Poetry Writing Workshop with Poet Ed Carvalho

Poet Edward J. Carvalho will be participating in a series of free poetry readings and workshops in the community and schools in March as part of "Waves Seen, Waves Heard" the second Big Read in Rock, Walworth & Jefferson County.

Additionally, Carvalho will be participating in the Janesville Performing Arts Center series, JPAC Your Lunch. Carvalho will also be hosting free poetry readings and workshops in Lake Geneva and Fort Atkinson.

In his writing workshops, Carvalho emphasizes the need for building a community of active learners and passionate writers. Students are encouraged therefore to not only celebrate their unique sense of self and voice in their poems, but also to cultivate works that demonstrate the myriad ways they engage, dialogue, and creatively interpret the world around them. In each workshop session, students will be encouraged to share their original compositions, learn techniques for constructive criticism of peer work, consider the value of revision and language choice, and practice the oral and aural traditions of the craft. Additionally, Carvalho incorporates a wide spectrum of writing exercises in his week-long workshop series, techniques and prompts modeled in part from his study with renowned poet Martín Espada in 2005.

Events open to the community include:

Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Fort Atkinson. Poet Edward J. Carvalho, described as "original, innovative, imaginative and brutal" and twice-nominated for the Pushcart Prize (2004-2005), will lead a poetry writing workshop at the Dwight Foster Public Library, 102 E. Milwaukee Avenue. This program is part of the 2010 Big Read: Waves Seen, Waves Heard! and is hosted by the Friends of Lorine Niedecker. This program is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested. Sign up at the library or by calling (920) 563-7790. For additional information contact Amy Lutzke at the same number.

Wednesday, March 10 from 12-1 p.m. Reading & Q.&A. "JPAC Your Lunch" at the Janesville Performing Arts Center, 408 S. Main Street, Janesville, WI. Looking for a fun break in your day? Janesville Performing Arts Center hosts a brown bag lunch series designed to creatively educate, inspire, and encourage us to view the world from different perspectives. JPAC Your Lunch is offered on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Admission is free. No concessions are available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m. Lake Geneva Public Library. Poet Edward J. Carvalho will read his poetry at 6:30 followed by a Q&A session. At 7:30, Carvalho will lead a poetry writing workshop. This program is part of the 2010 Big Read: Waves Seen, Waves Heard! And hosted by the Lake Geneva Public Library. (918 W. Main Street, Lake Geneva, WI 53147). This program is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested. Sign up at the library or by calling 262.249.5299. For additional information contact Alisha Benson at the same number.

Edward J. Carvalho is an MFA recipient (Goddard College 2006), and PhD candidate in the Literature and Criticism program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short (Fine Tooth Press, 2007), Chants from the Seven Cities (Guerrilla Ignition, 2009), and the forthcoming manuscript "If the radiance of a thousand suns": Songs of the American Hiroshima (2010). His poems--once described as "original, innovative, imaginative and brutal"--have been twice-nominated for the Pushcart Prize (2004-2005) and appear along with his essays, reviews, and critical papers in numerous journals throughout the country.

The Big Read Grant gives young adults the opportunity to learn more about reading, writing, different cultures, and to explore their interest in these areas. This year's Big Read book is Sun, Stone, and Shadows 20 Great Mexican Short Stories. This book helps us take a look into the history of Mexican culture and also their culture today, and understand more about them as a people. The Big Read this year includes library readings, poetry and theatre workshops, a t-shirt competition and art show, and the final big event, Sones de Mexico on May 4th. For information on Big Read events in your area please visit your area library or the Big Read Blog .

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.