Brain Candy is a free, live program of prose, music, poetry, and visual art curated by the Emerging Writers Network.

THIS MONTH’S CREATIVES INCLUDE:

MUSIC - George Montrelle, a Pop driven singer-songwriter from Detroit — features colors of R&B and Soul, edges of Rock, and touches of Hip-Hop. Channeling the spirit of Motown, he is guided by the tones of Stevie Wonder; along with hints of Fall Out Boy and Hiatus Kaiyote; and also favors the lyrical flow of Golden Age, “Boom-bap.” With an uplifting, honest outlook, and love for life - he weaves soulful melodies with resonant, acoustic guitar. George Montrelle is primarily a solo act that also performs with his own four-piece band.

PROSE - Denise R. Ervin is a creative writer hewn from the streets, classrooms, and boardrooms of Detroit. She has spent two decades as a teaching artist, performing poetry around the country, and leading workshops for the likes of Midnight & Indigo and University of Michigan. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Vagabond City Lit, Harbinger Asylum, Third Wednesday Magazine, and others. In addition to serving as the Literary Arts Director for Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA), she is a Graduate Fellow for The Watering Hole and a semifinalist for America’s Next Great Author. When she's not serving as a Program Manager for a local youth writing organization, Denise is working on several novel projects and her first full-length poetry manuscript, tentatively titled Palimpsest.

POETRY - Robert Laidler is an assistant professor at Wayne State and the author of a poetic libretto, The Fallen Petals of Nameless Flowers, which premiered at Chamber Music Detroit in 2022. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan's Helen Zell Writing Program. 

VISUAL ART - Mila Lynn is a multi disciplinary artist known for her work that showcases diversity and celebration. She has presented work in London, Chicago, Detroit, and more. She’s showcased in Miami’s Art Basel, as well as, Art Prize in Grand Rapids. Using art to illustrate themes that uplift, inspire, and educate her viewers are the stepping stones of all her work. You can see public murals of hers at MSU’s East Lansing campus, on the corner of Eastern and Burton in Grand Rapids, VegHead in Downtown Lansing, Civilla inside Detroit’s Techtown, and more.