In 2014, Jake Friedman held occasional readings and tabling sessions at Phoenix Public Market through his former publication Four Chambers Press.
Friedman, now the Marketing and Outreach Specialist at ASU’s Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, heads the annual Meet Your Literary Community event that is held in conjunction with Phoenix Public Market’s Open Air Markets.
“The farmer’s market makes for a better experience in the city, and we’re interested in adding to that environment,” Friedman said.
He said the goal of the event is to create a space where art and culture can flourish and bring as many people together as possible. Through this process, writers and publications will be able to interact with not only each other, but with the audience for their work.
“We are trying to identify one central touchpoint where people can identify some of the people who are doing really good literary work in the city,” Friedman said.
This past Saturday, the event featured more than 50 authors, publishers and organizations that represented comedy, theater and art cafes. The event also showcased the spoken word format from various authors and poets.
Notable performers included Truth B. Told, an award-winning spoken word artist, and Betty Webb, a novelist who has published multiple mystery book series.
Larry Miller, a Glendale resident, is both a writer and a comedian. Miller was most excited to connect with a community that is passionate about literature and the arts.
“One of the reasons I came out was to start meeting people, so I’m glad it’s well attended,” Miller said.
When Friedman was searching for businesses to partner with during his time as editor of Four Chambers Press, he pegged Phoenix Public Market as a natural fit. He thought that fresh and local food enthusiasts were also likely to be interested in the arts.
Peter Zimmerman stumbled across the event while enjoying food himself.
Zimmerman moved to Phoenix this past February. On Saturday morning, he went on a breakfast date when he saw a closed-off street littered with tents and swarms of people.
“I stopped what I was doing for a regular job to explore storytelling,” Zimmerman said. “I had no idea art and literature [events] were here.”
For Friedman, the event helps the city form a sense of community.
“As a unit of ASU but also as a public entity and a member of this community, our goal is to help people through writing,” Friedman said.
Contact the reporter at jklein11@asu.edu.
