Sunday, January 12, 4-7pm
Paprika, Ancha de San Antonio 7
Suggested donation $50

Book Publishing Party & Reading

Gaia Schilke invites the SMA community to a reading and book publishing party at restaurant Paprika, on Ancha de San Antonio, on Sunday, January 12, from 4-7pm (reading starts at 5pm).

Gaia’s new collection of poetry and illustrations from 1990-2019 is titled A Coney Island State of Mind - in homage to both Henry Miller and to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whose poetry collection A Coney Island of the Mind, borrowed the line from Miller’s novel Black Spring for its own title. Copies of Gaia’s paperback will be available for purchase at the reading.

Schilke is a poet and visual artist who has lived in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico since 2016, and for 3 years before that in Costa Rica. Gaia grew up in Connecticut, lived in Manhattan for 20 years, and then Rhode Island for 10 years before becoming a dedicated expat.

A spoken word poet, Gaia has performed her poetry in clubs, cafes, and academic settings throughout North America. Her poetry and illustrations have been published in numerous literary magazines, journals and books internationally. Her book of illustrated poems & stories, From the Margin (Stray Dog Press) was published in 1997.

Gaia was the curator of reading series at The Knitting Factory and The Nuyorican Poets Cafe in NYC, and co-creator of the multicultural arts magazine A Gathering of the Tribes.

Reviews from past poetry readings in NYC:

“Expect brilliantly eccentric turns of phrase and husky-voiced prosodic eroticism from Schilke…a dangerous neofeminist poet…who dances to a drummer from the not-too-distant future.” Ed Morales, Village Voice

“This may not be the poetry written in the academic world, but Walt Whitman and Emily Dickenson would not bat an eye. The best way to emulate the great poets of the past is not to copy their language, but their dedication to the truth. Finishing up the brilliant Schilke standard LAS BRAVAS are the lines “I want to part you like a river / And spread my words in side of you” ‘Nuff said.” Mike Tyler, AIR magazine

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