Calendar of events

Upcoming in 2017 |
Ongoing/Weekly/Monthly |
Previous events

Dates, locations, and times are subject to change. Some workshops or events may charge a fee. Contact us to submit your event.

Upcoming in 2017

September

Library Card Sign-up Month, Nationwide
September 2, 2017 National Book Festival, Washington, D.C.
September 6, 2017 Book Release - Author Signing - Kay Logan Peters, Lincoln, NE. 5:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Kay Logan-Peters will share her book, University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Reception and Book Signing. Books available for pre-order at Francie & Finch or purchase the night of the event.
September 7, 2017 Banned Book: A Discussion on the Mari Sandoz Novel "Slogum House", Lincoln, NE. 6:30 p.m. Cottonwood Cafe Bistro Bar, 440 South 11th Street. Fascism. Murder. Prostitution. Slogum House raised a few eyebrows when it was published in 1937. The City of Omaha banned it in 1938, and the U.S. Military banned it during World War II. Read Mari Sandoz's first novel, and join the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society-led book discussion.
September 8-10, 2017 Oh/Pioneers Play by A.P. Andrews, Red Cloud, NE. Red Cloud Opera House, 413 North Webster Street. After the death of her father, Alexandra Bergson takes over her family's farm in the small town of Hanover, Nebraska. As she struggles to make ends meet, she is also forced to deal with the advances of Carl, a man who is after her affections, and the dealings of Emil, her brother, a dreamer who can't seem to keep his feet on the ground. Oh/Pioneers is a play about how hard we try: and how the land itself will always win.
September 14, 2017 Jonis Agee - Author Visit, Omaha, NE. 7:00 p.m. Milton R. Abrahams Branch. Come and hear Jonis Agee speak about Bones of Paradise, the Omaha Reads book selection for 2017. Omaha Reads is a campaign to promote literacy and provide the City with a common theme to discuss. Agee is the author of twelve books including bestselling book The River Wife. Copies of Bones of Paradise will be available for purchase and signing following a Q&A session.
September 17, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Margie Lukas is a retired Creative Writing professor of University of Nebraska Omaha. She’ll talk about creative writing techniques and read from her book, Farthest House. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
September 17, 2017 Book Circle: "Black Elk Speaks" - Chapter 19, Bancroft, NE. 2:00 p.m. John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. oin us this Sunday at the Museum for a selected reading of Black Elk Speaks followed by discussion and refreshments. unday at the Museum is a weekly program commemorating Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks as One Book One Nebraska 2017.
September 20, 2017 Three Rivers Library System: Fall Library Workshop, Norfolk, NE. 8:45 a.m. Lifelong Learning Center, 801 E Benjamin Ave. Join the Three Rivers Library System for the 2017 Fall Library Workshop! A total of 6 CE credit hours are available. The registration fee is $10 and lunch is provided.
September 21, 2017 Author Presentation: Joe Starita, La Vista, NE. 6:30 p.m. La Vista Public Library. Author Joe Starita will be giving a presentation and discussing his newest book A Warrior of the People: The Indomitable Courage of Susan La Flesche - America's First Indian Doctor. A University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Joe Starita also wrote “I Am a Man: Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice” in 2009.
September 23, 2017 Author Signing Event with Bruce Arant, Omaha, NE. 10:00 a.m. The Bookworm Omaha. Bruce Arant, author of the succesful storybook Simpson's Sheep Won't Go to Sleep! is back with round two in Simpson's Sheep Just Want to Sleep! From pounding on pots and pans to playing a screechy violin, Farmer Simpson makes all sorts of loud noises to wake up his sheep, but nothing works! Join us at 10:00 a.m. for a reading and singing of Bruce's new storybook!
September 24-30, 2017 Banned Books Week, Nationwide
September 28, 2017 2017 Pilster Lecture: Nebraska Before it was Nebraska, Chadron, NE. Chadron State College. The 2017 Pilster Great Plains Lecture will be given by Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) who will present Nebraska before it was Nebraska. Pawnees lived in the Loup and Platte River Valleys hundreds of years before Europeans arrived in North America, but they were removed from Nebraska in 1876. The lecture is always free to the public. A reception and book signing will be held following the lecture at the CSC Student Center.
September 28, 2017 Walking With a Dream: John Neihardt's Preparation for Black Elk Speaks, Tilden, NE. 5:00 p.m. Raymond A. Whitwer Public Library. Timothy G. Anderson is a 2017 OBON presenter. John G. Neihardt and Nicholas Black Elk hit it off the first time they met. In a sense, both men had long been preparing for this meeting. Black Elk knew white storytellers from traveling with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and Neihardt had spent years interviewing elderly Omaha tribal members near Bancroft, Nebraska. This allowed them to forge a bond that produced a 20th Century religious classic.
September 28-30, 2017 Mari Sandoz Conference: Nebraska 150 and the Future, Chadron, NE. Chadron State College. The Conference is open to anyone. Registration is required, except for the Pilster Great Plains Lecture which is free and open to the public. The 2017 Sandoz Society annual conference celebrates Nebraska’s sesquicentennial. Friday presentations begin with Twyla M. Hansen, the Nebraska State Poet, who will be reading from her published works and from new compositions in honor of Nebraska’s 150th statehood anniversary. She will be followed by Steven Rolfsmeier, director of the Herbarium at Chadron State College, and Robert Roy Foresman, this year’s Sandoz Research Award recipient.
September 28-30, 2017 Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festivalrs, Seward, NE. 7:30 p.m. Concordia University. The award-winning Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival was founded in 1996 and seeks to encourage a love of reading, writing and books by bringing nationally renowned authors and illustrators to Nebraska.
September 28-October 1, 2017 Write on the River 2017, Brownsville, NE. River Inn B&B. If you're looking for inspiration and community, join novelists Karen Gettert Shoemaker and Amy Hassinger for a weekend writing workshop. The weekend will include craft talks and conversation, writing time and writing guidance, all focused on helping each participant expand skills and open up to the possibilities of the writing life. There will be plenty of free time to write, and the presence of the river for inspiration.
September 30, 2017 Celebrate: Backwaters Press 20th Anniversary Party, Omaha, NE. 6:00 p.m. Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas St. The Backwaters Press turns 20 and we want to celebrate with you! Party with MC Todd “The Toddfather” Robinson and enjoy the Zydeco music of the Prairie Gators. Take a chance on winning exciting raffle prizes! Snap celebrity selfies in our poetry photo booth. Check out the amazing art and photography of our silent auction. Kick back with other lovers of literature. Sip on the BWP specialty cocktail, the Cattail Quencher (available for purchase along with a BWP commemorative glass). Nonalcoholic version available as well.
Contact us to submit your September 2017 event.

