Your Poetry Menu and American Life in Poetry: Column 446

[Tyisha Jaimie Elizabeth]

Weekend of the Month: the 18th-19th, home of both the Great Plains Poetry Pile-Up, a poetry slam in Lincoln with competitors from around the country, and the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest

• 10/18-19, F-Sa-- The 5th Great Plains Poetry Pile-Up at The UNL Student Union (1400 R St, Lincoln, 2nd floor: 10/18 in The Auditorium, 10/19 in The Ballroom). 30 poets, including National Poetry Slam champions from around the country, compete for prizes, glory, and a great time. Catch one of the best poetry slam shows in Nebraska. See full details at PoetryMenu.com/gppp.html.

• 10/18-19, F-Sa-- Literary Obsessions & Cult Followings, the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest. Authors at the (downtown) omaha lit fest delve into their own preoccupations, nervous habits, bad influences, and literary obsessions. Nationally acclaimed writers will discuss the appeal of dangerous characters, the danger of appealing characters, the experimental, the sentimental, the personal, and the impersonal. Hosted by Omaha Public Library, the (downtown) omaha lit fest features author panel discussions, an art exhibit, and an opening-night party. Details at www.omahalitfest.com.

  10/18, F-- 10:30pm-Midnight, Team Poetry Slam Bout at The Alley (1031 M St, Lincoln). See teams representing Omaha, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and possibly more compete. It's a taste of the National Poetry Slam and, in fact, will help qualify the teams for the 2014 National Poetry Slam! This event hosted by 2011 individual World Poetry Slam champion Chris August!

  10/19, Sa-- 6pm, The Wordsmiths ~ Journey of the Spoken Word at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Bldg. 21 “Mule Barn” with poets Paula Bell, Devel Crisp, Tyrone Harper, Shukura Huggins, Michelle Troxclair and Felicia Webster: Edutainers using storytelling, poetry, song, rhythmic vocals & the power of language in the great African American Oral Tradition to inform and educate about the rich cultural contributions of African Americans. Free Will Donation.

  10/20, Su-- 2pm, the John H. Ames Reading Series Readings by Nebraska Authors in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors (3rd Floor, Bennett Martin Public Library, 136 South 14th St., Lincoln, NE, 402-441-8516). This month features a group of five readers: Lucy Adkins, Becky Breed, Lisa Knopp, Mary K. Stillwell, and Marjorie Saiser. For more information, call 402-441-8516, email heri...@lincolnlibraries.org.

  10/20, Su-- 9pm-1:30am, it's Shoot Your Mouth Off at The Shark Club (2808 S 72nd St, Omaha). Online sign ups on our FB 24/7 for priority stage time: facebook.com/Shootyourmouthoff. Check myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff for interviews with features and more information. Mandy Morgan and Jim Morrison will be your hosts as open mic poetry and comedy, featured readers from Omaha's slam scene and free drinks prizes await you. The best free show in Omaha! (every Sunday)

  10/21, M-- 7pm, POETRY AT THE MOON PRESENTS: Eric Jones, at Crescent Moon Coffee (140 N 8th St #10 Lower Level, Lincoln). Eric Jones is a writer originally from Centerville, Georgia. He serves as the Web Editor for Prairie Schooner and can be found most days toiling over a piece of writing, running the Nook desk at Barnes and Noble or walking around his neighborhood with his loveable mutt, Tortuga. Jones and his wife, poet Hali F. Sofala, live in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more information, contact cresce...@inebraska.com and check www.crescentmooncoffee.com/. (every Monday)

  10/23, W-- 7pm, The Writer's Workshop Reading Series at UNO welcomes internationally-renown Irish language poet, essayist, dramatist, and scholar Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) building, room 100 (UNO campus, Omaha). Irish themes, including the cultural politics of language and identity, are central to her poetry and range in scope from Irish mythology and folklore to intimate details of contemporary life. Her international awards include the O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry (1988), the American Ireland Fund Literary Award (1991), she was named Ireland Professor of Poetry from 2002- 2004, and received an honorary Doctorate of Literature from University College Dublin in 2011. The reading is free and open to the public.

