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: Danielle Chapman and Henry (Hank) Paper.
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!
Danielle Chapman is a poet and essayist whose second poetry collection, Boxed Juice, was published in 2024. Called “taut, thrumming, frank, and delving” by Booklist, Danielle’s poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, The Nation, and elsewhere. Her memoir, Holler: A Poet Among Patriots, published in 2023, was hailed as a “stunning book" by Ilya Kaminsky “ and “magical and rare” by Major Jackson. Danielle teaches at Yale and lives in Hamden with her family.
Henry Alan (Hank) Paper’s stories and articles have been widely published in literary journals and major news outlets from coast to coast, but he is best known here at home as the founder and former owner of Best Video. Hank’s short story collection My Search For Meaning: The Myron Stories, which begins with a bear crashing into a suburban basement, has been called “an irresistible mix of humor, beautiful writing and clear-eyed observations.” The editor of Portland Monthly Magazinecalls this collection of linked stories “funny and wise, next-door and knowing.” Hank is also a longtime teacher and an award-winning photographer. He lives in North Haven with his wife, Lynn.
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.