Nebraska Center for the Book

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.

Ring in the new year with some literary events! If you’re looking for something to do in January, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!

• January 1, 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.
• January 6, 2025 Gene Fendt Poetry Reading & Discussion
  Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
  Gene Fendt’s poetry wrestles with the physical world while reaching for the divine. Join us for an evening of reading and conversation with a poet whose work celebrates heritage, questions mortality, and seeks grace in the everyday.
• January 9, 2025 Poetry Readings at The Lion: a Poetry Feature and Open Mic with Greg Kosmicki
  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 Greg Kosmicki will feature. If time remains, Open Mic will will follow until closing.
• January 15, 2025 Third Thursday Artist Talk at the KHN Center for the Arts
  Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, 801 Third Corso
  Nebraska City, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
  Meet KHN resident artists and get a glimpse of their creative work. We begin in the KHN Gallery dining room with light refreshments followed by presentations. Resident artists present for eight minutes each with additional time for questions.
• January 15, 2025 Vocal Fry
  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. Featuring Sam Nichols and Allen Stevenson as MCs.
• January 17, 2025 Poetry Writing Workshop: The Ekphrastic Poem
  Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St.
  Omaha, 10:00 – 11:30 am
  Beat the winter blues with Julie S. Paschold, by diving into ekphrastic poetry, a form of poetry where the topic is based off of a work of art. Have your favorite piece in mind, or find inspiration from one of the artworks we bring and get ready to write! Pre-registration is required.
• January 17, 2025 Book Launch: Carole Levin & Marguerite A. Tassi “Creatively Expanding the Premodern: Historical and Literary Afterlives”
  Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
  Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  Join us as we celebrate the release of Creatively Expanding the Premodern: Historical and Literary Afterlives by Carole Levin, Marguerite A.Tassi, Christine Stewart-Nuñez and Julia Griffin. Co-authors Carole Levin and Marguerite A.Tassi will read from the book with Q&A and booksigning to follow. Their book highlights the stories of women from premodern history and literature through models of adaptations, retellings, and criticism such as poems, plays, and essays. In reviving these voices from the background, it widens the appeal and accessibility of scholarship in the humanities.
• January 19, 2025 8th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream” Original Social Justice Spoken Word, Music, Dance and Art Competition
  Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St.
  Omaha, 10:00 – 11:30 am
  Sponsored by the City of Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department. There will be cash prizes and trophies awarded to winners from the Omaha metro area in grades 7-12.
• January 24, 2025 Visiting Author: Brad Bigelow “Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts”
  Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
  Lincoln, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
  Join us as we welcome writer Brad Bigelow to Lincoln! He will be presenting his upcoming book Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts. Published by the University of Nebraska Press, this new book tells the story of writer and editor Virginia Falkner. You don’t want to miss this fascinating history!
• January 31, 2025 Excavating the Self: Poetics and Memory with Tatiana Johnson-Boria
  Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am
  Unearth the stories that live beneath the surface. In this generative workshop, writers will explore memory, emotion, and truth through guided exercises that help transform buried experiences into powerful new poems.

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.

Fill your winter days with some literary fun! If you’re looking for something to do in December, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!

