We just read the most irritating book in the world. It's called Jeremy Thrane, and while parts of it were fun, the main character had this extraordinarily annoying habit of, in moments of great stress, reciting poetry. Not his own but stuff by Yeats, Stevens and other dead people. We think if you're a writer and you find yourself quoting other people's work because their words express your thoughts better than you can, maybe you ought to seriously think about what that means.

If, however, you'd like to take a stab at reading your own word, jog on over to B Sharp Cafe and share. Weekly Volcano scribe Jackie Fender has, created Creative Colloquy aiming to share Tacoma's rich literary talents and foster relationships built upon mutual admiration of the written word. The inaugural Creative Colloquy at B Sharp encourages scribes to connect with like minds, whether you're ready to read or not. Short stories and novel excerpts are encouraged but Fender encourages other prose. Each performer will have up to 5 minutes to read. Opportunities are based upon those who arrive and sign up first. Featured storytellers include Joshua Swainston, Melissa Thayer, Nick Stokes, Titus Burley, William Norris Turbyfill and Dick Dorsett. All featured readers have pieces posted on creativecolloquy.com, although their readings could differ from the posted material.

Come imbibe in libations or sip on roasted bean concoctions and watch storytellers do the thing they do best - narrate their tales.

CREATIVE COLLOQUY, 7 p.m., Monday, March 24, B Sharp Café, 706 Opera Alley, Tacoma, free admission, creativecolloquy.com