Amy Haddad Talks About Ex Ophidia Press, The Poetry Contest, The Poet Who Won, and a Week’s Worth of Festivities

The following program was previously recorded. It's time for another installment of Live and Local from the studios at 33rd and Burt. I'm your local host, Mike Hogan. Well, since 2016, Exophilia Press has been publishing excellent poetry in elegantly designed books. And this... Publishing House is now owned and run by Dr. Amy Hadd, the executive director and publisher at Exofedia Press. She joins me today on Live and Local. Amy, thanks so much for taking the time. Oh, thank you for making the time to talk to me. There's a huge event coming up here in August, and it actually goes for several days. First, I want to talk about this poetry contest that you have and how that leads to a publication in these elegantly designed books. What does all that mean? Well, we have a contest for poetry collections, which means 50 to 100 poems in a collection. And people enter their manuscripts online, begins in May, and it closes in September. So by that time, all of those manuscripts that have been submitted are reviewed by reviewers. who are not all poets, they're readers. They're people that like to read because I think that's who would buy a poetry book. And so they read in pairs. They don't know who the other person is and they don't know who wrote the collections that they're reading. And then they choose a certain number and then that goes to the next level of reviewers and on up. We end up with 10 finalists that go to our contest judge and she will pick. the winner and always a runner up in case what's a good thing for the poet that's submitted maybe their book has already been accepted in that interim so we always have a runner up so we have someone else that we can offer the opportunity and then we give them a two thousand dollar prize the winner and we publish their book we publish one book a year I go back to the elegantly designed books. Well, there is something very old school about how you publish these books physically, right? Yes, your old school comment is so on the nose because the two gentlemen that owned this press before we took it on, Richard Gabriel Romans was one of those owners and he literally made books on those beautiful old presses. So his part of the relationship was the book should be beautiful with the type and the cover and everything as much as the poems in it.

So his name has been carried over for our contest to honor that work that he did to get the books out when they started the press. Colleen Morton Bush won the 2025 poetry contest, and her book has been published. Tell us what happens in August regarding this book and Colleen. So Colleen's going to be coming to Omaha, and she's going to be here for the week of August 4th through the 8th. And we have a lot of readings at local bookstores, so chapters, book and gifts in Seward and the bookworm in Omaha, and Francie and Finch in Lincoln. She will be reading with a Nebraska poet, which is wonderful opportunity, too, for people to hear. poets who are right here in our state and it's always fun to watch the two poets interact because of course they will just have met but to find commonalities in their work and there's a signing and they can also you know look at all the lovely books we're going to have an event that this year is going to be open to the public at gallery 1516 on leavenworth it's free you need to register and you can go to gallery 1516's website But then you have art to look at. And you can wander around and look at the art and then listen to a reading and a signing. And lastly, we're having a writing workshop at Lords and Gardens. And it's so wonderful because there's a lot of nature references, the metaphors and Colleen's work. So people can come and try their own hand at doing some writing with being inspired by the nature right there outside at the garden. And that is on Saturday, August 8, and so you can get information on their website. Just backing up a moment. Gallery 1516.org is the website to go to for registering for that free reading on Thursday, August 6th. And the writing workshop on Saturday, August 8th, participants will also receive a signed copy of Smolder. These books are exquisitely constructed. And then you have the opportunity to have an author autographed. copy, it just brings me back to all the, you know, first print original signed copy of Shakespeare's folios, right? Yes, we hope, right? Yeah, I mean, it's kind of thrilling, you know, to be on the ground floor and get this beautiful publication. Information on all of this can be found at XOphidiopress.com. By the way, if you were listening in the beginning and you have enough poetry to submit your work to the contest, again, exofidia press.org slash contest. She is the editor and owner of Exophilia Press. Dr. Amy Hadid, thank you very much, Amy, for taking the time and good luck on a week filled with poetry and art and just a wonderful time for all. Thank you so much, Mike. It's always wonderful to talk to you.