Nebraska Poetry Society

Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Julia Guez (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. December 14, Julia Guez "Mapping Our Poems" In "The Archaeology of Knowledge," Michel Foucault writes, “The frontiers of a book are never clear-cut: beyond the title, the first lines, and the last full stop, beyond its internal configuration and its autonomous forms, it is caught up in a system of references to other books, other texts, other sentences: it is a node within a network.” In this generative writing class, we will begin with a word or phrase, line or lines from another book of poetry. After mapping out ideas, feelings, rhythms, syntaxes and words we associate with the line or lines we have brought in, we will start work on our own poems. (Throughout, we will engage in mini-breaks that can be incorporated into people’s everyday writing rituals in the future, to spur our creativity and collaboration as a workshop). The lines we begin with may be embedded in the poem we write, or turn out to serve as the seed, scaffold or prompt. The process of building a poem in conversation with other poets and poetry, is one that will hopefully prove to be a rewarding approach for you to take in your writing practice moving forward. JULIA GUEZ is a writer and translator based in the city of Houston. "The Certain Body" (Four Way Books, 2022) is her second collection of poetry, written while she was recovering from COVID in the spring of 2020. Guez holds degrees from Rice and Columbia.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Erica Reid (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. November 2, Erica Reid "Glorious Dailiness" As poet Mary Ruefle says, “I did not always know authors were ordinary people living ordinary lives.” What do we lose when we fail to celebrate — or worse, ignore! — the wondrous details of ordinary life? This generative workshop makes space for that celebration through conversation, example poems, and dedicated writing time with prompts to help capture the details of our own glorious dailiness. ERICA REID's debut collection "Ghost Man on Second" won the 2023 Donald Justice Poetry Prize and was published by Autumn House Press earlier this year. Erica’s poems appear in Rattle, Cherry Tree, Colorado Review, and more.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Lisa Fay Coutley (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. October 26, Lisa Fay Coutley "Infecting the Text: Letting Trauma Take its Necessary Shape" By now you've heard writers—especially poets and lyric essayists—suggest that you should let your content inform your form as often as you've heard them say show don't tell, though as it is with most things, both are easier said than done. The former requires us to write from the body while letting go—a feat not easily mastered by any writer and complicated even more by difficult content. Often what we need most is permission and imaginative examples. This workshop will provide you with both. LISA FAY COUTLEY is the author of HOST (Wisconsin Poetry Series, 2024), tether (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), Errata (Southern Illinois University, 2015), winner of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition, In the Carnival of Breathing (BLP, 2011), winner of the Black River Chapbook Competition, Small Girl: Micromemoirs (Harbor Editions, 2024), and she is the editor of In the Tempered Dark: Contemporary Poets Transcending Elegy (BLP, 2023).

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Javon Rustin (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. September 7, Javon Rustin "Bringing Home Metaphors - From Stars to Constellations" Every line of poetry is a star. In this class, we will be making constellations. We will lay out our stars into a shape that will guide readers / listeners to a deeper meaning the same way stars have guided ship captains through nights at sea. All constellations are extended metaphors. We will be going through the process of beginning and editing poems in ways that make our extended metaphors clear to audiences and easy to create. Our constellations will be made of stories and the people we hold close. JAVON RUSTIN is a poet, performer, and programmer; a writer of stories, stanzas, and software. He started competing in poetry slams after graduating from North Carolina A&T in 2013. Since then Javon has been a National Poetry Slam finalist and Regional Slam champion. He ranked 5th in the 2023 National Blackberry Peach Poetry Slam and has worked as a teaching artist for youth in D.C. and Dallas Public School Districts.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Keisha-Gaye Anderson (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. August 24, Keisha-Gaye Anderson "Crafting Identity: How to Write Like Your Authentic Self" Who are we? Who are we told we are? Who do we know ourselves to be? This workshop will explore how identity—imagined, imposed, and re-imagined—is utilized in poetics to communicate and construct objective and subjective reality. Through close examination of language, structure, form and other devices used within selected poems, workshop participants will become familiar with approaches to this craft that focus on powerfully probing and defining identity, in ways that empower them and accurately reflect the themes or experiences they are exploring in their writing. To that end, a series of writing prompts will be used so that participants may generate poems from different perspectives in order to move closer to the expression of their essential/hidden selves in their writing. We will also tackle basic elements of poetry and discuss workshop poems using select poetic forms. KEISHA-GAYE ANDERSON is a Jamaican-born poet, writer, and visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her poetry books include: Gathering the Waters (Jamii Publishing 2014) Everything Is Necessary (Willow Books 2019) and A Spell for Living (Agape 2020), which received the Editors’ Choice recognition for the Numinous Orisons, Luminous Origin Literary Award.  

