One Tuesday every month, the Columns Hotel on St. Charles Avenue hosts the 1718 reading series, which features readings from a guest artist as well as students from three New Orleans universities.
Founded three years ago, the literary organization combined efforts from Loyola University New Orleans, Tulane University and The University of New Orleans in order to unite the New Orleans literary community, staffed by volunteers who love to read.
Co-presidents Lesley Lucas and Megan Vonk, both English seniors, along with English assistant professor and club adviser Mark Yakich, select one writer to read at The Columns on the first Tuesday of the month. Future guest readers will include poet Cate Marvin on Oct. 7, Tulane professor and nonfiction writer Thomas Beller on Nov. 3 and Canadian novelist Joseph Boyden.
Lucas said of upcoming guest artist Marvin, “She has very provocative and intimate poetry. It’s very personal and intimate; it gets subjective and yet objective at the same time.”
Lucas said 1718 won’t choose just any guest artist to give a reading. According to Lucas, she, Vonk and Yakich choose their guest readers by a “degree of a piece being finished,” selecting writers who have already written novels and poetry collections.
1718’s selected guest artists range from “male, female, poets, fiction, non-fiction and everything in between,” Lucas said.
Most guest readers either come from New Orleans and the surrounding area or have strong ties to the scene here.
“We’re looking for writers who are in tune with not only our literary culture, but also our musical and cuisine as well,” Lucas said.
Lucas said the readings attract large crowds, not only to hear the guest artists, but experience readings by student writers from Loyola, Tulane and UNO.
“People get wrapped up in movies or concerts, but it’s rare that you can move someone by having a poetry reading,” Lucas said. “Literature definitely has an industry, but 1718 reminds us why we read and write in the first place”.
Alex Davis can be reached at [email protected]
