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.
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 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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Visiting Writer Series: Tony McPherson (Read More)
The Nebraska Writers Collective is thrilled to present Tony McPherson, a resident poet at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, for a writing workshop, a poetry reading and performance, and a special appearance at the Lincoln Poetry Slam. Tony McPherson is a former NYC subway breakdancer whose poetry appears in the Lionsgate film “Love Beats Rhymes,” produced by RZA of Wu-Tang, as well as the Emmy-winning documentary “Frameworks.” McPherson is the Rustbelt Slam champion, the Inkslam champion twice over, the Individual World Poetry Slam 1st runner up, and has reached over 10 million views since his first viral poem, “All Lives Matter: 1800’s Edition.” Workshop Sat., Nov. 4, 2-3:30 pm Bennett Martin Public Library, 136 South 14th Street, Lincoln Suggested donation: $10 Tony McPherson will guide participants through the art of generative writing. In this hands-on workshop, you'll delve into the creative process of coming up with new ideas, exploring your unique voice, and crafting compelling written pieces. All ages from high school and above are welcome to be part of this enriching experience. Whether you're an aspiring author, a seasoned poet, or just someone who loves putting thoughts to paper, you'll find inspiration and community here. Poetry Reading & Performance Sat., Nov. 4, 7-8:30 pm Swanson Auditorium in UNL Union, 1400 R Street, Lincoln Suggested donation: $10 Tony McPherson is featured for an evening of readings and performances. Bianca Swift, Shelby Martinez, and Syble Heffernan will also perform, and Stacey Waite will serve as host. Following the main event, poets of all ages are invited to participate in an open mic, whether a seasoned performer or stepping onto the stage for the first time. Each reader will have up to 5 minutes at the mic, depending on the number of participants. Lincoln Poetry Slam Thurs., Nov. 9, 7-9 pm Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N. Cotner Boulevard, Lincoln The Nebraska Writers Collective proudly presents the Lincoln Poetry Slam, a monthly open mic and poetry slam, held on the second Thursday of every month at Larksong Writers Place. This month’s event will include a feature set from Tony McPherson! Doors open at 6:30 p.m., event begins at 7 p.m. with an open mic, and then the competitive individual slam. For the open mic, you can perform either your work or the work of others with attribution. Open mic readers have up to five minutes to perform. If you plan to compete in the slam, bring three poems. Slam performers will have up to three minutes in each round to perform, and will be judged by five audience members on a scale from 0.0-10.0. Top performing poets will move onto the second and third rounds. All poems must be performed solo without props, costumes, musical accompaniment, and must consist entirely of the poet’s original words and work.
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“The Stories We Share” Poetry Workshops (Read More)
Behind every social injustice story lies the possibility for change. In an era of media over-saturation, divisiveness, and declining humaneness, a well-told story has the power to inspire and induce action. But how do we write such testimonies? How do we activate a jaded public? Free poetry workshops at the Samuel Bak Museum and Learning Center will help to address these questions. After a tour of the Museum’s current exhibition Flight & Hope, participants will discuss the themes presented and explore how they would present their own experiences of trauma, displacement, hope, and/or survival. Registration for these workshops is required, and spots are limited. For more information, and to register, visit https://events.unomaha.edu/event/stores_we_share Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m. Dr. Todd Robinson will focus on elegy and survival. Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m. Ms. Sharmila Seyyid will focus on writing and reading for recovery. The poetry workshop session on Nov. 30 with Dr. Lisa Fay Coutley will focus on trauma and healing in the context of domestic violence and is by invitation only through the WCA and UNO Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. If you have any questions or would like to sign up for the event, please contact SBMLC at [email protected]. . November 30 at 5:30 PM (limited to 20 participants).
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“The Stories We Share” Poetry Workshops (Read More)
Behind every social injustice story lies the possibility for change. In an era of media over-saturation, divisiveness, and declining humaneness, a well-told story has the power to inspire and induce action. But how do we write such testimonies? How do we activate a jaded public? Free poetry workshops at the Samuel Bak Museum and Learning Center will help to address these questions. After a tour of the Museum’s current exhibition Flight & Hope, participants will discuss the themes presented and explore how they would present their own experiences of trauma, displacement, hope, and/or survival. Registration for these workshops is required, and spots are limited. For more information, and to register, visit https://events.unomaha.edu/event/stores_we_share Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m. Dr. Todd Robinson will focus on elegy and survival. Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m. Ms. Sharmila Seyyid will focus on writing and reading for recovery. The poetry workshop session on Nov. 30 with Dr. Lisa Fay Coutley will focus on trauma and healing in the context of domestic violence and is by invitation only through the WCA and UNO Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. If you have any questions or would like to sign up for the event, please contact SBMLC at [email protected]. . November 30 at 5:30 PM (limited to 20 participants).
