The return of Wednesday Night Live at Caffe Aroma featuring Megan Kemple headlines this week’s events.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.: The Screening Room Series co-hosted by Kevin Koch and Ida Goeckel and featuring poet Ashley M. Hardy. Additional reading slots available. The Screening Room Cinema Café, 880 Alberta Drive, Amherst. $4.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Wednesday Night Live at Caffe Aroma featuring multidisciplinary writer, performer & teaching artist Megan Kemple.

Megan Kemple is a multidisciplinary writer, performer & teaching artist. In 2025, her latest chapbook, A Heretic Without a Home, was published by Arcana Press, and two of her short plays, Tough Love and Where There’s A Will, were produced as part of the Chain Theatre’s One Act Festivals Off-Broadway.

As a slam poet, she placed 3rd at the Rookie Slam at the National Poetry Slam 2017, & 3rd in the NUPIC Slam at NPS 2018, where her team placed in the top ten.

She has been published work in Milk Press, The Drama Therapy Review, Preposition: the Undercurrent Anthology, and other publications. Her first chapbook, American Blasphemies, was published by Ghost City Press in 2017. She has an MA from NYU Steinhardt in Drama Therapy, and a BFA in Theatre Performance from Niagara University.

Open mic hosted by Ben Brindise and Justin Karcher to follow. 957 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: TEACHERS ARE WRITERS, with poet and teaching artist Margaret Saigh.

Location: Just Buffalo Writing Center, 468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, in Buffalo. Contact info@justbuffalo.org for additional information.

In collaboration with the Western New York Network of English Teachers and the Buffalo State English Education program, Just Buffalo Literary Center offers a workshop series for school teachers and educators so they will have the opportunity to explore their own creative work, engage in ongoing conversations about process, and grow as writers. This workshop is FREE and aimed at teachers. CTLE credit is available through the Buffalo State English Education program.BPS teachers can register on PGS; non-BPS teachers register by emailing Molly Eldridge at MEldridge@buffaloschools.org.

About the Teaching Artist

Margaret Saigh is the author of the chapbooks I’ve created a thing that will never bring me pleasure (Pitymilk Press, 2025) and CROSSED IN THE DARKER LIGHT OF TERROR (dancing girl press 2022) as well as other chapbooks. She is the creator of circlet, a poetry workshop and reading series. Her writing has been published widely in print and across the web. She received an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Friday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m.: Fourth Friday Reading Series at Dog Ears Books. This month’s featured reader is poet John McKeone. Additional reading slots available. Dog Ears Bookstore and Cafe, 688 Abbott Road, 2nd floor, in Buffalo. Admission to the event is $5. Proceeds benefit the Dog Ears Bookstore, a 501 c (3) not-for-profit organization.

Saturday, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.: The Buffalo Hive Annual Members and Open Community Meeting.

Open and welcome to all members and participants in the Buffalo Music—Theater—Literature—Art—Film—Food—Comedy communities.

Those are the things we cover at the The Buffalo Hive. Let us know how we’re doing and what you want to see.

This gathering is free and open to anybody in the community, both Buffalo Hive members and nonmembers. It will offer a chance to meet the editors and some of our board members and writers. We’ll be talking about how the Buffalo Hive has been progressing as a nonprofit community organization and what some of our plans are for 2026. We’ll be looking for your input on how we can make it even better.

We’ll be meeting downstairs in the Cinema Room at Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo.

Afterward, join us as we convene a social hour/happy hour at the International House (617 Main St.) @intlhousebuffalo for more informal conversations.