Annual KC Poetry Jam returns for a second year thanks to grant partnerships from Missouri Humanities

Thanks to a partnership with a new Kansas City area Literary Nonprofit, KC Bookbeat, the annual KC Poetry Jam returns for a second year. Both groups worked together to receive a Missouri Humanities grant for 2025.

The Kansas City Poetry Jam is a two-day micro-festival for everyone on the spectrum of poetry: readers, writers, editors, teachers, performers, and publishers. If you love poetry, join us for our second annual event.

Here’s a sneak peek at the workshop offerings:

Mary Silwance -- " Poetic Inspiration." Let's launch our Poetry Jam with poems that inspire us. Bring a favorite to share.

Mary Silwance was born in Egypt and lives in Kansas City. She works in adult education, provides workshops on writing and serves on the editorial teams of Kansas City Review as well as Flying Ketchup Press, through which she became the co-founder of Poetry Jam. Mary also explores spiritual ecology in workshops and at https://www.marysilwance.com. Mary is motivated by the belief that the imagination at play is emancipatory medicine through which we create community with ourselves, each other, and Earth.

Tyrone "Inkwell" Gethers Jr -- "The Song of Poetry." Let's explore how the essence of music activates the creative process as we construct poems with emotion as their foundation.

Tyrone "Inkwell" Gethers Jr. is a freelance writer and author of two poetry collections "Assorted Emotions: a book of Poetry and Prose and "Love/Lost." He is the founder of Obsidian's Pen as a place where writers can feel free to create in a space that is safe…where we, writers of color can feast upon banquets of ideas and practice.  He is the host of The Source of the Inkwell on KUAW Radio: Knowledge, Understanding, And Wisdom, (KUAW) radio is a Community Broadcast Project of the Black Family Technology Awareness Association.

Polly Alice McCann -- "The Poet-Tree Effect." Learn how to edit and publish poetry.

Polly Alice McCann is a poet, editor, and educator with a deep love for lyrical narrative. Her poetry has been featured in publications including Rattle, Naugatuck River Review, and arc24, and was selected for the KC Streetcar Poetry Project. She holds an MFA in Writing from Hamline University and has edited over thirty poetry books. With five collections of her own, Polly brings a blend of professional publishing insight and poetic warmth to every workshop. Her teaching is rooted in the creative subconscious and the power of poetry to help us remember, reconnect, and reimagine our stories.

Jamie Lynn Heller -- "Artists and Writers Walking Hand in Hand." Explore the art of

Ekphrastic writing and see how visual artists and writers can inspire each other to help an audience experience a moment on multiple levels.

Jamie Lynn Heller’s many roles in life have included teacher, school counselor, bookmobile driver, furniture factory worker, volunteer coordinator, wife, mother, reader and writer. Her book Buried in the Suburbs 2018 (Woodley Press) received the 2019 Kansas Notable Book Award.  Domesticated: Poetry From Around the House was published in 2015 (Finishing Line Press). She has 90+ poems published in literary journals/magazines (for a complete list of publications see jamielynnheller.blogspot.com).

Tasjha Dixon -- "Poetry as Medicine." Writing for Healing and Liberation.

Tasjha Dixon (she/her) is a writer, spoken word artist, educator, yoga teacher, and social justice worker with over 20 years of experience in mental health, trauma recovery, and community-based healing. A disabled Army veteran, long-time Buddhist practitioner, and seasoned social worker, Tasjha has dedicated two decades to serving her community through advocacy, education, and trauma-informed care. She is the founder of Empowering KC, a heart-centered initiative offering yoga, meditation, writing, and retreats that support women in reclaiming their voices and bodies. Tasjha holds a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from UMKC and an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University. Her work blends autobiography, social critique, and spiritual reflection, exploring themes of trauma, resilience, voice, and liberation. She also serves as the Kansas Outreach Coordinator for the Veterans Yoga Project and facilitates workshops, writing groups, and empowerment yoga sessions rooted in feminist and anti-racist pedagogy.

Come jam with us at Shoal Creek Co-Op, located in Pleasant Valley, Missouri, near Worlds of Fun. Our goal is to merge diverse groups of writers and poets for education, and best practices: a cross-pollination of all good things,especially to increase the publishing of poetry in our region.

Thanks to the Missouri Humanities, both festivals were able to work together to make this literary weekend possible! The KC Poetry Jam will be followed by the annual Lit and Libations Event from 6 to 9 pm. KC BookBeat offers this book festival as a way to celebrate the creation of their bi-annual catalog for KC regional booksellers of KC regional authors! Tickets for the poetry event are $20 at the door. Or get the Lit and Libations ticket from KCBookbeat.com and add the poetry jam fest ticket for half price.

Why are we jamming? Helping regional writing artists catch up with each other and their creative practice is the mission of Ketchupedia, begun in 2020 by Flying Ketchup Press ®. This is our outreach to make room for poetry as space for personal narrative that empowers, heals, and unites diverse audiences. FKP was established in 2018 to champion new voices in poetry and short stories. Our dream, to share worlds of wonder and delight; to share stories.

Schedule of events for KC Poetry Jam:

Friday, 7 to 9 pm: Opening Ceremonies and Readings

Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm: Workshops, Networking, and Open Mic.

Saturday,6 to 9 pm:KC BookBeat Lit and Libations Fest

Friday and Saturday, Book Booths:Flying Ketchup Press, Spartan Press, Helianthus Books, and Sullivan Book Arts. Poets, bring your books to swap or sell!

To volunteer at the event and receive a complimentary ticket, please contact the coordinators. RSVP on Eventbrite so we know you are coming!