Blue Parlor Tips

Please note that the scheduling details listed below are subject to change; a final schedule will be included in materials distributed during registration on the mountain.

We’re excited to welcome you to the Blue Parlor Reading Series. Participant readings are a hallmark of the Bread Loaf experience.

Overview of the Blue Parlor Reading Series

  • This year’s reading series will take place in the Barn Tent (located just outside the Barn). 
  • The Blue Parlor readings are open to all participants. We encourage you to sign up, and once you’re on the mountain to encourage your friends from your workshop to sign up, too.
  • The Blue Parlor events also include three special readings: the LGBTQ+ Reading; the From the Dark Tower Reading* (for BIPOC writers); and the One Minute in Heaven Reading (where each reader will read for one minute in the Little Theater). The LGBTQ+ Reading and the From the Dark Tower Reading are open to participants and fellows. 
  • There are a limited number of slots available, so those interested in reading are asked to sign up for all readings in advance.

Sign-Up Process

  • Sign-ups are on a first come first serve basis via a Google Form link, and each sign-up will include a wait list. The sign-up links will be shared via email (see the email schedule below).
  • 15 sign-up slots are available for each event, and each person will read for up to 3 minutes. Writers of all genres are invited to sign up. 

Sign-Up Link Schedule

All sign-up links will go out via email to Bread Loafers’ personal emails.

  • Thursday, August 15 at 7:30 p.m. -  Sign-ups for Week 1 Readings (this will include slots for the Friday, August 16; Saturday, August 17; and Monday, August 19 Readings)
  • Thursday, August 15 at 7:30 p.m. - Sign-ups for the LGBTQ+ Reading (Sunday, August 18) and the From the Dark Tower Reading (Thursday, August 22) will also go out at this time
  • Monday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. - Sign-ups for Week 2 Readings (this will include slots for the Tuesday, August 20 and Wednesday, August 21 Readings)

The sign-up for the One Minute in Heaven Reading (Friday, August 23) will follow; we’ll share details on the mountain.

Blue Parlor Reading Schedule

Readings will take place in the Barn Tent, except where noted.

Friday, August 16, 1:15 p.m
Saturday, August 17, 1:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 18, 1:15 p.m. – LGBTQ+ Reading
Monday, August 19, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, August 20, 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21, 1:15 p.m.
Thursday, August 22, 9:15 p.m. – From the Dark Tower Reading
Friday, August 23, 10:15 a.m. – One Minute in Heaven Reading (Little Theater)

Preparing to Read

The Blue Parlor readings are a part of the Bread Loaf tradition and community and we’re grateful to share this space with you. 

When choosing an excerpt from your work to read, please be aware that you won’t have much (if any) time to provide context and consider if it will work for the Bread Loaf audience.

Please be considerate of your peers’ time and attention. To that end:

  • Choose a 3 minute or less sample you can read at a comfortable pace. Expect to read under 3 pages, and prose should be double-spaced.
     
  • Please practice and time yourself out of consideration for yourself and the Blue Parlor community.
     
  • You’ll be sharing your work in a supportive community of fellow writers. Consider your audience and please select your reading with care for the space. Depending on the reading selection, content warnings can be helpful to preface work that might be difficult for some. 

If you think your reading could be offensive, ask someone else to listen to it first and offer feedback. 

We thank you for being mindful about our coming together to share work while building a respectful community.

Your Hosts and the Blue Parlor Informational Meeting

This year’s Blue Parlor reading series will be hosted by co-coordinators Danielle Harms and Tobi Kassim.

Please join them for the Blue Parlor Informational Meeting in the Barn Tent on Thursday, August 15 at 11 a.m.


*The title of the From the Dark Tower Reading comes from the poem by Countee Cullen, in which he addresses how discussions of race are often kept in the dark. Cullen rallies for elevating such communication to a tower, whereby all can hear and benefit.