The February edition of OUTspoken! LGBTQ storyteller series takes place
Tuesday, February 5, at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St. Doors open at 6 pm, stories begin at 7.
Denise Bowker was born and raised in a small community in central New Jersey once visited by aliens. She transplanted herself to northwest Indiana in the late '80s and moved to Chicago late in 2017. Denise is a strong advocate for the Transgender community and speaks regularly on her life to help people understand what it really is to be transgender.
Emily Calvo is a poet, visual artist and author. She's featured at Loyola University, the Art Institute of Chicago, Women & Children First, the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill and others. Her art has been shown at Harold Washington Library and many Chicago galleries. She's working on a memoir about her dad, Greg Thornton, who was a gay Chicago artist who led a double life and tape recorded his life.
Casey Dean Coppess is a comedian/actor in Chicago who has appeared in shows all over the city, including Steamworks the Musical and Picture It! A Golden Girls Musical. Casey has also been featured in You're Being Ridiculous, Tenx9 Chicago, Scene Chicago Magazine, and The Bare Inkslinger blog.
E. Patrick Johnson is the Carlos Montezuma Professor of Performance Studies and African American Studies at Northwestern University. A scholar, artist and activist, Johnson has performed nationally and internationally and has published widely in the area of race, gender, sexuality and performance. Johnson is a prolific performer and scholar, and an inspiring teacher, whose research and artistry has greatly impacted African-American studies, performance studies, and sexuality studies.
Buddy King, a native southside Chicagoan, is an actor, writer and director who is currently working with two other professional creatives on a musical highlighting the historical events experienced by the Boomers and the consequences of those events on lives and careers. The working title is "Golden", the adjective most times used to highlight the years between 65 and 80..
Brandon Strawn describes himself as an educator, a musician and a delight. He has lived and worked in the Chicago region for 10 years, leaving a trail of math, music and mirth behind him. He lives in Edgewater with his boyfriend, two best friend roommates, a cat he tolerates and two guinea pigs who tolerate him.
See www.outspokenchicago.com for more info.