Poetry Publishing 101 April 19 at MWC with Ryan Collins

Ryan Collins will lead a workshop on basic poetry publishing on Saturday, April 19, from 1-3 p.m. at the Midwest Writing Center.

Ryan Collins

Workshop topics will include researching markets, managing submissions, and self-publishing.

Cost of the workshop is $10 for MWC members, $15 for non-members (ask for the National Poetry Month discount—usually workshop rates are $20/$25).

Advanced registration preferred, but walk-ins are also welcome.

Remote Viewing
(DUSIE/Rock Town Press, 2014)

Ryan Collins is the author of four chapbooks, most recently Remote Viewing (DUSIE/Rock Town Press, 2014) and Dear Twin Falls (H_NGM_N, 2013). His poems have appeared in American Letters & Commentary; Black Clock; Columbia Poetry Review; DIAGRAM; Forklift, Ohio; Handsome; iO: A Journal of New American Poetry; Spork; Transom; and many other places. Collins is the Executive Director of the Midwest Writing Center, curates the SPECTRA Poetry Reading Series in Rock Island, IL, an English instructor at St. Ambrose University and Scott Community College, and has led various writing workshops for Quad City Arts, the Moline and Bettendorf Public Libraries, and the Children's Literature Festival. He was also a contributing poet and poetry curator for the Figge Museum of Art 2012 exhibition, Waxing Poetic.   

SPECTRA Poetry Reading Series Saturday, April 27 8 pm @ROZZ-TOX

Featuring BJ Best, Matt Mauch, Shane McCrae

B.J. Best is the author But Our Princess Is in Another Castle (Rose Metal Press), Birds of Wisconsin (New Rivers Press), and State Sonnets (sunnyoutside). He is also the author of three chapbooks from Centennial Press, most recently Drag: Twenty Short Poems about Smoking. He teaches at Carroll University and lives in the Wisconsin countryside with one wife, one son, three cats, and nine video game systems. He asserts he is the only person in the history of the world to have beaten Super Mario Bros.—with an actual Nintendo and television—on a pontoon boat.

Matt Mauch is the author of If You’re Lucky Is a Theory of Mine (Trio House Press), Prayer Book (Lowbrow Press), and the chapbook The Brilliance of the Sparrow (Mondo Bummer). Host of the Great Twin Cities Poetry Read and Maeve’s Sessions readings, and editor of the annual anthology Poetry City, USA, he teaches creative writing at Normandale Community College, and lives in Minneapolis.

Shane McCrae is the author of Mule (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2011), a finalist for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the PEN Center USA Literary Award, and Blood (Noemi Press, 2013), as well as three chapbooks—most recently, Nonfiction, which won the Black Lawrence Press Black River Chapbook Competition. He work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in The American Poetry Review, Colorado Review, Smartish Pace and elsewhere, and he has received a Whiting Writer’s Award and fellowship from the NEA.

MWC to host the 2nd Slam Poetry Competition with an Open Mic Night on April 22nd for National Poetry Month

This year’s National Poetry Month in the QC will get a little louder as April 22^nd has been chosen for the date of the Midwest Writing Center’s second Slam Poetry Competition, scheduled from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Located on the 3^rd floor of Bucktown Center for the Arts, the Midwest Writing Center is excited to be hosting this event for National Poetry Month.

For this month’s competition, there will be an added poetry Open Mic for those who want to share their work but may not be ready to compete.

The Open Mic will begin at 6:00 PM, and the Slam will begin at 7:00 PM.

As well as the addition of an Open Mic, a small cash prize from an anonymous donor will be awarded to the winning poet.

Any poet who wishes to compete in the Slam is encouraged to show up by 6:45 with 3 original poems.

Andrew Ziegler, the event organizer and host, could not be more excited for the April 22^nd events. With the first Slam held on March 25^th attracting more than 50 people, Ziegler feels that this event can only continue to grow and hopes that more people, with more poetry, will begin showing up to compete and listen to others’ poetry. Ziegler believes that Slam sets aside space for people to connect with one another through one of the most ancient of art forms and, in doing so, helps to strengthen ties between the community who sets time aside to listen. Ziegler says that, “Slam or Spoken Word poetry is simply poetry that demands to be read out loud – poetry that demands to be brought to life and shared rather than being left alone on a page.”

Given that last month’s Slam attracted competitors from Augustana, St. Ambrose, and Quint City Poets, Ziegler is certain that the competition, as well as the community, will continue to grow. Ziegler is also certain that there will be many more close competitions to come especially considering that the last Slam was decided by only 1 point.