The Short Line Reading Series is a free literary event that takes place at The Railway Club in Vancouver, British Columbia — a venue historical for showcasing local artistic talent. Hosted by Memewar Magazine, the Short Line is advertised as “a space where artists from different circles can connect, debate and collaborate” — an idea that its organizers keep in mind while constructing diverse line-ups of readers. At each event, members from various Vancouver-based literary groups read short selections of their work. Short Line events often include readings by prominent upcoming voices and well-established guest readers. The Short Line began on January 9, 2007 with a reading by Michael Turner, author of Hard Core Logo and organizer of The Reading Railroad, a regular literary event of the mid-1990s, and inspiration for the founders of the Short Line.
History
The Short Line reading series was founded in November 2006 after conversations between Vancouver writer Carmen Papalia and Vancouver poet and musician Andrew Lee. The two drew their inspiration from author Michael Turner’s Reading Railroad series—a similar event of the mid-1990s which featured readings by various, and often conflicting, literary and musical artists. Instead of presenting a mixture of starkly contrasting genres and styles as Turner did, the Short Line was designed to “connect” various prominent literary groups in Vancouver. A statement on the Memewar Magazine website reads, “In the spirit of this mixing of genres, the Short Line will include readings by artists from different Vancouver-based literary circles.”
Origin of name
The name “Short Line” refers to the “Short Line Railroad”, one of the four railroads in the popular board game Monopoly. The other railroads found on a standard Monopoly board include: B&O Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Railroad; the last being the name of Michael Turner’s popular reading series of the mid-1990s. The term “short line railroad” is used to describe an independent railroad company which runs a short distance, and often “connects” different industries. The tagline of the Short Line reading series: “A space where artists from different circles can connect, debate and collaborate” perhaps refers to this quality of “connecting”. Both “Short Line” and “Reading Railroad” also refer to “The Railway Club”, the Vancouver music venue which is famous for the miniature trains that run along its walls.
