BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//American School of Storytelling - ECPv6.17.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:American School of Storytelling X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://amsstory.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for American School of Storytelling REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20220313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20221106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260722T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260722T203000 DTSTAMP:20260611T223950Z CREATED:20260611T223816Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T223950Z UID:10000661-1784745000-1784752200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Jules' Poetry Playhouse Back Porch Reading DESCRIPTION:Doors open 6:30 pm – complimentary pizza\, wine\, refreshments \nReading starts aprx 7 pm followed by audience conversation \n$12 per ticket – audience limit is 15 VIP seats on our Back Porch. \nThis performance will be outside under our covered patio. In case of inclement weather\, we will be inside. Books by the authors will be for sale. Poetry Playhouse gallery and bookstore will be open. \nWe pair up two poets to share their latest work (this portion is recorded for our YouTube archive available free to the public) and follow with a conversation. This is a time for you to ask your own questions and to get to know the authors better as they share their artistic process\, their writing\, and what they’re up to. A personal approach – and of course\, books by the authors are also for sale\, and for signing. \nThis is an in-person event with limited seating. Price of event includes pizza from local Placitas Pizza\, wine\, and assorted beverages. (We order one pizza with gluten free/cauliflower crust\, and have veggie pizza options). URL:https://amsstory.com/event/back-porch-reading/ LOCATION:Jules’ Poetry Playhouse\, 11 Homestead Lane\, Placitas\, NM\, 87043\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jules-Poetry-Playhouse-Logo.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260510T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260510T153000 DTSTAMP:20260425T194939Z CREATED:20260323T002133Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260425T194939Z UID:10000637-1778421600-1778427000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Jules' Poetry Playhouse DESCRIPTION:FREE EVENT! American School of Storytelling is proud to host the founders of New Mexico’s Jules’ Poetry Playhouse– Jules Nyquist and John Roche\, joined by special guest Roslye Ultan. Don’t miss this magical afternoon of poetry and stories. Award winning books will be available for purchase. \n  \n \n  \n\nJules Poetry Playhouse Authors: \n \nJules Nyquist is a native Minnesotan and lives in Placitas\, New Mexico where she is the founder of Jules’ Poetry Playhouse. Her recent award-winning books are Atomic Paradise\, Homesick\, The Sestina Playbook\, Behind the Volcanoes\, and Appetites. She took her PhD in Post-Secondary Adult Education from Capella University and her MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College. Jules poems have been featured in print\, online\, audio\, radio or in-person at various readings and events including the NM History Conference\, in Las Cruces\, NM\, the American Psychological Association Conference in Denver\, CO\, the Jonquil Motel in Bisbee\, AZ\, the Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque\, NM\, a kind of a small array gallery in Magdalena\, NM\, the Briar in Minneapolis\, MN\, the Black Dog Café in St. Paul\, MN\, a Masonic Lodge in Bemidji\, MN\, the New Mexico Humanities Council\, in Albuquerque\, NM\, Unquarked in Los Alamos\, NM\, and featured at the International Women’s Day at the Santa Fe Capitol Rotunda\, and many other bookstores\, bars\, galleries\, and now at the American School of Storytelling in Minneapolis. Her poems have appeared in Salamander\, 5AM\, Malpais Review\, Adobe Walls\, A View from the Loft\, St. Paul Almanac\, Long Islander News\, Gray Sparrow\, House Organ\, Duke City Fix\, Café Review IKON Magazine\, Journal of Humanistic Mathematics\, Taos Journal of Poetry and elsewhere. More at http://www.poetryplayhouse.com \n \nJohn Roche lives in Placitas\, New Mexico\, helping Jules Nyquist run Jules’ Poetry Playhouse and edit Poetry Playhouse Publications. His latest poetry collection is Tubbables\, which is a NM-AZ Book Award Finalist. Other books include On Conesus\, Topicalities\, Road Ghosts\, The Joe Poems: The Continuing Saga of Joe the Poet\, and Joe Rides Again: Further Adventures of Joe the Poet. He has also created and edited the five-volume Poets Speak series (Trumped\, Hers\, Water\, Walls and Survival) and other anthologies (including Mo’ Joe). Dr. Roche taught Literature and Creative Writing classes for decades at various colleges and teaches at Jules’ Poetry Playhouse and has done workshops for the New Mexico State Poetry Society. He was formerly President of Just Poets in Rochester\, NY\, a member of the board of BOA Editions\, chief organizer of the Black Mountain North Symposium\, and an instigator of the annual Cloudburst Council poets’ retreat in the Finger Lakes. He has a poem in the ICE OUT: Minnesota Writers Rising Up anthology. \n \nRoslye Ultan is a Professor Emeritus from UNM/CCE Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program with a specialty in Art History/and Visual Culture. Her first full-length poetry collection is Convergence\, published by Poetry Playhouse Publications\, featuring poems with musical rhythms and lyrical forms. In this collection\, she chronicles her journey encompassing childhood\, marriage and widowhood\, travel\, heritage\, traditions\, and spiritual reflections. Her poetry has been published in A Poets Speak Anthology: Hers\, vol 2\, Water vol 3\, Walls\, vol 4\, Survival\, vol 5; Echoes of Voices of Wisdom\, the Waters of Creation\, North Stone Review\, Blues Moon Journal\, among others. Roslye holds degrees from Dickinson College\, Carlisle\, Pennsylvania\, BA; American University\, D.C. MA; and Post-Graduate Fellow of the Smithsonian Institution\, Washington\, D.C. She is the widow of composer Lloyd Ultan and lives in Minneapolis. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/jules-poetry-playhouse/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books,Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jules-Poetry-Playhouse2-e1775782783921.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T203000 DTSTAMP:20260425T194902Z CREATED:20260220T015429Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260425T194902Z UID:10000630-1777575600-1777581000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Greg Watson "The Shape of Your Absence" DESCRIPTION:Greg Watson’s The Shape of Your Absence is a poignant exploration of love\, loss\, and the echoes that linger after departure. With quiet precision and emotional clarity\, Watson transforms absence into a living presence—something that shapes\, rather than empties\, the heart. These poems remind us that what is gone still breathes within what remains. \n“The Shape of Your Absence\, is a series of grief and remembrance poems for the woman I lived with for over a decade in my youth. She taught me a lot\, and I want to honor her\,” says Greg. \nIn this luminous and haunting collection\, Greg Watson measures the invisible contours of longing. Across delicate\, finely-wrought poems\, absence emerges not as emptiness but as a presence—an echo\, a wound\, a memory that shapes everything around it. \nArtist bios: \n \nGreg Watson is an award-winning author of twelve collections of poetry\, most recently ‘The Shape of Your Absence’ released in Spring 2026. He is also co-editor with Richard Broderick of The Road by Heart: Poems of Fatherhood\, published by Nodin Press. \nGreg is a native of Saint Paul\, MN and still resides there with his daughter. \n \nRenee Vaughan is a Minnesota-based artist who brings Sweden’s folk traditions to life through music\, dance\, painting\, and storytelling \n \nChristy Merry is a native Minnesotan\, an award-winning poet\, and a singer-songwriter. As an adult\, she lived\, wrote and performed in Chicago\, LA and NYC before returning to her home state\, where she now lives with her husband and two black cats. Chances are\, she wants to be your friend. Love and loss are frequent themes in her writing\, as they are in life. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/greg-watson/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Shape-of-Your-Absence--e1774123767161.png ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260301T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260301T150000 DTSTAMP:20260220T012157Z CREATED:20260220T012157Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T012157Z UID:10000625-1772370000-1772377200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:ICE OUT Reading DESCRIPTION:ICE OUT: Minnesota Writers Rising Up is a powerful anthology of poetry and prose responding to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota—and to the human cost of policies that blur the line between law enforcement and occupation. Written in real time by Minnesota writers\, poets\, immigrants\, activists\, and witnesses\, these pieces capture fear\, grief\, anger\, resolve\, and unexpected solidarity as communities confront raids\, detentions\, and state-sanctioned violence. \nHosted by Tim Nolan\, featuring a variety of ICE OUT contributors URL:https://amsstory.com/event/ice-out-reading/ LOCATION:Eat My Words Books\, 201 6th St SE UNIT 220\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55414\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ice-Out.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251221T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251221T160000 DTSTAMP:20251119T012751Z CREATED:20251119T012400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T012751Z UID:10000589-1766325600-1766332800@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Saint Paul Almanac Reading Series: Illumination DESCRIPTION:This Solstice reading features Alyssa Berry\, Stephani Maari Booker\, Mary Christine Kane\, Evelyn Klein\, Thomas Strong\, Beth Voigt\, Pamela Wynn\, and James Zimmerman. \nAnn Regan\, retired editor in chief\, Minnesota Historical Society Press says\, “Illumination is an invitation to empathy\, a gift to community\, a challenge\, and a balm.  With this fourteenth edition of the Saint Paul Almanac\, the editors—our neighbors—have expanded their reach\, inviting writers and poets from across the state to contribute stories and poems that illuminate the human condition.” URL:https://amsstory.com/event/saint-paul-almanac/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Saint-Paul-Almanac-2025-e1763515572694.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T150000 DTSTAMP:20251119T011955Z CREATED:20251119T011955Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T011955Z UID:10000588-1765112400-1765119600@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Agates Poetry Reading DESCRIPTION:The Founder\, Loren Niemi\, is part of this Agates Reading organized by the League of MN Poets at the newly relocated and expanded Eat My Words bookstore.  