Courtesy of Paul Abdoo
Poet and musician Joy Harjo is one of the “Returning the Gift” headliners.
TBA
UWM professor Kim Blaeser is the organizer of "Returning the Gift."
The first "Returning the Gift" conference of Native American writers, in Oklahoma in 1992, gave Kim Blaeser both a spiritual and professional boost as a writer. Now she's co-director of the 20th edition of the conference, which will bring both widely known and emerging writers and storytellers to Milwaukee from Wednesday through Sunday.
Because the conference is dovetailing with the Indian Summer festival at the lakefront, Milwaukeeans can catch many readings and performances for modest or even no cost.
Native literature wants to be both "affective and effective," "be beautiful and make change" in the world, said Blaeser, a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa who grew up on the White Earth Reservation.
That first conference led to a flurry of publishing and inspired such then-younger writers as Sherman Alexie, Blaeser pointed out.
Most conference events Wednesday and Thursday will take place at UWM's Hefter Conference Center, 3271 N. Lake Drive. The conference will feature panel discussions on writing from nature, indigenous languages in contemporary writing, working with Native youth through writing, and practical business-of-writing stuff. Conference co-director Jim Stevens, editor of the Yukhika-latuhse journal, will chair the panel "Music, Resistance, & Story: A Cornucopia of Wisconsin Writing" at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.
Conference registration at the door will be $125. Visit yukhika-latuhse.org for information.
The action moves to Indian Summer at the lakefront Friday through Sunday, with all those events included with regular Indian Summer admission.
Headliners Joy Harjo and Joseph Bruchac will give a public reading at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St. Harjo, a leading poet and musician, will read from her new memoir "Crazy Brave." Bruchac is renowned for preserving and extending Native traditions through books, storytelling and music for both children and adults. Both writers were part of the first "Returning the Gift" conference. Admission is $8, $7 for students and seniors, $6 for Woodland Pattern members. Call (414) 263-5001.
Harjo will perform a poetry and music show at 7 p.m. Thursday at Marquette University's Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Philip Red Eagle will show the documentary "Canoe Way: The Sacred Journey" both during the conference at UWM and 5:15 p.m. Sunday at Indian Summer.
Also at Indian Summer, Joseph and Jim Bruchac will give several presentations of "Animal Stories & Songs," and Blaeser will stage a set of three children's plays several times. A Native poetry slam competition begins at 8:30 p.m. Friday and 8:45 p.m. Saturday.
Blaeser also recommends seeing the Twin Cities-based New Native Theatre, which will perform comic sketches at 5:15 p.m. Saturday and 11:05 a.m. Sunday.
Download a complete schedule of "Returning the Gift" events at bit.ly/PDg3N7.
Because the conference is dovetailing with the Indian Summer festival at the lakefront, Milwaukeeans can catch many readings and performances for modest or even no cost.
Native literature wants to be both "affective and effective," "be beautiful and make change" in the world, said Blaeser, a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa who grew up on the White Earth Reservation.
That first conference led to a flurry of publishing and inspired such then-younger writers as Sherman Alexie, Blaeser pointed out.
Most conference events Wednesday and Thursday will take place at UWM's Hefter Conference Center, 3271 N. Lake Drive. The conference will feature panel discussions on writing from nature, indigenous languages in contemporary writing, working with Native youth through writing, and practical business-of-writing stuff. Conference co-director Jim Stevens, editor of the Yukhika-latuhse journal, will chair the panel "Music, Resistance, & Story: A Cornucopia of Wisconsin Writing" at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.
Conference registration at the door will be $125. Visit yukhika-latuhse.org for information.
The action moves to Indian Summer at the lakefront Friday through Sunday, with all those events included with regular Indian Summer admission.
Headliners Joy Harjo and Joseph Bruchac will give a public reading at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St. Harjo, a leading poet and musician, will read from her new memoir "Crazy Brave." Bruchac is renowned for preserving and extending Native traditions through books, storytelling and music for both children and adults. Both writers were part of the first "Returning the Gift" conference. Admission is $8, $7 for students and seniors, $6 for Woodland Pattern members. Call (414) 263-5001.
Harjo will perform a poetry and music show at 7 p.m. Thursday at Marquette University's Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Philip Red Eagle will show the documentary "Canoe Way: The Sacred Journey" both during the conference at UWM and 5:15 p.m. Sunday at Indian Summer.
Also at Indian Summer, Joseph and Jim Bruchac will give several presentations of "Animal Stories & Songs," and Blaeser will stage a set of three children's plays several times. A Native poetry slam competition begins at 8:30 p.m. Friday and 8:45 p.m. Saturday.
Blaeser also recommends seeing the Twin Cities-based New Native Theatre, which will perform comic sketches at 5:15 p.m. Saturday and 11:05 a.m. Sunday.
Download a complete schedule of "Returning the Gift" events at bit.ly/PDg3N7.
American Indian writers' conference in Milwaukee this week - JSOnline
Link: http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/american-indian-writers-conference-in-milwaukee-this-week-g36mvih-168410346.html
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