SPOKEN WORD AND HYPERTEXT COME TO WYO: During the next month, Wyomingites can get a glimpse into some of the newer forms of literary expression. “Spoken Word” poetry has roots in the ancient oral traditions. We see it in cowboy poets and hip-hop artists. Its latest incarnation is mainly an urban art form. You can see some of its best practitioners on HBO's "Def Poetry Jam." For the past few years, Megan Oteri has been working to bring Spoken Word to Wyoming, a place where Cheyenne and Casper are as urban as it gets. Oteri, a writer and a teacher at Attention Homes in Cheyenne, has organized “The Diverse Voices of Poetry,” a two-day poetry workshop on Oct. 13-14 at the downtown Atlas Theatre. Students and teachers, K-12 and college, can sign up for workshops with New York’s George Lee Miles, Colorado performance poet Kiblah Oliver, and Jack Collom, a former factory worker with 20 books of poetry to his credit. To sign up for the workshops, e-mail Oteri at megan@attentionhomes.com. On Sept. 22, the UW creative writing program hosts a visit by hypertext author Edward Falco. He has published a hypertext novel, “A Dream with Demons,” a collection of hypertext poetry, and has several works of digital writing available online. Falco’s noon talk at Hoyt Hall about "Print vs. Digital Writing and Publishing: Issues for Writers" is sure to generate a lot of interest. Authors everywhere are publishing in new forms and in new venues. One of the challenges faced by traditional publishers and old-school arts administrators such as myself is how to welcome these forms and not draw back in horror. How can the Wyoming Arts Council incorporate hypertext and digital work into its fellowship programs? Many writers are breaking down barriers among literary genres and other arts disciplines. Are the WAC’s categories outdated? How can writing competitions be flexible yet still have clear standards? All good questions for Falco after his 6 p.m. reading on Sept. 22 at Chickering Books. FMI: Kris DeForest at 307-766-2867.
