The third of the Rose O’Neill Literary House’s Summer Literary Salon series features readings by poet Sarah Blake and fiction author Katey Schultz, as well as music from local musicians Beth McDonald and Joe Holt. The free, public event on July 26, starting at 4:30, will be followed by a book signing and light refreshments.

Sarah Blake is the author of Mr. West, an unauthorized lyric biography of Kanye West, out from Wesleyan University Press in 2015. Her first chapbook, Named After Death, is forthcoming from Banango Editions with an illustrated companion workbook. Her epic poem “The Starship” appeared on Berfrois, and other poems have appeared, or will soon, in the Kenyon Review, Poetry Northwest, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Threepenny Review, and The Rumpus. In 2013, she was awarded an NEA fellowship for poetry. She is founder of Submittrs, and lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and son.

Katey Schultz is an award-winning fiction author and recipient of the Linda Flowers Literary Prize. She is also the founder of Maximum Impact: Precision Courses & Services for writers, artists, & trailblazers, dedicated to the premise that a single word can change a life, that the right word in the right context can have a profound impact. Her 2013 debut short story collection, Flashes of War, was awarded IndieFab Book of the Year from Foreword Reviews and received a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Originally from Portland, Oregon and a graduate of the Pacific University MFA in Writing program, Schultz lives with her husband in Celo, North Carolina. 

A songwriter from the time she could climb onto a piano bench, Beth McDonald was nearly 30 years old before she was willing to try to sing by herself in front of anyone—baptized by fire, so to speak, by becoming the lead singer for the nationally acclaimed DC-area New Legacy Jazz Band, where she worked with her accompanist Joe Holt, who has enjoyed a 40-year career as a soloist and touring artist. Together, they perform music from genres including gospel, blues, pop standards, and some contemporary material, as well as Beth’s compositions, which fall into several of those categories. In addition to their live performances, they have worked together to release multiple recordings and are planning a return trip to the studio in 2016. Holt resides in the Chestertown area and makes his living as a full-time musician. McDonald lives in Pennsylvania and works as a human resources manager for a pediatric center that specializes in therapies for kids with special needs. More information about them is available on Classic Avenue Records (www.simplybeth.biz) and Joe Holt’s Notes (www.joeholtsnotes.com).

All Summer Literary Salons are free and open to the public. Each Salon will be followed by a book sale and signing. Light refreshments and wine will be served. For more information on these events or the Literary House, visit the website at www.washcoll.edu/centers/lithouse/.