By Katy Yocom, Associate Director Master of Fine Arts in Writing, Spalding University
Heading to Tampa for AWP*? You are cordially invited to a Spalding MFA shindig!
WHEN: 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 8
WHERE: Blind Tiger Café, 1901 E 7th Ave., Tampa, FL 33605. The Blind Tiger is located in the happening Ybor City district, an easy trolley ride from the Convention Center.
WHAT: A Spalding MFA get-together and reading. Plus – you guessed it – snacks and a drink on us!
WHO: Our line-up includes MFA faculty and alumni alike. Featuring …
Kathleen Driskell, our esteemed program director
Nancy Chen Long
Nancy Chen Long (P ’13, winner of the Tampa Review Prize for her book Light Into Bodies)
Cole Bellamy
Cole Bellamy (P ’10 and a force on the Tampa literary scene)
Leah Henderson
Leah Henderson (W4CYA ’11, author of middle-grade novel One Shadow on the Wall)
Kiki Petrosino
Kiki Petrosino, brand-new poetry faculty member
Kenny Cook
Kenny Cook, longtime fiction faculty!
Katy Yocom will host. This event is free, ticketless, and open to all. Come see your Spalding pals and bring a friend!
About the Blind Tiger and Ybor City
The Blind Tiger is a speakeasy-inspired coffee shop. We’re not sure what that means, but their coffee drinks look delicious, and there’s also beer to be had. The Blind Tiger also sells cool T-shirts.Ybor City is a historic Tampa neighborhood founded by the cigar industry. Now it’s known for its Seventh Avenue entertainment district. Night clubs and restaurants abound, so after our event wraps up, you’ll have your choice of restaurants and bars on charming, palm-tree lined streets.
The TECO Line Streetcar System connects Ybor City to downtown Tampa. Board outside the Convention Center and ride the streetcar to the Ybor City Centennial Park stop. From there, it’s a two-minute walk to the Blind Tiger. A one-way cash fare is $2.50, or you can get a 1-day unlimited ride card for $5.00. Here’s a handy streetcar map. The Blind Tiger is at the corner of 7th Avenue and 19th Street. Check out the street view from Google Maps!
*AWP – the Association of Writers & Writing Programs – is a national organization that provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to creative writers and creative writing programs. The Spalding MFA program provides complimentary AWP membership for all current students. Membership includes a subscription to The Writer’s Chronicle magazine and discounted registration to the annual conference.
Katy Yocom’s fiction, poetry, essays, and journalism have appeared in Salon, The Louisville Review, 2nd & Church, and elsewhere. The 2016 recipient of the Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature, she holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University.
Comments