The Word Salon Series

Even writers need a workout!  So stretch and reach your skills through these hands-on workshops and coaching sessions.

Writing Circle - Start with blank pages, leave with an inspired, new idea and a first draft of a new work.  Daily at 10 am and 1pm

Roger Bonair-Agard

Marty McConnell

Dasha Kelly

Michael Guinn

Renee Hickman

 

Editorial Reviews -Seasoned writers and editors provide one-on-one guidance on speciific challenges with any one work in progress.  Daily at 11:30 am.

Nick Fox

Josh Healey

Mahogany Browne

Robbie Telfer

Kevin Coval

PenTactics Series

For poets who dabble their quills in other genres, this series will share instruction and insight on a range of other styles writing.

Children's Books - Tips on writing children's books and how to succeed in the market. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 11:30am-12:45pm.

Kathy Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books (Harper Collins).

Next Level Series

As performance poetry continues to evolve as an art form, so will our members grow in their artistry.  This series is uniquely tailored for the professional writer and performer.

Performance Panel - Ideas and growth opportunities for to focused performance poets.  Wednesday, Aug. 5, 1 pm

Kamilah Forbes is Artistic Director for Hip Hop Theater Festival.

Christen Greene is Artist Manager with Faux Pas Productions.

Greg Diekroeger is past national board chair of National Association of Campus Activities.

 

Alison Jones Chaim is Director Wisconsin Book Festival.

Judy Mitchell is Director of University of Wisconsin's Creative Writing MFA program.

Taalam Acey is an interntionally-recognized performance poet and slam veteran who has successfully "crossed over" as a self-published fiction writer.

Janet Holmes is Director of Ahsahta Press, a non-profit literary publisher.

Moderated by Nick Fox

Best Practices Series

From Day One to Milestone Anniversaries, this series presents the ideas and collective experience of PSI members on running successful venues and cultivating their spoken word communities.

Getting Started - How to begin and build an open mic venue and poetry/spoken word community. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10 am

Jesse Parent Salt Lake City Slam

Pat Masumoto Maui Slam

David Silverberg Toronto Slam 

Moderated by Steve Marsh

 

Marketing & Promotions - Effective ideas and experiences in promoting local venues and events.  Thursday, Aug. 7, 10am

Moderated by Charles Ekhabumi Ellik

 

Working with Teens - Tips and initiatives for building a teen poetry scene. Friday, Aug. 8, 10 am

Robbie Q. Telfer is Youth Director of Young Chicago Authors.

Josh Healey is Program Manager of First Wave Urban Arts Program at the University of Wisconsin.

Sheila Siobahn is Co-Founder and Director of Austin's Under 21 Slam series.

Moderated by Paulie Lipman

 

Life Lyrics Series

Workshops and discussions to address issues from the other half of a writer's life.

Managing Depression - Dealing with the effects of depression and tips on how to best cope when a loved one is affected.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10am 

Jennifer Lowenberg is Director of Madison Chapter of National Association for the Mentally Ill. 

 

Saving the World 101 - Discussion on realistic, everyday ways for everyday people to make a difference in the world. Thursday, Aug. 7, 10 am

Healing through Writing - Understand how and when to use your pen for healing and discovery.  Friday, Aug. 8, 10 am

The Extra Bling

Here are additional workshops and activites that can't be categorized but should STILL make the must-do list!

Getting a Word in Edgewise - Choosing right words if half the effort, understanding how to make those selections is the other half.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 1pm

Marilyn Taylor, Ph.D is the two-time former poet laureate of Milwaukee and an instructor with the Creative Writing Honors Program of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  She has five published colections of poetry.

 

Lesson Plans - How to teach and apply spoken word in the classroom.  Thursday, Aug. 7, 1pm

Kevin Coval has been teaching hip hop poetics in high schools and colleges around the nation for the past 10 years.  His book Slingshots: A Hip Hop Poetica was named a Book of the Year finalist by The American Library Association.

 

Roots of Poetry - Consider what makes memorable poetry and examine how to strengthen your own poetic voice. Friday, Aug. 8, 10 am

Fabu Carter Brisco is Madison's poet laureate and serves the city as a consultant in Literary Arts, Education and African American culture.

 

MIC Auditions - Making it Count (MIC) is a national speakers' bureau of Monster.com.  They are recruiting for independent speakers who are dyanamic enough to take a script and bring it to life for high school and collegiate audiences.  Walk-in auditions are Thursday, Aug. 7, 10am - 1pm and 2:45pm - 5pm.  Memorize the script below (as best as you can) and bring your A game!

PoetCD Showcase - Experience feature performances by top artists voted from PoetCD.com, the leading online retailer for spoken word CDs and books. Friday, Aug. 8, 1pm

Hosted by Sonya Renee

The Showcase Series

You don't have to simply listen!  These events are structured to get you and your stories involved.

Hosted by Shappy

SisterSpeak - Open Mic for women's stories and voices.  Thursday, Aug. 7, 2:45pm

Hosted Thadra Sheridan and Queen Sheba

Ken Hunt Reading - Open Mic reading of beautifully written, un-slamworthy poems ... preferably from paper! Friday, Aug. 8, 11:30am

Hosted by Rusty Russell

ASL Reading - Open mic presented completely in American Sign Language.  Friday, Aug. 8, 11:30am

Hosted by Mona Jean

Queer Nation - Open Mic for LGBT community. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2:45pm

Hosted by Wonder Dave and Lindsey Miller

The Classics - Reading works of literary favorites and icons such as Plath, Neruda, Hughes, Dove, etc. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 11:30am

Hosted by Ron Czerwein

The Mosaic - Open Mic showcases for all voices of color.  Friday, Aug. 8, 2:45pm

Hosted by Rock Baby and Kealoha

Head to Head Haiku - Perennial syllable showdown.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2:45 pm

Hosted by Tazuo  

Teen Showcase - Open mic performances by all Under 21 poets.  Friday, Aug. 8, 2:45pm

Hosted by Denez and Kelsey

Talking Politics - Open mic for all poems related to government, war, public policies and leaders.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 11:30am

Hosted by Todd Bannon

Extreme Song Makeover - Perform your favorite (or most despised) lyrics like slam poems!  Thursday, Aug. 7, 1pm

Hosted by Tim Stafford

Freestyle Cipher - Calling all emcees and hip hop hopefuls.  Thursday, Aug. 7, 1pm

Hosted by Jive Poetic 

Wide Open Mic - Classic open mic, come one and come all.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 1pm

Hosted by Rusty Russell

Twelve Tribes - Open mic reading sharing stories and spirit of Jewish culture.  Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2:45pm

Hosted by Paulie Lipman