WordFest features three local writers on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-8:00 pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1428 22nd Avenue in Longview.
Crime writer Tom Larsen will be reading an excerpt from his article, “Women Fight Back,” part of Women Who Murder, which is the sixth volume in the series, Best New True Crime Stories from Mango Publishing. Tom’s article tells the story of two Mexican women who fought back against their abusers. Femicide, the act of killing someone simply because they are female, has only recently been codified in the Mexican constitution and enforcement has been sporadic at best. This is a tale of two women who were forced into violent reactions by the society that failed them.
Tom is the author of six novels in the crime fiction genre. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Black Cat Weekly. His stories have been selected four times for the anthology Best Mystery Stories of the Year published by Mysterious Press.
Bobby Havens will be reading from Tall Tales from the Church in the Middle of Nowhere. In this collection of short stories, Bobby takes true events from his quarter of a century serving in local church ministry, then distorts them to create “tall tales” that are humorous, real-to-life, and emotionally moving. At the March WordFest, he will be reading the first chapter, a monologue titled “Miss Heidi Holbrook.”
Bobby is an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church of North America and has pastored churches in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He’s also been an award-winning performer on the live stage, a digital creator, high school volleyball coach, union plumber, and storyteller coach. As an actor, he was the recipient of the 2022 AriZoni for best actor in a major role for his portrayal of Morrie Schwartz in “Tuesdays with Morrie” at Desert Stages Theater in Scottsdale. A father of 6 and grandfather to 22, he draws from his life experiences to create stories that inspire others.
Kamil Khan who writes and performs as “Khancept” is an immigrant to the US from Pakistan who utilizes the spoken word, hip hop, and poetry platforms to give voice to the struggles of indigenous peoples around the world. At WordFest, he will perform a series of poems, including “Filastin Erased,” highlighting the life, resilience, outrage, betrayal, and solitude amid what he calls “the deliberate erasure of the Palestinian people.”
Khancept’s work advocating peace and social justice has been presented and published in Prairie Review, APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon), Wordpeace, as well as at the Wild Sound Festival, and by the Communist Party USA.
Note: WordFest welcomes the expression of all views. Presentations that are expressly political in nature or expressed in strong language that some people may find offensive are scheduled in the second hour, following the break. People who may be offended by political views and strong language can leave at the break.
An open mic will follow the presentations where people can read for 10 minutes. The Open Mic sign-up sheet is on the center table.
The monthly gathering of readers and writers meets the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 PM, in the fellowship hall of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The events are free and open to the public.