He’ll read his poem in this year’s publication and a few others\, including some December 7th Pearl Harbor material. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/agates-poetry-reading/ LOCATION:Eat My Words Books\, 201 6th St SE UNIT 220\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55414\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Eat-My-Words-Flyer-Agates-IndyBookStore-Tour-Poster-e1763515143527.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T203000 DTSTAMP:20251027T215211Z CREATED:20251027T215211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T215211Z UID:10000582-1763751600-1763757000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Dougie Padilla’s 40 feet down DESCRIPTION:Selected one of 2025’s best books of poetry by The Latinx Project at New York University Dougie Padialla’s 40 feet down centers around the natural world and Padilla’s coonhound\, painting and the art world\, sports\, writing\, love\, climate change\, the nastiness of contemporary politics\, aging\, and living a life centered on the spiritual. \nPoet bio: long ago and far away i was a young poet. i wrote constantly. then came the vietnam war and all the protests. and then came san francisco and psychedelics and communes around the country. a psychotic break came. heart failure came. and ashrams and organic farming with horses. eventually\, there were kids and houses and marriage and businesses. and even grand kids… \nnow its over fifty years later and out of the blue poetry returned\, quick and sure. i’d moved my art studio to a village along the mighty mississippi to beat rising rents in the city\, to concentrate on my painting\, to meditate\, be in nature\, to face my aloneness and my aging. once there\, i started working on my memoirs. instead\, poems begin pouring out… and continue to pour out… wave after wave of poems. what a blessing. \n\n\n\n\nTo register: \n\nAdd the number of tickets you want by clicking the ‘+’ button\nClick the ‘Get Tickets’ button. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/dougie-padillas-40-feet-down/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/40-feet-down-e1761601924373.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250814T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250814T203000 DTSTAMP:20250813T011518Z CREATED:20250727T234337Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T011518Z UID:10000549-1755198000-1755203400@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Richard Vargas Poetry Reading DESCRIPTION:FREE EVENT! Richard Vargas Poetry Reading will be reading from his collection of poems inspired by people and places in Rockford\, IL.\, titled ‘The Screw City Poems’. Poetry\, creative non-fiction\, and fiction depicting life in a small mid-western town during the 1990s from an outsider’s point of view. Published July 2025 by Roadside Press. \nCheck our this review of Richard’s Book\, ‘The Screw City Poems’ \nFrom the author: I am at an age when some poets get lazy and decide it’s time for the “New and Selected” collection of their work. Those of us who are smiled upon by the big publishing houses (don’t look at me) most likely get gentle nudges to just do it and generate some quick book sales. It’s doesn’t take a lot of sweat and tears to put together about twenty-percent unpublished poems that are then padded with poems previously published in their books from years gone by. What they consider to be their “hits\,” along with a few misses. In my case\, it’s merely an opportunity to present a sampling of my writing from the beginning to the present for those who have not read all my books. Has anyone read all of them? Buy that reader a beer. \nPoet Richard Vargas earned his B.A. at Cal State University\, Long Beach\, where he studied under Gerald Locklin and Richard Lee. He edited/published five issues of The Tequila Review\, 1978-1980\, and twelve issues of The Mas Tequila Review from 2010-2015. Vargas received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico\, 2010\, where he workshopped his poems with Joy Harjo. Published collections: McLife\, 2005; American Jesus\, 2007; Guernica\, revisited\, 2014; How A Civilization Begins\, 2022\, and leaving a tip at the Blue Moon Motel\, 2023. A sixth book\, The Screw City Poems\, will be released in July 2025\, Roadside Press. He currently resides in Wisconsin\, near the lake where Otis Redding’s plane crashed. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/richard-vargas/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screw-City-Square-e1753659880970.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250723T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250723T210000 DTSTAMP:20250708T013315Z CREATED:20250611T030625Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T013315Z UID:10000521-1753297200-1753304400@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Scott Vetsch DESCRIPTION:FREE EVENT! One of the Twin Cities great narrative poets and a co-founder of the Bosso Poetry Company\, Scott Vetsch- joined by Michael “Spam” Hall and Lonesome Dan Kaseon- on our stage celebrating his new book Tilt-A-Whirl and a few other things besides. Come for the words\, stay for the fun!! \n \nNOTE: Starting on March 31\, 2025 Hennepin Ave 26th St to Douglas Ave will be under construction. Check our ‘Getting Here’ page for parking options. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/scott-vetsch/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20220516_130223-e1710985478997.