Kalamazoo novelist Bonnie Jo Campbell reads in Hamtramck tonight

For more than a few years now, local writer Steve Hughes has been putting together a reading series called the Good-Tyme Writers Buffet. It's a novel idea: A bunch of writers get together, read for 15 minutes each at most, and each brings a dish to share. It's a neat gimmick that lessens the intimidation factor of a literary event. You can come, have a handful of bacon, listen for as long as you like, and move on.

The event has built steam over the years, and with a little financial help, Hughes is now even able to bring in authors not from the Detroit area. At tonight's Good-Tyme Writers Buffet, the guest is Bonnie Jo Campbell, an unpretentious sort of writer who grew up on a farm and whose novels have received honors far and wide. 

Also the event has an unusual theme: cowboys. Let's see how the roster of local writers and poets Hughes picked (which, full disclosure, includes some guy named Michael Jackman) manage to read about THAT!

The event takes place 7-10 p.m. at 3309 Caniff, Hamtramck.