Friday, November 19, 2010

Winter Wassail: Possibly the coolest event ever December 12th

Meet at "The Magnolia"
2101 Randolph Ave
St. Paul, MN 
Sunday, December 12 
4:00-7:00 PM

Join us for the first-ever West Egg "Winter Wassail"--- a twist on the usual end-of-semester reading and social.

Originally derived from the Old Norse term ves heill meaning "be well" or "be in good health," wassailing is the tradition of wishing good fortune on one's neighbors by paying them a visit (Oloffson 1). By the 19th century, wassailing evolved into the singing of Christmas carols on the doorsteps of neighbors and friends, with the hope that a singer would receive a gift in return ("figgy pudding," anyone?).

To celebrate the end of the semester, we are going to do some wassailing of our own:

We will begin at The Magnolia (home of a couple of MFA students) then visit a handful of homes in the Mac-Groveland/Highland Park area in St. Paul. Instead of singing carols, will read 2-3 poems or prose excerpts from our own work. We hope that having a mobile reading like this will help us share literature in a new way and engage with a community beyond ourselves. (Walking in a winter wonderland could be pretty fun, too.)

The stops on our wassailing route will be established ahead of time. We will know some of the patrons we visit, but others will be neighbors who simply volunteered to have a bunch of writers stop by and share some meaningful work.  Be sure to dress appropriately for spending time outside.

As usual, all GLS students, alumnae/i, and friends of West Egg are welcome. Snacks and hot beverages will be provided, so please RSVP so we know how much/many goodies to prepare. When you RSVP, let us know if you plan to read.


Work Cited

Oloffson, Kristi. "Christmas Caroling." Time. Time Inc., 21 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1949049,00.html#ixzz14uS7pHDj


This is such an awesome idea that I hope it's really well-attended.  Bring your literature and your holiday cheer!

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