October

October 3, 2017 Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities: It Happened Here: Why National Conflicts Have Centered on the Great Plains, Omaha, NE. 7:30 p.m. Holland Performing Arts Center. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author T. J. Stiles will deliver the 22nd annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities. Stiles won the Pulitzer for History (2016), and the Pulitzer for Biography (2010), as well as the National Book Award for Nonfiction (2009). Stiles will use the opportunity of Nebraska’s 150th anniversary of statehood to address the state’s centrality to American history. He will draw from his work on Custer and other historical figures to explore geographical and other factors that made Nebraska a battleground in a series of conflicts that shaped national – and continental – history.
October 10, 2017 One Author Kearney: William Kent Krueger, Kearney, NE. 7:00 p.m. Kearney Public Library. Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. Ordinary Grace, his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. His last seven novels were all New York Times bestsellers. Sulfur Springs, number sixteen in his Cork O’Connor series, will be released in September 2017.
October 11-13, 2017 2017 NLA/NSLA Joint Conference, Kearney, NE. Younes Conference Center, 416 Talmadge Street. Providing Access to the Good Life for All. Join us for professional workshops and keynote speakers Jill Bourne, and Todd Burleson. See all the amazing sessions being offered on the NLA website's NLA/NSLA 2017: Program at a Glance.
October 15, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Authors Chris Wevik and Bonnie Lacy will talk about their books, writings, and will do readings. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
October 20, 2017 Behind The Meaning of Names, West Point, NE. 7:00 p.m., John A. Stahl Public Library, 330 N. Colfax St. Join Karen Gettert Shoemaker, author of The Meaning of Names, discusses the role of family stories and historic research in the writing of her historic novel The Meaning of Names.
October 21, 2017 Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting, Lincoln, NE. 1:30 p.m., Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North. The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m., just prior to the Celebration of Nebraska Books.
October 21, 2017 Celebration of Nebraska Books, Lincoln, NE. 2:30 p.m., Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North. Join us to celebrate Nebraska Books! The celebration, free and open to the public, features presentations of the Nebraska Center for the Book's Nebraska Book Awards, Mildred Bennett Award and Jane Geske Award. Featured winning authors will read from their work and sign copies of their books. Featuring the 2017 One Book One Nebraska selection Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt with Timothy Anderson. The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m., just prior to the celebration. An Awards Reception honoring the winning authors, book signing, and an announcement of the 2018 One Book One Nebraska book choice will conclude the festivities.
October 22, 2017 Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman, Omaha, NE. 3:15 p.m., Omaha Public Library, 215 S 15th St. n her book Death Zones and Darling Spies, Beverly Deepe Keever champions women as capable war correspondents and trounces the misconception that the American press "lost" the war. UNL history lecturer Thomas Berg will discuss Keever's exploration of the war's poorly understood and under-appreciated earliest years, and how she demonstrates that the president and his advisers—by hubris, ignorance, and choice—missed significant opportunities to understand and fight the war.
Contact us to submit your October 2017 event.

November

November 4, 2017 Columbus Public Library Book Festival, Columbus, NE. 2:00 p.m. Columbus Public Library. Independently and self-published authors are welcome to promote, sell, and sign their books at this event. The library will provide refreshments for authors and attendees. This year’s event will offer an opportunity for authors to read an excerpt of their work. During the two hour event, there will be eight 5-minute time slots for readers. If more than eight authors express interest in reading at the book festival, readers will be selected by random drawing.
November 12, 2017 Laureate's Feast, Omaha, NE. 6:00 p.m. Swanson Conference Center at the Fort Omaha Campus of Metropolitan Community College. The John G. Neihardt Foundation will host the 18th annual Laureate’s Feast dinner and auction fundraiser. The evening event will include a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception with musical entertainment, a gourmet meal prepared by the Metro Community College Institute of Culinary Arts, plus live and silent auctions.
November 19, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Johnnye Gehrhardt will talk about the film industry. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
Contact us to submit your November 2017 event.

December

December 17, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. A Reception to meet the Sundays at Red Path 2018 NWG Authors. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
Contact us to submit your December 2017 event.

Past 2017 Events

January

January 5, 2017 2017 January: An Evening at Mo Java, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Mo Java Cafe and Roasting Co., 48th and St. Paul. We have a songster, Kelly McGovern, writer/poet/tteacher Erik Campbell, and Deborah McGinn with some of her cohorts from the Tuesdays with Writers group -- come in and visit, listen, ask pertinent questions!! We gather each first Thursday at Mo Java with a songwriter or two, and a few writers, and listen, and visit, and share some stuff -- come on down yourself to see what all the gaggling is about.
January 15, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Tamsen Butler of Omaha will be presenting Writing After a Stroke – a humorous presentation. She’s funny, smart, and a great speaker. She teaches about public speaking, using humor in public speaking, and is proof that one can recover from a stroke and continue a very full life! If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
January 17-21, 2017 Storytelling Festival, Kearney, NE. 12:00 noon. Kearney Public Library. Celebrate the 30th year of the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival with national award-winning storytellers Kim Weitkamp, Andy Offutt Irwin, and Bil Lepp who will return to Kearney for the weeklong festival.
January 21, 2017 Author Visit: Storytime with Tevin & Nichole Hansen, Lincoln, NE. 2:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Join us for storytime fun with local authors Tevin and Nichole Hansen. A special event for children 2-6 years olk. Featuring thier book Kids Count, songs games and coloring.
January 24, 2017 Library to Host Local Author: Janita Pavelka, Holdrege, NE. 5:30 p.m. Holdrege Public Library. Local author and entrepreneur Janita Pavelka is an award-winning entrepreneurship educator who has helped launch over 350 young entrepreneurs. Pavelka has a degree in Social Work/Psychology and Education, and has been an educator, speaker and presenter for 26 years. She has been featured on TV and radio, in newspapers, magazines, books and blogs telling her family’s story and spreading the message of youth entrepreneurship. She will discuss her book, Starting Young: The Abc’s and 123’s of Owning a Business by Age 6 and will have copies of her books available for purchase.
January 31, 2017 Nebraska through Song and Story, Seward, NE. 1:00 p.m. Lied Senior Center, 1010 Manor Dr. This program interweaves songs, accompanied on guitar and harmonica, with excerpts from works by Willa Cather, John Neihardt, Mari Sandoz and Bess Streeter Aldrich. In a narrative from about 1850 to 1904, it tells the stories of the people who came to and through early Nebraska, the pioneers who crossed the overland trails, the settlers and the Native Americans.

February

February 1, 2017 The Backwaters Press Reading Series, Omaha, NE. 7:00 p.m. Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth. Please join us for this free reading event featuring three fine authors, Kwame Dawes, Lisa Fay Coutley, and Michael Skau. Come for the poetry, stay for the art, savor the desserts.
February 2, 2017 The Legacy of Neihardt and Black Elk, North Platte, NE. 12:00 noon. North Platte Public Library. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by Nancy Gillis, former Director John G. Neihardt Historical Site. This presentation explores the remarkable legacy of a unique personal and spiritual friendship begun in 1931 between the Lakota holy man Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. It includes brief biographies of each man, their meetings, and its impact on adding to the knowledge of Lakota culture, Native American philosophies, and the possibilities of cross-cultural recognition and respect.
February 3, 2017 The Legacy of Neihardt and Black Elk, Lincoln, NE. 6:15 p.m. Autumn Wood Community Center, 5633 N 26th Place. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by Nancy Gillis, former Director John G. Neihardt Historical Site. This presentation explores the remarkable legacy of a unique personal and spiritual friendship begun in 1931 between the Lakota holy man Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. It includes brief biographies of each man, their meetings, and its impact on adding to the knowledge of Lakota culture, Native American philosophies, and the possibilities of cross-cultural recognition and respect.
February 12, 2017 Author Presentation: Joe Starita, Columbus, NE. 2:00 p.m. Columbus Public Library, lower level art gallery. The Friends of the Columbus Public Library are thrilled to bring Joe Starita for a presentation discussing his newest book A Warrior of the People: The Indomitable Courage of Susan La Flesche - America's First Indian Doctor. A University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Joe Starita also wrote “I Am a Man: Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice” in 2009.
February 13, 2017 Family Stories into Literature: The Role of Gossip and Research in Fiction, Grand Island, NE. 7:00 p.m. Stuhr Museum’s Reynolds Research Center, 3133 Hwy 34. Presented by 2016 One Book One Nebraska author Karen Gettert Shoemaker, this presentation focuses on the ways writers can use family stories and history to write literature. Sometimes the voices in our heads are enough. Sometimes we need to look beyond the boundaries of self to find the best that is within us. This presentation discusses the ways to excavate history, both our own and the world’s, as a way to finding the true stories only we can write.
February 19, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Authors Laura Madeline Wiseman & Charlene Neely will host poetry readings and discussion. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
February 19, 2017 Sunday at the Museum with the Dick Cavett Interview, Bancroft, NE. 2:00 p.m. The John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, 306 W Elm St. We will be screening Neihardt's 1971 interview on "The Dick Cavett Show" at the museum with refreshments.
February 20, 2017 A Conversation With Dick Cavett featuring Ron Hull, Wayne, NE. 6:30 p.m. Wayne State College, 1111 Main St. The Black and Gold Performing Arts Series at Wayne State College and John G. Neihardt Foundation present in the Ramsey Theatre. Hull and Cavett will also appear for a booksigning following the program with DVD's and books available for purchase at the event. Ticket admission for the event is $10 for the general public and free to Wayne State College students.
February 25, 2017 Author Visit: Michelle DeRusha, Lincoln, NE. 2:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Join us to meet Michelle DeRusha and learn about the fascinating true story of Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk. Books will be available for Michelle to sign. We'll have refreshments and a fun Saturday afternoon!

