June 23: Holler 26 Features Frankie Finley, Richard Hague, Michael Henson and Jim Webb

HollerDaddy Eric Sutherland and his group of literary lambchops are returning to Al's on June 23, beginning at 8pm.  Holler 26 will feature an eclectic group of writers and is sure to be another thought provoking experience.  

Since my Holler maraschino has been broken, I will attempt to read something new written from the contours of my own grey matter and hope that I can keep up with the other cool folks who will be at the open mic.   I hope to see you there. 

Here's Eric's lineup for Holler 26:

Frankie Finley is a lover of stories and storytellers. Her work has been published in NANTAHALA REVIEW, APPALACHIAN JOURNAL, INSCAPE, and LIMESTONE. She is currently the editor of PINE MOUNTAIN SAND & GRAVEL, a journal focused on contemporary Appalachian writing and artwork. A native of Chesapeake, Ohio, she currently resides in Lexington with her daughter, where she's working on getting her first collection of short stories published.

Richard Hague is a native of Steubenville, Ohio, on the ethnically and culturally rich Appalachian border. His mother was in high school with Dean Martin, and Hague himself dated the niece of the infamous Newport, Kentucky, gangster (and Steubenville native) Tito Carinci. The Fourth Disciple of Wu-Tang Clan is a native, as was Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first black professional baseball player. Within walking distance from Hague's Irish Catholic grade school were churches and parishes in which Polish, Italian, Greek, and Serbian were spoken. "Where Drunk Men Go" is a section from ALIVE IN HARD COUNTRY, the 2004 Poetry Book of the Year of the Appalachian Writer's Association. Hague's publications include 13 volumes of prose and poetry, and work in over 100 journals, magazines and anthologies. He teaches in Cincinnati and Boston.

Michael Henson’s latest work, the DEAD SINGING, is due out from Finishing Line Press in August. Also forthcoming is an expanded second edition of THE TAO OF LONGING. Prior work includes the poetry collection, CROW CALL, a novel (RANSACK) and a book of stories (A SMALL ROOM WITH TROUBLE ON MY MIND). In performance, he provides bluegrass and gospel accompaniment to Richard Hague’s reading of "Where Drunk Men Go."

Jim Webb is an Appalachian poet, playwright, and essayist, most infamous for his epic poem, "Get in Jesus" and anti-mountaintop removal activism. Also known as Ski King, Webb is the host of the annual Pine Mountain Tacky Lawn Ornament & Pink Flamingo Soiree and Mars Fest at Wiley's Last Resort at the top of Pine Mountain in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Webb is also the host of the show "Appalachian Attitudes," broadcast on WMMT from Appalshop. His hobbies include pontificating and peddling puns.