Fiction and Poetry in Motion During Gulf Coast Readings

Creative Writing Program Writers Take the Spotlight Feb. 21 at Rudyard’s

The stage at Rudyard’s British Pub is typically occupied by the city’s top musical acts. On Friday, Feb. 21, writers from the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program (CWP) will take over the popular nightclub for an evening of poetry and prose.

CWP students Olga Mexina, Thomas Calder and Meghan L. Martin will share some of their works during the next installment of the Gulf Coast Reading Series. These free readings start at 7 p.m. in the upstairs section of Rudyard’s (2010 Waugh Dr.).

Poet Mexina was born in Russa, raised in New York and now is honing her writing talents in Houston. Mexina’s poems have appeared in “The Pedestal Magazine,” “Mad Hatter’s Review,” “Big Pulp” and other literary journals.

Fiction writer Calder serves as an assistant editor for Gulf Coast and is a teaching assistant at UH. He also serves as a creative writing teacher for Writers in the Schools.

Martin is a poet and Theresa A. Wilhoit Fellow. Her work has been published in “The Adirondack Review,” “The Bitter Oleander,” “Cream City Review,” “DIAGRAM,” “The DMQ Review,” “Event Magazine,” “The Fiddlehead,” “Hunger Mountain,” “PRISM International,” “Ryga” and the anthology “Paradigm.”

Gulf Coast was founded by Donald Barthelme and Philip Lopate in 1986. The journal is a partnership between UH’s Creative Writing Program, the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston and the Menil Collection. It reviews submissions from artists and writers from around the country. To learn more about the Gulf Coast journal and the reading series, visit www.gulfcoastmag.org.

As part of UH's English department, the Creative Writing Program offers fiction and nonfiction writers and poets intensive training in both creative writing and literary studies. It offers two graduate degrees: the Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. CWP's noted faculty includes award-winning authors and poets such as novelist Antonya Nelson, poet and nonfiction writer Nick Flynn, graphic novelist Mat Johnson and poet Tony Hoagland. To learn more about the program, visit www.class.uh.edu/cwp/.