Category Archives: reading

Demanded Dignity

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Last night I read the three poems I entered into UNL Amnesty’s poetry contest and Demand Dignity benefit concert at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso. I posted two videos on YouTube.

The funny thing about technology is that one always wants to try something new. For this reading, I was a little worried that the sound from the steamer for the milk and the coffee grinder would overpower the bands and the poets. Also, I wasn’t sure what kind of sound system would be set up to amply voices. So, to make a long story short, I used a wireless mic with the video camera and then synced the audio from the mic to the video for a clearer audio. I think it turned out great for this new experiment with recording.

Technology aside, it was great reading and a fantastic turnout. I’m really glad I had this opportunity to participate in raising $$$ for an important cause.

A local reading & January news

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Earlier this month, I submitted poems to the UNL Amensty’s Demand Dignity poetry and lyrics contest. I was among the top five finalist! Yay! They’ve invited me to read at their benefit concert this Saturday.

Reading (poetry) in UNL Amnesty’s Demand Dignity benefit concert
8:00 p.m., Saturday, January 28, 2012
Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South St., Lincoln, NE 68502

I hope to see you there!

In other contest and award news, forthcoming in my chapbook THE PUPPET WIFE, my piece “Pantomime: A Tragedy” was selected for the 2011 “Best of Spittoon” award, which includes an actual spittoon. I get a spittoon. They’re going to send me a spittoon. How cool is that? My father had a few spittoons around the house when I was a kid and I always thought they were kind of neat and a little bit sinister. I’m very excited to get my own.

In other news, I’m up in UNL’s January newsletter. I have poems in the current issues of Miller’s Pond, in the anthology Sunrise from Blue Thunder, the anthology Flashlight Memories (now available in ebook), and forthcoming in ABZ and The Adroit Journal.

Bloggers over in The Modcloth Blog discussed their love of chapbooks and posted this lovely picture of recent chaps they’ve been reading.

I’m delighted to see my little chapbook MY IMAGINARY in the bottom left hand corner.

Finally, late last year I created a BRANDING GIRLS giveaway on Goodreads.

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Branding Girls by Laura Madeline Wiseman

Branding Girls

by Laura Madeline Wiseman

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win


What is the coolest, craziest, and most unbelievable thing is the number of people who have entered to win. As of right now as I’m typing this blog post, there are 203 people requesting a copy of BRANDING GIRLS. 203! My press run was only 250. I’m very sure I’ve sold 47+ copies. I don’t think there are 203 copies available. The contest ends in March, but it’s 203 and counting. Amazing.

December News

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I have pieces in the current issues of Spittoon and Silver Blade. My poem “Misnomer” appears in the anthology Science Poetry (McAlister, Neil Harding, 2011).

I’m up on the English Department’s newsletter for December and Amazon now has author URL’s. Here’s mine. I read with the wonderful and friendly poets and writers at Tuesdays with Writers in their holiday read-a-thon.

Twice, I’ve read with the talented poets in the 2012 Nebraska Poets Calender, once at Noyes Gallery and once at Crescent Moon’s Poetry at the Moon reading series.

And, as a sneak peek, I’m working on getting a new design for my website. More on that soon….Happy 2011! It was a very good year!

broadside & calendar readings

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If you’re up for a little holiday cheer this coming week, I’m reading two poems from my broadside collaboration Tuesday night. I’m number 9 on the list, so if you’re a little late, you’ll probably still catch me. Sunday afternoon, I’m reading with the poets who are featured in the 2012 calender by Black Star Press. I’ll read my July poem, plus a couple others from my recent and forthcoming chapbooks. Here’s the information. I hope to see you there!

Reading (poetry) in Tuesdays with Writers at the South Mill
7 p.m., December 6, 2011
4736 Prescott Avenue (near Union College), Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Reading (poetry) in 2012 Nebraska Poets Calendar reading and art show
2-4 p.m., Sunday, December 11, 2011
Noyes Gallery, 119 South 9th St. Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

 

She Who Loves Her Father blurb #2

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Way back in 2006 and 2007 when I was a newbie doctoral student, I attended several of the Clean-Part Reading Series poetry readings that were, at that time, held in the auditorium of the Sheldon Art Museum. It was there that I first heard Julia Cohen read. The Sheldon was a wonderful place to hear poetry–good ambiance, cushy seats, ambient lighting, and art displayed in the gallery and hall just outside the auditorium. I’ve just finished The History of a Lake Never Drowns (Dancing Girl Press, 2009) and her co-authored collection Samaritan (Dancing Girl Press, 2011). Her stuff is cool and the cover art she chooses is delightful. She’s written me a lovely, little blurb for my new collection SHE WHO LOVES HER FATHER forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press next year. Here’s Julia:

To read Wiseman’s collection is to live inside an echo, a series of glances that won’t let you go. Wiseman evokes a landscape of attentive and intimate arrivals. These revealing poems ask us to consider why we drift and how we recognize the anchor in each other.

Thanks, Julia!

Live from STL

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Here are two videos from my reading Friday at noon here in St. Louis at  MMLA. It was a great gathering of poets, many of whom do interesting collaborative projects with art. I was in such great company. I read from BRANDING GIRLS and from the broadside collaboration I did with Kate Johnson. Here’s two of the broadsides. First, “Posturing.”

Second, “Housekeeping.”

I’ll try to post a few more once I check out the video.

This morning at 8:30 (can we say thank you daylight savings time. yes we can), I’m presenting in a panel on teaching and play. I’m very much looking forward to hearing my fellow panelist and bringing back some great teaching ideas to my classes this term.

I’ve been accepted

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Dancing Girl Press just accepted my chapbook SHE WHO LOVES HER FATHER for its 2012 lineup of poetry collections. I’m thrilled! If you haven’t looked at their recent catalog, check out the new little books by Stacy Kidd, Julie Cohen, Leah Browning, Cati Porter, and Leigh Stein. I will be in such good company.

In other news, I’m heading up to Omaha tomorrow to see my poem “The Purse” performed in Lit Undressed:

Performance (poetry) in Lit Undressed / Omaha Lit Fest
8 p.m., October 19, 2011
House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th Street, Omaha, Nebraska

Sally Deskins has been compiling wonderful interviews in Les Femmes Folles with Nebraska women artists and writers like Judy Slater and Dana Fritz. I’m up next in “Women of LFF: Laura Madeline Wiseman.” I talk a little about my poem “The Purse.” I wrote the poem in the master poetry class Alicia Ostriker taught this past spring term. I’m really excited to see it performed!

In broadside news, if you’re not local and want a copy of Posturing and/or The Gift, I’ve made them available through paypal. Kate Johnson, my collaborator for the poetry + art broadsides, has been busy too. She’s listed all her remaining copies of the series on Etsy. As a small aside, I love Etsy. I’ve ordered my share of x-mas gifts from that great site.

In other news, Nebraska Life went digital with one of my poems. Mississippi Review has moved it’s online publications to Blip Magazine and reprints my poem “Elevator Girl Brand,” a poem that is collected in BRANDING GIRLS. Speaking of ekphrasis, I’ve been cited in Robert Denham’s POETS ON PAINTINGS: A BIBLIOGRAPHY (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010). Finally, my little chapbook, PLASTIC MATCHES, is listed on Library Thing and Goodreads.

Not bad news as the weather chills toward Halloween.