  10/23, W-- 8pm-12am, Acoustic Open Mic for musicians and poets at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso (1624 South St, Lincoln). Hosted by Spencer. For more information call 402-477-2007. (every Wednesday)

  10/26, Sa-- 3:30-6:30pm, A Celebration of Nebraska Books at the Nebraska History Museum (15th and P Sts, Lincoln). Join us to celebrate the Nebraska Book Award winners, the 2014 One Book One Nebraska announcement, celebrations for the 2013 One Book One Nebraska selection O Pioneers!, the 2013 Jane Geske Award presentation, reception and book signings. See more details at CenterForTheBook.nebraska.gov.

  10/26, Sa-- 7pm, Open Mic Poetry Night at A to Z Books (507 North Jeffers, North Platte) -- ultra large bookstore. It's a fun, funny, widely varied group. Poems can be short or long, funny or touching, rhymed or free verse. Musicians too. George Lauby of The North Platte Bulletin emcees and makes you feel comfortable. (2nd Friday, 4th Saturday).

  10/27, Su-- 1:30pm, Las Palabras del Corazon ~ Words by Heart at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Bldg. 21 “Mule Barn” with poets Todd Baker, Steve Lovett, Deirdre Evans, Steven Evans, Matt Mason, Jack Hubbell, Melissa Neuenfeldt, Bruce Koborg, Heidi Hermanson, Zedeka Poindexter, David Catalan, & Jose Francisco Garcia. Free will donation. More details at www.losdiasdelosmuertosomaha.org/events/.

  10/27, Su-- 9pm-1:30am, it's Shoot Your Mouth Off at The Shark Club (2808 S 72nd St, Omaha). Online sign ups on our FB 24/7 for priority stage time: facebook.com/Shootyourmouthoff. Check myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff for interviews with features and more information. Mandy Morgan and Jim Morrison will be your hosts as open mic poetry and comedy, featured readers from Omaha's slam scene and free drinks prizes await you. The best free show in Omaha! (every Sunday)

  10/28, M-- 7-8pm, WriteLife Presents: Writers' Open Mic at The PS Collective (6056 Maple St., Omaha). There will be 10 minute slots available for writers to sign up to read their work. This can be poetry, an excerpt from your published book, a piece that you're working on...anything goes, as long as you wrote it! Not a writer, but want to catch a glimpse of local creativity and talent? Stop by and be entertained! (last Monday)

  10/28, M-- 7pm, POETRY AT THE MOON PRESENTS: Autumn & Halloween Poetry Contest, at Crescent Moon Coffee (140 N 8th St #10 Lower Level, Lincoln). Because we had such a great response to this year’s Valentine’s, St. Patrick’s, and summer poetry contests, we’re having one to celebrate this season too. Bring your autumn or Halloween poetry, and read it for us! Win themed prizes and celebrate the season. For more information, contact cresce...@inebraska.com and check www.crescentmooncoffee.com/. (every Monday)

  
  

  ******************************

  American Life in Poetry: Column 446

  BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

  Anyone who has followed this column since its introduction in 2005 knows how much I like poems that describe places. Here’s one by Joseph Hutchison, who lives in Colorado. This is the kind of scene that Edward Hopper might have painted. I especially love the way Hutchison captures the buzz of the neon sign.
  
  
  Winter Sunrise Outside a Café
  
  

          Near Butte, Montana

  
  

  A crazed sizzle of blazing bees

  in the word EAT. Beyond it,

  
  

  thousands of stars have faded

  like deserted flowers in the thin

  
  

  light washing up in the distance,

  flooding the snowy mountains

  
  

  bluff by bluff. Moments later,

  the sign blinks, winks dark,

  
  

  and a white-aproned cook—

  surfacing in the murky sheen

  
  

  of the window—leans awhile

  like a cut lily . . . staring out

  
  

  into the famished blankness

  he knows he must go home to.

  
  
  

  American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2012 by Joseph Hutchison, whose most recent book of poems is Marked Men, Turning Point Books, 2013. Reprinted from Thread of the Real, Conundrum Press, 2012, by permission of Joseph Hutchison and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2013 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

  ******************************

        The new book is OUT! Look it over, buy a copy or twelve!
            Executive Director, Nebraska Writers Collective: newriters.org
                              My homepage: Matt.MidVerse.com
  
                  State Coordinator for Nebraska: PoetryOutLoud.org
                      Find Nebraska poetry info at: PoetryMenu.com
   Past President, Nebraska Center for the Book: CenterForTheBook.nebraska.gov