Fall in love with these literary events! If you’re looking for something to do in February, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!
February 1, 2025 Salon Reading Series: “I’m Saving You a Seat” Turbine Flats, Resonator Gallery, 2124 Y St. Lincoln, 6:30 - 9:00 pm Each Salon Reading Series event features a reading of a play followed by a moderated discussion of the play’s themes and how these themes apply to the community. The theme for 2025-26 is “Find Your Place.” This month’s feature is I’m Saving You a Seat by Sarah Elizabeth Grace, a heartfelt, slice of life play that answers the question “what happens next after someone gets sober?” with searing vulnerability and many David Bowie references.
February 3, 2025 Maria Nazos Poetry Reading & Discussion Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Nazos writes toward the pulse beneath grief and joy, tracing love, loss, resilience, and the strange humor of being alive. Her poems travel widely, but always return to the body and what keeps it moving.
February 3-7, 2025 Kearney Area Storytelling Festival: Winter Tales Kearney Come see the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival, where you’re invited to come hear professional storytellers—along with area tellers—present the art of storytelling in many area venues. Featured speakers will be Lyn Ford and Paul Strickland. See the full event schedule with times and locations here.
February 5, 2025 Verse & Vibes Indigo Cottage Crafts, 2063 Creekside Dr. Papillion, 6:30 pm An open mic at an artsy space full of good vibes, and not just because of the coffee and liquor bar ;). Open to poets, authors, writers, musicians, anyone who has talent to share. Everyone is welcome. Free event. Jules Coral, MC.
February 6, 2025 First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Lee Horikoshi Roripaugh Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Join Lee Horikoshi Roripaugh, author of five volumes of poetry – most recently tsunami vs. the fukushima 50 as they read and discuss “unMothered, unTongued”, a collection of lyric essays written from the liminal space of the in-between.
February 7, 2025 The Language of Desire: Poetry and the Human Need to Be Known with Aly Acevedo Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am What does it mean to be known? In this workshop, explore how poetry expresses our need for connection and belonging through guided discussion and writing that help transform personal experience into art.
February 7, 14, & 28, 2025 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Lincoln Workshops Pius X High School Conference Room, 6000 A St. (West Entrance 11) Lincoln, 9:00 – 11:00 am A workshop designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by professional writing instructors, the workshops consist of six to eight biweekly sessions focused on developing strategies and skills. Facilitated by Tom Seib.
February 7 & 21, 2025 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Omaha Workshops Nebraska Wildlife Rehab’s Baldwin Conference Room, 9777 M St. Omaha, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm A workshop designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by professional writing instructors, the workshops consist of six to eight biweekly sessions focused on developing strategies and skills. Facilitated by Jen Stastny and Cindy Cronn.
February 10, 2025 Book Launch Celebration: Kristen Hoerl – “The Impossible Woman: Television, Feminism, and the Future” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 7:30 pm Join us as we celebrate the book launch of Kristen Hoerl’s new book The Impossible Woman: Television, Feminism, and the Future! The Impossible Woman examines a variety of scripted US television series across multiple genres to show how the cultural value of television’s extraordinarily talented female characters often rests upon their ability to endure—but not overcome—sexism.
February 13, 2025 Poetry Readings at The Lion: a Poetry Feature and Open Mic with Alina Nguyên and Caroliena Cabada St Mark’s on the Campus, 1309 R St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm Guests may study, write, read, relax, sit, talk, and generally socialize with friends over coffee, tea, and other beverages from opening at 5:30 pm until 6:00 pm when Alina Nguyên and Caroliena Cabada will feature. If time remains, Open Mic will will follow until closing.
February 19, 2025 Beyond Adventure Speaker Series with Kevin Fedarko Swanson Auditorium, Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Hear author and adventurer Kevin Fedarko give his account of one of the toughest hikes in the world and ask him your questions about his book A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon! He will be presenting for the Beyond Adventure Speaker Series and signing books.
February 13, 2025 V-day the 13th Variety Show Maravillas, 2910 K St. Suite G Omaha, 7:00 pm A night of variety with comedy, music, poetry, a mentalist act, and more as the Vaudeville Maniacs present “V-Day the 13th!” hosted by Chicken Boy and Joe Riss. There is also a “Best Jason” Costume Contest with the winner taking home a prestigious gold spray painted Hockey Mask. Poetry from Nikki J and Matt Mason. Doors open at 7, show at 8. Preshow admission: $10. $15 at the door.
February 14, 2025 Valentine’s Day Oracle Reading with Watercolor Haiku Raygun, 1108 Jackson St. Omaha, 7:00 pm Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a playful, meaningful experience designed for connection. Couples and individuals are invited to receive a short intuitive oracle card reading paired with a custom watercolor haiku, created in the moment as a keepsake. This experience offers insight, reflection, and a gentle pause capturing what’s present or possible in your relationship right now. Tina BE will invite you to with a beautiful card for inspiration, compose an inspired haiku, then paint with your overall color vibe. This is not therapy or fortune-telling; just a playful, creative way to listen, reflect, and share a moment together.
