First Sunday Readings begins at Boxcar Books

It was close to standing room only at Boxcar Books Sunday afternoon. There were refreshments, writers, poets and a Pakastani man in the corner.

First Sunday Readings and Open-Mic is the collaboration of Writer’s Guild of Bloomington and Boxcar Books.

Created as an opportunity for readings other than poetry, the program is another place for writers to present prose, fiction and additional styles of writing.

The reading runs from 3 to 5 p.m.  the first Sunday of every month, excluding June and July. 

The event is an hour of three local professional writers and then an hour of open readings by volunteer writers.

Chairman of the Writer’s Guild Patsy Rahn said there was a need for non-poetry-only works.

“There were mainly prose writers,” Rahn said. “It was an event to meet, share, gather and have a good time.”

The Writer’s Guild began two years ago with three people. Now with 158 members, the volunteer-run organization is constantly growing as three to four members join each month, Rahn said.

During the first hour of the event, writers Patricia Krahnke, Frida Westford and Writer’s Guild Secretary and Treasurer Eric Rensberger presented published and
personal works.

Krahnke’s play, “Asylum,” opened the event. Acing as narrator, Krahnke introduced the five scenes of Act one.

The play, a triangle relationship of an unhappy married couple and the wife’s hated best friend, was read by two of Krahnke’s friends while gesturing to an unseen man, an illegal immigrant characterized as Hassan.

Along with Krahnke’s play, the invited writers and volunteer readers presented poems, songs, short stories and one to two paragraph works deemed prose poetry.

The second hour of the event was open to fellow writers, professional and
first-timers.

Pleasing the audience with a little light horror, published writer, James Dorr, read a piece called “Undying Love,” featuring a loving zombie wife.

“I write professionally and like to have an audience,” Dorr said, “Maybe, just maybe, some like it, but it is a chance to show off.”

Dorr will continue with First Sunday Readings as one of next month’s featured authors.

Boxcar Books volunteered its space for the event. Nancy Long, a
volunteer for the Writer’s Guild, helped organize and set-up the readers.

“Boxcar Books is very welcome to the community,” Long said. “Our missions collide and it is warm and inviting space for the event.”

The next reading will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 3 at Boxcar Books.