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Matt Mason (Read More)

Matt Mason State Poet Photo
The Nebraska Poetry Society is offering monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops. Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership. July 20 - Matt Mason It's Time for the Lightening Round! Poetry is always about concision, about writing something small and quick with no excess of words or lines or ideas or lines like this way-too-long sentence. Let's see what we can do with shorter poems, fitting ideas into smaller spaces like snapshots or meditations. MATT MASON is the Nebraska State Poet and was Executive Director of the Nebraska Writers Collective from 2009-2022. Through the US State Department, he has run workshops in Botswana, Romania, Nepal, and Belarus.

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Michael Broder: Working with Story, Structure, Music & Imagination (Read More)

In an influential 1988 essay, poet Gregory Orr identifies story, structure, music, and imagination as the four temperaments that define poets and their poetry. What is your poetic temperament? In this class, we will explore Orr’s model, delving into his ideas about the interaction of finite temperaments (story, structure) and infinite temperaments (music, imagination). Reading poems by Julia Alvarez, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, Frank O’Hara, Dorothy Parker, James Wright, and others, we will observe how the four temperaments allow poets, in the words of Orr, “to forge language into the convincing unities we call poems.” This class is suitable for writers and readers alike. Poets will gain new insight into their own poetic temperament and how they can refine it to achieve their creative objectives. Readers will deepen their engagement with poetry by acquiring a new interpretive framework. A segment devoted to generative writing will allow writers and non-writers alike to explore their poetic temperament. ​Michael Broder is the author of "Drug and Disease Free" (Indolent Books, 2016) and "This Life Now" (A Midsummer Night’s Press, 2014), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His work has been published in Columbia Poetry Review, The American Poetry Review, The New York Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and numerous others. He holds a BA from Columbia University, an MFA from New York University, and a PhD in classics from The Graduate Center, CUNY. ​Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Kelsey Bigelow: Bridging the Page & Stage Gap (Read More)

Too often, poets segment our genre into "traditional page poetry" and "modern spoken word poetry," believing we are one or the other. This creates a divide and only grows the disconnect between page and stage poets. Join Kelsey Bigelow, a poet living in the spectrum between both styles, as she guides us through how to bridge this gap and learn how each style informs the other. Kelsey Bigelow is a spoken word and page poet based in Des Moines. In her work, she molds incredibly specific emotions into something human, digestible, and cathartic. She released her chapbook, "Sprig of Lilac," in 2018 and released her spoken word album, Depression Holders and Secret Keepers, in 2021. Her work is published in or forthcoming with Central Avenue Publishing, Pile Press, Lyrical Iowa, Backchannels Journal, Spirit Lake Review, and elsewhere, and she is a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee. She's the founder and leader of the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, the chair for the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, the co-tournament director for the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, and more. Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Eleanor Reeds: Using “You” in Poems (Read More)

Eleanor Reeds headshot
Poems often address those who cannot be reached. We appeal to the west wind or reproach an absent lover, knowing it is impossible for them to hear us and yet trusting in the power of poetic language to communicate. In this session, we will explore poems that can be read by everyone except the "you" to whom they are addressed. We will then experiment with using techniques such as invocation and apostrophe in our own poems. Eleanor Reeds (she/her) is a poet, essayist, critic, and educator from the United Kingdom who has served as the Associate Editor for Plainsongs for the past five years. Her work has appeared in aurora journal and Long River Review. She received a PhD in English from the University of Connecticut and currently teaches at Hastings College. Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey: Using Spoken Word Techniques (Read More)