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250407T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250407T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014529Z CREATED:20250318T005238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014529Z UID:10000430-1744052400-1744057800@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Children's Author Reading- Jack Zipes DESCRIPTION:This captivating story follows the journey of twins Anja and Zack\, two young witches\, who are separated from their parents after a ruthless dictator named Nexus takes control of the world. With the help of a small group of small people\, the Wellikans\, they resist the brutal Nexus with the help of a powerful elderly witch. \nWritten by Zipes\, a political activist since the 60s\, this novella reflects his belief that the world’s conditions have deteriorated for many\, particularly for the young\, and that fascism has crept into even  the smallest corners of  the globe. His tale is a hopeful sign of resistance and defiance. \n \nAuthor Bio: Jack Zipes is a retired professor from the University of Minnesota and has published numerous books about folk and fairy tales. He has recently turned to writing novellas\, and his latest work is entitled The Wrath of Peace\, or How the Wellikans Saved the World. \nNOTE: Starting on March 31\, 2025 Hennepin Ave 26th St to Douglas Ave will be under construction\, but Douglas Ave WILL BE OPEN. Check our ‘Getting Here’ page for parking options. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/author-reading-jack-zipes/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/The-Wrath-of-Peace-Square-e1742675843878.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250331T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250331T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014440Z CREATED:20250317T205251Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014440Z UID:10000424-1743447600-1743453000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Children's Author Reading- Vikas Sabbi & Andrea Catarino DESCRIPTION:Join us for our next author reading of children’s book “The Tales of Nani: Beyond the Screens” with Vikas Sabbi & Andrea Catarino! \nRemember those Summer days at Grandma’s chasing fireflies\, stories on the porch\, and endless skies before screens stole the magic of those simple joys? Let’s bring back that magic and spend less time on screens. \nBook sale and signing to follow the reading. Free event\, donations appreciated. \n \nAuthor Bio: Vikas Sabbi\, the author of Twinkle Stories: Volume I (2021)\, brings Tales of Nani to life as a heartfelt tribute to the family moments fading in the digital age\, drawing from his own childhood experiences. He’s a computer scientist\, who finds peace for self\, others in the art of storytelling. \nIllustrator Bio: Andrea Catarino is a creative soul passionate about art\, nature\, books\, community building\, and sharing lite with family and friends\, all while fighting against one of life’s greatest foes-detachment. \n  \nNOTE: Starting on March 31\, 2025 Hennepin Ave 26th St to Douglas Ave will be under construction\, but Douglas Ave WILL BE OPEN. Check our ‘Getting Here’ page for parking options. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/author-reading-vikas-sabbi/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Tales-of-Nani-Square-e1742244371274.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250303T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250303T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014353Z CREATED:20250207T015242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014353Z UID:10000420-1741028400-1741033800@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Poetry Reading- Julie Adrian\, Christy Merry and Brian Baumgart DESCRIPTION:Please join us for our next featured poetry reading\, a triple feature with Julie Adrian\, Christy Merry and Brian Baumgart! \nIn-person at 1762 Hennepin Avenue\nMonday\, March 3 at 7 PM\nFREE (but donations appreciated) \nJulie Adrian is a writer and educator living on a homestead in Minnesota with her family\, chickens\, and dogs. She has published in a handful of journals such as Time of Singing\, Talking Stick\, Martin Lake Journal\, Minnesota Voices\, and the Alchemy and Miracles Anthology. Her collection of poetry\, Under a Private Sky\, was published in spring 2024 by Aldrich Press. \nChristy Merry is an old soul who writes a good bit about love and loss\, most recently in her recently released book Don’t Kiss the Messenger (miscellaneous love and loss) which is a collection of poems written about relationships\, real and imagined\, over the 15 years she was a single adult. \nBrian Baumgart (he/him) is the author of Cold Is Cold Is Cold (Bottlecap\, 2024) and Rules for Loving Right (Sweet\, 2017)\, and his poetry has appeared in a number of journals\, including South Dakota Review\, Thimble Literary Journal\, Whale Road Review\, and has been nominated for both the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net awards. Brian is an English professor and previously served as the Director of Creative Writing at North Hennepin Community College. For more: https://briandbaumgart.wixsite.com/website. \n\n  URL:https://amsstory.com/event/poetry-reading-julie-adrian-cristy-merry-and-brian-baumgart/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/March-Author-Reading-e1738893149599.