February 19, 2025 Virtual Author Series: Brad Bigelow – “Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts” Zoom, 7:00 – 8:00 pm Delve into the life and work of an important Willa Cather scholar with the return of our virtual author series! Brad Bigelow will share passages from his new book, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts, a biography that chronicles Virginia Faulkner’s career as a promising writer once compared to Dorothy Parker, who eventually returns to her hometown of Lincoln and becomes an editor who is free to nurture what author Timothy Schaffert calls “mad devotion to Willa Cather.” Spend an evening with Bigelow as he discusses his research, his expertise about Faulkner’s life, and how she contributed to Cather’s enduring legacy as an American author. This event is free with registration.
February 19, 2025 Writes of Passage UNO’s Criss Library, 6401 S University Dr Rd. N. Omaha, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Prepare to be moved, inspired, and electrified at the only spoken word event in Nebraska dedicated solely to the art of expression. This isn’t just another open mic night—it’s a celebration of storytelling and raw emotion, where voices from all walks of life take center stage. Hosted in the intimate and immersive setting where every performance feels personal. Whether you’re a longtime lover of spoken word or a curious newcomer, this event guarantees an unforgettable night of connection and creativity. Featured set by Sultry Tha Poet.
February 20, 2025 Spoken Word, Featured Reading and Open Mic The Ellery,1247 S 11th St. Lincoln, 7:00 pm A spoken word featured reading and open mic hosted by Esman Rodas Calderon. After the event, you’re invited to join Write After, a writing group that meets around the conclusion of this event, around 8:30 or 9:00.This month’s theme is “Love and Heartbreak: Romance”.
February 21, 2025 Poetry Workshop: Writing Pain Into Your Poetry Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Omaha, 10:00 – 11:30 am Sometimes we write because it hurts, whatever “it” is. Bring your hurt, your pain, your sorrow. We will turn it into healing words. We will discuss why sometimes we turn to the pen when things seem down or hopeless, and what that brings us when we write the pain on paper. Led by Julie Paschold.
February 21, 2025 Visiting Authors: Lexi Rodriguez and Kelsi Kautz – “The Big Little Dream” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 6:00 – 7:00 pm Join author and volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez and her co-author Kelsi Kautz as they present their new children’s book, The Big Little Dream. The story dives into the life of Little Mia and her big dream – to find her sense of belonging through sport.
February 22, 2025 Poetry Gathering at St. Cecilia Cathedral’s Parish Center St. Cecilia Cathedral’s Parish Center, 701 N 40th St. Omaha, 2:00 – 4:00 pm Readers are invited to bring original poems or work by a favorite author on themes of Black History or Valentines Day (Or any other favorite). Refreshments and live music at intermission.
Check out the NCB Calendar to stay up to date on upcoming literary events happening near you!
*The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Some of this month’s events, workshops, or conferences may require registration or charge a fee.
Feel free to contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured.
Where Nebraska Center for the Book board members share their thoughts about the books they are reading. This month’s review is by Amy Mather, Partnerships Manager at Omaha Public Library.
Review of Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks.
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Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks is a deeply personal memoir chronicling the sudden death of her husband, journalist Tony Horwitz, on Memorial Day 2019.
As a longtime fan of Brooks’s fiction—and of memoirs more broadly—I chose to listen to the audiobook, narrated by the author herself. That choice feels especially meaningful here. Brooks’s narration places you directly at her side as she unpacks the shock of loss, navigates the practical demands of daily life, and struggles to carve out space to properly mourn. Interwoven with her grief are memories of how she and Horwitz met, their years reporting together as foreign correspondents in the Middle East, and her own path toward becoming a novelist.
Reflective, intimate, and heartbreaking, Memorial Days is a powerful meditation on love, loss, and remembrance. Readers who cherish literary memoirs will find this a moving and unforgettable listen.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bailee Juroshek 402-471-4002 800-307-2665
The Antidote: A Novel Proclaimed the 2026 One Book One Nebraska
On Jan. 13, 2026 Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation honoring the 2026 One Book One Nebraska selection The Antidote: A Novel (Knopf, 2025) by Karen Russell. Rebecca Faber, Nebraska Center for the Book (NCB) Board member spoke about the program and selection. The Antidote is a historical fiction novel set in the fictional Nebraska town of Uz during the trials of the dust bowl. Full of magical realism, Nebraska landmarks, and superb storytelling, The Antidote showcases the challenges of the time period while urging the reader to face the future. The full proclamation can be viewed on the One Book One Nebraska webpages at http://onebook.nebraska.gov. Rebecca Faber from the Nebraska Center for the Book board spoke at the proclamation ceremony, saying:
“Ms Russell made several trips to Nebraska to do extensive research as she developed her novel. During these visits she gained historical, cultural, meteorological, and geological information about Nebraska during the 1930’s. She refers to her writing process as a “deeply collaborative experience” due to the cooperation she received from Nebraskans who provided her with essential information. The One Book One Nebraska program provides a great opportunity to promote reading, personal learning and reflection, and our connection with Nebraska writers, publishers, libraries, schools, and communities.”
The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.
As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.”
