Times Festival of Reading 2022

By Margo Hammond. Turning 30, the Times Festival of Reading slimmed down this year. There were fewer authors. The venue was smaller. And it was no longer free. But two essential ingredients stayed the same – inspiring authors and enthusiastic readers…. Read More

A Lit Fest for Kids Makes its Debut

By Margo Hammond. The first annual St. Pete Reads! Lit Fest — a celebration of all things literacy — was hosted by Cultured Books Literacy Foundation in partnership with the Barbershop Book Club and St. Petersburg College. Aimed at kids and their parents, it was the brainchild of Lorielle Hollaway, dedicated to promoting books and literacy in the South St. Pete community…. Read More

Helping Your Kids Learn to Love Reading

By Margo Hammond. Here are discussions from the St Pete Reads! Lit Fest – with creative tips from parents on how to help kids learn to love reading – a crucial skill that will help them choose their own path… Read More

Troy Bernardo, In Memory

Troy loves spending time reading, writing, camping, and drinking local craft beer. He is an English Department Head at an alternative online school, and lives with his wife Laura, his… Read More

Hot Mics

By Margo Hammond. The mic is hot at Studio@620 for poets and storytellers — and always has been. By blurring the line between organizers and audience, between poets and poetry readers, between storytellers and lovers of stories, open mic events create a space where everyone is welcome to step up and perform or just sit back and listen…. Read More

Literacy is a Civil Right

By Jake-ann Jones. St. Pete Master Barber Antonio Brown is continuing the legacy of the barbershop as a place of power, and taking it to the next level — a space for growing and impacting youth literacy. Join the Barbershop Book Club and Cultured Books at the free St Pete Reads! Lit Fest on November 5 at the Woodson African American Museum… Read More

Writers and Actors Bring Halloween Stories to Life

By Tiffany Razzano. “There are three things I love about Read No More. First, it’s an authentic local event. It showcases the talents of Bay Area writers and actors. It’s set in a real house — not a set — and the stories are often inspired by real Florida history.”… Read More

Breakfast. Literacy. CommUNITY.

By Margo Hammond. BLC stands for Breakfast. Literacy. CommUNITY. The recipe from St. Pete’s Cultured Books is simple. Encourage young Black kids to read a self-affirming picture book. Invite an artist to offer a workshop related to that book’s subject. Bring everyone to the park and mix in some waffles. … Read More

Every Day’s the Golden Age of Baseball

By Margo Hammond. There aren’t many witness still around from baseball’s Golden Age era, usually considered to be from about 1920 to 1960. In Peter Golenbock’s new book, “Whispers of the Gods,” their stories come alive…. Read More

A Literary Double Threat

By Margo Hammond. Meet Natalie Symons. Like a running quarterback on the football field, she is a double threat in the literary world – an award-winning playwright and a top-of-the charts literary thriller writer…. Read More

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