Gallery Book Launch and Reading / THE BOOM PROJECT: VOICES OF A GENERATION

Gallery Book Launch and Reading / THE BOOM PROJECT: VOICES OF A GENERATION

Please join us for a very special book launch and reading on Saturday August 17^th from 6pm to 9pm at the Mason-Nordgauer Fine Arts Gallery at 510 Main Street in New Harmony Indiana.

Co-editors, Bonnie Omer Johnson and Kimberly Crum, will present “The Boom Project: Voices of a Generation” —a collection of stories, essays and poems by writers, born between 1946 and 1964, who have lived (or are living now) in communities along the Ohio River, between Pittsburgh, PA and Cairo, ILL.

In this collection, readers will find writing that is provocative, lush, witty, accessible and universal. Forty-four writers speak on a variety of topics—the river, home, cultural and historical

events, coming of age and the coming of aging. Some have extensive publishing histories; for others, this is their first publication. All speak in voices that will resound.

The Boom Project started with a grumble. Two baby boomer writers, Kimberly Garts Crum and Bonnie Omer Johnson, were frustrated that literary journals, anthologies, and writing contests wanted writing that was edgy, fresh, experimental, and modern. As Crum writes in the introduction, “We are not fresh, edgy, or experimental. And we are not modern, unless you consider the term ‘midcentury modern.’”

Crum and Johnson put out a call for submissions across the Ohio River Valley for a new kind of collection—one that celebrates baby boomer experiences and perspectives. The result is an extraordinary anthology, filled with writing that is provocative, lush, witty, accessible, and universal. Contributors write about the river, home, cultural events, coming of age, and the coming of aging. These stories, essays, and poems are relatable to anyone who has ever searched for identity, connections, and a place to call home.

ABOUT THE EDITORS:

Kimberly Garts Crum has often lived near rivers, including the James, Rhine, Thames, Mississippi, and Iowa. In 1986, she and her husband adopted Louisville. Kim has her MSW (University of Iowa) and her MFA (Spalding University). She teaches memoir and personal essay writing at her Shape & Flow writing studio, and is working on a segmented memoir titled Slouching toward Self-Actualization.

Bonnie Omer Johnson moved to Kentucky before her first birthday. She claims to have river water running through her veins, having lived more years than not on the Ohio River, but also in cities along the Missouri, the James, and the St. Johns Rivers. Since receiving her MFA at Spalding University in her mid-50s, she has taught at Keiser University, Owensboro (Kentucky) Community and Technical College, and Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Doors open at 7pm and the presentation will begin at 7pm. A question / answer and book signing will follow.

We are limited to 35 guests. Guests must be 21+. This is a free event; but, reservations are required. Please email our gallery at dan@mnfinearts.com. Appetizers and cash bar will also be available.