If you don’t live in Jersey City and can’t attend, please keep an eye on this space today – I will be live blogging this event! If you are following along at home or on the go, please refresh for new entries!
Creating with Compassion: A Live Event and Art/Book Sale to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Sandy
Please join us for a lively afternoon of author readings, artist presentations, live music performances, and wares from New Jersey-based creators. Admission is free, but donations to the Red Cross will be encouraged. In addition, proceeds from all sales will benefit organizations that have been assisting victims of Hurricane Sandy. Refreshments will be served.
More to come!
Final Thanks
A big thanks to all the participants in today’s events:
Melissa Cacioppo
Paul Castiglia
Debra Devi
Joe Endres
Wenye Fang
Silvia Karcz
Mark Mariano
Tris McCall
Nick Mockoviak
Emily Monus
Jenny Ramirez
Seamus Scanlon
Aaron Starmer
Laryssa Wirstiuk
6:40pm Wrap it Up!
People are getting presents wrapped at the free wrapping station, and things are wrapping up event-wise, too! If you’ve been following along, thank you! I hope to do more live blogging in the future, so this was a great experience for me. Thanks to Laryssa Wirstiuk for giving me the opportunity and putting this event together.
6:06pm Perusing
All the artists and authors have tables with items for sale. You still have until 7pm to get down here and get some last minute holiday shopping done!
5:54pm Let the Music Play!
And now for a little change of pace, some live music from Debra Devi of DEVI.
Debra Devi is the lead singer/guitarist for the Jersey City rock band DEVI and a Fender Girl Rock Nation artist. She is the author of The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (forward by Dr. John), “one of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever.” (Reuters). The book is blurbed by Bonnie Raitt and Joe Bonamassa, and won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Book on Music. www.devi-rock.com
5:45pm YUMMY!
I just gobbled down this delicious vegan chili from Bread & Spoon. They do small event catering, private cooking lessons, and specialty baking all while focusing on local and sustainable goods. This chili is freakin yum. Wow.
5:36pm Fireworks
Laryssa Wirstiuk reads Fireworks from her collection of short stories, The Prescribed Burn.
Laryssa Wirstiuk is a writer and college writing instructor living in Jersey City, New Jersey. She recently published her first book, a collection of stories titled The Prescribed Burn, using more than $5,000 raised through Kickstarter to fund the printing. Laryssa also writes for Jersey City Independent and NEW Magazine. www.theprescribedburn.com
5:34pm Jenny Ramirez
New Jersey native and author Jenny Ramirez speaks about her book, Annabelle’s Love.
Jenny Ramirez has taught children of all different ages and backgrounds for the last 14 years. She has lived in Spain, Georgia, California and now her home: New Jersey. In addition to teaching full time, she is a freelance writer who published her first children’s book, Annabelle’s Love, in 2010. Annabelle’s Love
5:25 Live Art!
Live art by Joe Endres
5:18pm Aaron Starmer
Aaron Starmer reads from The Only Ones.
Aaron Starmer is a freelance writer who specializes in children’s novels and travel guidebooks. His first novel, DWEEB, was published by Random House and chosen as a 2009 New Voices pick by the Association of Booksellers for Children. His follow-up was The Only Ones, also published by Random House and chosen as a 2011 Junior Library Guild selection. His latest is The Legend of Fiona Loomis, the first volume n a trilogy that will be released in 2014 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. AaronStarmer.com
5:05pm Tris McCall
Our first reading today comes from Tris McCall’s The Trespassers.
Tris McCall has been writing and singing about public space and public culture in New Jersey for more than a decade – in newspapers and magazines, on websites, and on a series of acclaimed synthpop albums. He is currently the rock critic at the Newark Star-Ledger. The Trespassers is his first novel. http://www.trismccall.net
4:59 Cha-Ching!
Birdbrain Projects makes a sale! Profits from this table will be donated to the Ali Forney Center
4:45pm Holiday Spirit
Mark rouses the audience with a punk rock inspired rendition of “Silver Bells”… Gotta love it! Lots of toes tapping on that one.
4:38pm The Music Begins!
Mark O’Matic has been introduced and begun his set. He is also a childrens comic book artist! Oh, and he is playing a cover of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song! What fun!
Mark Mariano is a children’s comic book artist from northern New Jersey. He created the books Flabbergast and Happyloo, and his work has won the 2011 Wowie Zowie Award for Best Web Comic. He shares his passion through classroom visits and guest speaking at Kids Comic Con and Rutgers University. My Pal Mark
4:33pm Festive and Cozy
Art House Productions has provided a festive and cozy space for readings and music. The program is running slightly behind (darn Tri-State holiday traffic!) but should be underway shortly. People are mingling and enjoying some wine and beer as well as some refreshments from the aforementioned Bread & Spoon.
4:07pm Program of Events
And we’re off, folks! Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. 100% of the money collected at the door as well as the artist and author table fees will be donated to Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief.
3:08pm – Set-up begins!
Excitement abound at Art House Productions, where today’s event is being hosted. Artists and authors are trickling in, setting up their booths in anticipation of the crowds. Bread & Spoon catering is preparing some delicious *vegan* chili and cornbread muffins as well as some mulled apple cider… My mouth is watering from the delicious smells coming from that direction! I’ve only just noticed that I’m hungry… Good thing there are yummies to try!
Jersey City Vegan 