… that won’t bore you 

Up-and-coming writers put on free reading and arts event at the historic Phoenix Theater

Petaluma, Calif., Jan. 23, 2007 – Word Pirates, a professional writing group, will host its first public reading on February 8. True to their name, the Word Pirates will be storming the Phoenix Theater and turning it into a showcase for some serious talent. Along with the reading, the show will feature work from photographers, artists, local literary journals and more!

Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with a casual mingling among displays by Bay Area artists, pirate-themed appetizers and surprise live entertainment. At 8 p.m., seven Word Pirates members will read original pieces ranging from 5 to 7 minutes in length. This event is free to the public, and all are welcome. Peg legs and parrots must be checked at the door.

• Word Pirates Reading and Art Show Date: Thursday, Feb. 8
• Time: 7:30 – 9 p.m.
• Place: The Phoenix Theater – 201 Washington St., Petaluma
• Cost: Free (donations appreciated)

Reading at the Event: Joy Lanzendorfer, Morgan Elliott, Robin Cadogan, Noelani Price, Marcia Simmons, Steve Reid and Lindsay Riddell. For more information about the readers, visit www.wordpirates.org or e-mail wordpirates@gmail.com.

Also featuring visual artists Deanna Leiphart, Josh Martinez and Adam Mone, literary journal en fuego magazine and fine art book binders The Key Printing and Binding. Plus! Special guest star Stephanie Soleil.

For more information about the Word Pirates or this event, please contact Marcia Simmons at 707-782-0971 or e-mail wordpirates@gmail.com.

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About the Group: Word Pirates is an independent writing group dedicated to the development and publication of creative writing. Co-founders Joy Lanzendorfer and Marcia Simmons chose the group’s name to reflect that while the group takes writing seriously, they don’t take themselves too seriously. You can visit the Word Pirates online at www.wordpirates.org or www.myspace.com/wordpirates.

Joy Lanzendorfer is a freelance writer living in Petaluma. Her work has been published in Salon, Bust, Bitch, Writer’s Digest, Imbibe, Paste, Bay Nature, San Francisco Chronicle, Pacific Sun and the North Bay Bohemian, among others. In addition, she has an MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, where she sat on the editorial board for Fourteen Hills Literary Journal.

Marcia Simmons is an editor and writer at the North Bay Business Journal, a New York Times publication in Santa Rosa. She was an editor and contributor for Project Censored’s annual book of censored stories and produced radio and TV programs for the organization. Her blog can be found at www.smartkitty.blogspot.com.