Nerd Nite Austin #165: Infrastructure Construction and Poetic Deconstruction

Thursday, December 19st, 7:30pm at Barrel O’ Fun and on Twitch

Come learn with us!

“Nerd Nite’s Nasty Neighbors” by Russell Taylor

Our former and current Nerd Nite Austin venues are all stalked by the spectre of obstacles designed to deter certain nerds from crossing the road! Who asked for these impediments to free-range nerdery? Why, it’s none other than the fine folks across the way…

Russell E Taylor is a geographic information scientist with an active interest in local and global land use and transportation policy. He serves on the Austin Bicycle Advisory Council, is active in the Zero Waste Block Leader program, and maintains StatePlane.org for the geographic community..

“Knock it Down” by Kim Denning & Heidi Kasa

Have you ever seen the way a child will spend time building things only to knock them down with absolute joy? Do you ever wish you had the freedom to do the same? To deconstruct or maybe even destroy structures we can’t control? The cathartic gift of language is that you can do this, especially through poetry. We may be living in strange times, but we can heal through creativity. In this talk, Kim and Heidi will demonstrate the power of words and metaphor to undo that which we wish we could as well as how to rebuild in our hearts and minds.

“Kim’s Bio: Kim Denning is a Latina poet who practices curanderismo in the footsteps of her ancestral abuelas and likes to play the guitar very loudly. Her poetry has been published in various online and print publications and in 2023 she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her poem, Borderland Suburbia. Heidi’s Bio: Heidi Kasa is an award-winning poet and fiction writer whose work often intersects imagination and reality. She is the author of Split, the forthcoming collections The Beginners and The Bullet Takes Forever, and three sensual artist books. “

Nerd Nite happens at


the bar inside the
Alamo Drafthouse Mueller

  • Shows are the last third Thursday of every month at 7:30pm (we will go back to the final Thursday in 2025).
  • The Barrel opens at 4pm. The show is free, so arrive early to get a good seat.
  • They have a full bar including beers on tap and a great food menu.
  • There’s parking in the garage behind the Alamo Mueller along McBee street. Barrel O’ Fun will validate parking for up to 4 hours. Look for the QR codes.
  • The Barrel O’ Fun website has menus, map and more.