The official blog of Denise M. Baran-Unland, author. Discover her books for all ages at bryonyseries.com.
On September 25, 2025, WriteOn Joliet held its first open mic night at Critical Grind in Shorewood.
Charter member Duanne Walton emceed and videotaped the entire event.
Here is the video to the final rounds of short performances, which includes some spontaneous readings from WriteOn Joliet's 2023 radio play.
Enjoy!
On September 25, 2025, WriteOn Joliet held its first open mic night at Critical Grind in Shorewood.
Charter member Duanne Walton emceed and videotaped the entire event.
Here is the video to the second half hour of short performances.
Enjoy!
On September 25, 2025, WriteOn Joliet held its first open mic night at Critical Grind in Shorewood.
Charter member Duanne Walton emceed and videotaped the entire event.
Here is the video to the first half hour of short performances.
Enjoy!
On September 25, WriteOn Joliet held its first (and only) open mic at event for 2025 at Critical Grind Board Game Cafe in Shorewood.
It was also our first mic event since 2023 - and we held two that fall, shortly before the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet closed - and we're thrilled to have found a new cafe home.
Critical Grind hosts a writer meetup on alternating Saturdays called Inkwells and Espresso, which WriteOn members have attended from the event's inception in early 2024.
WriteOn Joliet Charter Member Duanne Walton served as emcee at this first open mic at Critical Find and read some of his stream of consciousness works.
Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, gave a dramatic recitation of his original poem.
Steve Cordin read an original crime thriller short story.
Holly Coop read her inspirational poetry.
Danny read some of his micro fiction.
Guest Nancy Calkins shared intriguing stories from her career as an art teacher.
Diana Estell gave a dramatic performance of original poetry.
Mauverneen Blevins read original poetry.
Our guest Chloe shared original poetry.
Barbara Eberhard, organizer of "Stories R Us" read original poetry.
"Stories R Us" takes place at 6:30 p.m. every third Wednesday at Nik & Ivy Brewing in Lockport.
And Duanne and I reprised his piece (from the same radio play): "The Beast of Venice Pier."
And somewhere in the mix, I read part of "A Little Wine for Your Stomach, Part Two" from the BryonySeries novel "The Phoenix."
But alas, no photo exists of that reading since I was the one (overall) taking the photos (Timothy caught this one of Duanne and me).
So here's a glass of wine instead, one of my "teaser" photos for "The Phoenix."
Happy Thursday!
"The Beast of Venice Pier" is a piece written by WriteOn Joliet charter member Duanne Walton for WriteOn Joliet's first radio theater-style performance at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre in Joliet in 2023.
The piece is an alternate piece based off "The Foghorn" by Ray Bradbury, which Duanne explains on his YouTube channel.
Duanne and I read "The Beast of Venice Pier" at WriteOn Joliet's open mic night last week at Critical Grind Board GAme Cafe in Shorewood.
We read this quite spontaneously and had not read it since our last performance in 2023.
What made it so much fun is that we quite naturally slipped into our roles as if we'd just performed it an hour ago. Each syllable, each inflection, was exactly the same.
Duanne, .Holly Coop, and Diana Estell, also read my piece from that same performance ("A Little Wine For Your Stomach"), which is an excerpt from the BryonySeries novel "The Phoenix," which they also executed flawlessly
Diana had previously said she'd love to perform that piece again. So they did, quite spontaneously, at the open mic - which led Duanne to want to read "The Beast of Venice Pier."
The point of all this (other than the fact I'm super proud of all of us) is the value of doing your homework (so to speak) before showing up.
I'm not just talking theatrics here. I'm talking about any project you tackle. All the hours and unseen work in the background will pay off during that short time in the foreground.
So be encouraged today that your hard work is not in vain.
You can watch the original performances starting at the 1:50 mark here: An Evening With WriteOn Joliet: Readings to Entertain and Inspire You. Act 2 and also at 38:10.
Happy Thursday! :)
WriteOn Joliet started offering its open mic nights in the fall of 2013, when my former co-leader Tom Hernandez (who passed from brain cancer in 2024) decided we should be sharing our works publicly with the community.
We typically held them twice a year at the former Book and Bean Cafe inside the Joliet Public Cafe, with WriteOn Joliet's last open mic in 2023, because the Book and Bean Cafe closed at the end of the year.
