Ladies and gents, we’re thrilled to present the work of Andrew Tucker next Tuesday, July 14, at our Words & Music show in San Jose’s St. James Park. Andrew has been a core part of the POW community since our founding; he is the brilliant soul who designed our logo and all of our flyers. We’re really excited to perform his piece, “A Pessimistic Reading of a Journey Hit: ‘Don’t. Stop Believin.’” Also–he has fiction hot off the presses this week at the Rumpus–check it out!

Andrew lives and writes in San Jose, California, where he received his MFA in fiction and screenwriting from San Jose State University. He has served as the Managing Editor of Reed Magazine. He has been awarded the James D. Phelan award for short fiction above and below 2,000 words, as well as the Lois King Thore Short Story Scholarship.

When he isn’t writing, Andrew spends his time playing death metal, fussing over craft beer, and working as a tech writer and graphic designer.

Publications, Honors or Awards:

James D. Phelan award for short fiction (both above 2,000 words and below). Lois King Thore Short Story Scholarship. Fourth place for feature screenplay in the CSU Media Arts Festival.

Upcoming projects:

I’m always designing new nerdy t-shirts, so keep your eyes peeled for fresh designs at www.teepublic.com/user/designsbydrew.

What inspired you to participate in Play On Words?

I was introduced to Play on Words by Nicole Hughes and have been encouraged by countless others to submit my work. After seeing the shows, I knew I had to write a piece that would fit into the program!

Which writers or performers inspire you?

The list is never-ending, but lately I’ve been really inspired by Pete Holmes and his podcast You Made It Weird. I’m also inspired by writers like Sarah Rogers, Sage Curtis, Jesse Mardian, Jessy Goodman, and Jeff Heid (and I’m sorry if I neglected to list anyone); each of these people is a friend whose success in writing has pushed me to be a better writer myself.

Name a book or performance that fundamentally affected you.

I remember seeing Kevin Smith speak on several panels at San Diego Comic Con back in 2007. His wit and his ability to speak so clearly about his process and his goals really inspired me to follow in his footsteps.

Our July show is made possible through the generosity of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, in partnership with the San Jose Downtown Association.