Join us for a special hour with Jewel Rodgers, Nebraska’s State Poet, as she offers a brief reading and reflects on poems, 
projects, and community initiatives shaping her vision for poetry across Nebraska—and how poetry can help us listen more deeply to one another and to the places we call home.
Mark your calendar and plan to be part of this thoughtful and energizing conversation! February 15 | 11:15 am–12:15 pm here at Countryside!
Jewel Rodgers serves as the 2025–2029 Nebraska State Poet and is a 2025 Academy of American Poets Fellowship recipient. A three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award nominee for Best Performance Poet and a three-time TEDx speaker, Jewel has toured nationally for more than a decade, performing in schools, festivals, conferences, and public spaces. An interdisciplinary performer and spatial practitioner, she blends poetry, storytelling, and placemaking to inspire connection and imagination in communities near and far.