Reading: Crisosto Apache, Erika Wurth, Aerik Francis, Ahja Fox, and John Patsynski, Friday, October 21, 2022, 6 pm
Join us on Friday, October 21, 2022, at 6 pm at Counterpath (7935 East 14th Ave. in Denver) as Crisosto Apache celebrates the welcoming of their second poetry collection, Ghostword (Gnashing Teeth Publishing). The highly anticipated newest collection of poetry from Crisosto. Most journeys begin without knowledge of ever beginning. Ghostword is inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s, “A Fool’s Life” (1987, Eridanos Press), written on June 20, 1927. Ghostword is a collection that is heartbreaking and fiercely introspective while challenging the reader to confront their own beliefs of identity and historical existence. Joining the celebration are the following featured readers: Erika Wurth, Aerik Francis, Ahja Fox, and John Patsynski.
Crisosto Apache is originally from Mescalero, New Mexico (US), on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, currently lives in the Denver metro area in Colorado, with their spouse. They are Mescalero Apache, Chiricahua Apache, and Diné (Navajo) of the ‘Ásh??hí (Salt Clan) born for the Kinyaa’áanii (Towering House Clan) and are Assistant Professor of English at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. They hold an MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Crisosto’s debut collection is GENESIS (Lost Alphabet). Crisosto’s second collection is Ghostword out by Gnashing Teeth Publication mid-2022.
Erika T. Wurth’s literary-horror novel, White Horse, is forthcoming with Flatiron/Macmillan. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous journals including Buzzfeed, Boulevard, Lithub, The Writer’s Chronicle, and The Kenyon Review. She is a Kenyon and Sewanee fellow, and a narrative artist for the Meow Wolf Denver installation. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman (books) and Dana Spector, CAA (film). She is an urban Native of Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee descent and was raised outside of Denver, where she lives with her partner, her two stepchildren, and her extremely fluffy dogs.
Ahja Fox is a Colorado native who has editorial, hosting, and teaching experience through Art of Storytelling, Poetix University, Copper Nickel, and Homology Lit. She has been published in various online and print journals like Five:2:One, LEVELER, Driftwood Press, Okay Donkey, SWWIM and more (including various anthologies). Nominated by several journals for Best of the Net and The Pushcart Prize, Ahja has finally gotten up the nerve to draft two poetry manuscripts. One was a CAAPP Book Prize Finalist in 2021 and a GASHER Press First Book Scholarship Finalist in 2022. Fox is also the poet laureate of Aurora and she plans on doing big community-wide work related to words and poetry.
Aerik Francis (they/he) is a Queer Black & Latinx poet & teaching artist based in Denver, Colorado, USA. Francis is the author of the chapbook BODYELECTRONIC (April 2022, Trouble Department), and has also recently released an EP of poetry-songs called SYZYGY (available now on bandcamp). They are a Canto Mundo poetry fellow and a The Watering Hole fellow. They are also a poetry reader for Underblong poetry journal and a coordinator with Slam Nuba.
John Patsynski currently teaches English Composition to a diverse student population at the Community College of Aurora. He’s also a freelance editor and tutor. He earned his MFA from Naropa University (Boulder). Curates zyxt journal & press. Some chapbooks are Simple Machines, Chaotic Neutral, Pop Magic!