Get out of this place.

At the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop Awards Banquet. A piece I wrote about maybe probably not having a gambling addiction was a finalist for the Samuel Mockbee Award for Nonfiction, judged by Christopher Chambers this year. Other finalists were Daniel Morales and Cate Root (who’s not pictured, but a link to a video of her graduate reading earlier today can be found here). Congratulations to my friend Coleen Muir for winning the Mockbee. That guy on the end is the talented writer/thoughtful professor Randy Bates. This was a good way to close the semester.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 5.20.2012.

Kelly Bones Jones reads her poems at The Shadowbox Theatre as part of her final exam in Carolyn Hembree’s poetry workshop. Things like this make me extremely happy to be a part of the University of New Orleans’s Creative Writing Workshop. These are talented folks. If you need proof, watch the video of Jonathan Brown performing his piece.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 5.9.2012.

Denise and all the other readers killed it at Gold Room last night, despite the ever-looming prospect of being eaten by the scavenging coyote seen here making her way behind the bar.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 4.26.2012.

I read a piece at Gold Room tonight that, as you can tell from my preacher’s garb, may have gotten a little bit gimmicky. Click here for the video. Thanks to everyone who showed up, even if it was just to eat some $1 tacos and watch the basketball game behind me.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 3.22.2012.

Melissa Remark reads her fiction at the first Gold Room since November. Hats off to everyone who came out for the readings while still hungover from Mardi Gras. Join us at Handsome Willy’s on March 22 for the next Gold Room. If I can get something written, I’ll be reading nonfiction.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 2.23.2012.

The new issue of Bayou Magazine is the best in its history. (Congratulations to its editors, Melissa and Carrie.) Also, it includes a poem by Michael Inscoe, who is probably my favorite poet in the world.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 1.21.2012.

Richard Goodman, a visiting professor at the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop, reads from his book French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 11.22.2011.

Kelly “Bones” Jones reads poetry during Gold Room at Handsome Willy’s while the temperature drops at a rate of ten degrees an hour.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 11.17.2011.

Prom poses with Josie and Shelley at the Creative Writing Workshop’s annual Rosa Park Party. I have no idea what the party is about, but there’s food and drink, so I dressed up and went.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 11.12.2011.

Lindsay Maples reads at the first Gold Room of the semester. If you like words, you should come to Handsome Willy’s to hear the UNO Creative Writing Students read theirs on the third (or last, sometimes) Thursday of the month.

New Orleans, Louisiana. 9.22.2011.