Tag: Ames Public Library

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups

Join on  November 10th for the 2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group held from 2 to 4 PM at the Ames Public Library. We are scheduled to meet in the P.E.O. room, but check monitors incase the location changes.
We supply notebooks, pens and other materials to prompt and inspire stories. This Sunday, Ana McCracken will lead the Swift Youth Writers group. She looks forward to writing with those of you who can join her.
Swift Youth Writers Groups are an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program held in partnership with the Ames Public Library. The Ames Writers Collective community outreach programs are funded by grants and generous donors.
Join us! Happy Writing!

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups

Join us on October 12th for the 2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group held from 2 to 4 PM at the Ames Public Library. We are scheduled to meet in the P.E.O. room, but check monitors incase the location changes.
We supply notebooks, pens and other materials to prompt and inspire stories. This Sunday, Claire Kruesel will lead the Swift Youth Writers group. She looks forward to writing with those of you who can join her.
Swift Youth Writers Groups are an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program held in partnership with the Ames Public Library. The Ames Writers Collective community outreach programs are funded by grants and generous donors.
Join us! Happy Writing!

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups

It’s almost Fall and the start of the new school year, which means the 2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups are starting up again.
On Sunday, September 8th, Linea King kicks off the Swift Youth Writers groups series. She looks forward to writing with those of you who can join her from 2 to 4 PM at the Ames Public Library. We are scheduled to meet in the P.E.O. room, but check monitors incase the location changes.
We supply notebooks, pens and other materials to prompt and inspire stories. You can learn about Linea and her writing philosophy by clicking here.
Swift Youth Writers Groups are an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program held in partnership with the Ames Public Library. The Ames Writers Collective community outreach programs are funded by grants and generous donors.
Join us! Happy Writing!
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In The Media News

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group & Linea King

Hey Youth Writers! It’s almost fall and time to write at our monthly Swift Youth Writers Groups held on the 2nd Sundays of the month at the Ames Public Library.

This month, join our talented and fun-loving writer and facilitator, Linea King. Click here to read about Linea and her writing philosophy.

Youth writers meet upstairs in the P.E.O. Room from 2 to 4 PM. Do check the monitors incase of room changes. We supply notebooks and pens, and other supplies to prompt and inspire stories.

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups are offered as an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program in partnership with the Ames Public Library.

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In The Media News

On YouTube | If You Missed the Live Celebrating Cather 150 Event…

If you missed the live “Celebrating Cather 150” event at the Ames Public Library on February 28th, it was recorded and posted to YouTube.

That evening the event featured Rachel Olsen, Director of Education and Engagement at the National Willa Cather Center and Ana McCracken, founder of the Ames Writers Collective. Olsen’s work at the National Willa Cather Center focuses on creating opportunities to preserve Cather’s literary history and bring it to life for modern readers. McCracken and Olsen read from a mix of Cather’s works, bringing a modern context to her words. The goal was to introduce new readers to Cather’s works, and reintroduce those who may have read Cather earlier in life.

For more information about the National Willa Cather Center, click here. Registrations are currently open for the 69th Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference to be held Thursday, June 6 to Saturday, June 8th in Red Cloud, Nebraska.

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In The Media News

Swift Youth Writers FREE Creative Writing Workshop June 24 to 28

Open to 6th to 12th Graders
Five consecutive sessions – June 24 to 28th
10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: Ames Public Library
FREE

In partnership with the Ames Public Library, our Swift Youth Writers Workshops offer kids an escape into creative writing and the opportunity to connect with other youth writers.

Regardless of genre, for five days writers will come together in a safe space to read an inspirational piece of writing and write together to timed-writing prompts. At the end of each session, writers will be invited to read aloud to the group to receive positive feedback.

These sessions are based upon the Amherst Writers & Artists Method, a methodology rooted in the belief that everyone is a writer. All feedback given is focused on the unique voice and strengths of the writer to encourage and model authenticity, peer support, and self-confidence.