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250208T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250208T163000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014204Z CREATED:20250115T021246Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014204Z UID:10000415-1739026800-1739032200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Author reading- Timothy A. Herwig DESCRIPTION:Timothy A. Herwig‘s book\, The Long Way Home is a closely observed account of the author’s 5-week\, 500-mile walk from Chicago to Minneapolis and a parallel journey through the memories of his traumatic and painful life as a young man. His meetings with people and places along the journey open up the history\, culture\, and experience of this part of the Midwest in a way that will captivate any reader. \n$10 suggested donation for this event. \n \n“Much of the power and impact of The Long Way Home is conveyed through Herwig’s humility\, gift for clear yet understated description\, and the slow unfolding of the interior territory of memory\, pain\, and healing.” \n \nAuthor Bio: Tim was born in Rantoul\, Illinois in 1958 and moved to Albert Lea\, Minnesota shortly before his 5th birthday.  After graduating from high school\, he went on to earn his B.A. at St John’s University in Collegeville\, Minnesota and M.A. at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville\, Virginia\, both in English.  After graduate school\, he lived 20 years in Minneapolis.  He now has lived for 25 years in Chicago.  He lives in the Andersonville neighborhood with his wife and teenaged son. \n  URL:https://amsstory.com/event/author-reading-timothy-herwig/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tim-Herwig-e1738893830912.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250203T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250203T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014234Z CREATED:20250109T011940Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014234Z UID:10000413-1738609200-1738614600@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Poetry Reading- James Lenfestey DESCRIPTION:If you missed the SRO launch of James Lenfestey’s 8th full length poetry collection\, TIME REMAINING\, at Plymouth Congregational Church in November\,  here is your chance to catch him in a local intimate setting designed for poetry\, storytelling and humor\, and Lenfestey’s poems contain all three. Known for his spirited presentations\, Lenfestey’s  8th full-length collection\, subtitled “Body Odes\, Praise Songs\, Oddities\, Amazements” explore the body and the body of language and life in ways never heard before\, filled with linguistic delight. \n$10 suggested donation for this event. \n \nFor 30 years Lenfestey was the delightful Urban Coyote columnist for the Hill and Lake Press\, then served a decade on the  editorial board of the Star Tribune\, where he won Several Page One awards for excellence..  He has taught and practiced poetry in Minnesota\, Wisconsin and Mackinac island\, Michigan. In 2020 he received the Kay Sexton Award for significant contributions and leadership in the Minnesota Literary Community. His website is  www.coyotepoet.com   URL:https://amsstory.com/event/poetry-reading-james-lenfestey/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/James-Lenfestey-2024-e1736385516569.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241202T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241202T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T013640Z CREATED:20241118T011002Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T013640Z UID:10000402-1733166000-1733171400@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Poetry Reading- Barry MacDonald & Banji Lawal DESCRIPTION:Please join us for our next featured poetry reading with Barry MacDonald & Banji Lawal! \nIn-person at 1762 Hennepin Avenue\nMonday\, December 2 at 7 PM\nFREE (but donations appreciated) \n  \nBarry MacDonald will be reading from his compilation of five books ‘An Exploration of Consciousness IX: Everyday Mind XXXVI – XXXX’. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nThis is the story of a run-away journey to Galveston\, Texas; of work on asphalt driveway crews for three summers; of education in Oxford\, England; of alcoholism and drug addiction on the road to recovery; of his trip to Japan to teach English in private schools; of entrance to the Buddha Way through a Zen temple in Japan; and of his association with the poet Cid Corman in Kyoto Japan. \n  \nThis is a memoir contrasted throughout with poems of present-day experience that demonstrate the fruits of Barry’s far-flung experience. \n \nBarry MacDonald goes by the dharma name “Tekkan\,” which means “Iron Man” in 13th century Japanese. Tekkan indicates a “settled practitioner of great determination.” He was given this name when he took Buddhist vows. \nHe lived in Japan for 9 years\, teaching English at the Berlitz Corporation in Kyoto. He practiced Zen at Hosshin-ji\, a Zen temple in Obama — a small town on the coast of the Sea of Japan. He has written 49 books: Everyday Mind I-XXXX; and An Exploration of Consciousness IX. \n\n \nBanji Lawal will be reading from a selection of his collected work. He has been writing things he’s ashamed of for quite some time. He’s been writing things he’s happy with for a bit longer. Lately he’s developed a propensity for paint and a boredom with cameras. He likes to lay under trees by the lake with his summer. Read more of him at logothete.tumblr.com. \n  \n  URL:https://amsstory.com/event/author-reading-december-2024/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DEC-2024-Author-Reading-e1731892173273.