Created to provide an opportunity for open discussion and education related to Kansas poets and their poetry, the Kansas Poets “Shoptalk” Series invited everyone to become involved. Teachers and students at both the high school and college levels were especially encouraged to participate.  Offered FREE to the public at 23 sites across the state via video conference TELENET 2, the series provided many of Kansas’ signature poets as guests, insight to improving writing and teaching poetry while providing opportunity for question and answer feedback.

Featuring Kansas’ First Poet Laureate
-- Jonathan Holden --
Distinguished Professor of English,
Kansas State University

www.jonathanholden.com
 

DVDs of the final SHOPTALK program featuring a poetry reading and question / answer session by the Jonathan Holden were made available to schools, colleges and libraries across the state, in the Fall of 2007.  Copies were also available for purchase and still could be available

A Continuing Kansas Poetry Event

Sponsored in part by
the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency
& the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Established by the Kansas Arts Commission, the Poet Laureate program of Kansas is intended to serve the cultural tradition of officially recognizing a citizen poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment. The program also encourages the appreciation of poetry in Kansas by making the Poet Laureate available to a wider audience throughout the state.