Writers Mike Dorrell and Joanna Straughn will read from their recent works at the Salt Lake Public Library at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday January 13th as part of the City Art Reading Series. Joanna Straughn received an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Utah. Her first chapbook, Instinctdebuts this Fall 2006 from Bright Hill Press; Treadwell, New York. She has recently completed a juried residency at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska. Originally from a small town in west Texas, she has also lived in New York and Northern California, a village in Germany, and on a farm in Oklahoma. Her poems have appeared in journals including The Kenyon Review, Quarterly West, Asheville Poetry Review, and Meridianamong others. Mike Dorrell is best known as a playwright. His most recent plays include the upcoming TALKING WALES 2 for Utah Contemporary Theatre and a short play, THE IRRIGATION MURDER, as part of The Salt Lake Acting Company's WATER PROJECT in April. Last year, he took part in Plan- B Theatre Company's SLAM, wrote and acted in TALKING WALES for Utah Contemporary Theatre, and had a reading of a comedy, ART FOR ART'S SAKE at SLAC. He is the author of over a dozen plays for stage, radio, and television including PENNY GAFFS AND ANGEL PLACES, PICTURES OF THE FLOATING WORLD, CHANGE, THE CELTIC CROSS AND BURNING THE ARC for BBC Radio, EAST OF MAIN STREET for Avon Touring Company, and RISE OF THE OLD CLOUD for Paines Plough . Born in Swansea, Wales, Mike was educated at the Universities of London and Bristol and holds an M.A. in British and American Literature from The University of Utah. Currently, Mike was the Dramaturg for The Salt Lake Acting Company where his specialty is the development of new work. He has taught at Westminster College and The University of Utah. His poetry has been published in small magazines in Wales. The event is free and open to the public. City Art is sponsored by the Utah Arts Council, the Salt Lake City Arts Council, Zoo, Arts, and Parks, and audience donations.