March

March 1, 2017 Nebraska Sesquicentennial Opening Ceremony, Lincoln, NE. 2:00 p.m. State Capitol Building, George W. Norris Legislative Chamber. Seating at the State Capitol is open and extremely limited. Early arrival is recommended. Overflow seating will be available in the Rotunda and Warner Chamber for the Official Ceremony at 2 p.m., which will be live streamed at netnebraska.org.
March 2, 2017 A Celebration of State Capitols by Richard Gibson, Kearney, NE. 7:00 p.m. Kearney Public Library. This presentation includes a fascinating slide show of our nation’s 50 state capitols. He will highlight their development and include breathtaking photos of the interior and exterior of the capitols as well as historical photos and vintage postcards. Unique features and interesting stories of the state houses captivate both young and old.
March 2-3, 2017 Heartland Storytelling Festival, Beatrice, NE. 9:30 a.m. Homestead National Monument. Three storytellers will present stories throughout the day. Joel Gajardo and Rosie Cutter will join Crow in presenting The Heartland Storytelling Festival-Celebrating Nebraska’s 150th. Each day during the two day festival stories will be told at 9:30 & 10:30 a.m. and then 12 noon and again at 1 p.m.
March 5, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - NORTHWEST, Chadron, NE. 1:00-5:00 p.m. Chadron Public Library. “Write What You Feel: A Prose and Poetry Workshop on Writing Emotions” Dr. Laura Madeline Wiseman, Facilitator. Together we will engage in guided writing experiments and exercises for generating new work, discuss published work as guide and inspiration, and explore issues of craft, genre, and audience on this topic.
March 12, 2017 Sunday at the Museum with Paul L. Hedren, Bancroft, NE. 2:00 p.m. John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. Join us for Sunday at the Museum as historian Paul Hedren presents A Terrible Battle in a Terrible Indian War. Hedren will present information from his latest book, Powder River: Disastrous Opening of the Great Sioux War with book signing to follow the event. Sunday at the Museum is a weekly program celebrating Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks as 2017 One Book One Nebraska. Museum admission and Sunday programs are free and open to the public.
March 12, 2017 A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America's First Indian Doctor, Dakota City, NE. 2:00 p.m. Old Dane Golf Course, 466 NE-35. Presented by author Joe Starita. On March 14, 1889, Susan La Flesche received her medical degree―becoming the first Native American doctor in U.S. history. She earned her degree thirty-one years before women could vote and thirty-five years before Indians could become citizens in their own country.
March 13, 2017 The Legacy of Neihardt and Black Elk, Kearney, NE. 7:00 p.m. Kearney Public Library. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection. Presented by Nancy Gillis, the former Executive Director of the John Neihardt State Historic Site and the Neihardt Foundation’s Institute for Vision and Learning. This presentation explores the remarkable legacy of a unique personal and spiritual friendship begun in 1931 between the Lakota holy man Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. It includes brief biographies of each man, their meetings, and its impact on adding to the knowledge of Lakota culture, Native American philosophies, and the possibilities of cross-cultural recognition and respect.
March 15, 2017 Storytelling of the Dakota, Omaha, NE. 6:50 p.m. St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 17007 Q St. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by Joyzelle Gingway Godfrey, a retired college professor who taught Lakota Studies for Sinte Gleska University in South Dakota as well as English and Writing. This presentation demonstrates the historic societal structure of the Dakota people through the medium of storytelling. The adventures of the first set of twins born in the world will give a glimpse of the family structure, food gathering and beliefs of their tribal people.
March 16, 2017 A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America's First Indian Doctor, Neligh, NE. 2:00 p.m. Neligh Public Library, 710 Main St. Presented by author Joe Starita. On March 14, 1889, Susan La Flesche received her medical degree―becoming the first Native American doctor in U.S. history. She earned her degree thirty-one years before women could vote and thirty-five years before Indians could become citizens in their own country.
March 16, 2017 Lonesome Dreamer: The Life of John G. Neihardt, Neligh, NE. 7:00 p.m. Neligh Public Library, 710 Main St. 2017 One Book One Nebraska event, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. This program, which draws on Anderson’s 2016 biography of John G. Neihardt, examines the life of Nebraska’s poet laureate. Beginning with his birth in 1881 and highlighting the 30 years he lived in Nebraska, Neihardt’s life story covers the triumphs and disappointments he experienced in a publishing career of more than 70 years and the personal life that he enjoyed with his wife and four children.
March 17, 2017 Children's Stories, Animal Stories and Traditional Lakota Stories, Omaha, NE. 9:00 a.m. Walt Disney Elementary School, 5717 S. 112th St. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented my Jerome Kills Small, he tells children’s stories and animal stories that have been passed down for generations as part of the Lakota and Dakota Sioux traditions. Among the types of stories covered are iktomi (trickster tales) and ohunkanka (old legends). When speaking to adult audiences, Kills Small also analyzes the Native American storytelling tradition.
March 17, 2017 Author Event - Janis Johnston, Ed.D., Lincoln, NE. 5:30 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Join psychologist and author Janis Johnston, Ed.D. While no one wants to experience loss, there is tremendous learning to be had from grieving - whether from the loss of a job, loved one, a home, or one's own hopes and dreams..
March 19, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Kim Stokely writes fiction about Bible characters and presents skits as the characters. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
March 21, 2017 Writing Workshop: Writing Despite Everything Else, Lincoln, NE. 7:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Jessica Lohafer from Louder than a Bomb will facilitate a workshop for aspiring writers. You’ll leave this workshop with tangible ideas on how to re-focus your creative energy, so that you can continue to write, despite everything else. The session starts at 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. A $10 donation is suggested but not required.
March 24, 2017 Nebraska through Song and Story , Grand Island, NE. 7:30 p.m. Hotel Grand Conference Center, 2503 S. Locust St. This program interweaves songs, accompanied on guitar and harmonica, with excerpts from works by Willa Cather, John Neihardt, Mari Sandoz and Bess Streeter Aldrich. In a narrative from about 1850 to 1904, it tells the stories of the people who came to and through early Nebraska, the pioneers who crossed the overland trails, the settlers and the Native Americans.
March 25, 2017 AshLibCon, Ashland, NE. 9:00 a.m. Ashland Public Library. Tweens and teens this is for you, come enjoy the day at a mini-con. Other ages are welcome. We will have a different activity every hour. Have a costume to wear? Great, because we have a costume contest for you! The 501st Legion will be coming to do a discussion and to take pictures from 1-3pm. We will have a room open to card share/trade/show for all Pokemon, Magic T he Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, or any other cards you want to bring
March 25, 2017 Writers Night: featuing Juanita Rice, Lincoln, NE. 7:00 p.m. Gratitude Cafe & Bakery, 1551 N Cotner Blvd. Gratitude Cafe & Bakery monthly Writers' Night is so excited to host featured writer and poet Juanita Rice! During her life, Juanita Rice has been a writer, actor, director, professor, and scholar. Although well-known for her poetry, she has also written nonfiction, memoir, plays, literary criticism, and literary theory. Directly after featured reading will be writers open mic hosted by Paul Baker. All writers and public welcome!
March 29, 2017 John & Mona Neihardt, Wayne, NE. 3:30 p.m. Wayne State College, Connell Hall Room 131. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by authors Brad Kellogg and Raija Weiershauser. Sit down with John and Mona Neihardt, as he writes at his typewriter and she works on a sculpture. Listen in as they reminisce about their lives together, including their long distance courtship as Mona studied under Rodin in Paris and John’s travels to South Dakota to meet Black Elk.
March 29, 2017 Author Event - Casey Pycior, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Casey Pycior, fiction prize winner, will sign his debut collection of short stories, The Spoils. The writing community is all abuzz and there is rousing advance praise for this author and his piece of work. Join us for an exciting evening. Books will be available for purchase and Casey will be here to sign them.

