Oct. 1, 2011: Kore's Grrls Literary Activists screened their short film at the Loft

in conjunction with AZ List's film "Miss Representation"

The Grrls' film explored media, sex, sexuality and self image.

Thanks to Pam Grissom & the Crossroads Collaborative with funding from the Ford Foundation!

Grrls Literary Activism Workshops help get the voices of young women and trans youth heard.

Sept. 30, 2011: Zocalo Magazine features Kore Press' Big Read in Tucson

Click here to read "Coming Down from the Attic," article by Emily Gindlesparger.

This fall, Tucson will be all about Emily. Kore Press, local publisher of women’s literature, is bringing The Big Read to the Old Pueblo, with Emily Dickinson at the helm...

Sept. 22, 2011: Kore Press launched Big Read Tucson with a kickoff reception and keynote by Charles Alexander

Click here to view our photo album.

This lecture & reading marked the beginning of 10 weeks of Big Read Tucson events, Sept. 22 - Dec 10. Together with 40 partnering organizations, businesses, artists, scholars, libraries and schools, Kore Press will share Dickinson's work and life's story with the community in exciting and innovative ways.

Aug. 2, 2011: Arizona Public Media interviews Kore Press Publisher Lisa Bowden about receiving the 2011 LUMIE Award

Click here to watch the interview with AZPM, and hear some exciting updates about Kore Press programs.

July 21, 2011: Kore Press receives NEA grant to host The Big Read in Tucson

Kore Press is one of 76 non-profit organizations receiving a grant to host The Big Read project this fall. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and in cooperation with Arts Midwest, The Big Read is an initiative to restore reading to the center of American culture. Tucson's Big Read will involve creative and educational community programming and events taking place between Sept. 22 and Nov. 13, 2011. Kore has chosen to celebrate the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and bring her prolific work to our community in active and meaningful ways. 

"We are thrilled to help bring folks together with creative programming around the poetry and life of Emily Dickinson. This is a tremendous opportunity for Tucsonans to talk and read together and perhaps find commonalities through a love of reading for pleasure instead of focusing on divisive politics and what is wrong with the state. It's truly a humane and delightful effort," said Lisa Bowden, Kore Press Publisher and Project Director.

June 9, 2011: Kore Press won the 2011 LUMIE Award for an Established Arts Organization

Kore received the award for an Established Arts Organization at this year's Tucson Pima Arts Council LUMIES Awards. This prize is awarded to an organization functioning for over ten years, in recognition of their innovation, creativity and sustained excellence in their field.

Championing women writers and those underrepresented in the cultural mainstream, Kore Press has thrived as an independent press against difficult economic environments that easily favor corporations. Kore Press remains as one of only six feminist literary publishers in the country and is a leading voice for advancing progressive social change in Southern Arizona. As a platform for emerging writers, Kore renders personal attention to each writer’s work and always gives detailed feedback to enhance the writings of local writers. This organization has furthered the discussion of Tucson’s cultural and artistic future through activism projects and presentations in schools. Engaging local citizens, Kore Press will continue to make literary activism and social justice a priority in the years to come.

June 5, 2011: Kore Press hosted the 2011 Kore Press Annual Benefit Art Auction and Garden Party

Some of the finest minds and hearts in Tucson came together in community on June 5th to enjoy the sunset on the grass, collect art and win services for a good cause. We are thrilled to say this year was our largest Garden Party ever, with upwards of 200 people, including over 150 registered bidders and 75 artist and business partners.

The event was a huge success for many reasons. We raised a large portion of our annual budget, and had a fabulous evening together filled with art, friends, food and drinks.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our garden party. We truly appreciate all of our guests, as well as the many generous artists, sponsors and donors who made this event possible.

Click here to read our THANK YOU list

May 10, 2011: Kelcey Parker's For Sale By Owner wins 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Short Fiction

Kelcey Parker's For Sale By Owner (Kore Press 2011) is a collection of "gorgeous, sinister dreams" -- stories of motherhood, marriage, and the "twisted domesticity" of contemporary suburbia.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest Not-for-Profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its fourth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O'Shea Literary Agency.

May 4, 2011: Kore Press wins 2011 Innovations in Reading Prize from The National Book Foundation

Kore is one of four organizations in the country (selected out of 120) to be honored by the National Book Foundation with a 2011 Innovations in Reading Prize! The National Book Foundation awards prizes to individuals and institutions that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading.

For eighteen years, Kore Press has been defined by innovation. Whether it's publishing the highest quality women's literature, educating youth, or doing creative community programming, they have been on the edge of using literature to advance progressive social change. As a community of literary activists, Kore is dedicated to engaging the public through several visionary, creative writing projects.

May 2012: Kore Press Publishes Territories of Folding by Gender Queer poet TC Tolbert

Tolbert will be reading with Heather Nagami on Saturday, March 12, 2012 from 11:30-12:30 in the UofA Student Union Kiva Room.

TC Tolbert will be on a panel, "LGBTQ Poets & Identity: Creating Language" on Sunday, March 13, 2012 from 1:00-2:00 PM, in the UofA Student Union Kiva Room.

Grrls Billboards—$10 each!

In spring 2009, the Grrls Literary Activists designed and created billboards that were hung around the Tucson community to inspire change.

For more information on these and the Grrls project, visit the Grrls website, blog, or Facebook.

Interview with Lisa Bowden and Shannon Cain

This interview was originally published in the Summer '07 Poetry Contest Insider, a comprehensive online guide to poetry contests from Winning Writers. For a free 10-day trial, please go to http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/pci/pc_login.php

Jendi Reiter conducted this exclusive email interview with Shannon Cain and Lisa Bowden. The Tucson-based independent press was established in 1993 to publish literature by women.