“The ATLAS 19” Two-Part Reading & Release Party at the Rock Island Public Library and Rozz-Tox -- August 15.
Part 1: Thursday, August 15, 5 p.m.
Rock Island Public Library – Downtown Branch, 401 18th Street, Rock Island IL
Part 2: Thursday, August 15, 8 p.m.
Rozz-Tox, 2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
Two venues in downtown Rock Island will co-host one exciting literary event when the Midwest Writing Center presents readings and a release party for the annual literary magazine The ATLAS, the latest volume of which will, on August 15, be showcased in a late-afternoon event at the Rock Island Public Library and an evening celebration at the neighboring Rozz-Tox.
The Midwest Writing Center's Young Emerging Writers (YEW) Summer Internship Program is composed of students ages 15 to 19 who applied and were interviewed for the privilege of participating in this selective paid internship program. This summer, 23 interns from around Quad City area participated in YEW with the help of 10 staff members. YEW provides writing instruction in a variety of writing styles and processes, and develops professional skills in areas such as editing, collaborative project management, and magazine design. In 50 hours of meetings over seven weeks, the interns went from meet-and-greet to producing a high-quality literary magazine. This summer, the YEW program celebrates its 19th year with the release of THE ATLAS 19.
This year's event will start at 5 p.m. (doors at 4:30 p.m.), with a Family and Friends Reception at the downtown Rock Island Public Library Community Room, where YEW interns will give brief readings of their work. Then, at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), the party will move down the street to Rozz-Tox, where the YEW interns, and maybe some special guests, will read different selections from the magazine, giving audiences an opportunity to hear more work from the magazine brought to life in a different venue. Copies of new and back issues will be available for purchase at both locations, with THE ATLAS 19 available for $10 at the launch, and all back issues of available for $5 Both public-reading events will also be livestreamed on the MWC's YouTube page at YouTube.com/midwestwritingcenter.
Funding and material support for the 2024 Young Emerging Writers Summer Internship Program is generously provided by the Illinois Arts Council, the Regional Development Authority, the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Moline Regional Community Foundation, Modern Woodmen of America, Tim Curry Endowment for Youth Writing Programs at the Quad City Community Foundation, the HAVlife Foundation, the CD Wiman Memorial Trust, the Melvin McKay Charitable Trust, the Mary Iva Gittens Knouse Trust, the Rock Island Public Library, and Rozz-Tox.
Admission to both ATLAS events on August 15 is free with donations encouraged, and more information is available by contacting the Midwest Writing Center at (309)732-7330 and visiting MWCQC.org.
