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30+ Literary Area - inside Studio 7 (619 N. Trade Street)

Studio 7 is excited to host the Literacy/Literature portion of the 30+ Anniversary of the Downtown Arts District. Hosts Leigh Somerville and Donna Marcum look forward to sharing their love of the written word with their guests.

Leigh Somerville, a published author and journalist, is currently working on a book about her father, who died while serving in the Army during the Korean Conflict. She will be sharing writing techniques, reading excerpts from her novels, and sharing her experiences of searching for knowledge of the father she never knew.

Donna Marcum, an artist at Studio 7, is also a published poet and journalist. She will be sharing her poems and inspirations with guests. Many of her art pieces are based upon her poems.

Donna and Leigh invite everyone to come share their work with others during the 30+ Anniversary celebration. A schedule of times for poetry slams, selection readings, and coaching sessions will be posted in the near future. Writers are also invited to bring their journals or manuscripts to Studio 7 and write with other writers.

Plans are also in the works to have several publishers on site to discuss the basics of how to get published.

The highlight of the literature site will be the "Poetry Tree." A large tree will be in the window of Studio 7. Guests will be asked to write a short poem on a leaf. The leaves will be attached to the tree throughout the day, creating a beautiful tree of poems.