Black Ocean @ Mission Creek Festival

Mission Creek Festival is a week-long experience that takes over the venues and spaces of downtown Iowa City—creating an easily navigated nexus of music, literature, food and art.If you're going to be within 5 hours driving distance of Iowa City this week, you should try to make it to at least one of the excellent events we're participating in. Full schedule for the Mission Creek festival can be found at missionfreak.com

Wednesday, April 3, 5:00 pm @ Brix Cheese Shop and Wine Bar The
Tuesday Agency Presents: Writing Industry Roundtable
Editors Roxane Gay ([PANK] Magazine) and Janaka Stucky (Black Ocean) join Trinity Ray of the Iowa City-based Tuesday Agency (Speaking agents representing Colson Whitehead, Ann Patchett, Khaled Hosseini, Jon Ronson & more) to talk all things writing industry, publishing, and public sphere.

Wednesday, April 3, 9:00 pm @ The Mill
Michael Zapruder's Pink Thunder
Pink Thunder is a record. Pink Thunder is a book of poems. Pink Thunder is an art show featuring the work of 23 poets, illustrated and hand-lettered, and all set to music. A collaboration between the poets (such as D.A. Powell, David Berman, Matthew Zapruder, Joshua Beckman, Matthew Rohrer, James Tate, Mary Ruefle, Dara Weir & more), and musician Michael Zapruder, Pink Thunder will be read and performed at Mission Creek Festival. Readings by Black Ocean Editor Janaka Stucky will accompany Michael’s performance. Iowa band Christopher the Conquered will open, and support.

Friday, April 5, 7:00 @ Foxhead, Clinton Street Social Club
Lit Crawl Iowa City: Round 3: Black Ocean & Spork Press
Featuring readings by: Feng Sun Chen, Amelia Gray, Aase Berg (in person all the way from Sweden!), Steve Roggenbuck, Rauan Klassnik, Thea Brown and Grant Souders.

Saturday, April 6, 11:00a – 6:00p @ The Mill
4th Annual Small Press and Literary Journal Book Fair (with New Belgium Beer)
Presses large and small, literary magazines in print and online, from all corners of the U.S., once again gather at The Mill to sell some of the most exciting books being published today. Publishers and Editors will be on hand from Granta Magazine, n+1, Cave Canem, A Strange Object, Milkweed Editions, Vice Magazine, Coffee House Press, [PANK] Magazine, POETRY Magazine, Sarabande Books, Dzanc Books, The Collagist, Spork Press, Black Ocean, Forklift Ohio, H_NGM_N, Rescue Press, Birds LLC, MAKE Magazine, Hobart, Perfect Day Publishing, jubilat, Canarium Books, Black Clock, draft: the journal of process, The Iowa Review, UI Press, Wag’s Revue, The Doctor T.J. Eckleberg Review, Autumn Hill Books, The Examined Life, Ninth Letter, and many, many more. And once again, New Belgium Brewery will be handing out a selection of their newest brews.