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2015 Schedule

Wednesday April, 1
12:00 am start
TBD
Free
Jenny Zhang
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Jenny Zhang is a poet, writer, and performer living in New York. She’s the author of the poetry collection Dear Jenny, We Are All Find. You can find her at jennybagel.com, at her blog, Fashion for Writers, and on Twitter @jennybagel.
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Niina Pollari lives in Brooklyn and has written two previous chapbooks: Fabulous Essential (Birds of Lace 2009) and Book Four (Hyacinth Girl 2012). She translated Tytti Heikkinen’s The Warmth of the Taxidermied Animal (Action Books 2013).
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Erika Jo Brown is from New York. Her chapbook, What a Lark!, was published by Further Adventures Press in 2011. She was educated at Cornell University and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Capote Fellow in Poetry. Most recently, Brown taught at Savannah State University and co-curated the Seersucker Shots reading series. Brown is currently a PhD candidate in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Houston.
chloecaldwell1
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Chloe Caldwell is the author of the novella WOMEN (SF/LD, 2014) and the essay collection LEGS GET LED ASTRAY (Future Tense Books, 2012). Her work has appeared in Salon.com, The Sun, Nylon, The Rumpus, Men's Health, The Nervous Breakdown, and the anthologies "True Tales of Lust and Love" and "Goodbye To All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NYC". She lives in Hudson, New York.
bennett-sims
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Bennett Sims is the author of the novel, A Questionable Shape, winner of the 2014 Bard Fiction Prize. Sims has studied at Pomona College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His fiction has appeared in A Public Space, Conjunctions, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Zoetrope: All-Story.
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Nicholas Rombes teaches in Detroit, Michigan. He is author of Ramones from the 33 1/3 series and the book 10/40/70. His writing has appeared in The Believer, Filmmaker Magazine, the Los Angeles Review of Books,n+1, and The Rumpus.
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Free
DJ Dolack
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DJ Dolack is the author of Whittling a New Face in the Dark (Black Ocean, 2013), as well as the chapbooks No Ser. No (Greying Ghost) and 12 Poems (Eye For An Iris Press). His video reviews and Tourist Trap, NYC series can be found at Coldfront Magazine. He teaches writing at Baruch College and lives in Jackson Heights, Queens.  
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Matt Rasmussen’s poetry has been published in Gulf Coast, Cimarron Review, H_NGM_N, Water~Stone Review, New York Quarterly, Paper Darts, and at Poets.org. He’s received awards, grants, and residencies from The Bush Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation, Intermedia Arts, The Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN, and The Corporation of Yaddo. He is a 2014 Pushcart Prize winner, a former Peace Corps Volunteer, and teaches at Gustavus Adolphus College. His first book of poems, Black Aperture, was a finalist for the National…
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Free
Ben Fama
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Ben Fama is the author of the artist book Mall Witch, as well as several chapbooks and pamphlets. In 2015 Ugly Duckling Presse will publish Fantasy, his first full length book of poems.
monica-mcclure
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Monica McClure‘s debut collection, Tender Data, will be published by Birds, LLC in 2015. She is the author of the chapbooks Mood Swing, published by Snacks Press in 2013, and Mala, from Poor Claudia. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Tin House, Los Angeles Review, Lit Review, Lambda Literary Review’s Spotlight Series, The Awl, Spork Press and elsewhere. She studied fiction, poetry, art history and literary theory at DePauw University and earned her MFA in poetry from New York University. With Brenda Shaughnessy, she edited the anthology Both…
Colin Winnette (photo cred Jennifer Yinn)
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Colin Winnette is the author of several books, including ANIMAL COLLECTION (Spork Press 2012), COYOTE (Les Figues 2015) and HAINTS STAY (forthcoming from Two Dollar Radio). His work can be read far and wide in places like McSweeney's, The American Reader, The Believer, Gulf Coast, and others. His prizes include Les Figues Press's NOS Book Contest and Sonora Review's Short Short Fiction Contest, and he was finalist for the Donald Barthelme Prize for Short Prose and Cleveland State University Poetry Center's…
Emily Wilson
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Emily Wilson was born in Ohio and grew up in Maine; she was educated at Harvard University and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her collections of poetry include The Keep (2001); Morpho terrestre (2006), a limited-edition book with prints by Sara Langworthy; and Micrographia (2009). Wilson has taught at Colby College, Grinnell College, the University of Montana, and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She was the recipient of a 2007 fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts.