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Writing Workshop with U.S. Youth Poet Laureate (Read More)
National Youth Poet Laureate Salome Agbaroji will teach a free, all-ages writing workshop at the Carter Lake Public Library near the Omaha airport. All are welcome! Registration is required. See the Nebraska Writers Collective website for details and a registration link. Salome Agbaroji is the National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States 2023-2024, making her the first African with this title. She is a Nigerian-American poet that has written and/or performed spoken word poetry for the Golden Globes Pre-Show, NFL Rams Halftime Show, an Opening Act on Rupi Kaur's World Tour, the likes of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors, Mrs. Tina Lawson, and many more. This year, she will be an ambassador for Vans’ global brand campaign. Salome was a YoungArts winner in Spoken Word and has been honored by the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards, among many others. She has been published in NPR's KCRW, Noema Magazine, the Harvard Technology Review, and more. Entering Harvard University studying Government and Political Science this fall, her focuses outside of poetry are civic engagement and advocacy about issues such as racism towards minority communities, immigrant stories, injustices in the international community, and more.
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Art & Literary Festival: Poetry Workshop with Matt Mason (Read More)
Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason will lead you in exercises to write a poem, even if you've never written one before. Conversation will include what makes poetry meaningful in today's world, and participants will get some words down and have fun doing it. At the end of the workshop, attendees are welcome to share their work with the group. This is a workshop best suited for ages 12+. Free registration is required, and space is limited. Matt Mason is the Nebraska State Poet and, through the US State Department, has run poetry programs in Botswana, Romania, Nepal and Belarus. Mason is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Nebraska Arts Council. His work can be found in The New York Times, on NPR’s Morning Edition, in American Life in Poetry and more. Mason’s 4th book, At the Corner of Fantasy and Main: Disneyland, Midlife and Churros, was released by The Old Mill Press in 2022. This event is part of the 14th annual Art & Literary Festival presented by The Castle & Cathedral District and Metropolitan Community College. This year the festival honors Hemingway & the Lost Generation, presenting dramatic excerpts from works by Earnest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Viginia Woolf, and Gertrude Stein. For the first time ever, the Art & Literary Festival is being presented district-wide across the newly-formed Castle & Cathedral District! The festival includes a robust itinerary of poetry workshops, lectures, readings, and of course, a full theatrical presentation throughout the Joslyn Castle. Many of these opportunities are presented free to the community. For full festival information, and to register for or buy tickets to specific events, visit the festival website at https://joslyncastle.com/events/special-events/art-and-literary-festival-2023.html.
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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.
Prairie Art Brothers and the Kearney Public Library present a writers' workshop with poets Lucy Adkins, Amy Plettner, & Marge Saiser as part of the "How the Light Gets In" poetry month celebration. Registration is required, and the workshop fee is $15. Lucy Adkins grew up in rural Nebraska and attended country schools and the University of Nebraska before earning a BA from Auburn University. She is the author of "One Life Shining: Addie Finch," "Farmwife," and a non-fiction book "Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer’s Block," co-written with Becky Breed. Her poetry has been published in various journals, magazines, and several anthologies. Amy Plettner holds an MFA from the University of Nebraska. She lives and works on a tall grass prairie in southeast Nebraska where she's learned to wrangle snakes, wasps, and small mammals. Her first book was "Undoing Orion’s Belt," her poems have been anthologized, and her latest book is "Points of Entry." Marjorie Saiser is the author of eight books of poetry and co-editor of two anthologies. Her work has been published in "American Life in Poetry," "PoetryMagazine.com," and other journals. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at UNL and has received the WILLA Award and the High Plains Book Award.
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Writing Workshop with Yesenia Montilla (Read More)
This workshop with Yesenia Montilla, recommended for ages 16+, is part of the Touring Artist Series of the All Writes Reserved Youth Poetry Festival. The event is free, but registration is required. HONING THE MUSE How to find inspiration through the concept of modern day muse. Yesenia Montilla is an Afro-Latina poet & a daughter of immigrants. She received her MFA from Drew University in Poetry & Poetry in translation. She is a CantoMundo graduate fellow and a 2020 NYFA fellow. Her work has been published in Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day, Prairie Schooner, Gulf Coast and in Best of American Poetry 2021 and 2022. Her first collection The Pink Box is published by Willow Books & was longlisted for a PEN Open Book award. Her second collection Muse Found in a Colonized Body published by Four Way Books was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2023. She lives in Harlem, NY.
