“May the Toad be with You”

The week of ArkaText events ends tonight with a party on the roof of Michelangelo's downtown to celebrate the first issue of the Toad Suck Review.

There will be live music and readings from students, faculty and contributors to Toad Suck Review. You can buy copies of the literary magazine, T-shirts and books by local authors there.

The festivities begin at 8 p.m. with readings by Stephanie Vanderslice, associate professor writing also known as "Lady Pedagaga," Arkansas Times journalist Bernard Reed, and Julee Jaegar, who took the photograph on the back cover of the magazine. Students Ariel Moore, Michael Garland, and Carter Fliss also will read from their original work.

At 9 p.m., novelist Kevin Brockmeier and Marck Beggs, a professor of English at Henderson State University who is described as a novelist, poet, singer and cat whisperer, will read. They will be joined by "revolutionary upstart" Timothy Snediker.

At 10 p.m., Don’t Stop Please, an unplugged experimental indie band, will provide live music.

Here's how writing professor Terry Wright, associate editor of Toad Suck Review and UCA's most famous poet, describes tonight's events:

"Launchapalooza provides a ticket into a postmodern coliseum where patrons face close encounters with unfiltered Toad Suck aesthetics. More literary throwdown than blood sport theatrics, verbal gladiators spar without shields as their words pierce like arrows. Come feel the love and lift both thumbs up."

Or, as associate professor of writing and editor of Toad Suck Review Mark Spitzer puts it: "May the Toad be with you."

The event is free and open to everyone.

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