When a poet steps to the microphone, truth on the tip of their tongue and vulnerability in their voice, you listen. But what writing techniques does a performance poet use to hook their audience? From the syntax of the first line, to the structure of the whole poem, spoken word artists have found multiple ways to keep the audience’s attention. You may be a master at creating images, a poet that can capture passion and pain, even a talented storyteller, but if you cannot hook your audience they won’t stick around long enough for you to prove it. This workshop, designed for novice and experienced poets, will focus on the hook by examining the spoken word artists that have found a way—in just a minute—to capture the attention of millions of viewers online. The artists include names such as Neil Hilborn, Javon Johnson, Sabrina Benaim, Blythe Bard, and many others. ​Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. His debut book, "Look, Black Boy," was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize, and his second book, "Heart Notes" was published in 2019. He released two spoken word albums, a studio version of Look, Black Boy, and a performance album titled, Heart Notes Live! For three years in a row he was named Best Poet/Spoken Word Performer in Cedar Rapids & Iowa City. He is the winner of several slams across the United States, has shared the stage with spoken word titans such as Siaara Freeman, Javon Johnson, Ebony Stewart, Anthony McPherson, and Patricia Smith. Videos of his performances can be found on his YouTube channel, Write About Now, and Button Poetry. When he is not writing and performing he is actively curating a community of spoken word poets in Iowa City through his high school program, IC Speaks, and producing events like the Mic Check Poetry Fest. Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series 2024 (Read More)

The free monthly Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet’s event and additional details about each poet are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society’s website. February 6, AA Monet AA Monet is a poet, author, book publisher, editor, and space creator for emotions to freely and safely exist. AA Monet’s poetry book, Lost And Found, can be found in local stores in the Omaha area. March 5, Barbar Schmitz Barbar Schmitz taught writing and literature at Northeast College for 30 years; two of her books have won the Poetry Award from the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she received an Individual Artist Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. April 2, Katie Schmid Katie Schmid is a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in creative writing for 2023 and an Assistant Professor of English at Ursinus College in PA with a debut book entitled "Nowhere." May 7, J.V. Brummels J.V. Brummels is a poet, novelist, short-story writer, editor, and rancher. His collection "Book of Grass" was awarded the 2008 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. June 4, Veronica Torraca-Bragdon Veronica Torraca-Bragdon is a poet, singer/songwriter, and special educator, with a degree in K-12 Vocal/Instrumental Education and a masters in Special Education from UNO whose poems have been set to music. July 2, Bonnie Johnson-Bartee Bonnie Johnson-Bartee teaches creative writing and literature at Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and her latest book, "Cord Blood" won a 2023 Nebraska Book Award. August 6, Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Wilkinson has published two poetry collections: "Unto the Breach" and "Half Agony, Half Hope." September 3, Twyla Hansen Twyla Hansen is a HN Speaker’s Bureau member and the first female Nebraska State Poet from 2013 to 2018. October 1, Jon Volkmer Jon Volkmer is a professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ursinus College in PA who has published several books and a poetry collection. November 5, Kassandra Monta Kassandra Monta holds a master’s degree in English Literature and won an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Nebraska Arts Council. December 3, Julie S Paschold Julie S Paschold has published “Horizons” - a poetry collection honoring soil - and two of their chapbooks won honorable mention in Writer's Digest contest.  

