Allyson Whipple

Category: events

  • My Big Poetry Giveaway

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    As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts this month, I’m thrilled to be hosting the Big Poetry Giveaway this year! Thanks again to Kelli Russell Agodon for letting me take over.

    Yesterday’s post was all about the guidelines for participants. Today’s post is to tell you about the books I’m giving away this year.

    But first, a little about me. I know I’ll see some familiar faces at the blog in the coming weeks, but Big Poetry Giveaway always brings me new friends, so I find it helpful to introduce myself.

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    Credit: Tova Charles Photography

    In my poetry life, I’m the author of two chapbooks. The first, We’re Smaller Than We Think We Are, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2013. The second, Come Into the World Like That, is forthcoming from Five Oaks Press. I also serve as co-editor of the Texas Poetry Calendar and occasionally teach poetry workshops around Texas and online.

    By day, I teach business and technical communications and ESL at Austin Community College. When I’m not teaching, I’m a student, pursuing an MFA through the University of Texas at El Paso.

    Beyond teaching and writing, I love practicing yoga, baking bread, and walking my dog. I’m one of those perpetually busy people. It’s just so hard to say no to things!

    Now that I’ve introduced myself, here are the books I plan to give away:

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    One of my favorite things about having a chapbook is being able to send it to people as part of Big Poetry Giveaway! This is my first published book, and I’m happy to send a signed copy to whoever wins!

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    The second book I plan to give away is Jean Valentine’s new collection, Shirt in Heaven. Valentine is one of my all-time favorite poets, and this book does not disappoint. I look forward to being able to send this wonderful book to a winner!

    To enter my giveaway, please comment with your name and email address by 11:59 p.m. Central on April 30th. I look forward to hearing from you and sending out some great poetry!

  • Big Poetry Giveaway 2016: Guidelines

    bpg2016

    Just six days left until April. Which means my birthday, National Poetry Month, AIPF, Poetry at Round Top, and of course, Big Poetry Giveaway! This is the seventh Big Poetry Giveaway, and I’m thrilled to be taking over hosting duties.

    If you’re new to BPG, you may be wondering how to participate. It’s pretty simple:
    Anyone with a blog can give away two books of poetry.
    You can enter any or all of the giveaways.

    Big Poetry Giveaway has officially started, and will run through April 30th, 2016. If you want to participate, you must do the following by Tuesday, April 5th:

    1. Create a blog post that includes the header image at the top of this page (so we know who’s participating that announces the books you are giving away. You may want to talk a little about yourself as well.
    2. Be sure that comments are enabled on your post, or people won’t be able to enter!
    3. In your BPG post, please include a link to this entry, so that newcomers can easily find the guidelines and do a giveaway of their own.
    4. Once your post is live, leave a comment here with: 1) The title of your blog; 2) Your name; 3) The direct link to your post.

    I will update the running list of participants every few days, and will close to new entries at 11:59 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, April 5th.

    During the week of May 1st, select two participants as winners. I recommend using this handy random number generator.

    Please note that by participating in Big Poetry Giveaway, you are agreeing to send two books anywhere in the world. You pay for postage. The winner does not.

    FAQ
    1. Can I give away my own poetry? Yes! But please make sure that the other book was written by someone else. We’re sharing authors we love.

    2. What if I don’t have a book of my own? No worries! Just give out two collections you love by other people.

    3. I don’t have a lot of spare cash. Are used books acceptable? Gently used books in good condition are fine.

    4. How will I know who’s participating? I will keep a running list of participating blogs/sites here.

    5. Can I give away more than two books? Absolutely!

    6. Can I enter the drawings if I’m not giving any books away? Yes! Drawings are open to anyone.

    7. How do I participate if I don’t have a blog? You can still enter other people’s entries, but you can’t do a giveaway.

    8. Do chapbooks count as books? Yes!

    9. What if I don’t want to pay for postage? Remember that during this giveaway, you must be willing to send a book anywhere in the world. If you’re unwilling to cover the cost of postage, please do not participate.

    10. How do I enter the drawings? Each blogger will have their own requirements for how to enter. Follow the rules on each post.

    I’m honored to be continuing the Big Poetry Giveaway tradition. Have fun!

  • Get Ready for Big Poetry Giveaway 2016!

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    Kelli Russell Agodon came up with the idea of the Big Poetry Giveaway as an opportunity for people to connect and share their love of poetry. The aim is simple: every participating blogger gives away two books of poetry during National Poetry Month. (And you must be willing to send them anywhere in the world, at your own expense.) One can be your own work, but the second should be someone else’s. This is our chance to bring a new audience to the poets we love to read.

    After six great years with Kelli at the helm, I’m taking over hosting duties for Big Poetry Giveaway, and I’m thrilled. I’ll officially launch Big Poetry Giveaway on March 25th. On that day, I’ll put up a post with full guidelines for participation. So if you want to join this year, start thinking about the books you’d like to give away! And please help spread the word through your own blog and through other social media. I want to make sure everyone knows where to find the Giveaway this year!