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Janaka Stucky is the Publisher of Black Ocean as well as the annual poetry journal, Handsome. He is the author of Your Name Is The Only Freedom and The World Will Deny It For You. His poems have appeared in such journals as Denver Quarterly, Fence and North American Review, and his articles have been published by The Huffington Post and The Poetry Foundation. He is a two-time National Haiku Champion and in 2010 he was voted “Boston’s Best Poet” in the Boston Phoenix.
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Mary Hickman is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she received an Iowa Arts Fellowship. Her poems have been published in Boston Review, Colorado Review, jubilat, PEN American Poetry Series, and elsewhere. Her first book, This Is the Homeland, will be published by Ahsahta Press in 2015.
Much More At Mission Creek
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Free
TBD
Mission Creek Artist Installation, March 31 - April 5   After graduating from the UI with a BFA in graphic design, Candida Pagan traveled widely-- adventuring here and there, always on the hunt for a new art or performance project. She has come to rest, as of late, in Iowa City and is currently an MFA Candidate at the UI Center for the book. She is the proprietor of Digraph Press, a limited edition fine press, and works with Special…
The Mill / 8:00 am
Free
dj-dolack
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The Mill
8:00 am start
DJ Dolack is the author of Whittling a New Face in the Dark (Black Ocean, 2013), as well as the chapbooks No Ser. No (Greying Ghost) and 12 Poems (Eye For An Iris Press). His video reviews and Tourist Trap, NYC series can be found at Coldfront Magazine. He teaches writing at Baruch College and lives in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Revival / 8:00 am
Free
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Free
Revival
8:00 am start
Mei-ling Shaw Williams, Iowa City artist, photographer, designer, gardener, metalsmith, sculptress, party-thrower extraordinaire, ghost-wolf-woman from another era, and all-around-incredible, inspirational ladybabe, will be doing a window installation at Revival Clothing Store. Mei-Ling's current work is titled discrete:continuous, and relates to particles and waves within physics. Expect a mindmelt/powerful perception-changer chamber, patiently waiting to wrap you in a carefully constructed handspun web.
White Rabbit Gallery / 10:00 am
Free
Much More At Mission Creek
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White Rabbit Gallery
10:00 am start
Mission Creek Artist Installation March 31 - April 5   Ultra Terrestrial: A superior, non-human entity of natural or supernatural origin that is indigenous to planet Earth.   Bright colors, super natural and mystical imagery, psychedelia, ufos, extra terrestrials, animals, strange vegetation, and visionary folk art from around the world all inspire Becca Kacanda's designs and her life.
Iowa City Pedestrian Mall / 10:00 am
Free
Much More At Mission Creek
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Iowa City Pedestrian Mall
10:00 am start
Gallery/Workshop: 10 am - 5 pm daily throughout the festival McNutt Gallery 204 Stevens Drive, Iowa City Outdoor projection: Iowa City Pedestrian Mall Tuesday, March 31, 8-10 pm Friday, April 3, 8-10 pm   Barry Phipps will relocate his studio to McNutt Gallery for one week as part installation, part store, part workshop, keeping regular business hours from 10am - 5pm, while he works on several projects to reveal the process to prospective viewers. Phipps' artistic process will be filmed…
Urbanity / 10:05 am
Free
Much More At Mission Creek
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Free
Urbanity
10:05 am start
Mission Creek Artist Installation, March 31 - April 5 Alicia Kelly was born and raised among the red dirt and wildflowers of northeastern Oklahoma. The country landscape and fauna of the midwest left a deep impression on Kelly that continues to inspire her artwork. Since receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking in 2010 from the University of Kansas, she has exhibited in numerous galleries, non-profit spaces and flash spaces. Venues included Stumptown Printers (Portland), Spencer Museum of Art…
TBD
Free
BJ Love
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BJ Love is the author of Yes, I'm Sure This Was a Beautiful Place (Strange Cage), a collaboration with the poet, Lucas Pingel. In addition, Love produces Pretty LIT, a podcast that brings together, finally, the worlds of poetry and club bangers, and can be found at: www.prettylit.org.
