonville’s arts and cultural sector.

Residents and visitors of Jacksonville are encouraged to explore their artistic side during Public Art Week by capturing images of their favorite murals, sculptures, mosaics, or memorials and then share them through social media. Remember to use #JAXPAW2018 when sharing your photos and tag the Cultural Council (@moreartculture).