Pat King:  Hi, how are you?  Thanks a lot for this interview.  I'd like to start out by asking you to give our readers a little background about your Queer Open Mic reading series.  What inspired you to start a new reading series?  How did it come together?

Cindy Emch: Queer Open Mic came about through a combination of timing and luck really. I had recently rededicated my life to writing and was going to all of the readings in San Francisco that I could get my hands on. I had lived in SF for almost ten years but hadn't really put myself out there in the writing community. Sure I read all of the local writers but wasn't really inserting myself into that world. While I was exploring I quickly found a lot of places and readings that were super cool and had great readers but none were the perfect fit for me personally in terms of location, timing and crowd. Out of the blue the owners of the cafe that I went to everyday asked me if I would like to curate an open mic for them. They were a pretty new cafe and were really excited about doing arts events. They were really centrally located and offered me the cafe twice a month on Friday nights to try and get something started. I got really excited about the idea of creating this space for performances that would bring together folks from all parts of the queer community. Folks of color, gender queers, gay men and lesbians, youth and elders, I really wanted to make this radical space where all kinds of performers would be welcome and feel at home and envigorated. So I wrote up some press releases, lined up some features that had bigger than life personalities and reputations and just started the event.

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      “The clouds were so damn dark...  It was black off by the horizon.  It was black like everything disappeared.  It was getting dark up by the house.”

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Pat King: I'd like it if you could start out by telling us a little bit about the Outlaws of the Spoken Word reading series.  When was it started?  Who are some of the regular readers?  What happens at a typical reading?

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Pat King: OK. I think the first question I want to ask has to do with the reading itself [Editor’s note: I’m a moron and forgot to mention that the reading I’m referring to is the A.D.D. Reading in San Francisco on November 3rd.  Please accept my apologies.]  It sounds like a great idea. There are some great names on the list. Who came up with the idea? Is it going to be a regular series?

MK Chavez: Hell-o

(Kathy) Acker's Dangerous Daughters is a great idea and credit goes to Paul Corman-Roberts, Poetry Editor from Cherry Bleeds, poet, pundit, and one of my favorite partners in crime.

The main impetus is the incredible kick ass female talent that's out here. You bet it's going to be a series, it will happen quartely!

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Pat King: Hey Kathy, how are you? I'd like to start off by asking you a pretty big question: What is an outsider and why do you see yourself as one?

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