April

April is National Poetry Month, Nationwide
April 1, 2017 John & Mona Neihardt, Columbus, NE. 2:00 p.m. Columbus Public Library, 2504 14th St. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by authors Brad Kellogg and Raija Weiershauser. Sit down with John and Mona Neihardt, as he writes at his typewriter and she works on a sculpture. Listen in as they reminisce about their lives together, including their long distance courtship as Mona studied under Rodin in Paris and John’s travels to South Dakota to meet Black Elk.
April 1, 2017 Author Signing - Tim Anderson, Lincoln, NE. 2:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. 2017 One Book One Nebraska Event. Tim Anderson met John Neihardt in 1972 when Neihardt was autographing copies of his memoir All Is But a Beginning. More than 20 years later, after re-reading Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks, Anderson was left with so many questions about the book and the author that he began researching Neihardt’s life. Lonesome Dreamer: The Life of John G. Neihardt, published in August 2016 by University of Nebraska Press, represents the answers that he found.
April 1, 2017 Reading: "Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017", Omaha, NE. 3:00 p.m. Criss Library. Just in time for the 2017 statehood commemorations, Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017, edited by Daniel Simon, will celebrate 150 years of the state’s rich literary history.
April 1-3, 2017 WillyCon XIX Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention, Wayne, NE. WillyCon is sponsored by the Wayne State College (WSC) Science Fiction and Fantasy Club and is located on the WSC campus. Programs are presented by WSC science educators, students, and guests/authors with fantasy, science fiction, and gaming topics. Includes a short-story contest, art show and auction, a masquerade show, gaming, movies, and dealer's room.
April 2, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - NORTHEAST, Norfolk, NE. 1:00-5:00 p.m. Northeast Community College, 801 E Benjamin Ave. “Formulating Story Ideas and Story Structure” Lisa Kovanda, Facilitator. Participants will learn how to distill story ideas from life events or their imagination. They will then learn how to turn their ideas into a working outline to begin writing.
April 2, 2017 John & Mona Neihardt, Norfolk, NE. 1:00 p.m. Northeast Community College, 801 E. Benjamin Ave. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by authors Brad Kellogg and Raija Weiershauser. Sit down with John and Mona Neihardt, as he writes at his typewriter and she works on a sculpture. Listen in as they reminisce about their lives together, including their long distance courtship as Mona studied under Rodin in Paris and John’s travels to South Dakota to meet Black Elk.
April 2, 2017 John H. Ames Reading Series: "Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017", Lincoln, NE. 2:00 p.m. Bennett Martin Public Library. Just in time for the 2017 statehood commemorations, Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017, edited by Daniel Simon, will celebrate 150 years of the state’s rich literary history. The book will have its official statewide launch at Lincoln’s downtown library as part of the John H. Ames Reading Series. The program will including readings by State Poet Twyla Hansen and other poets featured in the anthology, plus remarks by editor Daniel Simon. Books will be available for purchase and all royalties from the first edition will be donated to the Heritage Room Endowment Fund.
April 2, 2017 Children's Stories, Animal Stories and Traditional Lakota Stories, Norfolk, NE. 3:00 p.m. Northeast ocmmunity College, 801 E. Benjamin Ave. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Jerome Kills Small tells children’s stories and animal stories that have been passed down for generations as part of the Lakota and Dakota Sioux traditions. Among the types of stories covered are iktomi (trickster tales) and ohunkanka (old legends). When speaking to adult audiences, Kills Small also analyzes the Native American storytelling tradition.
April 5, 2017 "Poetry for Our Times" with Kwame Dawes and Friends, Lincoln, NE. 12:00 noon. Adele Coryell Hall Learning Commons. Kwame Dawes leads a reading with fellow University of Nebraska-Lincoln poets, including Hope Wabuke, Zach Mueller, Ángel García, Adrienne Christian, and Jaime Brunton. Co-sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 5, 2017 Aphrodite’s Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Lincoln, NE. 3:30 p.m. Love Library South Room 221 (Peterson Room). Poetry reading of three women activist-writers from the Harlem Renaissance profiled in Aphrodite’s Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Maureen Honey, Professor of English. Professor Honey will be joined by readers and fellow English faculty Kwakiutl Dreher, Amelia María de la Luz Montes, and Hope Wabuke. Co-sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 5, 2017 Playing Around with Words: Reading, Writing and the Creative Process, Fremont, NE. 7:00 p.m. Keene Memorial Library, 1030 North Broad St. Presented by Twyla M. Hansen, Nebraska State Poet. Creative writing is a process that thrives on practice. This writing workshop focuses on the creative process for both poetry and short prose. Twyla will use readings of her own and others’ writing, along with guided writing exercises, to create an interactive and supportive workshop. Through these exercises, participants will retrieve their own and others’ experiences to generate new possibilities for unique stories that might also be shaped into a poem or essay. For beginning and seasoned writers, middle school through adult.
April 7-8, 2017 Nebraska Writers Guild Spring Writers' Conference, LaVista, NE. 3:00 p.m. LaVista Conference Center, 12520 Westport Pkwy. Come have a great time pitching to agents, and listening to great speakers! Speakers include: Danny Manus – No Bull Script Consulting; George Ayoub – Creative Writer, Retired Journalist; Andy Ross – Andy Ross Literary Agency; Malaga Baldi – Agent & Owner Baldi Agency in New York City.
April 8, 2017 Bess Streeter Aldrich Spring Banquet, Elmwood, NE. 5:00 p.m. Bess Streeter Aldrich House, 204 East F St. This year the Spring Banquet will honor Nebraska's Sesquicentennial Birthday and A Lantern in Her Hand, a Nebraska 150 book! The night will begin at Aldrich House, where ten photographers will showcase their photography of Nebraska landscapes, landmarks, and people.
April 9-15, 2017 National Library Week, Nationwide
April 12, 2017 Poetry Reading with Biljana D. Obradovic, Lincoln, NE. 7:00 p.m. Andrews Hall Bailey Library. Biljana D. Obradovic is a Serbian-American poet and translator and an alum of the UNL Creative Writing Program. Her collections of poems include: Le Riche Monde (1999), Frozen Embraces (2001), Little Disruptions (2012), and the forthcoming Incognito (2017). She reviews books for World Literature Today and others. Her poems have been translated into Serbian, Italian, Arabic and Korean. Co-sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 13, 2017 John & Mona Neihardt, Hartington, NE. 6:30 p.m. Hartington Public Library, 106 South Broadway. 2017 One Book One Nebraska connection and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Presented by Brad Kellogg & Raija Weiershauser. Sit down with John & Mona Neihardt, as he writes at his typewriter and she works on a sculpture. Listen in as they reminisce about their lives together, including their long distance courtship as Mona studied under Rodin in Paris and John’s travels to South Dakota to meet Black Elk.
April 13, 2017 Poetry from the Plains, North Platte NE. 12:00 noon. North Platte Public Library. Presented by Twyla Hansen, Nebraska State Poet. Hansen will read selections from her poetry and discuss how the landscape of the Great Plains has inspired, influenced and shaped her writing. This presentation encourages audience questions on subjects of interest to creative writers.
April 18, 2017 Poetry Reading with Grace Bauer and Hope Wabuke, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Great Plains Art Museum. Grace Bauer’s most recent book of poems is Mean/Time, just published by the University of New Mexico Press. A 20th anniversary re-issue of her collection The Women at the Well was published in 2016. Grace has taught Creative Writing, Literature, and Women’s Studies at UNL since 1994. Hope Wabuke’s chapbook Movement No. 1: Trains was published in 2015 by dancing girl press. Her second chapbook, The Leaving, was published in 2016 by Akashic Press as part of Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani’s New Generation African Poets series. She is an Assistant Professor of English at UNL with a specialty in Creative Writing and African Poetic. Co-sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 18, 2017 Imaginary Gardens Reading Series: Katie Berger & Theodore Wheeler, Omaha, NE. 7:00 p.m. Mister Toad, 1002 Howard St. Our readings are free and open to the public. Please join authors Katie Berger and Theodore Wheeler for a reading of their most recent work.
April 19, 2017 A Sense of Place: Poetry from Programs in English as a Second Language, Lincoln, NE. 7:00 p.m. Adele Coryell Hall Learning Commons. Sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and the University Libraries Diversity Committee. Patrick Randolph and students from Programs in English as a Second Language (PIESL) will read from their work. Co-sponsored by University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 22, 2017 Reading: "Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017", Kearney, NE. 2:00 p.m. MONA, 2401 Central Ave. Just in time for the 2017 statehood commemorations, Nebraska Poetry: A Sesquicentennial Anthology, 1867–2017, edited by Daniel Simon, will celebrate 150 years of the state’s rich literary history.
April 23, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Jason Bougger will speak about writing, blogging, podcasting, young adult fiction, and being an Indie Author. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
April 25, 2017 Poetry Reading with Jeff Alessandrelli and Trey Moody, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Love Library South Room 221 (Peterson Room). Jeff Alessandrelli and Trey Moody are alumni of the Creative Writing Program from the Department of English. Jeff Alessandrelli is the author of the little book Erik Satie Watusies His Way Into Sound (Ravenna Press) and three chapbooks, including Don't Let Me Forget to Feed the Sharks (Poor Claudia). Trey Moody is the author of Thought That Nature (Sarabande Books, 2014), selected by Cole Swensen for the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry. Co-sponsored by the Department of English and its Creative Writing Program and University of Nebraska Libraries.
April 25, 2017 Author Night, Holdrege, NE. 6:30 p.m. Holdrege Area Public Library. Nebraska author Bonnie Lacy is back to talk about her newest book, Rescued. She has written several adult contemporary novels, three children’s books, and over fifty short stores and articles. Join us for a fun and informative evening!
April 27, 2017 The Legacy of Neihardt and Black Elk Beatrice, NE, 7:00 p.m., Beatrice Public Library, 100 No. 16th St. Explore with Nancy Gillis the legacy of a unique personal and spiritual friendship between the Lakota holy man Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. It includes brief biographies of each man, their meetings, and its impact on adding to the knowledge of Lakota culture, Native American philosophies, and the possibilities of cross-cultural recognition and respect.
April 28-30, 2017 Constellation 8: Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention Lincoln, NE, Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. ConStellation is Lincoln's annual science fiction & fantasy convention, bringing together people from all walks of life for a weekend of fan-filled fun every year. We've taken our inspiration for our eighth year in the Octopus's Garden... though we're not quite sure if it's located under the sea, or in outer space... come explore with us. ConStellation's art show and auction, panelists, live performances, costuming & cosplay, writers contest, gaming of all kinds, specialty vendors, family-friendly activities, and so much more make for a spectacular weekend for fans of all ages.
April 28-29, 2017 Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference (WCWC) Bellevue, NE, LifeSpring Church, 13904 S. 36th St. Keynote Speaker: New York Times Bestselling Author Tosca Lee. Join us for the WCWC and take your writing to the next level and enjoy workshops and one-on-ones with industry professionals.
April 29, 2017 Author Signing - Marko Kloos, Lincoln, NE. 1:30 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Marko Kloos, Supreme Dork Lord, author of the Frontlines military Science Fiction series and a member of George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards Consortium.
April 29, 2017 36th Neihardt Spring Conference, Bancroft, NE. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Neihardt State Historic Site. The 36th annual Neihardt Spring Conference, Lakota Lives: Discovery Through Biography will explore the lives and legacy of notable Lakota people, especially as preserved through biography with featured presentations by authors and educators Tim Anderson, Delphine Red Shirt, Chuck Trimble and Jerome Kills Small. The event will also include the presentation of the Neihardt Foundation “Wall of Fame” award to Jon Bailey of Bancroft, Nebraska.