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Tyler Michael Jacobs, A Nature Poem is an Elegy (Read More)

To write a nature a poem is to grieve nature. We already have poems that capture the beauty of nature and how it once was. The importance of capturing nature today is to see it as it is and how it might one day be. Naturally, we must move away from the traditional pastoral that romanticizes nature to some perversion of it as only we can experience, feel, and understand. In this workshop, we will explore the contemporary pastoral from contemporary writers to see how the past and the present blend so well that it captures, possibly, a bleakness moving forward into some stark future only we can imagine. At the end of the workshop, we will meditate on our own relationship with nature as we’ve moved through time. We will sit and write from an imagined future that pulls from our current experiences. Then, we’ll share our work. We’ll end the workshop with some time for questions. TYLER MICHAEL JACOBS is the author of "Building Brownville" (Stephen F. Austin State University Press, 2022). His words have appeared in Variant Literature, Plainsongs, Pidgeonholes, Sierra Nevada Review, Thin Air Magazine, White Wall Review, Funicular Magazine, and elsewhere. His poems have also been featured on Nebraska Public Media’s Friday LIVE! He is a second-year poetry MFA candidate at Bowling Green State University where he serves as an assistant editor and Blog Co-Editor for Mid-American Review. Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Ramya Ramana, Grace and Wonder (Read More)

Whether it is the arduous nature of looking, or the radical possibility of silence, wonder is always following us. At one moment, what appears as the vast sky, or a simple cup of coffee, on a second look becomes a miracle—a container of some wondrous secret. In this class, we'll explore poems that contain and investigate wonder. We’ll exit realism and delve into prompts that search out childlikeness, examine and define what wonder means to us and wander through the maze of gentle introspection. We will investigate what it means to write without metaphor and write with metaphor. We’ll visit the texts of the ancient Persian poets, and maybe poems by Mary Oliver, Ada Limon, Marie Howe, Wendell Berry and more. We'll consider different forms of short and long poems and find the structures that resonate with us. RAMYA RAMANA is an award-winning American author, poet, lyricist and writer. She was born, raised and currently resides in New York. Ramana won the NY Knicks Poetry Slam, which awarded her a full tuition scholarship to St. John’s University. Soon after, she became the Youth Poet Laureate of NYC. She has since performed at events such as the US Open, Tribeca Film Festival, TV One’s “Verses and Flow,” Pharrell’s Adidas Campaign, SONY TV’s Asian Women in the Arts Awards, the Immigrant Gala, Apollo Theatre Slam Finals, Celebrate Bklyn!, the Source Magazine Festival and many more. Her work can be found on the Poetry Foundation and Academy of American Poets websites and in Seventh Wave and the Southampton Review. Ramana published her first collection of poems through Penmanship Books, which was released at Lincoln Center. In addition to performing and writing, Ramana has also worked as an educator and mentor for young poets and young women. She recently received her MFA in creative writing from the New School. Ramana is currently working as a librettist for an operetta film. Her hope is to remain a student of wonder and to explain truth sincerely through her work and her life. Registration is required via the Nebraska Poetry Society website. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Poetry Workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer monthly Saturday morning online poetry workshops occurring on June 10, July 15, August 26, September 23, October 21. November 4, and December 2. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. Afterwards participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: June 10, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet "I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You" July 15, Adrienne Christian "Writing the Elegant Sex Poem" August 26, Meghan Sterling "Submerged in the Sublime" September 23, Matt Mason "Let's Just Write a Sestina" October 21, Kathryn Winograd "Discovering the Kintsugi" November 4, Kelly Weber "Tongues in a Greening Field" December 2, Freesia McKee "Tethering Poems to Place" Registration is required, and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Poetry Society webpage. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poets Virtual Reading Series (Read More)

