Hugo Literary Series

Sherman Alexie, Charles Johnson, Sam Lipsyte and Heather McHugh—these are four of the sixteen brave writers and musicians who have accepted the Hugo Literary Series challenge.

Each has been commissioned by Richard Hugo House to create new works on a theme and writing prompt cooked up by our staff and debut them at the 2011-2012 Hugo Literary Series.

Series passes and individual tickets are on sale now! Get yours online here, or by calling (206) 322-7030. (Not a member? Become one today and get a discount on your tickets, too!)

Presenting sponsor: Amazon.com

The Haves and the Have Nots
October 28, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
Charles Johnson, author of the National Book Award-winning “Middle Passage”; queer spoken word luminary Tara Hardy; and Fantagraphics’ cartoonist Megan Kelso answer the question, “Does having it all ever equal happiness?”, with new music by David Nixon of “Awesome.”

While You Were Sleeping
November 18, 2011, 7:30 p.m.
National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie; poet and memoirist Nicole Hardy; and Portland author and publisher Kevin Sampsell reveal what happens in the dead of the night, with new music by Rachel Flotard of Visqueen.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
February 17, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
MacArthur “Genius” Heather McHugh; Lidia Yuknavitch, author of “The Chronology of Water”; and performance artist Chad Goller-Sojourner answer the questions no one wants to ask, with new music by Alex Guy of Led to Sea.

The End of the Line
March 16, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Sam Lipsyte, author of the NY Times bestseller, “The Ask”; National Book Award finalist Ben Lerner; and memoirist and solo performer Suzanne Morrison define the end, with new music by Tomo Nakayama of Grand Hallway.

Get your tickets today!

About
Tickets
Event Information
Classes
New Works Competition
Youth New Works Competition
Sponsors

About the Hugo Literary Series
Beginning in October 2007, the Hugo Literary Series sits at the core of Hugo House's commitment to foster new writing. The series consists of four events per season, with each event featuring three writers and a songwriter or band, all commissioned to create new writing and songs from a theme and writing prompt cooked up by Hugo House's staff.

The nights are collages of unexpected styles and different points of view, and the writers and musicians are encouraged to work without a sense of obligation, censorship or stylistic frame. No one at Hugo House sees or hears the work before it is read or sung at each event.

At the Hugo Literary Series, you will meet writers willing to take risks, to work without the safety net of editors, publishers or reviewers affirming the work before they stand in front of an audience and read it aloud. They are writers who share the exhilaration of creating something new and sharing it with an audience for the first time before the work appears in a book, between the glossy covers of a magazine or within the shrink wrap of a CD.

Tickets
Series passes and individual tickets go on sale August 8/August 1 for Hugo House members here. (Not a member? Become one today and get a discount on your tickets, too!)

Tickets can be purchased online, by calling us at (206) 322-7030 or at the front desk during our normal business hours.

Series passes are $80, $70 for Richard Hugo House members and $50 for  students and seniors. Individual tickets are $25, $20 for members and $15 for students and seniors.

Hugo House Ticket Policy: All ticket sales are final and are not subject to a refund. Tickets may be exchanged for another date depending upon availability. Tickets will be released ten minutes before show time. There is NO LATE SEATING. View The Stranger's ticket policy.

Event Information
All Hugo Literary Series events occur on Friday nights in Richard Hugo House's theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and our bar is open both before and after the event serving beer, wine, select spirits and snacks. Books are for sale by Elliott Bay Book Company, and authors are available for book signings.

Classes
Classes from guest authors are held on Saturdays following each Friday evening event. Classes require a separate registration. For more information about classes, visit our online catalog, or contact our registrar at registrar@hugohouse.org or by calling (206) 322-7030.

New Works Competition
As part of the Hugo Literary Series, Richard Hugo House seeks previously unpublished poems, short stories and personal essays of no more than 1,500 words. The theme is The End of the Line, and the winner will receive $500 and an invitation to read at the final Hugo Literary Series event on March 16, 2012 alongside writers Sam Lipsyte, Ben Lerner and Suzanne Morrison and musician Tomo Nakayama. Entries must be received by January 9, 2012.

Complete guidelines here.

Youth New Works Competition
As part of the Hugo Literary Series, Richard Hugo House seeks poems, short stories or personal essays of no more than 1000 words from students currently enrolled in grades 9-12. The theme is Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the winner will receive $100 and an invitation to read at the third Hugo Literary Series event on February 17, 2012 alongside writers Heather McHugh, Lidia Yuknavitch and Chad Goller-Sojourner and musician Alex Guy of Led to Sea. Entries must be received by January 9, 2012.

Sponsors
The Hugo Literary Series is generously supported by Amazon.com, 4Culture, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, ArtsFund, KUOW 94.9, National Endowment for the Arts, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, The Stranger and US Bancorp Foundation.