Death Rattle Writers Fest is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing public platforms to underserved Idaho writers by providing the public with free access to quality literary programming throughout the year, culminating in our annual literary festival: a three day celebration of the arts in Idaho featuring over 60 local writers, artists, and performers as well as dozens of out of state writers all sharing their work at venues across Historic Downtown Nampa, Idaho. The festival has in the past three years included a book fair, featuring over 40 vendors as a place to celebrate and share poetry and comic art in print, with festival participants sharing their books, chapbooks, zines, comic books, and art.
All this strives to foster an accessible community for those that do not have traditional outlets available for the improvement and presentation of their literary arts, and creates opportunities for the public to engage with that community in a way that is positive, scholarly, and educational. We strive to be a resource in our community and to support work by and about those often marginalized in literary spaces, including Black and Indigenous people, and people of color; trans people, cis women, agender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, two-spirit, and non-binary people; intersex people; LGBQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual/aromantic) people; people with disabilities; and especially people living at the intersections of these identities.
Check back here and follow for event updates, submission opportunities, and ways to participate!
Be sure to check out past keynote poets and artists who have shared their work at past festival readings and at the book fair!
DEATH RATTLE LITERARY is looking for Erotica submissions for an in-person reading
the evening of December 18 @shrinesocialclub!
OPEN CALL — DEADLINE DEC 10th
SUBMIT HERE
DECEMBER 18 ❄️ DOORS 6PM ❄️ $5 DONATION
At SHRINE SOCIAL CLUB in DOWNTOWN BOISE
Event will be 18+ & Drinks available for those 21+
Come usher in the changing of the seasons with some day-dreamy, nostalgic transition
vibes, basking in the golden hour in the backyard while soaking up live poetry
& writing! Bring blankets and/or chairs
- see you there.
Poetic Forms: Erasure/Blackout Poetry
AUG 31 - 2PM at Nampa Public Library Board Room
Workshop- all levels, no previous experience required.
All ages. $15. 2hr 30 minute. 10 seats max.
THE SPILL: SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT
@flyingmcoffeenampa
OPEN MIC STORYTELLING NIGHT
Featuring Local Writers:
Abby Barr
Hailey Frogley
Leonardo Ryan
Aug 17 | 6:30pm
ALL AGES $5 donation
Beer/Wine available from @prefunknampa
LIVE STORYTELLING WORKSHOP:
CRAFT YOUR SKILL AT LIVE STORYTELLING!
Come work on structuring a basic narrative, how to find the right moments or details to pull your story together, how to look at different angles of the prompt, and discuss fun and easy performance tips. Come with an idea to workshop or get inspired during class! We’d love to help you generate and hone a story for the upcoming Spill featuring true stories told live on theme: “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” !
AUG 10 - 1PM-3PM
Nampa Public Library - Multipurpose Room A
Free/Pay-What-You-Can or $5 donation that gets you free admission to the Spill!
OPEN CALL FOR PARANORMAL & SUPERNATRUAL EXPERIENCES
& TRUE CRIME EXPERIENCES
for first hand accounts dealing with the unsettling, the horrifying, the unexplainable, and the downright horrifying.
Read more for the details on storytelling and how to submit.
Options for locals and non-locals to submit to tell their tale!
October 19 - at Flying M Coffee Garage Nampa, Idaho
All Ages
Party on and cool off with an ice cold beverage at upcoming Super Summer Karaoke Party for Penrose Poetry Prize 2023. Come in your best patio hang attire and whip out those summertime bangers; road-trip singalongs, spicy dance classics, power-ballads, heartfelt anthems, favourite show-tunes and disney tracks, songs celebrating this hot and sultry season!
TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE
ON THEME “BUGGED”
featuring local writers:
Richard Rachman
Darby McBride
& Kira J Compton
JUNE 13
7:00PM DOORS
$5 DONATION
ALL AGES | Drinks for those 21+
work on your storytelling skills to
showcase your personal tales at the
open-mic storytelling night THE SPILL!
Free or $5 Donation with free admittance
to the upcoming Spill: Bugged
JUNE 1 @ 4pm mountain standard time
full line-up tba
VIRTUAL _ ON ZOOM
RSVP HERE TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR
& GET ZOOM ACCESS
True Stories Told Live on Theme:
FEAST
@FlyingMCoffeeGarage
4/20 @6:30pm
ALL AGES $5 donation
In partnership with @PrefunkNampa
🍙🍑🌽🍕🍔🍣🍫🥂🍗🥬
PERFORMANCES:
Tyler Brewington
CL Young
Mara Bateman
James Herbert
Diana Forgione
Benjamin Poofy
Daisy Clar Rosenstock
Hannah Rodabaugh
Leonardo Aleksander Ryan
Saturday, March 23rd
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Idaho State Museum
610 Julia Davis Dr. Boise, ID 83702
Death Rattle is looking for Erotica submissions for an in-person reading details TBA!
Full Details TBA but will be taking place last week of May or first week of June
💖 In-Person in Idaho Treasure Valley — Stay Tuned!
