MWC is ready for National Poetry Month…how about you?

Here’s a brief run-down of several poetry-related workshops/opportunities/events the Midwest Writing Center has coming up for National Poetry Month

Pen In Hand Mini Writing Conference – Aspects of Poetry/Poetry Month Preview

March 23^rd from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at MWC

Get ready for National Poetry Month with Pen In Hand dedicated entirely to writing poetry. A variety of workshops taught by several award-winning poets, including Erin M. Bertram and Shane McCrae, will be featured. Early bird discount on registration now available until Friday, March 22nd. Information and registration are available below and on the MWC website here.

Mike Bayles—THRESHOLD Reading and Book Release

Saturday, March 30^th, 1pm at the MWC

Mike Bayles will read from his new collection of poetry, Threshold, at The Midwest Writing Center, 225 E. 2^nd St in Davenport. The poems in Threshold, set in Iowa, are about human connections with each other, rural and city life.  Mike Bayles, a lifelong Midwest resident, is a widely-published poet and fiction writer. His poetry has been published in The Rockford Review, Lyrical Iowa, Out Loud Anthology and other magazines and anthologies. His poetry has won awards in Iowa Poetry Association contests and The Oak. His short story publishing credits include The Rockford Review, Out Loud Anthology and The Nocturnal Lyric. One of his short stories won Honorable Mention in a national contest sponsored by The Great Blue Beacon. WVIK, Public Radio, has featured his writing.  He is the co-host of the MWC’s monthly Out Loud Open Mic readings.

Collins Poetry Residency:

Applications due by 3/31/13

Quad City poets are invited to apply to be MWC’s next Collins Poet-in-Residence. Under the guidance of a mentor, the successful applicant will promote poetry by holding workshop, readings, and other events in the Quad Cities during the month of October 2013. Applications are due by March 31^st, and it is free to apply. Click here or call 563-324-1410 for more information and application requirements.

SPECTRA Poetry Reading Series

April 5^th & April 27^th at 8 p.m. at Rozz-Tox at 2108 3^rd Avenue, Rock Island

Join us for the Spring 2013 of the SPECTRA Poetry Reading series.  April 5^th features Caryl Pagel, Philip Sorenson, Olivia Cronk; and April 27^th features BJ Best, Matt Mauch, Shane McCrae, with locals supporting.  Submissions are currently open for supporting readers—visit the link for more information. SPECTRA has been named one of the top 10 poetry reading series in the Midwest by LitBridge. Free and open to the public.  Click here for more information.

MWC Press at Mission Creek Festival

April 6^th at The Mill in Iowa City, IA, 11:00am

MWC Press will be have a table the Mission Creek Festival Book Fair at The Mill in Iowa City, where we will be debuting APPLE SEASON by Cindy Hunter Morgan—the winner of the 2012 Mississippi Valley Chapbook Contest.

Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest Deadline EXTENDED through April 30^th

Submissions for the 40^th annual Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest will now be accepted through April 30, 2013. This year’s judges are Laura Madelyn Wiseman for the Regional Contest and Lisa Zimmerman for the National Contest, with Dick Stahl judging the Upper Mississippi River Valley special themed category.  Visit www.midwestwritingcenter.org for submission guidelines.

Out Loud Open Mic Readings

March 28^th, April 25^th, May 30^th at Downtown Central Perk

During Out Loud evenings, attendees have the opportunity to share their poetry or prose. Meets on the final Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Free and open to everyone. Listeners are also welcome. Click here for details.

If you have any questions about these or other MWC programs, please contact Ryan Collins.  Thanks!