The Nebraska Poets Reading Series highlights the talent of Nebraska poets and invites discussion with audience members. All events are free online, but registration is required to receive an event link. Registration links for each poet's event are available on the Nebraska Poetry Society's website. February 7 Amy Haddad Amy Haddad is a poet, nurse and educator who taught in the health sciences at Creighton University where she is now a Professor Emerita. Her poetry and short stories have been published in several periodicals including the American Journal of Nursing, Janus Head, Journal of Medical Humanities, Touch, Bellevue Literary Review, Pulse, Persimmon Tree, Annals of Internal Medicine, Aji Magazine, DASH, and Oberon Poetry Magazine. Her first chapbook, “The Geography of Kitchens” was published by Finishing Line Press in August, 2021. Her first poetry collection, “An Otherwise Healthy Woman,” was published by Backwaters Press, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press in March,  2022. It presents the intimate experiences of a nurse, the vulnerable perspective of a patient, and the lessons of caring for family. March 7 Marjorie Saiser Marjorie Saiser's eighth book, The Track the Whales Make: New & Selected Poems, is published by University of Nebraska Press in Ted Kooser’s series of Contemporary Poets and won the High Plains Book Award. Saiser’s Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award in 2014. She has received four Nebraska Book Awards and is co-editor of Times of Sorrow/Times of Grace, a collection of writing by women of the Great Plains, and also co-editor of Road Trip, interviews with a dozen Nebraska writers. Saiser’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, Alaska Poetry Review, Nimrod, Midwest Quarterly, and American Life in Poetry. Ted Kooser said of Saiser’s work that “no poet in this country is better at writing about love, and . . . all her poems are in some way about love.” April 4 Shyla Shehan Shyla Shehan is an analytical Virgo from the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska where she was awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work has appeared in over 25 journals and anthologies, including The Decadent Review, Heartwood Literary, Gyroscope Review, Plainsongs, and elsewhere and her debut poetry collection, Unsuspecting Cinderella, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. It tracks a female persona through the losses of love and the strangeness of life when one moves through it alone. The second section follows that same persona into a world of new love and the oddly haunting burden of unexpected affluence. Throughout, the poems are rich with vibrant language, surprising reversals, and insights into the difficulties of surviving emotionally in our stressful culture. The collection is both entertaining and moving, not to mention philosophically engaging. Shyla lives in Omaha with her husband, children, and four cats and currently splits her time between managing a healthy household and running a nonprofit literary journal, The Good Life Review. Her full bio and an account…

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Katie Ford, Creative Varieties 5 Poems Finding Their Way (Read More)

How do poets find entry points to their poems? Is it via the image, a poetic form, an idea, an emotion, or something less easily named? In this short class, Ford offers her sense of how vastly different creative practices can be engaged to enlarge one’s poetic vision and articulation. The mind of haiku is not the mind of free verse, for instance, yet both minds can be beautifully activated through study and practice. We’ll traverse international terrain to discuss poems that Ford hopes will inspire you. Reading poetry connects you to an art where you can find yourself on the page. As we discuss how you are drawn to certain types of poetry, you will begin to see why some speak to you and others do not. KATIE FORD is the author of four books of poems, Deposition, Colosseum, Blood Lyrics, and If You Have to Go, all published by Graywolf Press. Blood Lyrics was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and the Rilke Prize. Colosseum was named among the “Best Books of 2008” by Publishers Weekly and the Virginia Quarterly Review. She completed graduate work in world religions, theology, and poetry at Harvard University and received her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has taught poetry and creative writing for over 20 years around the country. She is currently a Professor of Creative Writing and lives in South Pasadena with her daughter. Registration is required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Jen Harris, Defying the Internal Censor (Read More)

Modeled after The Writing Workshop KC, founded by Poet Jen Harris, Defying the Internal Censor will involve prompt-based writing and sharing of these “sh*tty first drafts.” In doing so, we will discuss what an internal censor is, why we have it, and how we might turn it off. For the novice and professional alike, this writing workshop is about making time for your creative practice, building confidence in your inherent creative talents, expanding your experience, building a supportive and authentic community, and, of course, defying the internal censor. By attending you can expect: - A vulnerability and authenticity triathlon - This is not a critique workshop - Positive feedback only. Take a chance. All will be revealed upon attendance. JEN HARRIS is a sought-after performance artist and co-host of Confessing Animals Podcast, interviewing seasoned and fresh-faced artists of every genre to discuss how to make creativity work within the complexities and challenges of adult life. She is the founder and host of The Writing Workshop KC, whose mission is to nurture creative curiosity and inspire confidence within prompt-based writing workshops. Jen is particularly passionate about reaching queer people and those struggling to thrive within the multitude of oppressive systems. From dive bars to performance halls worldwide, reaching audiences in the thousands from ages 10-80, Jen cultivates passion and emboldens the aspirational through her work. She is inspired to eradicate the toxic mythology of the hapless creative, offering her students the opportunity to create, develop, edit and perform their work before engaged, paying audiences, all the while seeking validity in the process and not the outcome. Jen challenges her students to defy the internal censor, revive or discover the joy of creating and offer themselves the gift of fulfillment through art. Featured on NPR, TEDx, Button Poetry & Write About Now Poetry & Queer Eye, KC’s Best Poet 2021, Advocate Magazine’s Champions of Pride award 2021, Harris is the author of 3 books of poetry and the recipient of numerous accolades. Registration is required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Toby Altman, Writing the Image (Read More)