 

These FREE sessions are held at the Ames Public Library. The Ames Writers Collective’s Community Outreach programs are funded by our generous donors, and held in partnership between the Ames Public Library and the Ames Writers Collective.

From one of our previous Youth Writers: “I learned from sharing my work with the group that I’m more confident than I thought. I felt that sharing with the group allowed for fair criticism that allowed me to improve my writing and it helped boost my confidence in my work.” -RC

Email Us to Register Today!

Please include your name, your teenager’s name, and your phone number in your message.

Class of 2023!
Class of 2022!

 

Categories
In The Media News

Celebrating 150 Years of Willa Cather by Megan Klein-Hewett

BY MEGAN KLEIN-HEWETT

The acclaimed American author, Willa Cather, would have been 150 years old on December 7, 2023. On February 28, from 7-8 pm, join the Ames Writers Collective, the National Willa Cather Center, and Ames Public Library to honor Cather’s great life and works in the Library’s Auditorium, or on Zoom.

Some of Cather’s most popular works, like “My Antonia” and “O Pioneers!” were heavily influenced by her time spent in Red Cloud, Nebraska, now the home of the National Willa Cather Center. Ames Writers Collective Executive Director and founder, Ana McCracken, serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Willa Cather Center and brought the 150 Years of Willa Cather celebration to Ames.

“As a fan of Cather’s work, I have come to realize how relevant Cather’s writing is. Her characters, while set in the past, still speak to us about human triumphs and tribulations. Their struggles are universal, and through nation-wide Cather 150 Celebrations, the National Willa Cather Center hopes to reignite interest in Cather’s writing,” said McCracken.

In 2023, a statue of Cather was unveiled in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol to represent the state of Nebraska. The statue, by Nebraska Artist Littleton Alston, is only the twelfth woman to be included in the Statuary Hall Collection. A miniature replica of Cather’s bronze statue will be on display in the Ames Public Library lobby leading up to the Cather event.

McCracken will be one of two readers sharing Cather’s words at the event. She will be joined by Rachel Olsen, Director of Education and Engagement at the National Willa Cather Center. Olsen’s work focuses on creating opportunities to preserve Cather’s literary history and bring it to life for modern readers. McCracken and Olsen will read from a mix of Cather’s works, bringing a modern context to her words. The goal is to introduce new readers to Cather’s works, and reintroduce those who may have read Cather earlier in life.

Birthday cupcakes and coffee will be available, and attendees can enter into a drawing to win copies of Cather’s books and other giveaways. Information about the Ames Writers Collective and the National Willa Cather Center will be available.

Join us on February 28 at 7 pm for a joyful celebration of Willa Cather!

June 24 to 28, 2024 | Swift Youth Writers Workshop

Open to 6th to 12th Graders
Five consecutive sessions – June 24 to 28th
10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: Ames Public Library
FREE

In partnership with the Ames Public Library, our Swift Youth Writers Workshops offer kids an escape into creative writing and the opportunity to connect with other youth writers.

Regardless of genre, for five days writers will come together in a safe space to read an inspirational piece of writing and write together to timed-writing prompts. At the end of each session, writers will be invited to read aloud to the group to receive positive feedback.

These sessions are based upon the Amherst Writers & Artists Method, a methodology rooted in the belief that everyone is a writer. All feedback given is focused on the unique voice and strengths of the writer to encourage and model authenticity, peer support, and self-confidence.

 

These FREE sessions are held at the Ames Public Library. The Ames Writers Collective’s Community Outreach programs are funded by our generous donors, and held in partnership between the Ames Public Library and the Ames Writers Collective.

From one of our previous Youth Writers: “I learned from sharing my work with the group that I’m more confident than I thought. I felt that sharing with the group allowed for fair criticism that allowed me to improve my writing and it helped boost my confidence in my work.” -RC

Email Us to Register Today!

Please include your name, your teenager’s name, and your phone number in your message.

Class of 2023!
Class of 2022!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This FREE Ames Writers Collective Community Outreach Program is funded by a Kiwanis Club of Ames Grant, and held in partnership between the Ames Public Library and the Ames Writers Collective.