Submit Here
A round table editing workshop - Make friends, read their poems, get constructive feedback and discussion of your work.
Limited to 12 students. Registration due by Feb 25th.
Submissions for OROBORO Vol. 9 are currently
Open for Poetry, Fiction and Comics until
May 12th at 11:59pm mountain time.
Karaoke night at Prefunk Nampa
Calling all cupids & cuties for a night of blushin and crushin featuring all your favorite
love songs, breakup songs, yearning songs, thirsty songs and everything in between.
Can’t wait to queue up the heart-breakiest, dream-makiest, love-takiest karaoke set ever!
Tip your KJ and donate directly to death rattle!
♥ 21+
Local Poetry + Fiction Reading in the basement @Shrine Social Club ✶
⭒ Line-up TBA and 2 Slots open for Sign ups!
If you'd like to get on the line-up, please email us
at deathrattlewriter@gmail.com with your info & what you'd like to read at the showcase! ✹
JANUARY 27 ⁂ 6:00pm doors ⁂ $5 Donation ⁂ ALL AGES
Calling all poets, flash fiction authors, and hybrid writers! We are seeking Ekphrastic poems, micro fiction, and prose inspired by music: a song, piece of music, composition, song title, musician or band, or the like to be presented live and in-person at a Death Rattle Literary Showcase at Storyfort 2024 in March.
SUBMISSIONS DUE FEB 24
More showcase details TBA
OPEN MIC STORYTELLING NIGHT
Share Feats of Strength, Air your Grievances, or proclaim a holiday Miracle It’s a Festivus for the rest of us!
Quirky gatherings and seasonal feasts, big wins and winter revelations, holiday beefs and griefs, lucky breaks and good fortunes.
We are fundraising for our upcoming fall and winter programming!
See more specific details on our gofundme about our upcoming submission opportunities, publishing endeavors for Penrose Poetry Prize and Oroboro and/or check out our calendar to see everything we’ve got coming up and coming up SOON! Thank you for helping uplift our arts community!
All donations, likes and shares help immensely!
OPEN CALL FOR first hand accounts dealing with the unsettling, the horrifying, the unexplainable, and the downright horrifying.
TALES OF THE UNEXPLAINED 4
At FLYING M COFFEE GARAGE
October 21 | 6:30PM | ALL AGES | $3
The music will ROCK… heads will ROLL! Join is for a beer, wine, and karaoke fright night benefiting Death Rattle Literary. Get on the mic and get spooky scary, singing through the pain while helping support a neighborhood arts fundraiser! If these songs don’t scare you… you’re already dead!
Costumes highly encouraged!
Submission Extension! Open now until Nov 30th (at 11:59pm mountain time)
Awarded for excellence in poetry by new, emerging, and established LGBTQIA+ artists as selected by our guest judge to be announced.
POETRY | COFFEE | WINE
Poetry Reading featuring Local Poets at Neckar Coffee
All Ages - $3-$5 Suggested Donation
STORIES OF INTELLIGENCE
Storyteller slots OPEN for sign ups!
DM or email us to sign up for a storytelling slot or show up at the event and hop on the open mic.
Stories are 5 minutes or less, told candidly without the use of notes (like you would tell a friend) !
Hear from local poets Jon Schoenfelder and Atticus Kirkham expanding on the night’s theme 🧠
All Ages - $3 Donations going towards 2C Mutual AidWe are running a donation and supplies drive for 2C Mutual Aid
FEATURING LOCAL ARTISTS
Lane Day (@artsupplyclub)
James Lloyd (@warlloyd)
Sarah Pincock (@artmuseum.edu_)
Dig Reeder (@digreeder)
Amy Gilles (@amygilles)
Snag some original artwork created live with audience prompts and participation with this live art auction fundraiser!
5 artists . 5 minutes. 5”x5” masterpieces for $5
@Prefunk Nampa
21+
please welcome some amazing folks who have been featured in Oroboro lit mag to the online stage for a cozy and intimate night of poetry and prose.
Come and share your dusty treasure for the world to laugh and regret and reminisce about together.
Come and tell us what the old you was up to!
Storyteller slots OPEN for sign ups!
Stories are 5 minutes or less, told candidly (like you would tell a friend) without the use of notes !
This event is proudly sponsored by Montucky Cold Snacks! All proceeds of purchases Montucky at the event and all donations at the door go towards funding our upcoming LGBTQAI+ literary contests and in-print copies of our lit-mag Oroboro!
Splash down and cool off with an ice cold beverage at upcoming Super Summer Karaoke Fundraiser for Penrose Poetry Prize 2023.
Come in your best patio hang attire and whip out those summertime bangers; road-trip singalongs, spicy dance classics, power-ballads, heartfelt anthems, favourite show-tunes and disney tracks, songs celebrating this hot and sultry season!
All donations at the event go towards funding our upcoming Penrose Poetry Prize 2023: Awarding cash prizes and publication for excellence in poetry from LGBTQIA+ Writers across the world.
Check out https://deathrattle.org/penrose-2022
for past winners and more about the award.