On Saturday, May 16th, at 2:00 PM, award-winning author Gayle Brandeis will be reading from her newest collection of poems, Many Restless Concerns: The Victims of Countess Bathory Speak in Chorus, among other works, such as The Selfless Bliss of The Body. This reading will take place online via video conference. Participants can register by emailing bruce@poetrypromise.org.

On Monday, May 18th, at 7:00 PM, Brandeis will lead a workshop on writing about grief. This workshop will take place online via video conference. Participants can register by emailing bruce@poetrypromise.org.  

“Gayle Brandeis’ work unveils a real world, our world, in which those going through difficult times, such as childhood traumas or the loss of a loved one, are not alone,” says Clark County Poet Laureate Heather Lang Cassera. “Her visit, by nature of her work, will offer insight into how the literary arts have an important role in the way we navigate our physical and emotional experiences.”

United States Poet Laureate Emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera describes Brandeis’ The Selfless Bliss of the Body as "a monumental achievement." Herrera writes, "With this book, this almost-self-magic collection, all of us can notice what it takes to inscribe and see our hardened rushing lives as truly meaningful."  

Brandeis’ poetry, fiction, and prose have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Longreads, Best American Essays, and Salon.  She served as Inlandia Literary Laureate from 2012-2014 for the Inland Empire of Southern California. Her novel The Book of Dead Birds won the Bellwether Prize for fiction and was praised by Toni Morrison and Barbara Kingsolver. 

This program is supported in part by Nevada Humanities.