Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen

Trish Hopkinson & Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, RCP co-founders, reading at City Art in SLC – Wed. May 1 @ 7pm

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The City Art reading series hosts co-founders of the Rock Canyon Poets Trish Hopkinson and Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 PM in the 4th Floor Conference Room of The City Library. Click here for the official event page.

Trish Hopkinson is author of three chapbooks and has been published in several anthologies and journals, including Tinderbox, Pretty Owl Poetry, and The Penn Review. You can follow Hopkinson on her blog where she shares information on how to write, publish, and participate in the greater poetry community at http://trishhopkinson.com/.

Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen is a poly-artist and humanitarian residing in Utah. Her poetic work has been featured in anthologies and journals including CrabFat, Peculiar, Quarterly West, Rust+Moth, andSWIMM. She blogs sporadically at secondsetofwings.com and provides regular taxi service for her four children.

Co-founded by Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen and Trish Hopkinson in 2015, Rock Canyon Poets was established to develop camaraderie among Utah Valley poets, provide consistent workshopping and reading opportunities, and promote the disciplined study of writing poetry as a serious art form. Members meet twice a month at Pioneer Book in historic downtown Provo. The group sponsors poetry readings and an open mic on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Membership is by invitation or portfolio submission only.

For more information, City Art Director Joel Long: joeltlong@yahoo.com.

Event Info

  • Date: May 1, 2019
  • Location: Salt Lake City Public Library (Main Branch)
  • Address: 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
  • Time: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
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Rock Canyon Poets reading at City Art at the Downtown SLC Library – Wed. Oct. 10 @ 7pm

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City Art and Utah Humanities Book Festival are pleased to host members of the Rock Canyon Poets on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:00 PM in the 4th Floor Conference Room of The City Library. Feature poets include Rock Canyon Poets co-founder Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, Dennis Marden Clark, Lisa Connors, Michaelle Martial, and Jack Garcia.

Rock Canyon Poets boasts diverse membership, ranging from 19 to 72 years in age with many backgrounds–including literary journal founders, editors, ex-military, business professionals, a playwright, and a periodontist.  Individually, they have received several awards and been published in magazines, anthologies, journals, chapbooks, and full-length books of poetry. Rock Canyon Poets offer poetry with the tactile clarity of tin-can messages through fuzzy strings to the ears of an audience. These poems are tumbleweeds in semi-truck grills. They get stuck in your teeth, build bridges of spun sugar, and make it possible to mount a camel without a sturdy ladder.

Co-founded by Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen and Trish Hopkinson in 2015, Rock Canyon Poets was established to develop camaraderie among Utah Valley poets, provide consistent workshopping and reading opportunities, and promote the disciplined study of writing poetry as a serious art form. Members meet twice a month at Pioneer Book in historic downtown Provo. The group sponsors poetry readings and an open mic on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Membership is by invitation or portfolio submission only.

For more information, contact the Rock Canyon Poets, rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com.

Event Info

  • Presented By: Utah Humanities
  • Dates: October 10, 2018
  • Location: Salt Lake City Public Library (Main Branch)
  • Address: 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
  • Time: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Poetry reading + open mic featuring Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen – Tuesday, June 12, 2018 @ 6:30pm

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Rock Canyon Poets and Pioneer Book are please to present award winning Utah poet and Rock Canyon Poets member Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen!

Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen is a poly-artist and humanitarian residing in Utah. Her poetic work has been featured in Quarterly West, Rust+Moth, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the anthologies “Broken Atoms in Our Hands” and “Dove Song: Heavenly Mother in Mormon Poetry,” CrabFat, and Peculiar. She blogs sporadically at secondsetofwings.com and provides regular taxi service for her four children. 

Shiffler-Olsen is also co-founder of the regional poetry group Rock Canyon Poets along with Trish Hopkinson, founded in January, 2015. Rock Canyon Poets was established to develop camaraderie among Utah Valley poets, provide consistent workshopping and reading opportunities, and promote the disciplined study of writing poetry as a serious art form. Members meet twice a month at Pioneer Book in historic downtown Provo. The group sponsors poetry readings and an open mic on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Membership is by invitation or portfolio submission only.

Shiffler-Olsen visits Pioneer Book as a guest of the Rock Canyon Poets and Pioneer Book. The reading and open mic are open to the general public.

For more information, contact the Rock Canyon Poets, rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com.

Official event page: https://rockcanyonpoets.com/category/events/

Where: Pioneer Book – 450 West Center Street, Provo

When: Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Rock Canyon Poets road trip! Utah poets performed at Lithic Bookstore & Gallery in Fruita, CO

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Several Rock Canyon Poets road tripped to Fruita, Colorado last weekend for poetry writing workshops and a special reading at Lithic Bookstore & Gallery.

While the poets trickled into town on Friday and Saturday, the festivities began with a workshop from Kyle Harvey of Lithic about the poetic line. With the help of some well-known poems, attendees got a different look at how some poets chose to break lines and received some advice for their own work.

Trish Hopkinson also taught a workshop on response poetry. She led people through some of the different types and styles of response poetry. At the end, the attendees had a chance to try their hand at it, and some responded to poets like Maggie Smith, W.B. Yeats, Chen Chen, Paisley Rekdal, and Sandra Beasley.

