Celebrate the release of Kathryn Kysar's latest poetry collection, "Pretend the World," with an event spectacular this Saturday at the Loft.

Kysar will read selections from her new book, along with guest readers Stephanie Ash, David Grant, Jim Heynen, Ed Bok Lee, John Minzceski, Sheila O'Connor, Susan Power, John Reimringer, Katrina Vandenberg, Ka Vang and Wang Ping. The event will also feature guest poetry singers Anna George Meek and Kris Bigalk.

Poetry videos by Jes Lee Shimek will also be showcased, along with art by Carolyn Lee Anderson, Julie Buffalohead, Jan Elftmann, Philip Noyed and David Malcolm Scott.

Books will be on sale from Holy Cow! Press; one dollar from the sale of each book will be donated to the Red Cross for the earthquake victims in Japan.

Kathryn Kysar

Kathryn Kysar -- one of the first authors ever interviewed for MinnPost's Book Club Club -- has previously published "Dark Lake," a collection of poetry, and edited the anthology "Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers."

She has received fellowships from Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Kysar serves on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Loft Literary Center.

Event: "Pretend the World" book release party
Time: 7-10 p.m
Date: Saturday, Mar. 19, 2011
Place: The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415