March 23, 2009 by Molly Moore OConnor

Come on down to the VLP Poetry Reading & SLAM this Thursday, 3/26, 7-9 p.m. at the Coffee Shop Gallery, featuring Omaha poet HEIDI HERMANSON…
 
Hermanson has been published in Backroads, Mental Horizons, Midwest Compilation, Slamma Lamma Ding Dong: An Anthology of Nebraska Slam Poets, and other places. She has been part of many public art projects such as "8 counts/24" (writers had 24 hours to write on a theme pulled from a bag) "OmaHome" (writers wrote inspired by a piece of artwork; the writing was then interpeted by a local actor), and the “benchmarks” project, which featured brief inspirational quotes on benches throughout Omaha. In 2003 she organized the first Poets' Chautauqua at the Nebraska State Fair and also that year released her first chapbook, Midwest Hotel. Her second chapbook, Missouri Joyride, is forthcoming. She runs a monthly open mike, "Naked Words." In her spare time, she hopes to open a library of maps to towns that do not exist, and wants to learn dialects of the seven-year cicada. She recently received an MFA from the University of Nebraska.
 
Heidi’s reading will be followed by a SLAM—competitive poetry performance—open to anyone. Slam poets should bring 3 original poems, and prizes will be awarded.
 
See you all there!
 
Marcella Remund
USD Dept. of English
Faculty Advisor, Vermillion Literary Project (VLP)
Dakota Hall 227