May

May 4, 2017 An Evening at Mo Java, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Mo Java Cafe & Roasting Co., 2649 N 48th St. This Month - three writers and one very musical guy!! We will hear writers Jennifer Mann Gray, Ed Stevens, and Mary K Stillwell, PLUS songster Donn Samuelson
May 7, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - SOUTHEAST, Bellevue, NE. 1:00-5:00 p.m. Sarpy County Museum, 2402 Clay St. “Nuts and Bolts and Beyond” Margaret Lukas, Facilitator. This class is designed to improve overall writing skill by covering some basic techniques of creative writing. It will help participants generate better work through developing their powers of observation and analysis, and through employing the use of concrete language, details, and imagery.
May 13, 2017 Ask-The-Authors-Anything Q&A, Lincoln, NE. 2:00-5:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th Street. Book signing to follow from 3:00-5:00p.m. Tosca Lee, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign). Firstborn, Tosca’s highly anticipated sequel to her thriller The Progeny will release May 2, and is now available for pre-order at Francie & Finch. Tosca will be teaming up with author friends Tonya Kuper, Lydia Kang, Nick Donner and Rosanne Liesveld.
May 20, 2017 Concierge Marketing Local Book Expo, Omaha, NE. 1:00 p.m. The Bookworm, 90th and Center. Come out to our third Concierge Marketing Local Book Expo! This event is free to the public and it's your chance to meet a wide selection of Omaha's own authors! You'll be able to meet local authors and get your books autographed and personalized!
May 21, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Hugh Reilly will speak about his writings, motivated by his father’s hope that he write about Ireland. Hugh’s father, Robert T. Reilly, was the co-author of the Walt Disney movie, The Fighting Prince of Donegal,1966. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
May 22, 2017 Author Visit: An Evening with Lesmeister and Pycior, Lincoln, NE. 7:00 p.m. Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P St. Join us for a night of new work presented by Keith Lesmeister and Casey Pycior. With their latest collections of short fiction, Lesmeister and Pycior explore life in the Midwest in voices distinct to each writer. Peering into the lives of those at the margins. Lesmeister and Pycior will read from their collections and take part in a conversation, with each other and the audience, to discuss their stories, what led them to to put them into writing, and how they each approach their craft. This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
May 27, 2017 Children's Author Event - Tevin Hansen, Lincoln, NE. 2:00-4:00 p.m. Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th Street. Epic skateboarding fun with local author Tevin Hansen, free event especially for children 4-10 yrs. Featuring a presentation from the book, Rhomby the Skater Zombie, songs, make your own nuclear goo and mini-skateboard ramp.
Contact us to submit your May 2017 event.

