Lunchbox Lecture: The History of Spoken Word Poetry (Read More)

Join the Nebraska State Historical Society for this month’s Lunchbox Lecture featuring Jewel Rodgers, Nebraska State Poet 2025–2029! During her keynote, Jewel reflects on her journey as a self-described spoken word artist stepping into a traditionally page-centered literary role. Through performance and storytelling, she explores the cultural roots of spoken word, its historical ties to jazz and artistic movements, and the skepticism it sometimes encounters in academic poetry spaces. Blending poems with personal narrative, she demonstrates how spoken word serves as a powerful tool for both artistic excellence and community-building. Event admission is free. LNKTV will record the lecture and make it available to the public. Special thanks to the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation for providing funding for this event series and the recording to broadcast on LNKTV.

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Crown and Stage: The Monarchy and Shakespeare in Quilts (Read More)

The exhibition "Crown & Stage: The Monarchy and Shakespeare in Quilts" will open during the free April First Friday event at the International Quilt Museum. Co-Curated by Dr. Carole Levin, Willa Cather Emerita Professor of History at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, "Crown & Stage" explores how quilts and other forms of material culture traveled beyond the playhouse and palace. This exhibition features quilts honoring British queens, Shakespeare’s words stitched in fabric, and contemporary objects that reinterpret these icons. The opening will feature a special reading of poetry on queens and Shakespeare from "Creatively Expanding the Premodern" with authors Carole Levin, Marguerite A. Tassi, Christine Stewart-Nuñez, and Julia Griffin.

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Understanding the Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar (Read More)

As part of the Robert Owens Centenary Festival, taking place from September 17 to 19, 2025, at the Glenn Korff School of Music, Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox will discuss and perform the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar on September 18 at 11 a.m. in the UNL Westbrook Recital Hall. The program will also be livestreamed here. The event is free, but registration is encouraged. For more information about the festival, or to register, visit the event website. The work of Paul Laurence Dunbar is a glimpse into the culture and perspectives of Black Americans post-Emancipation but before the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th century. Dunbar is recognized as one of the first influential Black poets in American literature, and his work is regarded as an impressive representation of Black life in the turn-of-the-century United States. Dunbar was the first poet – of any color – to give a poetry reading at the United States Library of Congress. Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox is a Professor of Music and Vocal Area Coordinator at the University of Dayton. She has presented her research for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the National Opera Association, College Music Society, Society for American Music, National Association for Music Education, International Society for Music Education, Song Collaborators Consortia, Ohio Music Education Association, and the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives. She has performed Dunbar Archive repertoire recitals in venues across the United States and around the world.

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Family Day: Music and Storytelling for All Ages (Read More)

Crossroads Music Festival logo with three rows of short diagonal lines in various colors
The July edition of The Sheldon Art Museum's Family Day with Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival will feature a special children’s storytelling concert with Crossroads’ artists, an evocative performance by Nordic-folk duo iiS in the Museum’s Great Hall, and a hands-on, storytelling-through-poetry-workshop with the wryly perceptive and truly Nebraskan wordsmith and former Nebraska State Poet, Matt Mason.

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In Conversation: Author Anna Farro Henderson with Exhibiting Artist/Poet Trey Moody (Read More)

Author Anna Farro Henderson (Core Samples: A Climate Scientist’s Experiments in Politics and Motherhood) will speak with Trey Moody , poet, Associate Professor, Arts and Sciences at Creighton University, and exhibiting artist in From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains: The Visible Currents of Climate Change. Admission is free; RSVPs are encouraged. Visit the event website to RSVP.

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Art-Tastic Saturday: Music and Storytelling for All Ages (Read More)

Crossroads Music Festival logo with three rows of short diagonal lines in various colors
Crossroads Music Festival joins forces with the The Joslyn for a day of creativity and connection for the whole family. Enjoy a fun-filled children’s concert, two performances by the enchanting Nordic-folk duo ííS, live poetry with Nebraska State Poets, current and former, Jewel Rodgers and Matt Mason, and an interactive storytelling-through-poetry workshop with Matt Mason. It’s a perfect way to experience music, stories, and art–together.

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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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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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Virtual — Poetry Workshops (Read More)

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.

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Virtual — Poetry Workshops (Read More)

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.

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