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Saint Paul Almanac celebrates its first decade with a grand book release party for its new literary collection, Saint Paul Almanac: A Ten-Year Retrospective.

(Aug. 5, 2015) SAINT PAUL—The Saint Paul Almanac will celebrate its first decade of annual publications in its yearly book release party on Thursday, September 10, at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar starting at 7 p.m. The new edition, Saint Paul Almanac: A Ten-Year Retrospective, celebrates the previous nine issues of the yearly book using selected pieces that highlight the flavor of the Almanac and the flavor of Saint Paul.

“It’s not really a ‘greatest hits’ edition,” said publisher Kimberly Nightingale. “This year’s group of editors did a tremendous job reading all the previous issues of the Almanac to find pieces that really tell the Saint Paul story, the history and the emerging life of the city. We have created a strong tradition with an Almanac that is filled with the wonderful voices that make Saint Paul the town we love.”

As we do each second Thursday in September, Almanac lovers will pack the Black Dog and the adjacent AZ Gallery for the Almanac publication party. This year’s bash will feature background beats provided by one of the Twin Cities’ best DJs, Kool AKiEM. We will have readings from Almanac authors Donte Collins, Maivboon Vang, Sharon Day, Patsy Kahmann, Tim Nolan and Wendy Brown-Báez.

The Medicinal Jazz Band will provide musical entertainment at the Black Dog Cafe, and the jazz ensemble of Nathan Hanson, Davu Seru and Doan Brian Roessler will play at AZ Gallery with a backdrop of an exhibit from local artists featured in the Almanac.

The night’s emcee will be writer, playwright, teacher and performer Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay .

The event will also include a silent auction, our ever-popular Storymobile and, as always, CAKE!

“I really feel that this book truly proved the community investment in the project,” said Shaquan Foster, this edition’s editor in chief. “Everyone came together for one of our most ambitious projects yet. They have created a beautiful book.”

This 2016 edition is made up of selections from all the previous editions of the Almanac, compiled by a group of community editors* who read through hundreds of stories from each book. Unlike other editions of the Almanac, this anthology is a literary collection of stories and poems alongside a collection of Saint Paul–themed art and photographs.

“We are honored that award-winning artist Ta-coumba Aiken, who paints on both canvases and colossal walls, has created the cover art for this year’s book,” said Senior Editor Pamela Fletcher. “Over the past years, Ta-coumba’s transcendent work has appeared in the Almanac—swirling color, lines, and dots across the page and transporting us as viewers to another dimension.”

Contributors include award-winning authors, poet laureates, professional writers and neighbors who sometimes shared their stories for the first time via the Almanac.

The Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar and the AZ Gallery are at 308 East Prince Street in Lowertown. Everyone is welcome to this free event.

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*Community Editors:

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