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Creative Writing Workshop with Kush Thompson (Read More)
This workshop with Kush Thompson, recommended for ages 16+, is part of the Touring Artist Series of the All Writes Reserved Youth Poetry Festival. The event is free, but registration is required. Cloud in a Bed, Moon in a Cage: How to Reverse-Engineer a Metaphor from Surrealist Imagery In this workshop, we’ll chisel a rabbit hole into the world within metaphor to discover what transforms when imagery unravels. Inspired by the surrealism of Mahmoud Darwish, Remedios Varo, and Ed, Edd n Eddy, this almost-ekphrastic workshop borrows alchemical imagery, takes it apart, and turns the abstract literal. Author of A Church Beneath the Bulldozer (2014) and creator of the pink-haired Blk Hottie portraiture series, Kush Thompson is a Chicago-born poet, painter, archivist, educator, and a fellow of Luminarts and Cave Canem. She creates archival art; centering often on girlhood and the mechanics of memory. Her work has appeared in Poetry Magazine and The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (2015). Kush herself can be found in the VHS bin at any given thrift store somewhere in New Orleans.
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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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Creative Writing Workshop with Tim “Toaster” Henderson (Read More)
Toaster is the co-creator of Big Kid Slam, a poetry slam invested in centering marginalized voices and terrible prizes. He has competed at every level of poetry slam, most recently competing as an Individual World Poetry Slam finalist. Toaster has featured in poetry events all over America, Vancouver and most recently Germany. His work can be found on Button Poetry, All Def Digital, Sofar Sounds and National Public Radio. If you’d like to learn more about Toaster, ask his mom - she put a scrapbook together. Toaster's workshop is part of the Touring Artist Series of the All Writes Reserved Youth Poetry Festival. Registration is required.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on March 12, April 9, May 14, June 18 and July 9. 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: March 12 -- Dr. Raina Leon: "Back In the Day": The Element(ary) of the Body April 9 -- Dr. Maria Nazos: Sorry, Not Sorry: Curses, Confessions, & Apologies for Things You're Secretly Glad You Did May 14 -- Matt Mason: Metaphor & Simile are Like, Ummm, the Batteries that Make a Poem (or any description) Run June 18 -- Kim Noriega: The Well Turned Poem July 9 -- Holly Lyn Walrath: Journaling for Poets 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.
The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on March 12, April 9, May 14, June 18 and July 9. 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: March 12 -- Dr. Raina Leon: "Back In the Day": The Element(ary) of the Body April 9 -- Dr. Maria Nazos: Sorry, Not Sorry: Curses, Confessions, & Apologies for Things You're Secretly Glad You Did May 14 -- Matt Mason: Metaphor & Simile are Like, Ummm, the Batteries that Make a Poem (or any description) Run June 18 -- Kim Noriega: The Well Turned Poem July 9 -- Holly Lyn Walrath: Journaling for Poets 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.
The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on March 12, April 9, May 14, June 18 and July 9. 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: March 12 -- Dr. Raina Leon: "Back In the Day": The Element(ary) of the Body April 9 -- Dr. Maria Nazos: Sorry, Not Sorry: Curses, Confessions, & Apologies for Things You're Secretly Glad You Did May 14 -- Matt Mason: Metaphor & Simile are Like, Ummm, the Batteries that Make a Poem (or any description) Run June 18 -- Kim Noriega: The Well Turned Poem July 9 -- Holly Lyn Walrath: Journaling for Poets 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.
The Nebraska Poetry Society will offer five monthly online poetry workshops occurring on March 12, April 9, May 14, June 18 and July 9. 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: March 12 -- Dr. Raina Leon: "Back In the Day": The Element(ary) of the Body April 9 -- Dr. Maria Nazos: Sorry, Not Sorry: Curses, Confessions, & Apologies for Things You're Secretly Glad You Did May 14 -- Matt Mason: Metaphor & Simile are Like, Ummm, the Batteries that Make a Poem (or any description) Run June 18 -- Kim Noriega: The Well Turned Poem July 9 -- Holly Lyn Walrath: Journaling for Poets 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.