The image is typically treated as one tool among many in the poet’s toolbox. You use an image, to make a point, or to ornament an idea. But images are really the building blocks of poetry—not an ornament, but the structure itself. In this class, we’ll study the work of Jenny Xie, a poet who shows how powerful images can be, when they stand on their own, asking us to find connections between them; or, alternately, to pause on each image, savoring its particular pungency. We will explore how we see ourselves in the images, and how the art of poetry connects people through the images it creates. We’ll talk about practical strategies for putting the image at the center of our own writing. What kind of poem emerges when your images are allowed to assemble into unpredictable, unexpected constellations when your images are magnetized by each other? What new connections are found between yourself and the world around you? TOBY ALTMAN is the author of two books, Discipline Park (Wendy’s Subway, 2022) and Arcadia, Indiana (Plays Inverse, 2017). He recently received a 2021 Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has held residencies from the Vermont Studio Center, the Millay Colony for the Arts, and MacDowell, where he was the 2020 Stephanie and Robert Olmstead Fellow. His poems can be found in Gulf Coast, jubilat, Lana Turner, and other journals and anthologies; his articles and essays can or will be found in Contemporary Literature, English Literary History, and Jacket2. He holds an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University. He is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Beloit College. Registration is required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society: Radha Marcum, The Poetic Line From Breath to Perception (Read More)

How do lineation choices help poets achieve potent effects? Using the work of Joy Harjo, Jericho Brown, Lorine Niedecker, W.S. Merwin, Ruth Stone, and others, as an example, we will explore how poets use the poetic line to add layers of meaning to their work. The poet’s lineation choices build tension and emotion. As we uncover how the poet used the tools of lineation, we will uncover the meaning of their work. In this workshop, we’ll attune ourselves to possibilities in lineation to build emotional resonance, enhance meaning, and delight readers. We will discover how poetry connects to the reader using the visual lines on the page. There is a direct correlation between lineation and the author's humanity (individual and cultural). Lineation choices have roots in traditional forms, and these forms' effects are still present in contemporary poetry. Poems with very short lines echo song traditions—the lyric impulse. Short-lined poems may be meditative or, at times, express disruption. Longer lines have roots in epic traditions in which the poetic line carries the story. Contemporary poets echo traditional forms while also breaking from them in their poems' lineation. For example, Joy Harjo's long lines combine jazz rhythms with speech patterns from her indigenous culture. Lorine Neidecker's short lines, on the other hand, express an intense focus on the natural world—a focus that may have been augmented by her difficult life circumstances. In both cases, lineation supports the expression of the writer’s unique voice and lived experiences. RADHA MARCUM's work is rooted in ecological, social, and personal landscapes of the American West. Her poetry collection, Bloodline, received the 2018 New Mexico Book Award in Poetry, and her poems appear widely in journals, including Pleiades, Gulf Coast, FIELD, West Branch, Bennington Review, and Poetry Northwest, among others. Radha lives in Colorado where she writes the "Poet to Poet" newsletter (poettopoet.substack.com) and teaches at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop Registration is required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Nebraska Poetry Society Workshop: Ryan Boyland, Make-Believe in the Modern Age (Read More)