Categories
In The Media News

Ames Writers Collective Awarded ACAC Arts in Education Grant

The Ames Community Arts Council has awarded the Ames Writers Collective an Arts in Education Grant to help fund teen-poetry workshops taught by poet, performer and producer, Caleb Rainey.

During the month of January at the Ames Public Library, Rainey will lead three generative poetry workshops for Central Iowa Youth. Following the workshops, youth are eligible and encouraged to submit a poem for a “blind read” contest. Two winning poems will be scored by the “Langston Hughes Project” composer, Dr. Ron McCurdy. Caleb Rainey will perform the poems accompanied by Dr. McCurdy’s music on February 8th to open the “Langston Hughes Project Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” at Stephens Auditorium on February 8, 2024.

“We are thrilled to support a youth poetry program that will be set to music and performed on stage at Stephens Auditorium,” said Jennifer Brockpahler, Director of the Ames Community Arts Council.

The Ames Writers Collective is grateful to the Ames Community Arts Council for their generous support, and for Stephens Auditorium for bringing the “Langston Hughes Project” to Ames, Iowa.

ARTIST BIOS

Dr. Ron McCurdy,  is a Professor of Music in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he served as chair of the jazz department for 6 years. Dr. McCurdy is a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs including serving as director of the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Guest artists he has worked with include Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Leslie Uggams, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schuur, Ramsey Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Dr. Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, and Dianne Reeves.

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. He hails from Columbia, Missouri, and holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Iowa. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, became Amazon’s #1 new release in African American poetry, and was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize. His second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019 and featured on Iowa Public Radio. He released two spoken word albums, a studio version of Look, Black Boy, and a performance album titled, Heart Notes Live! He co-founded the literary magazine Black Art; Real Stories, was published in Iowa’s Best Emerging Poets – 2019, the Little Village Magazine, and wrote a monthly column for The Real Mainstream. For three years in a row he was named Best Poet/Spoken Word Performer in Cedar Rapids & Iowa City.

Swift Youth Writers Poetry Workshop

Youth writers, listen up! You are invited to join poet Caleb Rainey for three poetry workshops designed especially for Central Iowa Youth. These workshops are completely free and will be held in-person and as a hybrid option at the Ames Public Library on January 7th, 14th, and 21st from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

The workshops will build upon each other to prepare you for a contest where you can submit your best poem. After the workshops, a panel of poets will conduct a “blind read” contest, with two poems being chosen for scoring by Dr. Ron McCurdy, the composer of the “Langston Hughes Project.” To kick off the performance at Stephens Auditorium on February 8th, Caleb Rainey will perform the selected poems, accompanied by Dr. McCurdy’s music.

POETRY WORKSHOP DETAILS
Location: Ames Public Library / Hybrid
2 to 4 PM on all Dates

Jan 7—Generative poetry workshop
Jan 14—Poetry Revision Workshop
Jan 21—Revised Poetry Workshop
Jan 21—Submit your poem to the contest

This one-of-a-kind opportunity is funded in part by an Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) Special Project Grant and a Discover Ames Community Grant. Don’t miss your chance to develop your poetry skills and showcase your talent!

Registration is required. Click Here!

ARTIST BIOS

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. He hails from Columbia, Missouri, and holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Iowa. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, became Amazon’s #1 new release in African American poetry, and was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize. His second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019 and featured on Iowa Public Radio. He released two spoken word albums, a studio version of Look, Black Boy, and a performance album titled, Heart Notes Live! He co-founded the literary magazine Black Art; Real Stories, was published in Iowa’s Best Emerging Poets – 2019, the Little Village Magazine, and wrote a monthly column for The Real Mainstream. For three years in a row he was named Best Poet/Spoken Word Performer in Cedar Rapids & Iowa City.

Dr. McCurdy,  is a Professor of Music in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he served as chair of the jazz department for 6 years. Dr. McCurdy is a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs including serving as director of the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Guest artists he has worked with include Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Leslie Uggams, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schuur, Ramsey Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Dr. Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, and Dianne Reeves.