Events on the Horizon

This weekend, I'll be attending my final event of 2011. I'll be reading poems (with 20+ other poets) at the Barnes & Noble in Webster, Texas, as part of the Houston Poetry Festival's Poetry "Out of Bounds" Readings. I believe I get to kick things off at 1 p.m.-ish (poets are smart enough to always add an -ish to everything). Click here for more details.

Mary Margaret Carlisle and I on the Featured Poets Forum at the 2011 Austin International Poetry Festival.

This reading came about as a result of meeting Mary Margaret Carlisle at the Austin International Poetry Festival. We both met at one of the events and then traded collections (my ENTER for her It's Always About The Rain) after the reading. Then, we ran into each other at the featured reading and sat next to each other at the featured panel (we were both features at the festival).

The ability to share your work and learn from others is often what makes it worth attending an event. However, it's the people you meet and connect with that can really elevate your experience to new levels. I'm still maintaining conversations with the great poets I met in Austin, and I can only hope that I've been as much help to them as they've been to me.

So yeah...2011 is wrapping up. Here's what's currently on my calendar for 2012:

AWP Conference, February 29-March 3, Chicago, Illinois
The official schedule will not be released until October, but I do know that my panel is on The Tech-Empowered Writer: Embrace New Media, Experiment & Earn. The panel was pitched by Christina Katz, who invited Jane Friedman, Seth Harwood, and myself to join her.

Poetry Hickory, June 12, Hickory, North Carolina
At 4 p.m., I'll lead a workshop on building an audience for your poetry. I believe the workshop will require a small fee of something like $10 per attendee. After that (beginning around 5:30-ish), Tammy and I will read our poetry. Tammy and I met Scott Owens, who hosts the Poetry Hickory events, earlier this year, and we're really excited to meet many of the North Carolina poets we already "know" through Facebook and other social media sites.

Poetry Hickory will be getting two poets for the price of one (or something like that).

Writing Away Retreats, Labor Day weekend, Breckenridge, Colorado
This retreat will offer writers several tentative mentors, including myself, agent Kristin Nelson, Kate Gale (I'm assuming of Red Hen Press), agent Sandra Bond, and multiple RITA award-winning author Barbara Samuel (O'Neal). These retreats are scenic, inspiring and are limited to 10-12 writers, which means you'll get plenty of time for feedback and mentorship.

I hope to see you at one of these events--either on Saturday or next year!

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If you happen to know of any speaking opportunities in your area and are interested in hearing me read poetry, talk about getting published or building a writer platform, etc., then either contact me (or have your organization contact me) via e-mail at robertleebrewer@gmail.com.