March 26, 2023, Room 31 NYC, 7:00 PM

Digging Press presents The Lit Revue at Room 31: a literary series for cultural omnivores showcasing words and music.

7:00 PM – Doors open

7:30 PM – Show

Host: Gessy Alvarez

Readings by: Esther Alix, Glynnis Eldridge, Summer J. Hart, and Margaret R. Sáraco.

Music by: Mendeleyev

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Esther Alix is a Black Latina, the eldest child of Dominican immigrants. She is a native New Yorker who grew up in the South Bronx. After an established career spanning two decades as a fundraiser in New York’s philanthropic and nonprofit circles, Esther now sets her sights on carving out her legacy through writing. Esther writes to explore, broaden and when needed, shatter perceptions—of her neighborhood, characters, and identity. She loves to laugh, commune with her large extended family, and watch and produce independent festival-selected films (Begin Again (2002) and Skateboard, Skateboard (2009). Esther lives in Brooklyn with her wife, Kim and their dog dachshund terrier mix, Beaux.

Glynnis Eldridge is a writer, artist, and educator. Her poetry and prose have been published by Glass: A Journal of Poetry, b l u s h, Blazing Stadium, Folder Magazine, poets.org, among others, and her work has been supported by the Lighthouse Writers Workshop, the Yale Writers’ Conference, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Mount Lebanon Residency (formerly the “Mall of Found”). She is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of General Studies, where she received an Academy of American Poets University and College Prize, the Quarto Magazine Jenny Zhang Nonfiction Award, and a Pushcart Prize Nomination. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is at work on her first book, and leads the Highland Avenue Writers Work.

Summer J. Hart is an interdisciplinary artist from Maine, living in the Hudson Valley, New York. Her written and visual artworks are influenced by folklore, superstition, divination, and forgotten territories reclaimed by nature. The 3rd Thing will publish her full-length poetry collection, Boomhouse in 2023, and she is also the author of the microchapbook, Augury of Ash (Post Ghost Press). Her poetry can be found in Waxwing, The Massachusetts Review, Northern New England Review, Denver Quarterly, and elsewhere. Her mixed-media installations have been featured in galleries including Pen + Brush, NYC; Gitana Rosa Gallery at Paterson Art Factory, Paterson, NJ; and LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA. She is a member of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation.

Margaret R. Sáraco, author of the poetry collection, If There Is No Wind (Human Error Publishing, 2022), explores themes of family, beauty, love, and activism. “Cookies,” which appears in Lips Poetry Magazine, was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Journal and anthology publications include Meat for Tea (The Valley Review), 26th Annual Ink Anthology (Moonstone Arts), Royal Beauty (Arts by the People), and Windblown II (NatureCulture). A former public school teacher, Margaret enjoys leading writing workshops and helping to create community. She has written articles and columns on contemporary life, music, health, and feminism. https://linktr.ee/margaretsaraco

Mendeleyev is an inspirational Singer/Songwriter/Producer based in NYC. Set to be Ben Harper’s opening act for his next North American tour. Appearing on Season 17 of The Voice on John Legend’s Team, his low booming voice got all 4 coaches to turn their chairs. With a diverse catalogue of feverous finger picking, mellow to manic melodies, and lively, moving lyrical content, highly influenced by a variety of legends such as Richie Havens, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, and John Mayer, he has a fresh and folky yet funky take on music. Fun and full of energy, there is no telling where Mendeleyev will be heading next…

Gessy Alvarez (Host) is a writer, editor, and publisher. She is the publisher of Digging Press, series editor of the Digging Press Chapbook Series, and editor-in-chief of Digging Through The Fat: a journal for cultural omnivores. Her recent projects include the novel Last Kingdom in Astoria and the short story collection Love the Abyss (née Taste the World on Your Skin), a finalist for the 2022 Black Lawrence Press St. Lawrence Book Award. Her fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in The Acentos Review, Asteri(x), Volume One Brooklyn, Feminine Collective, and other publications. Her work explores characters living between languages, traditions, and cultures, side-stepping around the meanings of home, origin, and fate. She hosts the literary podcast Digging Through with Gessy Alvarez.

The audience are invited to mingle and meet with the artists after the performance.

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