LITERATURE + LECTURES

Houstonians, however, have the benefit of hearing works straight from the writers' mouths during the monthly Gulf Coast Reading Series. During its 2010-2011 season, the series will introduce Houstonians to 21 talented students from UH's acclaimed Creative Writing Program. All readings are free and presented at Brazos Bookstore.

Gulf Coast, a biannual journal featuring innovative fiction for the literary-minded, presents this reading series, bringing writers from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program to the ears of our city. Through the University of Houston's literary journal Gulf Coast, audiences around the world can experience the poetry and fiction of emerging authors.

"The Gulf Coast Reading Series offers residents an opportunity to hear some of the best young writers read their work," said J. Kastely, director of the UH Creative Writing Program. "The series takes place in an intimate setting, and it is fun to be part of the audience. It epitomizes what a literary community can be."

All readings are free and open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. at Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005.  

November 12, 2010: Jameelah Lang, Aja Gabel, Nicole Walker

Jameelah Lang spent 91.8% of her life in Kansas, and her mother was very happy about this. She received her MFA in 2010 from the University of Kansas, where she read for Cottonwood Literary Magazine and co-founded Bathtub Kansas Writers' Collective. In 2009-2010, Jameelah also served as the Writer-in-Residence for HUB-BUB, a grassroots arts organization in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There, she interned for Hub City Press and the Hub City Writers Project.

Aja Gabel holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Virginia and a BA from Wesleyan University. She was the fiction editor at Meridian and served on the editorial board of the Virginia Quarterly Review. Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in the New England Review, the New Ohio Review, Slush Pile, the Southeast Review, and the South Carolina Review.

Nicole Walker grew up in Brownsville, Texas. She is a first year MFA poetry candidate at UH. She loves cats, ducks, and pumpkin pie.