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241104T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241104T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T013548Z CREATED:20241010T011812Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T013548Z UID:10000385-1730746800-1730752200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Author Reading- Jeremy Norton & Ashley Shelby DESCRIPTION:Please join us for our November author reading with Jeremy Norton & Ashley Shelby! \nJeremy Norton will read from his book “Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response” which was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in Memoir & Creative Nonfiction. \nIn this remarkable memoir\, Jeremy Norton marshals twenty-two years of professional experience to offer\, with compassion and critique\, an extraordinary portrayal of emergency responders. Trauma Sponges captures in arresting detail the personal and social toll the job exacts\, as well as the unique perspective afforded by sustained direct encounters with the sick\, the dying\, and the dead. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nAshley Shelby is an author\, a former environmental journalist\, and a Twin Cities resident. Her books include South Pole Station\, Red River Rising\, and\, most recently\, Honeymoons in Temporary Locations. More information can be found at http://www.ashleyshelby.com. \n  URL:https://amsstory.com/event/jeremy-norton/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nov-Author-Reeading-e1730336411606.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20241007T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20241007T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T013226Z CREATED:20240914T011945Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T013226Z UID:10000375-1728327600-1728333000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Author reading- William J. Anderson DESCRIPTION:Please join us for William J. Anderson’s (a.k.a A. W. Powers) reading from his Psychic Guardian Angel Series about a reluctant psychic\, a missing woman\, and vengeance from beyond the grave. Just in time for Halloween! Books in the series include: \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\nFirst Casualty (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 1)\nNo Rest for the Dead (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 2)\nFlying Objects (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 3)\nPsychic Summons (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 4)\nPsychic Mission (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 5)\nOpen for Business (The Psychic Guardian Angel Book 6)\n\n  \nAuthor Bio: William J. Anderson writes poetry and non-fiction from his home Champlin\, Minnesota\, right across the Mississippi River from Anoka\, the Halloween Capitol of the World\, where he was born and raised.  He is a board member of the Cracked Walnut Chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets\, and was the lead editor of their 2023 anthology\, Rewilding Hope. Active in our writing community\, William is the facilitator of the Cracked Walnut Writing Collective\, the Blank Verse Reading Series and the 5th Wednesday Reading Series\, and a member of the Loft Literary Center\, Rain Taxi and the Sisters in Crime. \nHis alter ego\, A. W. Powers\, has created the Psychic Guardian Angel series of paranormal thrillers\, published by Marlowe and Vane\, and writes mysteries and horror. He is trying to understand how his hometown may have influenced his writing\, or if it was the ghost that shared their home in North Minneapolis. He can be found at http://www.wmjanderson.com or http://www.awpowers-writer.com. URL:https://amsstory.com/event/author-reading-bill-anderson/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/01-First-Casualty-low-res.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240729T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240729T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014810Z CREATED:20240702T235914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014810Z UID:10000338-1722279600-1722285000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Threading the Gold by Wendy Brown-Báez DESCRIPTION:Please join us for Wendy Brown-Báez reading from her new book\, “Threading the Gold” \nThis poetry collection takes us on a journey from Advent to Lent during a time of conflict and chaos locally and globally\, through reflections on what was heard and experienced while attending services at Westminster Church. These poems consider the balance between the mystical path of contemplation and a heartfelt desire to repair and heal through activism. They ask how do we align with Divine Love and what is our responsibility to our neighbors\, including those across the globe? What does it mean to be broken and whole at the same time and who do we turn to when we feel devastated by loss and outrage? These poems include imagining several Biblical figures and their choices and decisions\, and what we might learn from them. They pay attention to sorrow and joy\, the holy in the ordinary\, and the dance between repose and ecstasy. From the weariness of Santa trying to find the homes of those who do not have a home to the joy of finding connection and community\, these poems illuminate the gold of spiritual awareness threaded through all circumstances. \nIn-person at 1762 Hennepin Avenue\nMonday July 29 at 7 PM\nFREE \nAuthor bio:  Wendy Brown-Báez is the creator of Writing Circles for Healing. She is the author of the guidebook Heart on the Page: A Portable Writing Workshop\, a novel Catch a Dream\, and the poetry books Threading the Gold and Ceremonies of the Spirit. Her poetry and prose appear widely in literary journals and anthologies\, including Mizna\, Wising Up Press\, Poets & Writers\, Talking Writing\, Water~Stone Review\, Peregrine and Tiferet. Wendy was awarded McKnight and MN State Arts Board grants to teach creative writing in non-profits. She continues to facilitate creative writing and memoir in community spaces such as healing and spiritual centers\, schools\, libraries\, prisons\, and literary arts organizations. Wendy is the executive editor of Saint Paul Almanac and a member of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop\, and she was the Artist-in-Residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church 2023-2024. www.wendybrownbaez.com \n  URL:https://amsstory.com/event/threading-the-gold-reading/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/OnePageBookCoverImage-e1719964426926.