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Events

Upcoming Presentations & Readings of Verse Wisconsin & Cowfeather Press

June 14, 2013, 6-11 p.m., URI-EICHEN Gallery, 2101 S Halsted, Chicago
OPENING RECEPTION: Battles in the State Capitols-The Right to Have a Union-Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio- Art, Poetry, Posters, and Stories

"14 Broadsides" from "Poems About the Wisconsin Protests" displayed & given away as part of a summer series: "Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest, Eight Hours for What We Will: A series of art shows, events and music - about work"

June 15, 2013 Symposium on De-Composition, hosted by Wormfarm Institute, details tba

June 21, 7:30, Fundraiser for Word Is Bond Poetry Slam Team & Open Mic, Crescendo Espresso Bar & Music Cafe, Madison (hosts)

June 23, 2013, 1-4
21st Annual Olbrich Gardens Invitational Poetry Marathon Reading, Madison, in partnership with Madison's Poet Laureate Program, Verse Wisconsin, & the WFOP

Readings by WI Poet Laureate Max Garland, Rebecca Dunham, Keith Gaustad, Dasha Kelly, Louisa Loveridge Gallas, Margaret Rozga, & Thomas R. Smith, Chloe Benjamin, Faustina Bohling, Gay Davidson-Zielske, Fabu, Andy Gricevich, Martha Kaplan, Oscar Mireles, Danez Smith, Angela Voras-Hills, and Recognition of the 2013 Bus Lines High School Poets

September-October—3 Cowfeather Reading Parties

Celebrating the summer publication of Luz de Todos los Tiempos / Light of All Times, by Moisés Villavicencio Barras & Sister Satellite, by Cathryn Cofell:

October 17-20, 2013 Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison

November 7-24, 2013 Forward Theater Company, Madison

Poems At the Playhouse, Poets respond to The Prophet, in conjunction with FTC's Wisconsin premier of Sons of the Prophet, by Stephen Karam, selected poems will be on display during the performance run, conversations & readings with actors & poets tba

Madison-area poets invited to submit work through August 1. Visit VW's Facebook page for the call.

November, 2013, Launch Event for Echolocations, Poets Map Madison, Cowfeather Press, tba

Fall-Winter 2013-14, Loft Literary Center Online Class, POETRY PLUNGE: A POETRY AND PUBLISHING WORKSHOP

Focuses on the development of the whole poet, writing and workshopping poems at the same time that we consider the various definitions of and avenues for publishing our work, with an emphasis on publishing as “making public.” Starting with our classroom circle, we’ll consider how we can actively build community and share our work creatively and unexpectedly with diverse audiences. Creating circles where we listen carefully to each other helps us to write better, more richly, and helps us to grow as writers, rather than just find “fixes” for poems. The class will emphasize this open-ended process, identifying and asking questions that may not have easy or immediate answers, pushing ourselves into new territory, taking risks, and allowing ourselves to make mistakes.

In two 6-week sessions, we will workshop and revise poems, explore new ways and reasons to write as well as new subject matter and audience, and challenge each other to consider and invent new ways to share our work through diverse and creative media with different audiences, discovering varied ways that feel most authentic to each poet.

Event Archive

May 9-11, 2013
Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature
East Lansing, MI
Re-Imagining the Region: New Voices and New Audiences in Midwestern Literature: "Working Towards Definition through Diversity" and "Voicing the Map: Creating Place Through Poetry"

March 23, 9 am-2 pm
AllWriters' Workshop
Waukesha, WI
Helping Our Poems Grow Up: Finding a Place for Our Work in the World

December 3, 2012
Harmony Cafe
Appleton, WI

Reading with Sarah Busse & the 2013 Wisconsin Poets Calendar

November 7-11
Wisconsin Book Festival
Madison, WI

Verse Wisconsin, in partnership with Black Earth Institute, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, UW Creative Writing Program, and UW Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI/First Wave), brought Kentucky poet-artist-publisher-activist Frank X Walker to the Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison, for six free events, including two panel events/conversations: "First Wave: Performance Poetry and the Personal Narrative" and "The Creative Side of Publishing." In addition VW sponsored the panel: “Finding Poetry in Unexpected Places,” a conversation about putting poetry before the public effectively.

The Wisconsin Book Festival is a free, five-day program of public events that takes place every Fall in downtown Madison. It is the state's largest literary festival, drawing thousands of attendees annually.

June 16
Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
UW-Waukesha
Waukesha, Wisconsin

Poetry on Main Street

The special Main Street Issue of VW gave those close to the Wisconsin protests a chance to speak up in a creative venue. It also raised questions about what poetry is for, artistic excellence and immediacy, who gets to speak about what and when, and the relation of art and politics. Discussion of the project, including panelists' evolving view of the significance of poetry and poets in public discourse, the role of the political in their work, and their vision of poetry’s relation to politics. How can we more effectively put political poems, as well as poetry in general, in public places? What are some ways for poets and lovers of poetry to effect change? How can we write better political poems? What is a “political” poem?