The event culminated in a reading at Lithic, which was well-attended. Aaron Gates, Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen and Dennis Clark were the featured poets. Colin Douglas, Jack Garcia, Lisa Connors, Shelby Slade and Trish Hopkinson also shared some of their poems. The reading was followed by an open mic and several audience members read.

The Rock Canyon Poets would like to thank Danny and Kyle from Lithic for hosting the event, which provided a wonderful opportunity to learn new things, interact with other poets and share our work. Danny also offered many of the visiting poets a place to stay and graciously opened his home for them.

–by Shelby Slade, photo credits: Leigha

Aaron Gates
Aaron Gates
Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen
Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen
Dennis Clark
Dennis Clark
Colin Douglas
Colin Douglas
Jack Garcia
Jack Garcia
Lisa Connors
Lisa Connors
Shelby Slade
Shelby Slade
Trish Hopkinson
Trish Hopkinson
Danny Rosen

Rock Canyon Poets performed at the Utah Arts Fest – video and photos!

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We had a great time performing at the Utah Arts Festival last Friday afternoon. Special thanks to the poets who performed: Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, Trish Hopkinson, Dennis Clark, Jack Garcia, Michaelle Martial, and Chris Atkin. If you missed us at the Utah Arts Fest, you can watch the entire performance as captured on Facebook live. Also below are some photos of each poet.

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The Daily Herald features Rock Canyon Poets for Nuclear Impact Utah event this Tuesday, May 9, 6:30 pm at Pioneer Book

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Big thanks to Court Mann and photographer Dominic Valente for the excellent story and photographs in this Daily Herald article that was published this morning about our upcoming Nuclear Impact Utah event this Tuesday, May 9 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Pioneer Book in Provo.

Nuclear Impact Utah – Poets on the Nuclear West is an event presented by the Rock Canyon Poets and Pioneer Book, featuring contributors to the new Shabda Press anthology Nuclear Impact: Broken Atoms in Our Hands, including Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, Trish Hopkinson, Michael McLane, Amy Brunvand, & C. Wade Bentley. Plus, clips from the film Downwinders and Q&A with filmmakers Tim Skousen & Tyler Bastian. The event begins with a poetry open mic followed by contributor readings and film clips with a brief Q&A with the filmmakers. The event and open mic are open to the general public. No ticket necessary.

Pioneer Book is Utah County’s largest used and rare bookshop, carrying titles in a broad range of fields.

For more information, contact the Rock Canyon Poets, rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/931968596940088/

Nuclear Impact Utah – Poets on the Nuclear West at Pioneer Book on May 9, 2017

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Nuclear Impact Utah – Poets on the Nuclear West is an event presented by the Rock Canyon Poets and Pioneer Book, featuring contributors to the new Shabda Press anthology Nuclear Impact: Broken Atoms in Our Hands, including Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, Trish Hopkinson, Michael McLane, Amy Brunvand, & C. Wade Bentley. Plus, clips from the film Downwinders and Q&A with filmmakers Tim Skousen & Tyler Bastian. The event begins with a poetry open mic followed by contributor readings and film clips at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at Pioneer Book in Provo, followed by a brief Q&A with the filmmakers. The event and open mic are open to the general public. No ticket necessary.

Rock Canyon Poets was co-founded by Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen and Trish Hopkinson in 2015 and was established to develop camaraderie among Utah Valley poets, provide consistent workshopping and reading opportunities, and promote the disciplined study of writing poetry as a serious art form. The group sponsors poetry readings and an open mic on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at Pioneer Book in historic downtown Provo. Membership is by invitation or portfolio submission only.

Pioneer Book is Utah County’s largest used and rare bookshop, carrying titles in a broad range of fields.

For more information, contact the Rock Canyon Poets, rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/931968596940088/

Newly formed Rock Canyon Poets perform at Utah Arts Fest

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Big thanks to Karen Hoag and Spenser Heaps for the excellent story and photographs in this Daily Herald article that was published this morning about our performance at the Utah Arts Festival last night. We had a fabulous and attentive audience, but most of all we had an amazing time! Not only do we support each other as poets, but we are growing and learning together, and becoming close friends. Thanks to all who support us!

Newly formed Rock Canyon Poets perform at Utah Arts Fest

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Open Mic Poetry Reading – April 14, 2015 at Pioneer Book

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RCP logo 1Join the Rock Canyon Poets for an evening of poetry. Not just any poetry—we want poetry that aches to be published, poetry that pushes the boundaries of the page, poetry that doesn’t need a performance, poetry that simply needs to be read. Bring your words in all of poetry’s traditional forms (from the sonnet to free verse) or just bring your ears for listening.

Where: Pioneer Book – 450 West Center Street, Provo

When: April 14, 2015 (2nd Tuesday of every month)

6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Browse the shelves at Pioneer Book and mingle

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Poetry Reading

How to Sign Up

Add your name in a comment below, or email rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com.

Each poet may read for up to 5 minutes. Maximum of 9 poets per reading. If there is time remaining, poets in the audience will have an opportunity to read.