June

June 1, 2017 An Evening at Mo Java, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Mo Java Cafe & Roasting Co., 2649 N 48th St. This month, One Songwriter Extrordinairee', plus three writers!! We will hear musicologist and songwriter, Dr. John Walker, writers J Dirk Brown, Tom Franti, and Nancy Savery.
June 1-3, 2017 Willa Cather Spring Conference: “Picturing the American West: The Railroad and Popular Imagination,” Red Cloud, NE Highlights include Brent Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, as keynote speaker and a variety of presentations, exhibits, tours, and activities concluding with a vaudeville-inspired variety bill featuring classic railroad tunes and comedy (and a bit of Cather).
June 4, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - SOUTHWEST, McCook, NE. 1:00-5:00 p.m. McCook Public Library, 802 Norris Ave. “Throwing Rocks: Creating Obstacles in Story” Sarah Buhrman, Facilitator. A writer needs to make hard decisions about their plot, and so many things affect what our "rocks" are, including genre and characters. We will be discussing the nuances that determine what rocks to throw at our characters in order to make a compelling story, and how to approach writing them.
June 6, 2017 Walking With a Dream: John Neihardt's Preparation for Black Elk Speaks, Grand Island, NE, 5:30 p.m., Grand Island Public Library, 211 North Washington St. Timothy G. Anderson will discuss how John G. Neihardt and Nicholas Black Elk hit it off the first time they met and forged a bond that produced a 20th Century religious classic.
June 9, 2017 Sacred Hoop Retreat, Stanton, NE. 7:00 p.m. Red Road Herbs Retreat & Learning Center. In celebration of John G. Neihardt's book Black Elk Speaks being chosen as the One Book One Nebraska for 2017, we've planned a special evening retreat in collaboration with Stanton Library and Pilger Library. We'll have readings from "Black Elk Speaks," a presentation on Black Elk's description of the Sacred Hoop and Good Red Road and a presentation about the women who contributed to writing the book, Neihardt's daughters, Enid and Hilda. We'll also have a special guest, Jerome Kills Small, who will be drumming and singing.
June 9-10, 2017 Buffalo Commons Storytelling & Music Festival, McCook, NE. Festival 2017 will celebrate McCook’s 135th birthday and Nebraska’s 150th with acclaimed storytellers, poets, historians, musicians, a stage show, a dinner cabaret, stories and theater for the young, “History’s Mysteries” bus tour, a storytelling workshop, a free show at the High Plains Museum and a chance to listen and tell community stories, a poetry slam, a “meet and greet” with “Sen. George Norris and his wife Ellie.”
June 11, 2017 Behind The Meaning of Names, Cedar Rapids, NE. 2 p.m., Cedar Rapids Senior Center, 306 West Main St. Join Karen Gettert Shoemaker, author of The Meaning of Names, discusses the role of family stories and historic research in the writing of her historic novel The Meaning of Names..
June 14-17, 2017 Story Catcher Summer Writing Workshop & Festival, Chadron, NE. Fort Robinson State Park. Renowned writers will lead morning sessions focused on crafting and improving our writing, followed by afternoon sessions designed to give participants a chance to create new work and receive personalized feedback during the retreat. This years authors include: Mark Halliday (Poet in Residence), Lisa Sandlin (Fiction Writer in Residence), and Ken Ilgunas (Nonfiction Writer in Residence).
June 15-18, 2017 “World War I: Legacies of a Forgotten War” Chautauqua, Seward, NE. Five Chautauqua scholars will portray historical figures to explore and discuss with local communities the lasting impacts of the Great War and how those events affect Americans today.
June 17, 2017 The Legacy of Neihardt and Black Elk Niobrara, NE, 6:00 p.m., Niobrara State Park, 89261 522nd Ave. Explore with Nancy Gillis the legacy of a unique personal and spiritual friendship between the Lakota holy man Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. It includes brief biographies of each man, their meetings, and its impact on adding to the knowledge of Lakota culture, Native American philosophies, and the possibilities of cross-cultural recognition and respect.
June 21-24, 2017 “World War I: Legacies of a Forgotten War” Chautauqua, Nebraska City, NE. Five Chautauqua scholars will portray historical figures to explore and discuss with local communities the lasting impacts of the Great War and how those events affect Americans today.
June 25, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Faith Colburn —This North Platte author will speak to writing a memoir and ways to research information. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
Contact us to submit your June 2017 event.

July

July 2, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - BIG SPRINGS CORNER, North Platte, NE. 12:30-5:00 p.m., Lincoln County Historical Museum, 2403 No. Buffalo Bill Ave., Readings by Nebraska Authors, Meet Buffalo Bill, and “Future Great Writers of Nebraska.” 1:00-5:00 p.m., North Platte Public Library, 120 West 4th St., “Playing Around with Words: Poems, Stories, and the Creative Process,” facilitated by Twyla M. Hansen, Nebraska’s State Poet.
July 6-9, 2017 Trading Stories: 2017 Native American Film Festival, Chadron, NE. Chadron Public Library. Native American movies, music and culture will be featured at the 2017 film festival. A wide array of Native American films, stories, music, and crafts will once again be showcased. The festival, a project of Chadron Public Library and the Chadron Public Library Foundation, seeks to acknowledge the contribution of the Lakota people to the history of Northwest Nebraska and highlight contemporary Native issues through artistic venues and especially films.
July 10, 2017 Behind The Meaning of Names, Central City, NE. 6:30 p.m., Central City Public Library, 1604 15th Ave. Join Karen Gettert Shoemaker, author of The Meaning of Names, discusses the role of family stories and historic research in the writing of her historic novel The Meaning of Names.
July 14-15, 2017 Nebraska Book Festival, Lincoln, NE. Activities begin Friday evening, July 14, at Constellation Studios, 2055 O Street in Lincoln. The Festival will continue on Saturday, July 15, from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m with activities at Antelope Valley's Union Plaza, featuring presentations by authors who will read and discuss their work. Nebraska authors will conduct workshops for writers. Literary and cultural organizations, publishers , and vendors will be present.
July 16, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Author Victorine Lieske — New York Times Best Seller will talk about writing Romance for the e-book market. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
July 26, 2017 Backwaters Press Reading Series, Omaha, NE. 7:00 p.m. Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth. Beat the heat with poetry, prose and Backwaters Press! All are welcome to attend our free event featuring authors and poets Liz Kay, Greg Kosmicki, and David Wyatt.
July 29, 2017 Norfolk Public Library Literature Festival, Norfolk, NE. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Northeast Community College, Lifelong Learning Center, 801 E Benjamin Ave. A wonderful way to spend a summer day for literature lovers of all ages! Join us for author presentations, 2017-2018 Golden Sower Previews, Book Display & Discount Sales, Autograph Session/Book Signing, and Door Prizes. Advance tickets are available at Norfolk Public Library OR by mail order.
Contact us to submit your July 2017 event.

