We are stoked to anticipate hearing Cole Bellamy at the Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour at 7 p.m. on April 7th at Bab’s Lab, 603 KING STREET, STUDIO H, JACKSONVILLE, FL, 32204.

Bellamy is the author of three collections of poetry, Lancelot’s Blues, The Mermaid Postcard, and American Museum. His writing has been featured in Moonshot, The Louisville Review, Penumbra, and Defenestration, and he teaches creative writing at Saint Leo University and USF St. Petersburg. He organizes literary and arts events, makes strange music, and generally tries to make neat things happen. He lives alone in Seminole Heights with a cat named Oskar.

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).

The Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour is looking forward to hearing Wayne Lemmons on Saturday, April 7th at 7 p.m. at Bab’s Lab.  Here’s the bio Lemmons posted on Amazon.com:

“Remember when you were a kid and told everyone that you wanted to be an astronaut-cowboy-billionaire? I didn’t really do any of that, but the principle still remains the same. I’m a wrench-monkey by day, a writer/editor/proofreader/drunkard by night, and a scuba diver on the weekends. I was born in Kentucky and somehow found myself in St. Petersburg, FL living on a sailboat with a group of eclectic neighbors that are sure to grace the pages of one of my books in the near future. What a terribly boring life I lead, right?

I’ve been writing since I pumped out my first short story at the glorious age of nine. For some reason the story was absolutely violent beyond belief and I’m thankful that I’ve been able to tone down the language since then. I was a vulgar little kid.

I’m continuing the dream of that nine-year-old by writing full-length novels that will take you to emotional places that you may or may not want to go, but the journey will leave you fulfilled and unsettled. Two feelings that I love to invoke.

So read my books! You’ll love them, I promise!”

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).