  • AFPF On Hiatus for 2015

    I mentioned this over at the official Austin Feminist Poetry Festival blog a few weeks ago, but I’ve decided to take a hiatus from the festival this year. The past two years were incredible! However, I’ve just finished a two-year term on the Austin Poetry Society board and I’ve spent the first few months of the year giving a lot of attention to the Texas Poetry Calendar. I’m at the point where I need a break. Plus, since I’m starting my MFA in the fall, I need to focus on my studies–and running a fall festival is not entirely conducive to that!

    I also want to restructure the festival, and get it more in line with my larger vision. That requires time. So I’m going to take this year to figure out how I want things to develop.

    I do have some smaller events in the works for later this year, so stay tuned…

  • Remix, Repeat, Reply: Playing with the Villanelle

    If you hang around me long enough, you’ll find out that I’m obsessed with villanelles. They’re my favorite poetic form. For this year’s creative challenge, I have two goals. First, I want to immerse myself in the villanelle. While I won’t write exclusively in form, I will spend the year reading, studying, and practicing. I love this form, so why not give it my full attention?

    My other goal is to teach more workshops. I love teaching. I’ve taught workshops here and there, but this year, I want to make them a commitment the way I made giving readings a commitment. Given that preparing a workshop requires more effort than a reading (at least in my opinion), I’m not going to shoot for one a month. Instead, I’m going to go for 10 between now and March 31st, 2016.

    Where is all this leading? To announce that I’ll be re-running the villanelle workshop I taught at the Flor de Nopal Literary Festival last year!

    Workshop Description:  Many poets are intimidated by the prospect of writing formal poetry. The villanelle, with the constraint of repeated lines, can seem especially daunting. This workshop will explore different ways of creating villanelles, including using found lines, to push the boundaries of constrains and make the form a fun exploration of sound and rhythm.

    When: April 25th, 2015 from 3-5 4:00-6:00 p.m. (note the time change) at my home in East Austin (address provided after registration is finalized) OR April 26th from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. online (via Google Hangout)

    Cost: $25 for the Austin workshop; $15 for the online workshop

    Want to sign up? Fill out the registration form here. Payment can be sent via Paypal to literaryaustin@gmail.com, or contact me at that address to make other arrangements.

  • A Year in Readings

    Being bawdy at Austin Writers Roulette in February 2015
    Being bawdy at Austin Writers Roulette in February 2015

    At last year’s Poetry at Round Top festival, which was also the weekend of my 30th birthday, I gave myself a challenge: to do at least one reading a month before I turned 31. I was going to read in public at least once a month, either at an open mic or as a feature. It didn’t matter if it was one poem or several. I was just going to get up and get out there. That meant 12 performances of one kind or another in my 30th year.

    At the Georgetown Poetry Festival
    At the Georgetown Poetry Festival

    As it turns out, doing one reading every single month was quite challenging, and some months I didn’t read at all… But I not only met my goal, I surpassed it! In November, for example, I was too busy training for my black belt test to schedule anything. And while there are poetry readings and open mics just about every week in Austin, some months, I couldn’t get anything that meshed with my work schedule. But there were other months full of abundance. December was particularly active; I read four times!

    I ended up reading 16 times. 13 of those times were in Austin, one was in Georgetown, one was in Fort Worth, and one in Waco. This year my schedule was just too heavy for me to get to San Antonio or Houston again. I can’t believe I haven’t read in either of those cities in over a year!

    Now that this challenge has been met, I plan to keep it up. Reading 12 times in a year was tough at times, but overall doable. Now I’m just trying to figure out what the literary challenge will be for Year 31!

  • Big Poetry Giveaway 2015!

    The sixth Big Poetry Giveaway is up and running! The fabulous Kelli Russell Agodon is hosting again. And I’m looking forward to another great year of meeting new poets and sharing poetry.

    This year, I’m giving away two books. First up is my chapbook, We’re Smaller Than We Think We Are (Finishing Line Press, 2013).

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    I wrote the poems that became this chapbook after I had lived in Texas for about two years. It’s about finding place, falling in love with geography, taking journeys.

    The second book I’m offering is an anthology called America Zen: A Gathering of Poets. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to love this anthology. The poets in it are Buddhists, but their meditative, spiritual, joyful work transcends a single spiritual label.

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    So how do you win? Just leave a comment with a name and email address anytime between now and 11:59 p.m. on April 30th. I’ll randomly select a winner in May!

    For details on how to join BPG, see Kelli’s post here.

    Since Big Poetry Giveaway always draws new readers here, I like to take a cue from Kelli and do a little introduction of sorts. Kelli gave herself some great interview questions this year, so I’ll be using those.

    Welcome! My name is Allyson Whipple. I run the Austin Feminist Poetry Festival and am co-editor of the 2015 Texas Poetry Calendar. I have a black belt in Hung Gar Kung Fu and am training to become an instructor. I also teach business and technical writing at Austin Community College.

    Last year I: Saw my favorite band twice in two days, earned my black belt, got divorced, got some of Kay Ryan’s poetry tattooed on my arm, and applied to an MFA program (I am still waiting their decision).