August

August 3, 2017 A Memorial Evening at Mo Java, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. Mo Java Cafe & Roasting Co., 2649 N 48th St. This Month - A Memorial Reading for Bill Kloefkorn and Don Welch. Old friends and fans of Don and Bill will read - Bill's grandson, Jake Kloefkorn, songwriter, will open and close the evening.
August 6, 2017 52nd Neihardt Day Celebration, Bancroft, NE, 12:00-4:00 p.m., John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, 306 W. Elm St. Always held the first Sunday in August, join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of John G. Neihardt with his family, friends and fans. This is an official event of the Nebraska 150 celebration. Museum tours, special artist exhibits, musical entertainment, luncheon and family-friendly activities, including the Neihardt Day program at 2:00 p.m.
August 6, 2017 Six Corners of Nebraska: Writers Workshop - PANHANDLE SOUTHWEST, Kimball, NE, 12:30-5:00 p.m., Kimball Public Library, 208 So. Walnut St. Readings by Nebraska Authors and “Future Great Writers of Nebraska,” and featuring “The Rim of the Prairie: A Writing Practice Marathon” facilitated by N. L. Sharp.
August 6-8, 2017 150 Years of Storytelling: Celebrating Nebraska History through Literature, Ponca, NE. 1:00 - 9:00 p.m. Ponca State Park, 88090 Spur 26 E. From Nebraska Educational Television’s broadcasting legend Ron Hull to Neihardt biographer and journalist Tim Anderson to living history pioneer stories in the park to traditional American Indian tales from Jerome Kills Small around a campfire setting, all presenters selected have a deep connection to Nebraska, and a variety of genres represents the rich tapestry of stories that represent the diversity of our state. Each workshop will encourage participant involvement, aiming to inspire storytelling through experience and fellowship, as well as educate participants in how individuals and communities are enriched through the art of storytelling.
August 7, 2017 Family Stories into Literature: The Role of Gossip and Research in Fiction, Ponca, NE. 11:00 a.m. Ponca State Park, 88090 Spur 26 E. Karen Gettert Shoemaker's presentation focuses on the ways writers can use family stories and history to write literature. Sometimes the voices in our heads are enough. Sometimes we need to look beyond the boundaries of self to find the best that is within us. This presentation discusses the ways to excavate history, both our own and the world’s, as a way to finding the true stories only we can write. The program is available in both presentation format and writing workshop format.
August 8, 2017 Lonesome Dreamer: The Life of John G. Neihardt, Ponca, NE. 10:15 a.m. Ponca State Park, 88090 Spur 26 E. 2017 One Book One Nebraska event, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. This program, which draws on Anderson’s 2016 biography of John G. Neihardt, examines the life of Nebraska’s poet laureate. Beginning with his birth in 1881 and highlighting the 30 years he lived in Nebraska, Neihardt’s life story covers the triumphs and disappointments he experienced in a publishing career of more than 70 years and the personal life that he enjoyed with his wife and four children.
August 9, 2017 Author Visit: Frieda Stiehl, Cozad, NE. 10:00 a.m. Wilson Public Library. Frieda Stiehl of Chicago discusses her book Alfred & Agnes. Ms. Stiehl, who has a background in German Studies, had relatives in the Cozad area who emigrated from Germany, and did extensive genealogical research for this book. Anyone who is interested in immigrants, rural life, family dynamics, friendships, farming, and pre-industrial life will find much of interest. Genealogy groups in particular will want to listen to this presentation. Books will be available for purchase and author signing.
August 15, 2017 Author Visit: Alisha Pellatz, Creighton, NE. 4:00 p.m. Creighton Public Library. Local author Alisha Pellatz will be doing a book presentation and signing on her new book, Diciples.
August 20, 2017 Sundays at Red Path: Writers Guild Authors, Seward, NE. 1:30 p.m. The Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room, 514 Seward Street. Connie Spittler and Brigid Amos, Omaha authors, will read from their books. If you enjoy art, a nice glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, love to read and learn about new authors, wish to support the arts in Nebraska, or just want to learn more about the Nebraska Writers Guild… please come!
August 27, 2017 Sundays at the Museum with David Hendee, Bancroft, NE. 2:00 p.m. John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. The Omaha World-Herald's David Hendee brings the state’s history to life in a new book, Nebraska: 150 Years Told Through 93 Counties. The counties have served as the building blocks for Nebraska, and Hendee weaves their stories into a tapestry of Nebraska’s people, places and events. Refreshments and booksigning to follow.
August 30, 2017 Author Signing: John Cook, Lincoln, NE. 6:30 p.m. University Bookstore. Coach John Cook to sign copies of Dream Like a Champion. In Dream Like a Champion Cook shares the coaching and leadership philosophy that has enabled him to become one of the game’s winningest coaches. Cook shares the philosophy behind Nebraska’s culture of success and reveals how he’s had to learn, evolve and be coached himself. The event will begin at 6:30pm with a short discussion and question and answer session by Cook. A book signing will follow until 8:30pm.
August 31, 2017 Zachary Schomburg Reading, Lincoln, NE. 6:00 p.m. UNL Bailey Library, 228 Andrews Hall. UNL alumnus Zachary Schomburg is the author of four books of poetry: The Man Suit (2007), one of the New York Public Library’s 25 Books to Remember for 2007; Scary, No Scary (2009); Fjords Vol. I (2012); and The Book of Joshua (2014). His forthcoming novel, Mammother (Featherproof Press), will be coming out September 26 of this year. Join us in hearing Zachary read from his work!
Contact us to submit your August 2017 event.

Ongoing

Lincoln

Acoustic Open Mic Lincoln, NE. Wednesdays, 8 pm - 12 am, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South St. For musicians and poets. Hosted by Spencer. Call 402-477-2007 for more information.
F Street Writers Workshop Lincoln, NE. At the F Street Community Center. Humor, flash-fiction, romance. With Terrance Oberst, facilitator. Contact Terrance, terranceoberst (at) gmail (dot) com for more information.
Lincoln City Libraries Book Talks and Book Discussion Groups Lincoln, NE. Includes Books Talk at Bethany and Gere branches, Courtyard Book Chats in the Garden, Just Desserts Mystery Discussion Group, and Great Books Reading and Discussion Group.
Lunch at the Library Lincoln, NE. 12:10 pm, 1st Wednesday. Bring your lunch and enjoy coffee provided by The Mill. Sponsored by Nebraska Literary Heritage Association, support group for the Jane Pope Geske Heritage for Nebraska Authors. At Bennett Martin Public Library, 14th & N Streets. For more information: heritage (at) lincolnlibraries.org.
Nebraska Romance Writers Lincoln, NE. Last Tuesday, with a few special exceptions. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held at the Lincoln City Libraries Gere Branch. Meetings generally feature several mini-workshops on motivation, craft, or a potpourri presentation designed to inspire our writing members.
no name reading series Lincoln, NE. 4pm; Sept. 6 & 27; Oct. 18; Nov. 1 & 22; Jan. 10 & 24, 2013; Feb. 7 & 21; Mar. 21; April 11. Run by the graduate students in the UNL English department, the series aims to support the creative talent that comes out of the department by promoting that talent throughout the greater Lincoln community. At Zen's Lounge, 122 N. 11th St. Contact Jason at jason.hertz (at) huskers.unl.edu for more information.
One Book One Lincoln Lincoln, NE. Various activities. Inviting Lincoln to read and discuss the same book. Become a fan on Facebook.
Open Mic Night Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m., Lincoln, NE. Open Mic night for Singer/Songwriters, Slam Poets, and Stand Ups. Hosted by Susan Steele and Aimless Entertainment. To pre-register to perform, email treynolds [at] AimlessEntertainment.com. At T he Alley, 1031 M Street.
Park Teen Center Underground Open Mike Coffeehouse Night Lincoln, NE. Last Thursday of the month, 7 - 8:30 pm. Open mic/slam poetry/hot cocoa/coffee/acoustic music for Grades 8-12 at Park School (855 S 8th St., basement). Call 402-441-9471 for more information.
Poet Show It Lincoln, NE. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 8 pm. Local writers come and read. Local people come and drink. Coffee, booze, poetry, fiction. Discovery. At 1122 D St.
Crescent Moon Readings Series Lincoln, NE. Mondays, 7 pm. They offer the microphone to anyone who has written poetry, stories, or songs and wishes to have the opportunity to share them. Contact crescentmoon (at) inebraska.com for more information. At Crescent Moon Coffee, 816 P St.
Smash Teeth Poetry Slam Lincoln, NE. 2nd Wednesday, 7 pm. With Oracle Jones and Ryley G. At the Panic (218 N St). 21 and over.
SP CE Lincoln, NE. Every Saturday, 2 pm. Writing group. At SP CE. 2nd floor of the 14th and O building, northeast corner. Go up the stairs next to Novel Idea Books.
Tuesdays with Writers Lincoln, NE. 1st Tuesday, 7 pm, at the South Mill, 4736 Prescott. Featured speaker. Open mic follows. Contact Deborah McGinn, dmcginn (at) lps (dot) org for more information.

