PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series

The Free Association Reading series, founded by Pat Hart and Mark Nieson, showcases local writers sharing newly written work and works in progress. This month’s reading spotlights writers Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko, Emily Kiernan, Mike Scalise, and Jessica Manack. 

“Free Association readings began in 2016 for established and emerging writers of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction,” explains Pat. “As the name implies, Free Association is not affiliated with a university or writing program but is for all, for established and emerging writers of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.”

Pat was inspired to start this series after watching a low-quality recording of a Flannery O’Connor reading on YouTube. “You couldn’t even really see Flannery, but the audience reaction was gripping, they laughed with her when it was funny and they went dead silent at the horror. It was such a powerful experience for the audience and for her as well,” said Pat.

Pat is no stranger to the fact that writing can be very isolating. She knows how hard it is to tell what works and what doesn’t. With Flannery O’Connor’s reading in mind, the Free Association Reading Series seemed like the natural choice to help bring community—and fun—back into writing.

About the Writers:

Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is a renowned filmmaker, writer, musician, and activist, celebrated for his exceptional talent across various artistic realms. Over the years, his feature documentaries and fictional short films have garnered numerous international awards and nominations. With a prolific music career, he has amassed millions of streams. His poetry collection “Decadence” (2017) has become a bestseller in Ukraine. During the initial year of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, he remained in the country, actively engaging in the volunteer movement and working as a producer for BBC and other world media. But, under the pressure of mainstream political discourse and persistent threats, unwilling to compromise his right to free speech, he felt compelled to leave the country. Today, he tirelessly advocates for the future of the endangered Ukrainian culture on a global scale. His latest book, “FAQ Ukraine,” delves into the sophisticated and often controversial love-hate relationship between the poet and his motherland, guiding readers through the labyrinth of history while shedding light on the nation’s uncertain future.

Emily Kiernan is the author of a novel, Great Divide (Unsolicited Press). Her work has appeared in American Short Fiction, The Iowa Review, Pank, The Collagist, and other journals. She has received support from MacDowell, The Ucross Foundation, The Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Tin House, Bread Loaf, and The Mount among other organizations, and she holds an MFA from The California Institute of the Arts. She is a prose editor at Noemi Press. She lives in Pittsburgh with a husband, a child, and several wild beasts. More information can be found at emilykiernan.com.

Mike Scalise is the author of the memoir The Brand New Catastrophe, which received praise from The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Kenyon Review, Buzzfeed and elsewhere, and won the Christopher Doheny Award for excellence in illness writing from The Center for Fiction. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Agni and elsewhere. He’s received awards, grants, and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Art Omi, Bread Loaf, Yaddo, and Ucross, and he was the Philip Roth Writer-in-Residence at Bucknell University.

Jessica Manack holds degrees from Hollins University and lives with her family in Pittsburgh’s North Side. Her writing has appeared widely in literary journals and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and she has been the recipient of a Curious Creators Grant and Getaway Artist Fellowship. She is the Development Editor at Belt Magazine and a poetry reader for TriQuarterly. As the winner of the 2023 First Chapbook Prize, her poetry collection “Gastromythology” was published by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions in 2024. Keep up with her work at: http://www.jessicamanack.com

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant Cucina Alfabeto is open for dinner from 5-10pm. Please visit Open Table or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.