"Lists. And lists within lists. Making them and checking them twice." was Mary Hotvedt's response when asked how planning is coming along for the Southwest Festival of the Written Word, October 2-4, 2015 in Silver City NM. Hotvedt is the Co-chair of the Festival and the person responsible for pulling together all the Festival Headquarters and Festival Marketplace details. "Everything is falling into place quite nicely. It's going to be a wonderful weekend."
"We want everyone to start their Festival adventure at the Festival Headquarters and Marketplace, located in the Murray Hotel, 200 W. Broadway," she said. "Our Festival programs will be available there €”they're stunning €”and they provide all the information about the events, sessions, venue locations, schedule, presenters, and our Marketplace exhibitors. We have over thirty Marketplace exhibitors including publishers, editors, authors other than our fifty Festival presenters, and several of our local organizations that promote literacy. Both the Headquarters and Marketplace will be open Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 10am-1pm."
Seated at the table with Hotvedt was Jeannie Miller, the other Festival Co-chair and publicity chair. "Putting on my publicity hat," she jumped in, "I want to tell you about the special events that are planned. They're quite different from the rest of the Festival sessions."
The Festival Kickoff Event takes place on Thursday, October 1, 7:00 pm, at the Webb Theater (located next to the WNMU Fine Arts Theater). The Virus Theater of Silver City premiers an original piece that it developed, based on the award-winning poetry of Bonnie Buckley Maldonado. Maldonado was the first Silver City Poet Laureate and the dedicatee of this year's Festival. Two other performances of this work will be presented at the Webb Theater during the Festival €”Friday, October 2 at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 3 at 1:30pm.
The Festival's Opening Ceremony and Book Launch for JJ Amaworo Wilson's new novel, Damnificados, happens on Friday, October 2, 5-6:30pm, in WNMU's Light Hall, 1000 W. College Avenue. The Times, London, describes Wilson's work as: "hard-hitting ... in the kind of language that packs a serious punch." He is Western New Mexico University's Writer-in-Residence.
The Festival Banquet, a sit-down dinner, Saturday, October 3, 7-9pm, will be on the patio of Light Hall, 1000 W. College Avenue. It is the only event at the Festival that has a cost €”all other events and sessions at the Festival are open to the public free of charge. Tickets are $30 apiece and are available for sale at Leyba and Ingalls Art Supply, Mimbres Regional Arts Center, Yankie Creek Coffee House, the Festival Marketplace, and through tickets@swwordfiesta.org.
The Banquet Keynote Speaker Daniel Chacón is one of the Festival's New Mexico Humanities Council Scholars. His address "The Politics and Realities of Living on the Border-with a dash of humor", follows the banquet dinner. Chacon's obsessions are the desert, the border and stand-up comedy. Author of four books of fiction, he will discuss how he combines his preoccupations.
For Hotel Júarez: Stories, Rooms, and Loops, he spent time in Júarez, often crossing over the border at night to walk the streets and talk to the people. To ensure the authenticity of his observations, he wrote and performed stand-up comedy based on these encounters.
In his presentation he will show how writing humor is a very particular way of understanding and revealing humanity.
On Saturday afternoon, October 3, 4:30-6:00pm, three special events occur concurrently. "It's going to be difficult to choose one over the other," said Peggy Hutchinson, the third member of the Festival's Executive Committee.
At the Old Elks Lodge, 315 N Texas St (at W Market St), the first of two "Roundtable with Writers" sessions takes place. Several of the Festival Presenters will be invited to sit and visit informally amongst themselves and with the audience. No scripting or pre-defined topics. Just give and take between the authors and the Festival goers.
At the A spAce Gallery, 110 W 7th St, an Open mic/Poetry/Flash fiction slam will offer all budding and mature poets and flash fiction authors a chance to get up and read their material out loud to the audience.
A performance of "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney will be performed by Phyllis and Jim McQuaide at the Yankie Creek Coffee House. Jim and Phyllis McQuaide are newcomers to Silver City having moved here from Maine three years ago. Combined, they have over 40 years' experience in Community Theatre ranging from set design to directing and acting. Their contribution to perform this play for the Festival is truly appreciated. Please note that this event will run past 6:00pm and the doors will close at 4:30pm sharp.
On Sunday afternoon, October 3, 1-2pm, at the Old Elks Lodge, Old Elks Lodge, 315 N Texas St (at W Market St), the second "Roundtable with Writers" will be held. A different group of writers than those at the Saturday Roundtable will sit and visit informally amongst themselves and with the audience. No scripting or pre-defined topics. Just give and take between the authors and the Festival goers.
Full Festival information including the Festival Schedule, the venue locations, the Presenters' bios, and more can be found at www.swordfiesta.org.