• December 2, 2025 Allison Adelle Hedge Coke Poetry Reading & Discussion
  Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
  Hedge Coke’ poems form a taxonomy of threatened lives — human, plant, and animal — in a century marked by climate emergency. Her ecopoetry insists upon a reckoning and resistance with and redress of America’s continuing violence toward Earth and its peoples.
• December 4, 2025 Visiting Author: Susan Bruzas “Turning on the Light: My Mysterious Illness and the Year that Transformed Me”
  Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
  Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  Welcome Nebraskamemoirist Susan Bruzas to Francie & Finch Bookshop. She will be reading from her new book Turning on the Light: My Mysterious Illness and the Year that Transformed Me. “This powerful new memoir shines a light on the silent struggle of a life-threatening, unexplained illness—and the resilience it takes to reclaim your life when the odds are against you.” –Kirk House Publishers.
• December 4, 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.
• December 5, 2025 First Friday Book Talk & Reading w/ Abby E. Murray
  Zoom, 12:00 pm
  Abby E. Murray is the editor of Collateral, a literary journal concerned with the impact of violent conflict and military service beyond the combat zone. They’ve spent their adult life writing and researching conflict, contradiction, and the necessity of voice. Their first book, Hail and Farewell, won the Perugia Press Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award, and their second book, Recovery Commands, won the Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Prize from Ex Ophidia Press and has been nominated for the National Book Award. Abby served as the 2019-2021 poet laureate for the city of Tacoma, Washington, and currently teaches writing to Army War College fellows at the University of Washington.
• December 6, 2025 Writing Autobiographical Poetry with Todd Robinson
  Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am
  Turn your life into art. In this workshop, we will explore how autobiographical poetry can honor both your magnificence and your messy humanity. You will leave with new ways to tell your story with beauty and depth.
• December 6, 2025 25th Annual Teen Poetry Bash
  Omaha Public Library, Milton R. Abrahams Branch, 5111 N. 90th St.
  Omaha, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
  Whether you’re a poet or you just appreciate poetry, join us in celebrating this milestone! All Writes Reserved coaches from Nebraska Writers Collective will serve as the judges and host. Interested in competing for the prize? Contestants must be in grades 8-12 and be a resident of Douglas County, Nebraska, or its surrounding Metro area. Check out the official rules for complete details!
• December 7, 2025 The Poet as Historian: John G. Neihardt and Gerard M. Hopkins
  The John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, 306 W. Elm St.
  Bancroft, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
  The last “Sunday at the Museum” of the year will features a popular Humanities Nebraska speaker and one of our favorite historians, Nancy Gillis, with The Poet as Historian: John G. Neihardt and Gerard M. Hopkins. This presentation provides a look at how a poet writes of an historical event differently than an academic historian by comparing the work of two contemporary poets, the American John G. Neihardt and the English Anglican Priest Gerard M. Hopkins, and how each relates a tragic historical event. Gillis believes “if you want to learn the facts, read the textbooks, but if you want to feel them, read the poets.” Admission is free. A light reception will follow.
• December 10, 2025 Visiting Author: Tom Chorneau “Mrs. Cook and the Klan: Booze, Bloodshed, and Bigotry in America’s Heartland”
  Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
  Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  Tom Chorneau will discuss his book Mrs. Cook and the Klan, a true crime investigation that not only sheds new light on Myrtle Underwood Cook’s unsolved killing but also explores the confluence of the social, political, and economic forces that brought the Klan, lawless street gangs, a local mob boss, and the temperance movement together in a small American town.
• December 12, 2025 Poetry Readings at The Lion: a Poetry Feature and Open Mic with Stephen Buhler, Reading from Ted Kooser’s Poetry
  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 Steve Buhler reading for Ted Kooser will feature. If time remains, Open Mic will will follow until closing.
• December 13, 2025 BookFest Omaha 2025
  IBEW Hall, 13306 Stevens St.
  Omaha, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
  Mark this event on your calendar! BookFest Omaha will host a variety of local authors and craft vendors. This is the perfect festival to complete your holiday shopping, with truly special products created by local writers and crafters: affordable gifts that can be personalized for your loved one.
• December 17, 2025 Book Launch: Carole Levin “The Reign and Life of Queen Elizabeth I: Politics, Culture, and Society”
  Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St.
  Lincoln, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  Join us as we celebrate the release of Carole Levin’s latest book The Reign and Life of Queen Elizabeth I: Politics, Culture, and Society! “A result of Levin’s nonpareil archival research and decades of her seminal scholarship on Queen Elizabeth I, this book situates meticulously researched facts about Elizabeth’s queenship within broader political, religious, social, and cultural issues, developments, and events. The Reign and Life of Queen Elizabeth I is both an encyclopedia and textbook, and it will serve as an invaluable asset for teachers, students, and scholars alike. This book is a treasury of new information that clarifies and illuminates the historical record and brings Elizabeth’s world to life like never before.” –Anna Riehl Bertolet, Auburn University, USA.

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.