Busy week for writers

Seems like nothing exciting happens for a while and then EVERYTHING happens at once. Here are a bunch of creative writing events happening within days of each other, and some are actually on the same days.


1) The year's first Coffee House Reading, starring the ninth-grade students, is Thursday, Nov. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Ensemble Theater. Anyone is invited to read and Desire Givens, 11th grade, makes her debut as emcee. You go, Desire! Refreshments are served after the reading.


2) Creative Writing teacher Brad Craddock stars in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" at Multi-use Community Culture Center, 142 Atlantic Ave.. Performances are at 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19; and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Tickets are $5 for people under 25 years old and $15 for general admission. For information or to buy tickets online, got to http://www.mucc.org/


3) Rochester Children's Book Festival brings more than 40 authors and illustrators of children's books to Monroe Community College on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 10 to 4 p.m. While some of the featured books are a bit young, some of the workshops are for middle-school students. Bruce Coville, for instance, presents "Why Write? Good Reasons and Ugly Truths" at 2 p.m. Jane Yolen presents a workshop at 2:30 called “How long did I want to write a graphic novel? Close to forever.” This event is free.