City Books is pleased to announce SJ Powell, Charles Huysman, and Tara Fay as our Writers-in-Residence from February 1 – June 30, 2023
SJ Powell (they/them) is a Black speculative writer based in Pittsburgh. Their work is concerned with non-human beings, strange intimacies, and worlds that are not our own. They received their BA in English and Africana Studies from Williams College. They are a member of the hotbed collective and can be found @sjp_ow on Instagram and @sjpo_well on Twitter.
Charles Huysman (he/him) was brought up amongst the marshes and pine barrens of Long Island, New York. His work was longlisted for the 2020 Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Contest. For the past thirteen years, he has lived in Pittsburgh, surrounded whenever possible by books, trees, and cats. He can be found @ohboyitscharl on Instagram and @biggestcharl on Twitter.
Tara Fay (she/her) is a mother, conceptual artist, curator, writer, and arts worker from Buffalo who currently lives and works in Pittsburgh. Fay’s work consists of a multidisciplinary praxis that is an exploration of identity, motherhood, Black womanhood, and taking up space. Through her practice, she mines her own lived experiences for subject matter, with a goal to intertwine her life with her work. She can be found at @mstarafay on Instagram and at TaraFayColeman.com.
As the Residency enters its seventh term, City Books continues to be an incubator for emerging, marginalized, and historically excluded writers who are seeking to finish a work in progress or merge a writing practice with an existing career.
Of the selection process, shop owner Arlan Hess says it’s about managing expectations of all parties involved. “We’re not looking to be impressed by an application or an interview, rather to determine how & where City Books can best help a writer take the next, biggest step in their development.” Each writer will receive a $500 stipend, discounts and curation opportunities at City Books. In addition, Powell, Huysman, and Fay will spend at least 3-5 hours a week writing in the bookstore, and be available on Independent Bookstore Day (April 29) and for media requests.
For more information about the City Books Writer-in-Residence program, click here.