    I believe in universal healthcare.

    I like sunshine, red wine, tacos, steak, the ocean, silver tequila, and jeans.

    I am always looking for ketchup potato chips, which are nearly impossible to find in Texas.

    People think I am not interested in hip-hop or country music, when in fact I like both.

    I recently: perfected my homemade bagel recipe.

    If I could live anywhere: I would stay where I am, except in a house that didn’t have foundation problems or a roommate.

    I do not buy bread from the grocery store. I’ve gotten too spoiled from my own baking.

    I am thankful for the amazing poetry opportunities that have come my way in the past few months.

    I cheer for Cleveland and Ohio State (on the rare occasion I pay attention, which is almost never).

    To me, success is actually pretty much 100% what Kelli said: “being able to control my own time and schedule.”

    My writing process is all up in the air right now, as I’ve turned my attention to getting my first full-length collection prepared for publication. (Hopefully this year, but we’ll see.)

    I am most like: an agave.

  • January Retrospective

    2015 started off with some great opportunities for writing, reading, and sharing work.

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    The Austin Writers Roulette group

    First, I again had the honor of being a featured poet at the monthly Austin Writers Roulette show. The January theme was “Redemption,” and host Teresa Roberson once again rocked a thematic outfit. I performed three short, silly poems about feeling guilty for irrational things. We had a wide range of poems and stories, some honest and haunting. There were so many brave authors sharing vulnerable but inspiring work.

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    Having fun in Waco

    Despite living only about 90 minutes from Waco, the only time I’ve spent there has been driving through it. But Waco poet Jenuine Poetess, founder of In The Words of Womyn, invited me up for ITWOW’s birthday celebration/daylong writing retreat. I arrived in time for the afternoon potluck where there was amazing food. After two workshops that brought forth some incredible work from all participants, I got to hang out, eat delicious Vietnamese food, and then participate in a reading/open mic, as well as a silent auction. I made some excellent new friends, and found out that Waco has its charms.

  • Find Me in February

    February is already shaping up to be a busy month! If you want to come hear me read, I’ll be at the following venues:

    February 7th: Expressions
    Baha’i Faith Center
    Theme: For the Love Of!
    Note: None of the poets at this event will be reading original work. We will be reading the work of deceased poets, and celebrating their lives
    Doors at 6:00 p.m., reading starts at 7:00
    Admission Free, but please contribute to the potluck or bring canned good donations for Poets Pantry

    February 8th: Austin Writers Roulette
    Stompin’ Grounds
    Theme: Bad Date Night
    This is one of the rare instances where I’ll be reading nonfiction rather than poetry.
    4:00 p.m.
    Admission Free, but $5 donations encouraged to help us pay rent for the venue.

    February 13th: V-Day Erotica Reading
    BookWoman
    I’ll be hosting this event, and featuring Jasmaine Cash, Faylita Hicks, Denise Hudson, and Cindy Huyser.
    Free

  • Ain’t No Party Like a Poetry Party

    Image Credit: Melissa Creates (http://www.melissacreates.com/2014/01/i-like-to-party-and-by-party-i-mean.html)
    Image Credit: Melissa Creates (http://www.melissacreates.com/2014/01/i-like-to-party-and-by-party-i-mean.html)

    Okay, my New Year’s plans are a little livelier than that. But if you’re poetry-minded  and want to spend New Year’s Eve being creative, you are invited to join the New Year’s Poetry Party.

    New Year’s Poetry Party

    What: A night to write the last poems of 2014 and start the New Year on a creative high note.

    Where: My home. Please RSVP to literaryaustin@gmail.com for address.

    Bring:

    • Your favorite writing supplies
    • A snack or beverage to share
    • Poems from 2014 (yours or someone else’s) to read

    Note 1: I have a very social dog named Simon. He has short fur, doesn’t shed much, and loves to sit in people’s laps.

    Note 2: Please RSVP by noon on December 29th so I have enough time to do all the prep I need. Please also let me know if you’ll be there for the whole evening or just part of it, so I can plan accordingly. (You only need to RSVP if you’ll be attending.)

    9:00-10:30 p.m.
    Workshop: Making Myth New

    Mythologies provide enduring sources of inspiration for poets. This workshop will start by looking at mythological archetypes across different cultures, as well as reading a selection of mythological poems. We’ll focus on the ways in which myths are continuously made new and the way the stories behind them transcend time. Finally, we’ll have time to write, using myth to explore either current events, or the mythic capacities within our own stories and lives.

    10:30-11:30 p.m.
    Collaborative Writing

    Let’s end the year by working together!
    Exact structure and prompt will depend on how many RSVPs I get.

    11:30-Midnight
    Socializing and Reading

    Share your workshop pieces, your favorite poems you wrote in 2014, and your favorite poems you read in 2014.

    Midnight: Toasting!

    The usual festivities!

    12:01 until We’re Too Tired

    Writing the first poems of the New Year.
    Sharing our work and the work of others.