The Sleeping Giant Reading Series brings writers and book lovers together on the third Thursday of the month. In the long shadow of Hamden’s Sleeping Giant, writers of every kind gather to hear professional readings, raise a glass, network, and support one another’s work. All are welcome, whether you’re a scribbler who hasn’t yet dared to call yourself a “writer” or an experienced published author.

This month’s featured guest writers are: Alice Mattison and David Gates.

Join us for first-hour readings by our featured guest writers, including some of the great voices of our day, followed by Writers’ Happy Hour, a chance to meet fellow writers, ask questions, lend your support, and have fun together!

The New York Times wrote, “Alice Mattison is a charmer. Her characters bask in the sunshine of her affectionate scrutiny.” She’s the author of seven novels—most recently Conscience—four collections of stories, a collection of poems, and a book about writing, The Kite and the String. Her stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and Ploughshares. Alice taught for many years in the MFA  program at Bennington College. She has lived in New Haven since 1972.

David Gates’s novel Jernigan was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; The New Yorker called his story collection A Hand Reached Down to Guide Me “gripping, sophisticated, gasp-inducing.” The Paris Review wrote: “There’s a caustic wit at work on nearly every page; empathy and misanthropy match stride for stride in a way that recalls Cheever at his best.” David taught for many years in the MFA program at Bennington College and at the University of Montana. He now teaches at St. Joseph’s University in Brooklyn.

Curated by local writers Alice Mattison, Sandi Shelton (aka Maddie Dawson), Kathy Czepiel, and Heather Jessen, the Sleeping Giant Reading Series happens every third Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Best Video Film and Cultural Center in Hamden, Connecticut. The Sleeping Giant Reading Series is free to attend. Donations at the door for our guest readers are always appreciated.