Join us at noon each market Saturday through 15 October, to enjoy a wide spectrum of expression from over 50 participating poets! Each reading is emceed by a different poet, who in turn selects guest readers. It's like opening a new magazine each week. Your host today is Maryrose Larkin of the Spare Room Collective.  She's joined by Jennifer Bartlett and visiting poet Margareta Waterman. Coming soon in the Market Day Poetry Series, cosponsored by the St. Johns Farmers' Market: 7/2 hosted by Gaston's Mary Slocum with Vancouver's Toni Partington and David Matthews 7/9 hosted by Bethany Moore 7/16 hosted by Christopher Luna, Vancouver's poetry czar 7/23 hosted by Bear Deluxe editor Casey Bush with the Writer's Dojo's Kirsten Rian

NOFest returns to St. Johns!  St. Johns Books is proud to host Spoken Word artists as part of this annual, multi-venue arts festival. Click here to view the complete festival program online. G.M. Holder was born in the United States in 1977. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. and Eastern Europe. In August 2010, he published his second book The Introduction to the World, and is currently at work on a large book of short stories, a novel about the Zodiac Killer, and a Walt Whitmanesque fantasia concerning Gutterpunk, trainhopping, and hitchiking cultures. His book, Love Songs & Monster Songs, which chronicles his experiences in postwar Former Yugoslavia in 2002 and 2003, will be reprinted by Blackout Publishing in 2011. Though he is still widely unrecognized, Holder's writing is already being compared to the likes of Thomas Pynchon, Danilo Kis and William T. Vollmann. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. We're sorry, no bio has been provided for C. Bush. G.M. Holder was born in the United States in 1977. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. and Eastern Europe. In August 2010, he published his second book: "The Introduction to the World" and is currently at work on a large book of short stories, a novel about the Zodiac Killer, and a Walt Whitmanesque fantasia concerning Gutterpunk, trainhopping, and hitchiking cultures. His book, "Love Songs & Monster Songs", which chronicles his experiences in postwar Former Yugoslavia in 2002 and 2003, will be reprinted by Blackout Publishing in 2011. Though he is still widely unrecognized, Holder's writing is already being compared to the likes of Thomas Pynchon, Danilo Kis and William T. Vollmann. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Print this

It's back!  The 36-minute contest that shatters writers' block returns to St. Johns Booksellers for our 6th anniversary! Created by Indigo Editing, sponsors of the annual 36-Hour Sledgehammer Writing Contest, the mini-Sledgehammer works on similar lines.  Participants will be given 4 writing prompts: a character, a fragment of dialogue, an action, and a prop. A timer will be set for 36 minutes. Each participant will produce a new work of fiction on the spot, using the prompts provided, before the timer runs down. All work must be new, and produced especially for this contest. There is no minimum or maximum length. At the end of 36 minutes, participants will read their stories aloud for the audience and our panel of judges, which will include a representative of St. Johns Booksellers and a representative of Indigo Editing. Entries will be judged for completeness, overall quality of writing, and best use of all prompts. Judges’ decisions are final.  Prizes include a copy of Ink-Filled Page, Indigo Editing's yearbook of fine writing, and a St. Johns Booksellers gift certificate. Participation is limited to 10 writers, on a first-come, first-served basis.  Signup opens at 6:30pm. While you are welcome to bring any writing device you regularly use, all participants will receive a Moleskine pocket notebook.