Velvet Coat / TBD
Free
Much More At Mission Creek
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Velvet Coat
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Mission Creek Artist Installation, March 31 - April 5 A handmade-textile artist whose visual installations have been showcased in Japan, San Francisco, the Portland Airport, and Iowa City, Sayuri creates intricate and enchanting universes that invite the viewer to re-imagine their own perception of place and movement.
The Yacht Club / 8:00 am
Free
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The Yacht Club
8:00 am start
Hailing from Ames, Iowa, Mumford’s is a self-proclaimed “wild freak-folk storyteller dance band with a horn section”. Beginning in 2008, Mumford’s songs have come to include character development, uses of voice and instrumentation, and different characters and circumstances, much like a story.
Multiple Locations / 11:00 am
Free
Free
Multiple Locations
w/ Alicia Kelly , Sayuri Sasaki Hemann , Candida Pagan , UltraTerrestrial
11:00 am start
Mission Creek Artist Installations - Click links below for locations and details March 31 - April 5: Sayuri Sasaki Hemann Barry Phipps Shop UltraTerrestrial Candida Pagan Alicia Kelly Mei-Ling Shaw Williams
Steven Vail Gallery / 5:00 pm
Free
Free
Steven Vail Gallery
w/ Andre Perry
5:00 pm start
Luis Alberto Urrea, 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, is a prolific and acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss and triumph. The critically acclaimed and best-selling author of 13 books, Urrea has won numerous awards for his poetry, fiction and essays. Among them, The Devil's Highway (2004) won the Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the…
Devotay / 6:00 pm
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$40
Devotay
6:00pm doors / 6:00 pm start
4-course meal 4 beer pairings from Exile Brewing of Des Moines $40   MENU: Country pork paté, gordal olives, pistachios, farmhouse bread, paired with Ruthie - Gold Lager Potatoes Anna, roasted cauliflower, pickled pears, carrots, paired with Beatnik Sour - Berliner Weisse Inspired Sour Ale Red pepper-encrusted tuna, scallion-cabbage kimchi, mussel escabeche, and savory tangerine curd, paired with Hannah - Bavarian Wheat Rhubarb chiffon pie, paired with Elephant Squat IPA - American IPA   Call (319) 354-1001 for reservations and…
Prairie Lights / 6:00 pm
Free
Free
Prairie Lights
w/ Emily Wilson
5:00 pm doors / 6:00 pm start
Michael Morse teaches at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York and has taught at The University of Iowa and The New School. Michael’s first book, Void and Compensation, will appear from Canarium Books in the spring of 2015. He has published poems in various journals, including A Public Space, The American Poetry Review, Field, The Iowa Review, The Literary Review, and Ploughshares, and in anthologies that include The Best American Poetry, 2012 and Starting Today: 100 Poems for Obama’s First 100 Days. Honors include fellowships…
FilmScene / 6:30 pm
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Film at Mission Creek
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$10
FilmScene
6:00 pm doors / 6:30 pm start
Featuring intro and live music pre-show by Ian McMillan. I DREAM OF WIRES is an independent documentary about the history, demise, and resurgence of the modular synthesizer, featuring interviews with modular musicians, inventors and enthusiasts, including Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Gary Numan, Vince Clarke (Erasure), Morton Subotnick, Chris Carter (Throbbing Gristle), Daniel Miller, Carl Craig, Flood, Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy), James Holden, Factory Floor, Legowelt, Clark, John Foxx and Bernie Krause, as well as manufacturers and modular industry leaders…
Englert Theatre / 7:00 pm
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$15/20
Englert Theatre
6:00 pm doors / 7:00 pm start
