DRC Writers' Conference - Faculty Reading
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On Thursday, June 25 features the faculty of the Writers’ Conference: Knox College professor Cyn Kitchen; Poet Laureate of Rockford, IL Adam al-Sirgany; novelist Tatiana Schlote-Bonne; and poet and publisher Margaret Yapp. The event starts with a social at 6:00 p.m., followed by an open mic at 7:00 p.m. for Conference attendees, and then the Faculty readings at 8:00 p.m.
Event is free and open to the public; books by all the featured authors and by MWC Press will be available for purchase. Donations to MWC are welcome and go to support youth writing programs in the QC.
For those interested in attending the Writers’ Conference, full information and registration can be found here: https://www.mwcqc.org/events-opportunities/david-r-collins-writers-conference/
Please contact Ryan Collins at MWC with questions and media inquiries: [email protected] | 309-732-7330.
Bios:
Cyn Kitchen is Professor of English at Knox College where she’s taught literature and creative writing for more than two decades. She is the author of Ten Tongues, a collection of short stories, and her first book of poems, Broken Hallelujah, is due out in June of 2026. A Pushcart nominee, Cyn’s essays and poems appear in numerous literary journals and anthologies including, American Writers Review, Poetry Quarterly, Poetry South, Burningword, Cutleaf and Appalachian Review. She is currently shopping her memoir, Prosthesis, about growing up in the Midwest and what it took to step beyond the label of “good girl”. You can learn more about Cyn’s work by visiting her website at cynkitchen.net or on Substack: substack.com/@cynkitchen1
Adam al-Sirgany is a writer of fiction and poetry, born and raised in the Driftless Midwest. His debut short story collection, More Hell, was published by Whiskey Tit Books last year, and Adam was recently named the Poet Laureate for the city of Rockford, IL. He serves as the Acquisitions & Developmental Editor for the indie press SFWP and also as a freelance editor. He teaches developmental editing for the UCLA Extension Writers Program, and is a volunteer facilitator for teen poetry workshops. You can see more of what Adam is up to by visiting his website, adamalsirgany.com.
Margaret Yapp is the author of Green for Luck (EastOver Press, 2024) and the founding editor of Rampage Party Press. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. Her latest poems can be found in Bennington Review, Volt, Noir Sauna, and Broken Stone Review. She lives and works in Iowa City.
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is the author of the horror novels Such Lovely Skin, The Mean Ones, and What Feeds Below (Fall 2026.) She has an MFA from The Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing, she’s either gaming, lifting weights, or teaching people how to lift weights. She is of Japanese, Mexican, and European descent, and lives in Iowa. Find her on IG @thebuffwriter
The SPECTRA Reading Series is supported by Quad City Arts, through the Arts Dollars re-granting program, supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation – Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment,.
The David R. Collins Writers’ Conference is supported by Modern Woodman of America – Founding Sponsor, the Illinois Arts Council, and Rozz-Tox.
Event is free and open to the public; books by all the featured authors and by MWC Press will be available for purchase. Donations to MWC are welcome and go to support youth writing programs in the QC.
For those interested in attending the Writers’ Conference, full information and registration can be found here: https://www.mwcqc.org/events-opportunities/david-r-collins-writers-conference/
Please contact Ryan Collins at MWC with questions and media inquiries: [email protected] | 309-732-7330.
Bios:
Cyn Kitchen is Professor of English at Knox College where she’s taught literature and creative writing for more than two decades. She is the author of Ten Tongues, a collection of short stories, and her first book of poems, Broken Hallelujah, is due out in June of 2026. A Pushcart nominee, Cyn’s essays and poems appear in numerous literary journals and anthologies including, American Writers Review, Poetry Quarterly, Poetry South, Burningword, Cutleaf and Appalachian Review. She is currently shopping her memoir, Prosthesis, about growing up in the Midwest and what it took to step beyond the label of “good girl”. You can learn more about Cyn’s work by visiting her website at cynkitchen.net or on Substack: substack.com/@cynkitchen1
Adam al-Sirgany is a writer of fiction and poetry, born and raised in the Driftless Midwest. His debut short story collection, More Hell, was published by Whiskey Tit Books last year, and Adam was recently named the Poet Laureate for the city of Rockford, IL. He serves as the Acquisitions & Developmental Editor for the indie press SFWP and also as a freelance editor. He teaches developmental editing for the UCLA Extension Writers Program, and is a volunteer facilitator for teen poetry workshops. You can see more of what Adam is up to by visiting his website, adamalsirgany.com.
Margaret Yapp is the author of Green for Luck (EastOver Press, 2024) and the founding editor of Rampage Party Press. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. Her latest poems can be found in Bennington Review, Volt, Noir Sauna, and Broken Stone Review. She lives and works in Iowa City.
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is the author of the horror novels Such Lovely Skin, The Mean Ones, and What Feeds Below (Fall 2026.) She has an MFA from The Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing, she’s either gaming, lifting weights, or teaching people how to lift weights. She is of Japanese, Mexican, and European descent, and lives in Iowa. Find her on IG @thebuffwriter
The SPECTRA Reading Series is supported by Quad City Arts, through the Arts Dollars re-granting program, supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation – Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment,.
The David R. Collins Writers’ Conference is supported by Modern Woodman of America – Founding Sponsor, the Illinois Arts Council, and Rozz-Tox.
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Where is it happening?
Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave,Rock Island, Illinois, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherMidwest Writing Center