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Omaha

2nd Saturday Poetry Workshop Omaha, NE. Meets monthly, 1 - 3 pm, at various branches of the Omaha Public Library. This monthly workshop is open to all ages and will work in crafting spoken word poetry. Presented by Omaha Public Library and the Nebraska Writers Collective.
FEATURED EVENT Beaux Arts at Brewsky's Omaha, NE. Meets 2nd Thursdays, 7 - 10 pm, at Brewsky's, 8528 Park Dr. Every second Thursday of the month, WriteLife and Brewsky’s will host a local author, artist or artisan, and musician who will share about their craft.
GET LIT with Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Fridays, 6:30 pm. Omaha, NE. actors will give vivid voice to animate readings that traverse all the genres of literature. GET LIT! will begin with some brief background on the authors and stories and introductions of the actors. The readings will run less than an hour, and will be followed by some sprightly discussion for those in the mood. Designed as an informal but satisfying after-supper interlude, it will deliver a whimsical and unique wind-down from the work week/wind-up for the weekend. The selections for each Friday will be announced a week in advance on posters at the Bookworm, via Brigit email, and at Bridgit’s website www.bsbtheatre.com. At The Bookworm, 8702 Pacific St.
Lil Divas Book Club for Teens Omaha, NE. Meets monthly, 2 - 4 pm, at the Charles B. Washington Branch of the Omaha Public Library. Come join a book club especially for African American girls! Each month we’ll sample another hot young adult urban fiction title. Join us for food, friends and fun! E-mail Russ Harper at rharper (at) omahalibrary (dot) org for more information.
The Midwest Poetry Vibe Omaha, NE. Wednesdays, 9 pm - 1 am, at Arthur’s, 8025 W. Dodge Rd. One of the most diverse events in the Midwest, come feel the vibe. Poetry, the latest R&B and Neosoul music, live performances, a different concert DVD of a national artist, food and drink specials, and much more. Presented by Versatile Entertainment Group, Inc.
Writer's Workshop at Scooters Omaha, NE. 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 pm, at Scooters Coffeehouse, 9229 Mormon Bridge Plaza. Meet other writers, workshop your projects, and give feedback to creative individuals. Sponsored by WriteLife Publishing Company.
Writer's Workshop Reading Series Omaha, NE. For going on 40 years, the Writer's Workshop Reading Series at UNO has featured free public readings and discussions by nationally renowned authors. Authors offer fascinating information about their own books and expertise on the craft of writing itself. Afterward, they will be available to sign books, which may be purchased on site. Traditionally held in the fall.
Naked Words Open Mike Omaha, NE. 1st Wednesday, 6 - 8 pm. Poetry, frivolty, the occasional Pop-Tart. Hosted by Heidi Hermanson. At Soul Desires, 1026 Jackson St. Email Heidi, prairie (dot) sky (at) gmail (dot) com for more information.
Omaha Healing Arts Center Poetry Slam Omaha, NE. Year-round, 2nd Saturday of each month, doors open at 7 pm, at the Omaha Healing Arts Center in the Old Market. Open mic and slam. Join their Facebook group.
Open Mic at Aroma's Omaha, NE. Last Saturday, 7 - 9:30 pm. For musicians, poets, any and all. Come in and talk to Leslie (the dude with the beard) or Becks (the redhead) behind the counter to sign up. 20 minute time slots are allotted, unless the night is slow. Then they will be longer. At 1033 Jones St. Visit the Aromas Coffeehouse Facebook page.
PROVOKE! Spoken Word Omaha, NE. 1st Monday, 7 - 9 pm. Open mic hosted by Jack Hubbell; it’s the poetic equivalent to that sharp pointy stick your mom always warned you about. At the Pizza Shoppe Collective.
Shoot Your Mouth Off III Omaha, NE. Tuesdays, 9 pm sign-up, 9:30 pm start, at The Hideout, 320 S 72nd St, 402-504-4434. “An evening of poetry, comedy and chaos the way it was meant to be seen: in a bar with 50 of your closest friends!”
Verbal Gumbo 7 - 11 pm. Omaha, NE. 3rd Thursday. Crabby about the political climate? Want some okra change? Just want to discuss your relationshrimps– or the andouille sausage in your life? Well, Verbal Gumbo is here with some hot, spicey flava with a side o’ rice and rhythm. This is the spoken word event that promotes our rich diversity of culture and style. At House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St.
Wednesday Words Omaha, NE. 2nd Wednesday, 11:45 am - 1 pm. An ongoing reading series recognizing award-winning writers from Nebraska, including Nebraska Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowships in Literature honorees. Bring your lunch and enjoy the show. At KANEKO's KANEKO-UNO Library, 1111 Jones St.
Writelife Open Mic Omaha, NE. Last Monday. 7 pm. At the Pizza Shoppe Collective, 6056 Maple St.
Writelife Workshops Omaha, NE. 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 6:30 pm. At the Pizza Shoppe Collective, 6056 Maple St.
X Poetry CommUNITY, Open Mic Omaha, NE. 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 4 - 5:45 pm, at The Spot, Charles B. Washington Branch Library, 2868 Ames Ave, 402-444-4849. For teens, tweens, and all ages. Open mic event with occasional features. Contact prahduct at productoftha88 (at) yahoo (dot) com or 402-659-8353 for more information.

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Various

Animanga Club Council Bluffs, NE. Meets every other Thursday, 3:30-5 pm, at the Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Ave. Call 712-323-7553 for details.
Geocaching the Literary Map of Nebraska Statewide. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.
Nebraska Writers Workshop Ralston, NE. Wednesdays, 5:30 - 9 pm, at the Baright Public Library directly east of Ralston City Hall, 5555 South 77th St.
Not Just a Book, Club Kearney, NE. 1st Tuesday, 10:30 am, at Museum of Nebraska Art, 2401 Central Ave. For the avid reader whose interests lie in authors from Nebraska and about Nebraska including many that pertain to artists relevant to our state. There is no cost for this program, however occasionally you may want to purchase a book. Call 308-865-8559 to register.
Open Mic Poetry Night at A to Z Books North Platte, NE. 2nd Friday and 4th Saturday, 7 pm, at A to Z Books, 507 North Jeffers. It’s a fun, funny, widely varied group. Poems can be short or long, funny or touching, rhymed or free verse. Musicians too. George Lauby of The North Platte Bulletin emcees and makes you feel comfortable. Call 308-534-0140 for details.
Poetry Downtown on the Bricks Kearney, NE. 3rd Tuesday, 7 pm, at Book Ends Used and Collectible Books, 2218 Central Ave. They are actively seeking poets who are interested in sharing their work at these readings. Call Book Ends at 308-293-0031 or email bookends(at)rcom-ne.com for more information.
Vermillion Literary Project Poetry Slam One of the best things about poetry slam is the range of poets it attracts. You’ll find a diverse range of work within slam, including heartfelt love poetry, searing social commentary, uproarious comic routines, and bittersweet personal confessional pieces. Poets are free to do work in any style on any subject. Contact Marcella Remund, mremund (at) usd.edu, for more information.
Volkswalk: Walking with Wright Morris Central City, NE. Walk in the footsteps of Wright Morris. This volkswalk was designed to take walkers past famous landmarks from Wright Morris’ life and writings. Sponsored by the Omaha Science Fiction Education Society.

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