WritersFest

The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series and the Pittsburg State Creative Writing Program Present:

Writers Fest: Writers & Singer-Songwriters Celebrating Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

This also commemorates the Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg collection at Pittsburg State University's Axe Library. Sponsors include Distinguished Visiting Writers series, Student Fee Council, Creative Writing and English Programs, Axe Library, Pittsburg Public Library, and The Midwest Quarterly.

Logistics: All events in Pittsburg, Kansas, mostly on the Pittsburg State University (PSU) campus. Lodging available at $109/night at Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburg Kansas Cross at 1285 US 69 Hwy. Please call 620/231-3100 and ask for the literary festival rate.

Schedule

Monday, March 27:

6-9 p.m., T. J. Lelands, 106 W. 6th St.: Dinner & Open Mic for visiting and local poets, including Laura Lee Washburn, Lori Martin, Chris Anderson, Amy Nixon, Olive Sullivan, Kathryn Lorenzen, and others. Participants cover their dinner, which will be catered, and must RSVP and pay in advance (info. on registering forthcoming, please email me if you’re interested).

Tuesday, March 28:

11-11:50 p.m., 302 Grubbs Hall, PSU: Public workshop in Lori Martin’s PSU fiction class with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg & Kathryn Lorenzen (workshop descriptions to right)

12-1:30 p.m., Bicknell Family Center for the Arts: songwriting workshop with Kelley Hunt, American blues pianist, singer, and Kansas Hall of Fame member. Open to the public, although RSVPs are requested by March 21 at sspear@pittstate.edu.

2-4 p.m., Pittsburg Public Library, 308 N. Walnut St.: Community Writing Workshop with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

7 p.m., Bicknell Family Center for the Arts (main stage), 1711 S. Homer: The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series Presents Kelley Hunt in Concert with Kathryn Lorenzen. Tickets from PSU $20; free to students

Wednesday, March 29:

2-3:15 p.m., 302 Grubbs Hall, PSU: Public workshop in Laura Lee Washburn’s PSU Poetry Evolution of Forms class with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg.

4-5:30 p.m., Axe Library, 1605 S. Joplin St.: Kansas Poet Laureate Reading featuring past poets laureate Denise Low, Eric McHenry, and Kevin Rabas with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg moderating.

7-8:30 p.m., Axe Library, 1605 S. Joplin St.: Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg reading and reception

Thursday, March 30:

2-3:15: Bonus event former Kansas Poet Laureate Kevin Rabas will talk about poetry and jazz in Professor Chris Anderson’s “Beat Generation” class. from 2 to 3:15 p.m. in 303 Grubbs Hall. It is open to the public.

Write Livelihood: Making a Living From Your Writing in Your Community -- with Kathryn Lorenzen & Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg:  There are many ways writers can use their writing experience to add to or earn a living where they live, including workshop facilitation, writing coaching, developmental coaching, editing, and creating content for businesses and nonprofits. After this overview of options beyond the very competitive college teaching track, Caryn will share ways to do your own internal research to discover what suits you as well as external research to investigate the possibilities in your community. 11-11:50 p.m., Tues., March 28, 302 Grubbs Hall, PSU

Write Where You Are: Using Writing to Make Sense of Your Life -- with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg: Writing can bring you a greater sense of purpose, direction, community, and joy, plus a clearer sense of who and where you are. Come explore how to draw from your experiences and senses to write your way home. Along the way, we'll talk about the transformative power of writing poetry and prose, and how you can grow your own practice of writing for healing, community, and legacy.  All who write or want to write – whether poetry, fiction, memoir, or more – are welcome. All participants will receive a packet of prompts and resources. 2-4 p.m., Tues., March 28, Pittsburg Public Library, 308 N. Walnut St., Pittsburg

Kelley Hunt Concert with Kathryn Lorenzen Opening: Enjoy a vibrant evening with rhythm and blues singer-songwriter and international touring artist Kelley Hunt, along with singer-songwriter Kathryn Lorenzen. Both will perform original work, including songs co-written with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, 7 p.m., Tues., March 28, Bicknell Family Center for the Arts (main stage), 1711 S. Homer, Pittsburg.

I Walk the Line: Composing the Music of Poetry -- with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg: Poetry is an art all its own and also drawing on music and visual arts in how a poem works with sound, silence, space, lines, and stanzas. We'll explore how free verse and some more open poetic forms give us the freedom and weight of listening carefully to what the poem wants to say and how to work with line and stanza breaks and lengths. We'll look at several examples of ways to slow down or speed up a poem and how to work with how a poem looks on the page. 2-3:15 p.m., Wed., March 29, 302 Grubbs Hall, PSU

Poetry, Kansas, and A More Perfect Union: Kansas Poets Laureate and the Democratic Nature of Poetry -- with Denise Low, Eric McHenry, Kevin Rabas, and Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg: "When something's going to happen in this country, it happens first in Kansas." - William Allen White. Poetry can show us who and where we are in real time, including what's emerging in our lives, communities, and culture. Kansas has a tradition of serving as a bellwether, showing the country and the world where we as a people are heading. Listen to several past Kansas poets laureate talk about the democratic nature of poetry and how we can experience poetry as a gateway to greater freedom and civic engagement. 4-5:30 p.m. Wed., March 29, Axe Library, 1605 S. Joplin St., PSU.

An Evening with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg -- Reading & Reception: Come to a retrospective reading with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, who will share some transformative moments in her poetry, memoir, and fiction as well as how becoming a transformative language artist working with many communities over decades has brought her great meaning, insights, and wonder, 7-8:30 p.m., Wed., March 29, Axe Library, 1605 Joplin St., PSU.