Pen Parentis Literary Salon Opens 15th Season with Annual Winter Poetry Night Tonight

The Pen Parentis Literary Salon opens its fifteenth season with its annual Winter Poetry night tonight, January 12, 2016. Four notable poets -- Ravi Shankar, Lydia Cortez, Karen Skolfield and Amy Dryansky -- will read from new works and discuss how they balance a career in poetry with an active young family at home. The networking begins at 7pm with wine and light refreshments compliments of Andaz Wall Street.

Pen Parentis Literary Salons were founded to celebrate the diversity of creative work by writers that are also parents, and is a great place to meet industry notables. Winter Poetry is an annual event.

The celebration takes place on Tuesday evening, January 12th at the elegant Andaz Wall Street at 75 Wall Street. The night kicks off at 7:00 pm, and admission is free. RSVP is recommended, but not required -- the Pen Parentis Literary Salon is open to adults over the age of 21. Many of the poets' books will be available for purchase.

January 12th's Salon features:

Amy Dryansky, whose second book, Grass Whistle (Salmon) received the Massachusetts Book Award for poetry, has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes and received honors/awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, MacDowell Colony, Vermont Studio Center and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.

Lydia Cortes is the author of two collections of poetry, Lust for Lust and Whose Place. She is the recipient of residencies and fellowships at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts; Valparaiso in Spain; and at the MacDowell Colony.

Karen Skolfield, whose book Frost in the Low Areas, won the 2014 PEN New England Award in poetry and the First Book Award from Zone 3 Press. She received the 2015 Robert H. Winner Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America and the 2015 Arts & Humanities Award from New England Public Radio.

Ravi Shankar is an award-winning poet, author, translator, and founding editor of Drunken Boat. His work has appeared innumerable venues including The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, anthologies by Knopf, Random House, and Scribner, and on TV & radio, including on NPR, PBS, BBC and the Jim Lehrer News Hour.

More biographical info, RSVP link and photos at penparentis.org/calendar.

Transportation info: Take the 2/3/4/5/J/M to Wall Street. The Winter Poetry Salon takes place in a private room in the lower level of the Andaz Hotel, at 75 Wall Street.

Pen Parentis, Ltd, is a New York City-based nonprofit literary organization that provides resources to authors who are also parents, to help them stay on creative track after starting a family.

Experience the rebirth of Lower Manhattan at the only hotel situated on iconic Wall Street. Andaz is devoted to providing attentive, uncomplicated service and indulgent amenities. The David Rockwell designed property features 253 guestrooms starting at a generous 345 square feet, making them some of the largest hotel rooms in New York City. Andaz offers a variety of on-site amenities, including over 10,000 square feet of event space, complimentary wifi and mini bars with non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, a 24-hour gym, and The SPA. Patrons can enjoy seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine and creative cocktails at the new Dina Rata restaurant. For additional information about Andaz Wall Street, visit www.andazwallstreet.com.