Tag: Ames Writers Collective

Words Meet Art at Arts As Alchemy Forgetting to Remember Pieces of Me

Join Ames Writers Collective Founder, Ana McCracken for an evening of Words Meet Art held in partnership with “Arts As Alchemy Forgetting to Remember Pieces of Me” a collage exhibit titled, “Pieces of Me” by of artist, author, and musician, Deb Kline.

These events will be held in the Gallery in the Round located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames.

Words Meet Art is a literary arts event celebrating the intersection of words and art, which is referred to as ekphrastic response. Ekphrastic work combines vivid description by a writer of a piece of art, essentially representing a “painting in words.” During this evening’s event, writers may write prose, memoir or poetry in response to the collages featured in the exhibit, “Pieces of Me.”

 

Words Meet Art at Arts As Alchemy Forgetting to Remember Pieces of Me

Join Ames Writers Collective Founder, Ana McCracken for an evening of Words Meet Art held in partnership with “Arts As Alchemy Forgetting to Remember Pieces of Me” a collage exhibit titled, “Pieces of Me” by of artist, author, and musician, Deb Kline.

These events will be held in the Gallery in the Round located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames.

Words Meet Art is a literary arts event celebrating the intersection of words and art, which is referred to as ekphrastic response. Ekphrastic work combines vivid description by a writer of a piece of art, essentially representing a “painting in words.” During this evening’s event, writers may write prose, memoir or poetry in response to the collages featured in the exhibit, “Pieces of Me.”

 

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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!

 

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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.

Open Write Tuesday with Speculative Fiction Author Rachel Aukes

Join Rachel Aukes for our Open Write Tuesday on Zoom.

WHAT’S AN OPEN WRITE?

We Zoom in, share what we’re working on, and write for ~90 minutes. At the end, we share our successes, and sign off. Easy peasy.

Click here to register for the Zoom link.

To learn about Rachel and what she’s written and published, check her out here.

Open Write Tuesday with YA & Modern Crime Author Kris Abel-Helwig

Join Kris Abel-Helwig for our Open Write Tuesday on Zoom.

WHAT’S AN OPEN WRITE?

We Zoom in, share what we’re working on, and write for ~90 minutes. At the end, we share our successes, and sign off. Easy peasy.

Click here to register for the Zoom link.

To learn about Kris and what she’s written and published, check her out here.

Categories
In The Media News

Author Spotlight | Poets Paul Brooke & Jennifer Knox

Here at the Ames Writers Collective we like to refer to Paul and Jen as the Jen and Paul Show. Together they will entertain you with banter,  conversation and poetry sure to make you laugh and to consider the wild outdoors!

This evening produced by the Ames Writers Collective and KHOI Community Radio Station is teaser for Poetry Palooza!, which is scheduled for April 19 through 20, 2024.

ABOUT THE POETS

Dr. Paul Brooke is a Professor and the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he teaches Advanced Creative Writing, Environmental Literature, Creative Photography, Experimental Photography, Fiction, Poetry Writing, Introduction to Nonfiction, Editing and Digital Publishing, Contemporary Literature, Diverse Voices, Novel Writing, Major Authors, and Literary Theory. He has won awards for outstanding advising, scholarship, and teaching while at Grand View University, plus granted two sabbaticals. To read more about his, check him out on our Author Spotlight page.

Jennifer L. Knox is the author of five books of poems: Crushing It (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), Days of Shame & Failure (Bloof Books, 2018), The Mystery of the Hidden Driveway (Bloof Books, 2010), Drunk by Noon (Bloof Books, 2007), and A Gringo Like Me (Bloof Books, 2005).

Known for their dark, imaginative humor, her poems have appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, the American Poetry Review, Granta, McSweeney’s, five times in the Best American Poetry series, and the 2022 Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses anthology. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times and Washington Post. To learn more about Jen, check her out on our Author Spotlight page.

ABOUT POETRY PALOOZA?

Inspired by an educational and entertainment event of nearly 20 years ago, this creative experience – Poetry Palooza! – has been a long time in the making.

​In 2023, Poetry& worked in partnership with Humanities Iowa, Mainframe Studios, Franklin Jr. High Event Center, and the Iowa Poetry Association to make Poetry Palooza! a dynamic, interactive, and integrated performing arts experience.

​This three-day festival celebrated Midwestern Poets Laureate, cultivated students and emerging talent, and demonstrated the positive power of poetry.

Author Spotlight | Poets Paul Brooke & Jennifer Knox

Here at the Ames Writers Collective we like to refer to Paul and Jen as the Jen and Paul Show. Together they will entertain you with banter,  conversation and poetry sure to make you laugh and to consider the wild outdoors!

This evening produced by the Ames Writers Collective and KHOI Community Radio Station is teaser for Poetry Palooza!, which is scheduled for April 19 through 20, 2024.

ABOUT THE POETS

Dr. Paul Brooke is a Professor and the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he teaches Advanced Creative Writing, Environmental Literature, Creative Photography, Experimental Photography, Fiction, Poetry Writing, Introduction to Nonfiction, Editing and Digital Publishing, Contemporary Literature, Diverse Voices, Novel Writing, Major Authors, and Literary Theory. He has won awards for outstanding advising, scholarship, and teaching while at Grand View University, plus granted two sabbaticals. To read more about his, check him out on our Author Spotlight page.

Jennifer L. Knox is the author of five books of poems: Crushing It (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), Days of Shame & Failure (Bloof Books, 2018), The Mystery of the Hidden Driveway (Bloof Books, 2010), Drunk by Noon (Bloof Books, 2007), and A Gringo Like Me (Bloof Books, 2005).

Known for their dark, imaginative humor, her poems have appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, the American Poetry Review, Granta, McSweeney’s, five times in the Best American Poetry series, and the 2022 Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses anthology. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times and Washington Post. To learn more about Jen, check her out on our Author Spotlight page.

ABOUT POETRY PALOOZA?

Inspired by an educational and entertainment event of nearly 20 years ago, this creative experience – Poetry Palooza! – has been a long time in the making.

​In 2023, Poetry& worked in partnership with Humanities Iowa, Mainframe Studios, Franklin Jr. High Event Center, and the Iowa Poetry Association to make Poetry Palooza! a dynamic, interactive, and integrated performing arts experience.

​This three-day festival celebrated Midwestern Poets Laureate, cultivated students and emerging talent, and demonstrated the positive power of poetry.