With the closing of Book and Bean, WriteOn (along with many other groups) lost a wonderful community gathering space.
But approximately six months later, Critical Grind Board Game Cafe in Shoreood started hosting a twice monthly writers meetup called Inkwells and Espresso.
I was working for the first one but popped in to show support. The owner told me I was the only one who attended.
So I started sharing the information with WriteOn. And our writers started coming out, which attracted more writers, a few who also starated coming to WriteOn Joliet meetings for added support.
And now, WriteOn Joliet will host its first open mic at Critcal Grind from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25. Local writers will read short pieces (three to five minutes) of original works in all genres.
WriteOn members will have an opportunity to signup in advance.
The community may sign up on a first come, first serve basis starting at 5:30 p.m.
We will give away a 2024 WriteOn Joliet anthology and have additional anthologies (2017 to present plus the "cheetah" anthology) for sale.
We will also have information about WriteOn Joliet's annual anthology release party on Dec. 4.
We will have information about WriteOn, along with individual WriteOn authors.
Admission is the price of any drink or snack from the cafe.
Come out to read, come out to be entertained.
Questions?
Email us at writeonjolietgroup.com.
Hope to see you there!
Looking to leap into the BryonySeries?
Looking to talk to us about BryonySeries books?
Looking for free gifts for being so brave as to buy a book I wrote?
Well, look no further!
We are participating in three events in this week!
Today: The Book Market in Crest Hill (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Sept. 27: End-Of-Summer Open Mic at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet (7 to 10 p.m.)
Sept. 28: Local Author Fair at the Downers Grove Public Library (1 to 4 p.m.).
We will also have BryonySeries Book Bears for sale at all three events, compliments of Cindy, who surprised me with them on Sunday.
BryonySeries Book Bears are $9 with the purchase of any BryonySeries book and $18 without purchase while supplies last. No two bears are alike!
So today's big reveal must wait one more day because I don't have a complete "product" to reveal.
I had promised in yesterday's post to give a "sneak peek" of a special "thank you" gift BryonySeries is offering for select purchase of books in the BryonySeries on Thursday night at WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party.
I'm not trying to be mysterious; really I'm not.
The gifts were prepared yesterday. But they won't actually be assembled until today, so I don't have a final product to show.
Last year, we offered this gift. This year, we have something equally terrific.
But I can give you this teaser photo and teaser collage:
I know what you're thinking. And you're only a tiny percentage correct.
In the meantime, let me explain the "live readings" feature for Thursday night's anthology release party.
WriteOn Joliet founding member Duanne Walton calls himself the "intrepid videographer" because he and his video recorder are not far away.
Duanne has recorded every WriteOn Joliet open mic every since the writers group starting holding them in 2013 at the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet.
But he also pops in to various events individual members are hosting.
Here is Duanne (right) recording an interview with member Robert Hafey on the official release of his book Bumping and Snacking, which was held at the Will County Brewing in Shorewood.
The event featured a special Bumping and Snacking-inspired beer. Robert will be at the anthology release party selling his books, including this one. He will not have any beer.
Duanne plans to set up a table at WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party on Dec. 8 and play all those open mic videos. So be sure to stop by his table and listen for a bit.
The anthology release party will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library, Black Road branch, 3395 Black Road in Joliet.
Admission to the anthology release party is free.
The celebration includes complimentary appetizers and desserts, an informal meet and greet with local authors who are members of the group, and the opportunity to purchase copies of the anthology as well as as individual works by individual authors.
The Book and Bean Cafe, which is located inside the library, will have a variety of heartier food as well as coffee, tea, and other beverages, available for purchase.
Janet Staley, owner of The Book Market in Crest Hill, will handle checkout. Everyone who buys a book, either the anthology or a book from the other tables, will receive a Book Market bookmark that features a ten percent discount on books at Staley's store through January 31, 2023.
The party is for all ages. So if your children and grandchildren have yet to visit Santa this year, bring them out.
Photos with Santa are free. Santa, known as Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara the rest of the year, will also be signing and selling his own books.
He will also most likely sign any book in which he appears as a character.
Santa will also give away free candy canes as long as he has some left to give.
Bertrand the Mouse and his Uncle Barty will also be hanging out all night, greeting guests.
Here are they are from 2021, waiting to be loaded into the car for the party.
We're all looking forward to seeing you on Thursday night!
