The Wyoming Book Festival -- www.wyomingbookfestival.org -- is less than a month away! The festival takes place Sept. 14-15 at downtown venues in Cheyenne, Wyoming and will have some great poetry offerings, so make plans now to attend. On Friday, September 14 join Linda Hasselstrom at 12:30 p.m. at the Laramie County Library for a 1-hour workshop, "Ragtime Rhythm: How To Syncopate Your Poems." She will discuss and demonstrate writing with appropriate rhythm in both rhymed and free verse, with handouts so students can practice at home. On Saturday, September 15, all day poetry offerings begin at 9 a.m. on the Wyoming Arts Council lawn, 2320 Capitol Ave. Readings by H.L. Hix, Craig Arnold, David Romtvedt, B.J. Buckley, Paisley Rekdal and Robert Roripaugh. Robert Roripaugh's keynote address on Willa Cather's My Antonia at 10:30 a.m. in the Libraries tent (West Capitol lawn) to kick off the state's first Big Read project -- www.wyomingbigread.org. A session on the Wyoming Humanities Council's new Wyoming Fencelines anthology at 11:15 a.m. at the Arts Council. Also on the Arts Council lawn beginning at 2:30 p.m., a special panel discussion: "Poetry in the American West." Is the influence of place in the American West a significant benefit for contemporary poetry. Is there a great Western poem? A great collection of Western poetry? Craig Arnold will moderate, Rekdal, Romtvedt and Hix will be on the panel.
Still in planning stages, a poetry slam the evening of Saturday, Sept. 15. Watch for more information!
