Seattle, Washington (July 20, 2018) — At The Inkwell, the New York City-based literary reading series, announced today that Christina Montilla will lead the Seattle reading series as Benjamin Schmitt steps down to pursue other creative endeavors.
Founded in 2013, At The Inkwell supports published authors through book reviews and readings in Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and New York City.
For nearly two-and-a-half years, Benjamin led the Seattle series at Vermillion Art Gallery & Bar lining up talented writers from Claudia Castro Luna and Susan Rich to Jason Kirk and Jane Wong. Prior to launching the Seattle series, Benjamin joined At The Inkwell in 2015 as a poetry reviewer which he will continue to do.
Benjamin’s Statement:
As you may have heard, I have decided to step down as the host and curator of At The Inkwell Seattle. For the last two years I have enjoyed the opportunity to host an impressive array of writers and preside over some memorable events. I would like to thank all of the writers who have read and those who came out to support them. It was an honor to bring At The Inkwell to Seattle.
Sometimes, for an organization, community, business, or even a reading series to thrive, a new vision is needed. The new host and curator of At The Inkwell Seattle, Christina Montilla, will bring a unique vision to this reading series. I may have started At The Inkwell Seattle, but I believe that she will make it a vital part of the Seattle literary community.
Meet the new curator:
Christina Montilla
Born and raised in Seattle as the third generation, Christina said she will lift up voices on the fringe to give a voice to marginalized groups.
“At The Inkwell in Seattle will prioritize representation of non-dominant groups,” she said. “I even hope to bring At The Inkwell to neighborhoods that do not have literary events. From my involvement and collaborations through La Sala, I am inspired to discover new ways to collaborate with different organizations, even different artists, to present literary work.
“There are a lot of really incredible small presses working so hard to make space for marginalized voices and I plan to partner with them and use At The Inkwell to feature the writers these presses are discovering and lifting up.
“My walks through the writing community have led me to so many incredible PNW writers, both on the fringe and not. I want to be both a literary advocate and a literary hype gal –life and art is more fulfilling and fun that way. I can’t wait to meet the writers for this next season of At The Inkwell in Seattle. There is room for every writer in Seattle’s writing community and I want to honor that belief with as much passion and time as I can.”
Christina grew up in Mountlake Terrace, Washington and has lived near the Puget Sound her whole life. She studied creative writing and anthropology at Pacific Lutheran University. She is a writer of experimental and blended genre works and is currently working on her first novel. In 2013, she graduated from Artist Trust’s Literary EDGE program in Seattle.
Her hybrid poetry and more has earned her scholarships to writers workshops and conferences, as well as appearances online in Hobart and Duende, in print with Small Po[r]tions, and in venues around Elliott Bay and more. She is involved with La Sala, a Latinx arts community, most recently collaborating on a poem-as-dress for La Cocina pop-up gallery. She previously co-edited The Matrix and The Subtle Rant. She co-hosts the truth-telling podcast “To Be Honest.”
For more information, contact Christina Montilla at inkwellreadings.seattle@gmail.com.
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