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240701T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240701T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T014839Z CREATED:20240611T010421Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T014839Z UID:10000333-1719860400-1719865800@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Still Standing: Snapshots of an MS Warrior by River Maria Urke DESCRIPTION:Please join us for River Maria Urke reading from her new book\, “Still Standing: Snapshots of an MS Warrior” \nStill Standing: Snapshots of an MS Warrior is a memoir of resilience spanning twenty-five years on a rollercoaster of motion. A compelling story of multiple sclerosis told through snapshots comprised of essays and poetry. They are River’s everyday moments and pondered experiences related to her daily battle with multiple sclerosis. Each essay is a window into an experience covering a subject relatable to someone with MS and informative for those that want to learn. One or more poems follow each essay\, often with a gift of humor at the end. A book to educate and inspire the warrior in all of us. \nIn-person at 1762 Hennepin Avenue\nMonday July 1 at 7 PM\nFREE \nAuthor bio:  River Maria Urke has the heart of a poet and the eyes of an artist. Her work reflects the principles she lives by where imperfection is beauty\, nature is appreciated\, and knowledge is gold. In addition\, River’s work is often influenced by her battle with multiple sclerosis\, and Ojibwe heritage. River is a multimedia artist\, poet\, and writer currently residing in River Falls\, Wisconsin with her cat\, Niko. She is known to integrate her poetry and art into one artistic piece. \nRiver is the author of three poetry chapbooks\, a nonfiction- “Women’s Obsession with Shoes”\, a memoir- “Still Standing: Snapshots of an MS Warrior” and has contributed to nine anthologies.  River is the host of the seasonal program\, Up Close: Meet the Poet Behind the Verse\, and the publisher of Cracked Walnut’s newsletter\, New Moon News. She was a ‘Poet of Place’ for the lower St Croix Valley in 2022. River is a member of Cracked Walnut\, the League of MN Poets\, the Mississippi Valley Poets and Writers\, and the WWNH (what we need is here) art group. She has degrees in American Indian Studies and Anthropology. you can visit her website- www.rivermaria.org URL:https://amsstory.com/event/still-standing-reading/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Still-Standing-e1718067785948.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240412T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240412T203000 DTSTAMP:20250530T014319Z CREATED:20240322T021213Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T014319Z UID:10000315-1712948400-1712953800@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Janna Knittel & Claire Wahmanholm Poetry Reading DESCRIPTION:Please join us for our National Poetry Month reading featuring Janna Knittel & Claire Wahmanholm! \nIn-person at 1762 Hennepin Avenue\nFriday\, April 12th at 7 PM\nFREE (but donations appreciated) \nJanna Knittel is from the Pacific Northwest and has lived in Minnesota since 2004. Janna’s first full-length poetry book\, Real Work (Nodin Press\, 2022) was a finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Book Awards. \nPrevious publications include the chapbook Fish & Wild Life (Finishing Line Press\, 2018) and poems in Blueline\, Breakwater Review\, Conduit\, Constellations\, Cottonwood\, North Dakota Quarterly\, Pleiades\, Whale Road Review\, and The Wild Word\, among other journals\, as well as Waters Deep: A Great Lakes Anthology (Split Rock Review\, 2018). \nJanna has taught literature and writing classes at colleges and universities in Oregon\, Kansas\, and Minnesota as well as at North Suburban Center for the Arts and currently teaches in the English Department at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and the low-residency MFA program at Augsburg University. \nClaire Wahmanholm is the author of Wilder*\, Redmouth\, and\, most recently\, Meltwater\, which was a finalist for the 2024 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the Minnesota Book Award. Her work has most recently appeared in\, or is forthcoming from\, High Country News\, Blood Orange Review\, The Anarchist Review of Books\, and The Hopkins Review. A 2020-2021 McKnight Writing Fellow\, and the winner of the 2022 Montreal International Poetry Prize\, she lives in the Twin Cities. \n*pronounced “will-der” URL:https://amsstory.com/event/poetry-reading-04-2024/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Janna-Knittel-Claire-Wahmanholm-Poetry-Reading-e1711073447710.