Workshops are funded in part by Humanities Nebraska.
Writing Classes & Workshops
Kiara Nicole Letcher
The Others
Saturday, May 17 at 10:00a CST
Writing from out of the ordinary in an exploration in peculiar poetry.
In this workshop, we will look at poems that deal with the supernatural — poems that peer beyond the veil and utilize a supernatural element. From Poe, Keats, Lorca, and Rossetti, among others, we will explore these poems and what they say about the seen and unseen world.
Through these works, we’ll consider how the supernatural in poetry reflects deep-seated human questions about mortality, reality, and the limits of human understanding. By reading and discussing these pieces, participants will engage with how different eras and cultures have expressed universal themes of fear, mystery, and fascination with the unknown.
Participants will have the opportunity to ruminate and investigate poems of the paranormal, gaining insights into how these eerie elements serve as a window into humanity's beliefs and values. They will also craft their own poems with a twist of the eerie, adding to a long-standing tradition of poetic exploration that bridges the tangible and intangible aspects of human experience.
KIARA NICOLE LETCHER is the author of Oxblood, (Agape Editions, 2024) and the chapbook Scream Queen (Orchard Street Press, 2019).
Her work has appeared in South Dakota Review, Green Mountains Review, Plainsongs Magazine, Solstice Literary Magazine, Querencia Press and Mulberry Literary, among other publications. Her work is also forthcoming in Laurel Review. She received her MFA from The University of Nebraska at Omaha and previously served as a Board Member for the Nebraska Writer’s Collective. She was the 2024 Keynote Speaker for the Nebraska Scholastic Writing Awards and a Nebraska State Poet Nominee. You can find her at her website, or on Instagram @kiaranicolebang.
After you register, you will receive an "admission ticket" with the zoom link information on it.
$40 or FREE to Members
Annual Membership $40
Anastacia Reneé
Poetry Meets Memoir
Saturday, May 31 at 10:00a CST
Memory (the deliberate act of remembering) is a form of willed creation. It is not an effort to find out the way it really was--that is research. The point is to dwell on the way it appeared and why it appeared in that particular way.
-Toni Morrison
In this genre-bending workshop we will collectively and independently explore and interrogate stories, communal folklore and our archival of memories. We will lay our memories (from multiple points of view) out and jigsaw them to create first drafts of The Haibun, and The Nines poems. All class text will be provided by workshop facilitator.
ANASTACIA RENEÉ is a queer writer, educator, interdisciplinary artist, playwright, former radio host, TEDX speaker, and podcaster.
She is the author of Here In The (Middle) Of Nowhere, Side Notes From The Archivist, (v.) and Forget It. Sidenotes from the Archivist was selected as one of “NYPL Best Books of 2023,” and, The American Library Associations (RUSA) “Notable Books of 2024.”
She is a recipient of the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist Award (Literary) and she was selected by NBC News as part of the list of "Queer Artist of Color Dominate 2021's Must See LGBTQ Art Shows," for (Don’t Be Absurd) Alice in Parts, an installation at Frye Art Museum. Renee served as Seattle Civic Poet (2017-1019) during Seattle’s inaugural year of UNESCO status. Renee has been, Hugo House Poet-in-Residence, and Jack Straw Curator. Their work has been published widely.
After you register, you will receive an "admission ticket" with the zoom link information on it.
$40 or FREE to Members
Annual Membership $40
Matt Mason
Playlist:
Turning Songs Into Poetry
Saturday, June 14 at 10:00a CST
Some songs have a magical way of transporting us through time. They evoke vivid memories, stirring up feelings of nostalgia, joy, or reflection.
In this workshop, we’ll explore the songs that have shaped us and look at how music can serve as a powerful gateway to poetry. We’ll look at the songs that connect us to our past, reliving moments of youth while discovering fresh insights in the present. Then, we’ll discuss how to transform these emotional snapshots into poems.
Whether you’re a seasoned poet or a newcomer to writing, this workshop invites you to turn the soundtrack of your life into art.
MATT MASON is the former Nebraska State Poet and was the Executive Director of the Nebraska Writers Collective from 2009-2022. Through the US State Department, he has run workshops in Botswana, Romania, Nepal, and Belarus.
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 5th book, Rock Stars, was released by Button Poetry in 2023.
Matt is based out of Omaha with his wife, the poet Sarah McKinstry-Brown, and daughters Sophia and Lucia. Find more on his website.
After you register, you will receive an "admission ticket" with the zoom link information on it.
$40 or FREE to Members
Annual Membership $40