Called “the future of comedy” by none other than Jay Leno, Cameron Esposito is a fast rising Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer. In addition to her work as a nationally touring headliner, Cameron has appeared on Late Late with Craig Ferguson (CBS), @midnight (Comedy Central), CONAN (TBS), Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC), Maron (IFC), Adventure Time (Cartoon Network), Funny as Hell (HBO Canada), and as a regular on Chelsea Lately (E!) and TakePartLive (Pivot). She has appeared…
Gabe’s / 8:00 pm
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$15
Gabe’s
w/ Alex Body , Frankie Teardrop
7:00 pm doors / 8:00 pm start
Started in the 1960s and comprised of the enigmatic vocalist Simeon and percussionist Danny Taylor, Silver Apples is one of the first rock groups to employ an experimental electronic sound. Simeon played an instrument named after himself, described in their 1968 LP as “nine audio oscillators and eighty-six manual controls” that is played with the hands, elbows, knees, and feet. After their second record release, the group dismantled. It was not until 1996 that Simeon began recording music with new…
Gabe’s / 8:00 pm
Free
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$15
Gabe’s
7:00 pm doors / 8:00 pm start
The Mill / 8:00 pm
TBD
Music at Mission Creek
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TBD
The Mill
7:00 pm doors / 8:00 pm start
The Mill / 8:00 pm
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john-june-year (1)
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$8
The Mill
8:00 pm doors / 8:00 pm start
John June Year is an independent rock band based in the Midwest that wrap refreshingly catchy pop tunes in a fresh package. They inhabit the perfect balance between sentimentality, listlessness, and youthful invigoration with their music and collective persona.   Formed during the summer of 2012, the band has quickly progressed into a talented group of young musicians that place songwriting at the core of their focus. Their most recent EP, “Pop Sucker,” was released this winter and produced by…
Gabe’s / 9:00 pm
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$15
Gabe’s
7:00 pm doors / 9:00 pm start
"You can just make something up, I don't give a fuck," said Alex Body at The Mill in regards to his Mission Creek Bio (1/29/15).
The Yacht Club / 9:00 pm
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$8
The Yacht Club
w/ Mumford's
9:00 pm start
Guiding the contemporary evolution of hip-hop, soul, funk, and jazz, 8-piece Sidewalk Chalk’s captivating live sound, seamless transitions, and diverse musical stylings are dominant aspects of their most recent release, Shoulder Season. Birthed by collaborations at Columbia University between MC Rico Sisney and vocalist Maggie Vagle, the Chicago outfit evolved to completeness after adding keys, bass, drums, a full horn section, and to top it all off, a tap dancer. The ensemble’s unique, powerful, and rhythmic flavor can’t be matched…
The Mill / 9:00 pm
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$8
The Mill
w/ B Star , John June Year
8:00 pm doors / 9:00 pm start
John June Year B Star Born out of the backyards and basements of Chicago’s DIY music scene, NE-HI’s nostalgic-rock brings you back to a time that may have never existed. It may be the past. It may be the future. But, it is certainly a place where you feel younger, better looking, and you dance until you are soaked in sweat. A place where you know the best bands before your older brother and all the cool kids at school.…
FilmScene / TBD
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Film at Mission Creek
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$4
FilmScene
9:30 pm doors / TBD
(Late Shift at the Grindhouse) From exploitation filmmaker William Hellfire ("Duck!The Carbine High Massacre," "The Devil's Bloody Playthings"), comes UPSIDE DOWN CROSS, starring Erin Russ as Nadine, the drug-addled victim of religious mania, and David Yow, lead singer of acclaimed alt rock band Jesus Lizard, as her tormented would-be exorcist redeemer.
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