Dorothee Kocks & The Glass Harmonica

Saturday, June 25, at 4pm–5pm, Big Mouth Café

The glass harmonica was the first pop-music phenomenon. Invented in the 1760s by Benjamin Franklin it rose to notoriety, as its sound mesmerized listeners and was purported to drive women into states of ecstasy. Some towns banned the instrument because it was 'too powerful.'

Writer and performance artist, Dorothee Kocks performs experts of her debut historical novel, The Glass Harmonica, A Sensualist's Tale, published by Rosa Mira Books. The story is a saga about one of America's sexiest instruments and the young immigrant woman who dared play it. Watch the video trailer.

Big Mouth Café

Daily performances

The Big Mouth Café is the place to go for the best wordsmiths Salt Lake has to offer. The only stage devoted exclusively to the art of the word, the Big Mouth hosts fire-breathing poets, short story mavericks and literary performances that will make your head spin. The Big Mouth is also home to the Poetry Slam, both individual and team Slams, that raise the poetic roof each and every night.

Team Slam Poetry

Saturday, June 25, 7:30pm

Five poetry slam teams will compete on the Big Mouth Café Stage during the 2011 Utah Arts Festival. This is the second year a Team Poetry Slam has been included at the Utah Arts Festival, returning after drawing a huge crowd at the 2010 Festival. The competition consists of individual pieces as well as team pieces, where the team performs a spoken word poem together.

See the complete list of Big Mouth Stage events.

Create Your Own Comic Book

Thursday, June 23, Friday, June 24, and Sunday, June 26 at 2pm-3pm at SLCC Community Writing Center

Learn the art of creating comics with visual storyteller, Richard Jenkins.

Jenkins works with school districts across the country as a teaching artist and creativity coach and has created the Sky Ape graphic novel series and other works. His narrative artwork is deeply informed by his continuous observation of lip movements, facial expressions, and body gestures. This study is the result of his lifelong hearing impairment.

Timpanogos Storytelling Presents

A Road to Home

Saturday, June 25 at 1:00pm at the SLCC Community Writing Center

Experience the living art of storytelling and rediscover your own road home through the words and music, wit and humor, of Utah storytellers Paige Funk, ToriAnn Perkey, and Steffani Raff.

Syd Lieberman, LIVE!

Sunday, June 26, 1pm–2 pm at the SLCC Community Writing Center

Syd Lieberman, internationally renowned storyteller, shares tales of history that defy time and space, hilarious personal stories and navigates the mad world of Poe as easily as he wanders the foolish streets of Chelm. The one thing you're sure about with Syd is an hour will seem like a moment!

Wasatch IronPen Literary Marathon and Ultra Marathon

Starts Friday, June 24 at 6pm and goes 24 hours.

Face off in a 24-hour writing competition. Adult and youth writers can participate in one of three categories (fiction, non-fiction and poetry) or take on the Ultra IronPen challenge and write in all three!  Writers of all genres and experience levels can register for the marathon beginning on June 1, 2011 at the SLCC Community Writing Center (located at Library Square) or at www.slcc.edu/cwc. After receiving the writing cue on Friday, June 24th at 6 pm, writers will have exactly one day to write. See www.slcc.edu/cwc for more details or call 801-957-2192.

See all Literary Arts events.

Melissa Bond, Andrea Malouf – Literary Arts Coordinators