Have you ever thought about what it was like to live as a brick? Or Sweeney Todd? Or maybe even Superman? From the Academy of American Poets, persona poems are poems in which the poet speaks through an assumed voice, creating a distance between the writer and speaker that can result in finding new truths previously left unconsidered. In this Nebraska Poetry Society workshop, we will be using the persona poem to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas through the voice of a character of the author's choosing. In a phrase, telling our own stories through a perspective other than our own--finding our voice in another's mouth. RYAN BOYLAND is a writer, wanderer, medical student, and amateur astronomer currently based out of Omaha, Nebraska, where his love for both science and poetry motivates him to combine the two at every opportunity. His work addresses issues of identity, love, and death. And stars. Because they’re cool. His goal through his performance is to touch minds and hearts around the world and considers it a victory every time he can do so. Ryan and his work have been featured on Button Poetry, Poets and Writers, Nebraska Public Media, through Larksong Writers’ Place, in Omaha Magazine, The Cookout Literary Journal, and can be found on SoundCloud, Facebook, and YouTube. When not writing, Ryan enjoys listening to music, stargazing, and being Black, mixed in with the occasional intense discussion regarding the validity of the Star Wars prequels. Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Fall/winter virtual poetry workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on August 20, September 10, October 1, November 12, and December 3. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. After participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: Aug. 20, Gauri Awasthi “Ecopoetics and The Poet" Sept. 10, Rosebud Ben-Oni “Elegy as Epiphany: How Grief Leads to Illumination” Oct. 1, Torrin A Greathouse “Writing the Unreliable Speaker” Nov. 12, Kathryn Winograd “Chapbook Explorations into Culture, Gender & Identity” Dec. 3, Becca Klaver “Strange & Sublime Similes” Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Fall/winter virtual poetry workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on August 20, September 10, October 1, November 12, and December 3. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. After participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: Aug. 20, Gauri Awasthi “Ecopoetics and The Poet" Sept. 10, Rosebud Ben-Oni “Elegy as Epiphany: How Grief Leads to Illumination” Oct. 1, Torrin A Greathouse “Writing the Unreliable Speaker” Nov. 12, Kathryn Winograd “Chapbook Explorations into Culture, Gender & Identity” Dec. 3, Becca Klaver “Strange & Sublime Similes” Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Fall/winter virtual poetry workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on August 20, September 10, October 1, November 12, and December 3. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. After participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: Aug. 20, Gauri Awasthi “Ecopoetics and The Poet" Sept. 10, Rosebud Ben-Oni “Elegy as Epiphany: How Grief Leads to Illumination” Oct. 1, Torrin A Greathouse “Writing the Unreliable Speaker” Nov. 12, Kathryn Winograd “Chapbook Explorations into Culture, Gender & Identity” Dec. 3, Becca Klaver “Strange & Sublime Similes” Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Fall/winter virtual poetry workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on August 20, September 10, October 1, November 12, and December 3. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. After participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: Aug. 20, Gauri Awasthi “Ecopoetics and The Poet" Sept. 10, Rosebud Ben-Oni “Elegy as Epiphany: How Grief Leads to Illumination” Oct. 1, Torrin A Greathouse “Writing the Unreliable Speaker” Nov. 12, Kathryn Winograd “Chapbook Explorations into Culture, Gender & Identity” Dec. 3, Becca Klaver “Strange & Sublime Similes” Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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Fall/winter virtual poetry workshops (Read More)

The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on August 20, September 10, October 1, November 12, and December 3. Each workshop will begin with a 60 minute presentation by the featured speaker. After participants will have 30 minutes to practice what they learned and share with the group. Featured speakers include: Aug. 20, Gauri Awasthi “Ecopoetics and The Poet" Sept. 10, Rosebud Ben-Oni “Elegy as Epiphany: How Grief Leads to Illumination” Oct. 1, Torrin A Greathouse “Writing the Unreliable Speaker” Nov. 12, Kathryn Winograd “Chapbook Explorations into Culture, Gender & Identity” Dec. 3, Becca Klaver “Strange & Sublime Similes” Registration required. Free with annual membership; nominal fee for non-members. Students, minors and others for whom the registration fee is prohibitive may request a free membership.

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