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231212T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231212T203000 DTSTAMP:20250526T013148Z CREATED:20231204T022431Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T013148Z UID:10000293-1702407600-1702413000@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Circus Rex Reading at Eat My Words DESCRIPTION:Loren Niemi reads / tells stories from “Circus Rex” his new novel. The product of 40 years in the storytelling\, 20 years and nine versions in the writing\, “Circus Rex” is available just in time for your Holiday gift giving. \nLoosely based on his lived experience as the ringmaster and tour manager of In the Heart of the Beast Theatre’s 1983 “Circle of Water Circus” tour from the headwaters of the Mississippi to New Orleans and 25 years of performing as “Dr. Buzz” with MIchael Sommers and Kevin Kling in the “late great” trio\, Bad Jazz\, it is not a memoir gone off the rails so much as it is an engaging fiction replete with poetic imagery\, carny come-ons\, memorable characters\, offbeat humor and a happy ending. Signed copies will be available. \n7;00 PM is the time. Tuesday\, December 12th is the date. FREE. Come on out and get yourself a little bit of the Doctor’s medicine. As Mark Twain said\, supposing is good but finding out is better…” URL:https://amsstory.com/event/circus-rex-reading-at-eat-my-words/ LOCATION:Eat My Words Books\, 201 6th St SE UNIT 220\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55414\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20230929_192728-1-e1701656658804.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230929T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230929T210000 DTSTAMP:20250526T013340Z CREATED:20230925T002517Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T013340Z UID:10000270-1696014000-1696021200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:Circus Rex Book Launch DESCRIPTION:“Circus Rex” coming Friday\, September 29th!\n1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\nDoors at 6:30\, show at 7pm \nJoin us (Christine and Loren) for a celebration of “Circus Rex” (after 40 years of stories\, 20 years and 9 versions in the writing\, it’s finally making its way in the world) with bbq\, beer\, and books. \nOh and stories from Kevin Kling and myself of the journey from the headwaters of the Mississippi to New Orleans that was the source material of this “memoir” gone off the rails replete with carny come-on’s\, poetic imagery\, and off-beat humor. \nCover art by Michael Sommers URL:https://amsstory.com/event/circus-rex/ LOCATION:AMSS\, 1762 Hennepin Ave South\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55403\, United States CATEGORIES:Books ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Circus-Rex-2-e1695601656232.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="American School of Storytelling":MAILTO:americanschoolofstorytelling@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230720T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230720T200000 DTSTAMP:20250530T015658Z CREATED:20230712T023803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T015658Z UID:10000255-1689877800-1689883200@amsstory.com SUMMARY:A Poetic Quartet For the Blank Verse Reading Series DESCRIPTION:The American School of Storytelling is curating a poetic quartet of Janna Knittel\, Christine Mounts\, Loren Niemi and Diego Vazquez Jr. for the Blank Verse reading series at the Anoka County Library (711 County Road 10 NE Blaine\, MN 55434) on Thursday\, July 20\, 2023\, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. \nSponsored by League of Minnesota Poets and Cracked Walnut\, this evening which is being organized by the American School of Storytelling will offer a diversity of old school and new styles and content from four exceptional performers. The American School teaches narrative forms\, both online and in person\, as well as producing regular storytelling and spoken word performances. \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Christine Mounts\n \n \n \n \n \n Loren Niemi\n \n \n\n  \nDiego Vazquez Jr is a poet\, writer\, editor. On YouTube he is “Trainwreck Poet”. Many videos of train travel\, not much poetry: www.youtube.com/@TrainwreckPoet \nJanna Knittel is the author of Real Work (Nodin\, 2022)\, a finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Book Award in poetry and the chapbook Fish & Wild Life (Finishing Line\, 2018). Janna has also published poems in Blue Mountain Review\, Constellations\, North Dakota Quarterly\, Pleiades\, The Trumpeter\, and The Wild Word as well as the following anthologies: Waters Deep: A Great Lakes Anthology (Split Rock\, 2018); The Experiment Will Not Be Bound (Unbound Edition\, 2023); and Broad Wings\, Long Legs: A Rookery of Heron Poems (North Star\, forthcoming 2023). \nChristine Mounts is an IT professional by day and a poet by night. She writes and travels as much as a working schlub like her can manage. She is the author of Book of Snark: Wit & Wisdom for the Angry Professional Woman on the Bus\, published October 2020. She co-founded the American School of Storytelling in 2021. She is a winner of the 2022 University of St Thomas Environmental (In)justice in Mni Sóta Maḳoce storytelling contest. \nLoren Niemi began as a child fibber but soon realized he was less interested in lying than he was in improving the truth. He is still at it\, as a poet\, author and innovative storyteller whose work includes a 2020 Midwest Book Award winning story collection\, “What Haunts Us”\, and two poetry chapbooks\, “Coyote flies Coach” and “Vote Coyote!” His new poetry memoir “A Breviary for the Lost” is available now. He is also the founder of the American School of Storytelling and its CSO (Chief Storytelling Officer). More at: www.LorenNiemiStories.com URL:https://amsstory.com/event/a-poetic-quartet-for-the-blank-verse-reading-series/ LOCATION:Anoka County Northtown Library\, 711 County Rd 10 NE\, Blaine\, MN\, 55434 CATEGORIES:Poetry ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://amsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Blank-Verse.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR