Thurs., Apr. 5
SunLit Festival Kick-off Party
Kick off this year's fest at the glassiest place in St. Pete — the Chihuly. Party with St. Pete's literati over drinks, hors d'oeuvres, live music, guest speakers, featured storytellers and — this is awesome — the presentation of the 2018 SunLit Award. Jeff Morris, of Wilson's Book World, earned it with more than 40 years as part of our super-lit-savvy community. Donation bar, but also on tap will be Roy Peter Clark, who's flat-out awesome and probably going to kick it Billy-Joel-style, as well as other local legends. He may be the legend-y-ist, though. Chihuly Gallery, 720 Central Ave., St. Pete. 7-9 p.m. $35 (includes two drinks). Learn more.
Sat., Apr. 7
Go climb a tree
Seriously, Open Tree Climb at Pathfinder lets you (and your kids over 6) climb trees (with help). See the world from the top of an oak canopy. How does this relate to books and reading? Anyone who's ever stretched a hammock between two trees and set up shop with a can't-put-it-down book can answer that, and yes, they'll have hammocks set up. No book? No problem — they're gonna have a pop-up bookstore on-site, and, at 11 a.m., a book group discussing William Kamkwamba's The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (a worthy, inspiring read) will meet. Got kids too young to climb? It's all good; Erica Sirotich will read them her rhyming counting book, Found Dogs, at 1 p.m. Pathfinder Outdoor Education,1310 22nd Ave. S., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. 727-328-0300. Learn more here.
Mon., Apr. 9
An Evening with Lee Irby
Oh, Lee Irby, your books make us happy. Well, except for Unreliable, which really made us kinda uncomfortable because we're supposed to be able to trust our narrators. But we still liked it. Irby's also written 7,000 Clams, The Up and Up and — this is our fave — The Van, a book that chronicles the life of a Volkswagen bus. Back, you know, when Volkswagens didn't look like every other car on the road. His books are quirky, is what we're saying, and you can come hear that quirk in real life, plus he'll probably sign books for you, too. But mostly his own, we'd imagine. Mirror Lake Library, 280 5th St. N., St. Pete. Doors open at 5 p.m.; talk starts at 5:30 p.m. and the reception and book signing starts at 6:30 p.m. Learn more.
Wed., Apr. 11
Fools for Love
The talented, goofy and elegant duo of Paul Wilborn and Eugenie Bondurant bring a night of words, music and film — all in the name of love. Bonus: If you haven't seen Bondurant in the locally produced, went to Cannes, short film Tiny Bacteria, this is your chance. The Studio@620, 620 1st Ave. S., St. Pete. 7:30 p.m. $20; $15, members. Learn more and get tickets here.
Thurs., Apr. 12
PRIDE Launch Party: The Story of Harvey Milk & the Rainbow Flag
Rob Sanders wrote the first-ever picture book about the story behind the Gay Pride Flag. It's designed for kids, but it's an undertold story, for sure, so it's a don't-miss event for us all. The evening includes a silent auction for the LGBTQ Homeless Youth Project. Arts Xchange St. Pete, 515 22nd St. S., St. Pete. 6:30 p.m. Pre-order the book at 727-755-9456. Learn more.
InSights: A Convergence of Adolescence
Want to hear some of our local writers and community leaders embarrass themselves? Of course you do. Because those angsty or fluffy (and, trust us, sometimes both) writings from people's formative years made them who they are, and who they are are some of the most self-assured, confident and happy people you'll ever meet. We're not just saying that because our editor-in-chief David Warner is one of these readers, but also because the event will feature teenage writers reading their stuff. Has the way we journal, write poetry or other stuff as teenagers changed with the advent of Facebook, Snapchat and computers? Come find out. First Unity Spiritual Campus, 460 46th Ave. N., St Pete. 7-9 p.m. Get more info and a full list of readers here.
Fri., Apr. 13
ArtSong Fusion: Music + Poetry — An Evening with Luis González
Music, meet poetry. Poetry, meet music. Baritone Luis González, a local opera favorite, brings the art song genre to life with selections from Mozart, Pasatieri and Laitman. Pianist Michael Stewart will accompany and Maureen McDole, executive director of KSPLit will live translate. It's a small setting, so kick back and soak it in with a happy hour cocktail in hand. SubCentral at Iberian Rooster, 475 Central Ave., Ste. 100, St. Pete. 6 p.m. (5:30 p.m. doors). $20; $25 VIP seating. Get tickets here or learn more.
Sat. Apr. 14
Authors, Writers, and Winners
Three local writers read from their latest works and talk about the realities of the publishing world. John A. Vanek reads from Deros: A Father Jake Austin Mystery; yours truly reads from Backroads of Paradise: A Journey to Rediscover Old Florida; and Peter Golenbock reads from Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964 (Dover Baseball) and Presumed Guilty: Casey Anthony: The Inside Story. Oh, and if you entered the SunLit short story contest, here's where they announce the winners. St. Petersburg Public Library, 3746 9th Ave. N., St. Pete. 2-4 p.m.
The Pink Beneath Our Feet: Poetic Installations
Interactive poetry with poet laureate Helen Pruitt Wallace plus a new exhibit from the amazing Katee Tully. This one's gonna take some viewer participation, too: Bring something pink — we're not kidding — to surrender to the Temple of Pink. It must be smaller than a flamingo but larger than a marble. Behar + Peteranecz Architecture, 2430 Terminal Dr. S., St. Pete. 5-7 p.m., followed by a ticketed event at 7:30 p.m. Learn more.
Sun., Apr. 15
Sugar Skull Inspired Memories
Want to be a reader in SunLit? Here's one chance: Take in the sugar skulls, part of the Dia de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life" exhibit. Before Apr. 14, pick your favorite, ideally one that makes you remember something writing-worthy. Then write about it, and read your work in Sugar Skull Inspired Memories. Florida Craft Art, 501 Central Ave., St. Pete. 2-4 p.m. 727-821-7391. Learn more.
Tues., Apr. 17
Peter and the Wolf
Remember that time your and your friends went to find your lost dog? Peter and the Wolf is almost exactly like that, except your friends are a bird, duck and a cat, and instead of your lost dog, it's a wolf. Oh, and it's about Peter, not you. St. Petersburg Ballet performs, wearing masks designed by Lester Jacobsen and David Anderson and costumes painted by Jillian Kuusela. St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 2nd Ave. NE, St. Pete. 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thurs., Apr. 19
Literary Carousel
The MFA brings out its photo archives and locally famous writers will read their interpretations of the photographs. Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Pete. 6 p.m.; readings start at 6:30 p.m. $5; members, free. Learn more.
Fri., Apr. 20
Adult Spelling Bee
Can you spell better than your coworkers? Get a team of anywhere from two to four peeps together, name your team something kick-ass (we're partial to the Spell Czechs, but none of us are Czech, so…) and win a medal, suitable for wearing at any formal event (we should mention medals are only for the winning team). Sunshine Center, 330 5th St. N. 6:30 p.m. Teams, $100; looky-loos, $10. Learn more here; register teams here.
Porch Party: Book Launch for Your Robot Dog Will Die
Arin Greenwood set her latest book, Your Robot Dog Will Die, in a dystopian Gulfport ("Beachport"), home to the last remaining live dogs on the planet. Aside from being a lot of fun to read, it's a thought-provoking look at how far is too far. Meet Arin, her super-dog Murray, and adoptable dogs from Suncoast Animal League (a portion of the book sales benefit them). Pre-order the book here and pick it up at the party. Dogs are welcome (some material inappropriate for dogs under 2). BYOB. Light snacks provided. Gulfport History Museum, 5301 28th Ave. S., Gulfport. 6:30 doors, 7 p.m. reading and talk. Free, BYOB. 727-656-5420. More info here.
Fri., Apr. 20-Sun., Apr. 22
37th Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
Ah, the book fair that started it all — books of and for all ages, old maps, postcards, pretty much anything that appears on paper and is vintage-like eventually makes its way to this state-wide draw of a party. There's live music Friday night and included-with-admission book appraisals Sunday. St. Petersburg Coliseum, 535 4th Ave N., St. Pete. Fri, 5-9 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sat., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $10, weekend (FYI — this is the only way to get in Friday night for the live music); day tickets, $6/day. Discounted tickets here; learn more here and here.
Sat., Apr. 21
Mirror Lake Tour With a Literary Twist!
Once again, this literary walking tour offers an athletic ekphrastic. Preserve the ‘Burg (nee St. Petersburg Preservation) gives its standard walking tour, but at each stop local writers offer up work inspired by the locale. Start at St. Pete City Hall, 175 5th St. N., St. Pete. 10-12 p.m. $10; free for PTB members. Learn more.
Life on the Deuces: An Intersection of History and Home
Raise your hand if you've heard of The Deuces. Keep it up if you know one single thing about its history. OK, so, if you want to know about this neighborhood's legacy, this is where you want to be, because this community historically suffered red-lining and for years was neglected, ignored and abused — but it also has stories of resilience and family. If you're wondering whether segregation or institutionalized racism still exists, you might want to go ahead and check this out. At the end of the program, you'll have a chance to write about what you experienced, be it in poetry, narrative or fiction form. Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, 2240 9th Ave. S., St. Pete 1-3 p.m. Please pre-register here; learn more here.
Sun., Apr. 22
Wake Up: The Buddhist Writings of Jack Kerouac
Oh, Jack. Your dharma is our dharma. Well, OK, not exactly (our dharma isn't nearly as drink-y), but Wake Up: The Buddhist Writings of Jack Kerouac takes a metaphorical stroll through Kerouac’s body of work (yip, they'll talk about Mexico City Blues and The Dharma Bums), and also delves into his religious childhood and spiritual adulthood (because religion doesn't always come with spirituality, now does it?). The talk will also look at how his work affected Buddhism in the US. Live readings and stories from Ronny Elliott, Colleen Cherry and Joran Oppelt. Unitarian Universalist Church, 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N., St. Pete. 7-9 p.m. $15 Register here and learn more here.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2018.