Press Release

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OSCAR!
Wilde Roast Cafe celebrates Oscar Wilde's 150th birthday with the start of Salon Nights.

Contact: Dean Schlaak or Tom DeGree
Wilde Roast Café
518 Hennepin Ave. E.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: (612) 331-4544
E-mail: oscar@wilderoastcafé.com
Web Site: wilderoastcafé.com

MINNEAPOLIS , MN - In the tradition of classic salons of days past, The Wilde Roast Café will begin hosting evenings of rousing conversation on a variety of topics. The first Salon Night will be on Saturday, October 16 at 7pm, what would be Oscar Wilde's 150 th birthday.

"The idea of holding Salon Nights is obviously not a new one, but it is particularly important right now," said Tom DeGree, co-owner of the Wilde Roast Café. "Much of what we see today in politics and media is sound-bites and diatribe. We want to give serious topics the attention they deserve, in an environment that is respectful and comfortable, even among people who may disagree with each other."

The October 16 Salon Night will be held in conjunction with Speakeasy Magazine ( www.speakeasymagazine.org), on their current issue's topic, "Living With Fear." Readers, writers and thoughtful citizens are invited to this free gathering to share their thoughts on the nature of fear and the role it plays in public life, private life, and the creative process. Barrie Jean Borich (author of My Lesbian Husband), Claude Peck (Fine Arts Editor at the Star Tribune), Bart Schneider (editor of Speakeasy), and Brad Zellar (frequent contributor to City Pages, The Rake, and Speakeasy) will be on-hand to lead the discussion on the interplay between fear and imagination.

The event is also a fundraiser for Speakeasy's publisher, The Loft Literary Center. The Wilde Roast Café will be donating 10 % of all sales made during this Salon Night to the Loft, in honor of its 30th Anniversary. Watch for more details on October 14 on KARE 11's "Coffee with KARE," during KARE 11's Sunrise program. To learn more, please visit: www.kare11.com/mornings/kare-sunrise.aspx

Speakeasy and Wilde Roast Café will continue to collaborate on quarterly Speak Outs, as a part of Wilde Roast's regular Salon Night program.

The Wilde Roast Café serves up “cultivated leisure” seven days a week in the ever-expanding East Hennepin commercial district of Minneapolis. Featuring coffee and espresso drinks, light fare and desserts, the Wilde Roast Café is a welcoming, cozy and sophisticated gathering place. Visit the Wilde Roast Café on the web at www.wilderoastcafe.com.

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