June 1-2
First Annual Midwest Small Press Festival
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

May 20, 1-4
Olbrich Gardens
Madison, Wisconsin

20th Anniversary Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets' Invitational Marathon

April 15, Atlas Coffee Mill
Fox Cities Book Festival
Appleton, Wisconsin

Publisher's Panel, 12:30, & Poets Laureate Readings & Conversation, 3:00

February 11, 1:30-3:30
Goodman South Madison Library
2222 S Park St
Madison, Wisconsin

Laureates Inaugural Reading & Reception

 

 

November 10, 7 pm
Avol's Bookstore
Madison, Wisconsin

Launch reading & party for Unexpected Shiny Things, by Bruce Dethlefsen, Cowfeather Press, a project of Verse Wisconsin.

 

 

October 23
Wisconsin Book Festival
Madison, WI

12-1:30 Voices of Verse Wisconsin

Panel discussion & reading from VW's Main Street Wisconsin Issue,which collects poems from the Wisconsin protests. Discussion ofwhat poetry is for, artistic excellence and immediacy, who gets to speak about what and when, and the relation of art and politics.

October 15
Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

Nature of Wisconsin Poetry                                         
An overview of the state of Wisconsin poetry. How are poets and poetry best supported and what improvements might be made? Are there divisions separating poets that should be bridged? How should good writing be encouraged to raise the bar in general, and raise the profile of Wisconsin poetry nationally, even internationally? Discussion, questions, and maybe even answers. 

Three readings with participants to celebrate Poetry Month & the Jawbreaker Project, with Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf!

 

March 17th, 2011 7:30-9 pm
Crosshatxh Reading Series
Rainbow Bookstore, Madison

The Poetry Duos Show, with Rita Mae Reese & C.E. Perry, Wendy Vardaman & Sarah Busse, and the Writers in Prison Project.

September 30th, 2010 7:30-9 pm
Wisconsin Book Festival
Avol's Bookstore, Madison

Reading with co-editors & Wisconsin poets Karl Elder, Fabu, Susan Firer, Max Garland, Derrick Harriell & John Koethe.

Friday, July 30, 2010
Printers’ Ball 2010: PRINT <3 DIGITAL
Chicago Free Admission

The Ludington Building
Columbia College Chicago
1104 South Wabash Avenue
6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Annual celebration of print opens its doors to digital media. We're not presenting here, but Verse Wisconsin will participate.

June 18-19th, 2010
Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
University of Wisconsin-Waukesha

Panel discussion: "Reading, Writing & Publishing Poetry in the E-text Era" Friday, June 18, 4:00 p.m.

April 28th, 2010
Ripon College

Tribute to Wisconsin Poetry: A reading by Sarah Busse & Wendy Vardaman, 7:30 p.m. in the Caestecker Art Gallery.

A sampling of poetry with connections to Wisconsin, free and open to all, followed by a reception and book signing.

March 20th, 2010, 7 pm
Verse Wisconsin Launch, with VW authors, editors & advisors
Avol's Bookstore
Madison

March 19th, 2010, 7-8:30 pm
Verse Wisconsin Launch Reading,
with Todd Boss & Wendy Vardaman
Woodland Pattern Book Center
Milwaukee

March 12th, 2010 7:30 pm
The Village Booksmith
Baraboo

Poetry reading and discussion of the magazine

November 15th, 9:30 am
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Fall Conference
Stevens Point

"The New Free Verse"

October 10th, 2009 NEW TIME! 1:30-3
Wisconsin Book Festival
Madison

Publishers Roundtable Madison Public Library-Main Branch

Discussion by editors & publishers from independent poetry presses in Wisconsin on the topic of “Starting & Sustaining the Small Press.” We will talk about ourindividual experiences, why we do what we do, why it matters, what we look for in the work we publish, why publish the chapbook, how individual small presses differ from one another as well as what they have in common, and what it takes to make this leap of faith! Publishers will bring books and other work samples, and be available to answer questions and to talk to authors individually after the discussion.

Participants include: Centennial Press, DesperadoPress, Fireweed Press, Little Eagle Press, Marsh River Editions, Mobius, & Popcorn Press

October 3rd, 2009 2 pm
Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival
Fort Atkinson

Publishers Roundtable     Library Rogers Room

Poetry editors and publishers from around the state will gather to discuss how to support the business of poetry publication. A Q&A session will follow. Further tips and connections are encouraged at the Poetry Cafe.
Moderators - Sarah Busse and Wendy Vardaman, with Rod Clark (Rosebud), Karl Elder (Seems), Madison Poet Laureate Fabu (Madison Magazine), Shoshauna Shy (Woodrow Hall & Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf), Jason Smith (Wisconsin People & Ideas), and Henry Timm (Penninsula Pulse). 

September 8th, 2009 7 PM
Windhover Center for the Arts
Fond du Lac

Reading by Sarah Busse and discussion of the magazine

Questions welcome. Open mic to follow.