WyoPoets will hold its spring writing workshop on Saturday, April 28, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, 400 West F St., Casper. Sheridan writer (and WAC roster artist) Joan Puma Bennet will lead the workshop. For more information -- and to reserve a spot -- contact Mary Hein in Casper or Lee Ann Seibken in Douglas.

Labels: poetry, workshops, WyoPoets

- posted by Michael Shay @ 8:29 AM 0 comments

 
Reading Under the Stars

Wyoming summers are short.

That thought occurred to me (not for the first time) as I prowled around Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis a few weeks ago on a below-zero morning. My ears froze to my head and my breath formed clouds as I chugged along. I was transfixed by the patterns made by the ice which froze as it spilled over the hot springs terrace. Local ducks seemed content floating on the section of the Big Horn River where the geothermal flow spilled into the stream's icy waters.

During my gawking tour, I checked out the park's pavillion. At a meeting in Cheyenne in November, HSSP Superintendent Kevin Skates had offered the pavillion as a venue for summer arts events. Now that I had a chance to look at it, buried as it was under several feet of snow, I could see its possibilities. I suggested to Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference planners that it would make a great place to hold open readings during its annual conference June 1-3 at the Holiday Inn, located right inside the park.

So that's what we're going to do. Our sunset readings will be held on Friday, June 1, 7:30-10 p.m. and on Saturday, June 2, 8:30-10 p.m. I will serve as emcee, a role I've grown into the past few years. Charles Curley and I are looking around for a sound system and Kevin Skates promised to set up chairs for both nights. Although the pavillion is located within spitting distance of the hotel, a shuttle service will be available. Park visitors are also being invited to come out and see some of the best writers in the state read their work. This is part of Kevin's goal to add more arts programming to his summer events' schedule.

Some long-time Wyomingites might be remembering that the first weekend in June can be warm and dry and calm. Or cold and wet and windy. The pavillion stage is sheltered. Alas, the audience area is not. Never fear -- we're making contingency plans.

Still, how could you come to such a gorgeous place in the summer and not want to read your poetry outside?

Labels: nature, poetry, readings, writing conferences, Wyoming Writers, WyoPoets

- posted by Michael Shay @ 11:30 AM 0 comments

 
Deadline Extended for Poetry Out Loud

The Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) invites teachers in grades 9-12 to sign up their classes for this spring's Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. The National Endowment for the Arts, the nation’s largest arts' funder, and the Poetry Foundation, the nation’s largest literary organization, have joined with the WAC to bring Poetry Out Loud to high schools across America.

Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music. The program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and internalize our rich literary heritage.

Last year, 11 schools from throughout Wyoming participated in the program. Kamaria Stephens from Cheyenne East High School won the state finals and represented Wyoming at the national finals in Washington, D.C.

Share this information with high school drama, speech and language arts teachers. Please respond by Feb. 21. FMI: Marcia Dunsmore, Poetry Out Loud Coordinator, 307-746-4110.

Labels: contests, poetry, Poetry Out Loud, students, University of Wyoming

- posted by Michael Shay @ 2:04 PM 0 comments

 
Literary Connection April 27-28

In early December, I reported that the Literary Connection: Between Readers and Writers conference in Cheyenne had selected three of its five presenters. Now the line-up is complete. They include Brooklyn's Myla Goldberg, author of the national bestseller Bee Season; novelist and short story writer Jill McCorkle (The Cheerleader, Crash Diet); Bob Shacochis, globe-trotting author of Swimming in the Volcano and Easy on the Islands; Wyoming songwriter Jeff Hawthorne Bullock (Girls Night Out, recorded by The Judds); and California poet Kim Addonizio, author of Jimmy & Rita and Tell Me, a finalist for the 2000 National Book Award.

As in the past, two of the scheduled writers will conduct a free writing workshop at Laramie County Community College on Friday, April 27, 1-4 p.m. On Saturday, April 28, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Hitching Post Inn, the Connection’s five writers will talk about their work and sign books, courtesy of City News. There is a cost for this event.

Labels: Literary Connection, poetry, writers, writing conferences

- posted by Michael Shay @ 7:59 PM 0 comments

 
Quote for Our Times

From Adrienne Rich in an essay on the Poets Against War web site: "Poetry has the capacity to remind us of something we are forbidden to see."

Labels: poetry, politics

- posted by Michael Shay @ 7:58 AM 0 comments

 
Voicings From The High Country is now accepting poetry submissions for the 2007 edition. The deadline is February 1. Guest poet this year is Terry Rasmussen from Casper College. For guidelines, contact Ella Cvancara, 4920 South Oak St., Casper, WY 82601.

Labels: poetry, poets, Wyoming

- posted by Michael Shay @ 9:46 AM 0 comments

 
Jentel Deadline Jan. 15

Spend a month of creative time in northern Wyoming at the Jentel Foundation. Next postmark application deadline is Jan. 15 for sessions May 15 through December 13. Four visual artists and two writers selected for each session. Scenery is great, contemplative time is even better.

Labels: artists' communities, poetry, writers

- posted by Michael Shay @ 10:34 PM 0 comments

 
SIGN UP NOW FOR POETRY OUT LOUD: The Wyoming Arts Council is looking for high school teachers interested in “Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest,” co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. According to an NEA release: “Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent boom in poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music. The program encourages the nation’s young people learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills and build self-confidence.” Another bonus: you get to learn great poetry by heart, a gift that keeps on giving throughout your life. Last year, 11 schools from throughout Wyoming participated in the program. Kamaria Stephens (shown in NEA photo) from Cheyenne East High School won the state finals and represented Wyoming at the national championships in Washington, D.C. You can get an entry form by e-mailing me or by calling 307-777-5234. Please respond by December 22.

Labels: poetry, Poetry Out Loud

- posted by Michael Shay @ 2:08 PM 0 comments