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Biga Signs “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” at The Bookworm

October 23, 2016 Leave a comment

FINAL FRONT COVER 6-28-16

Biga Signs “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” at The Bookworm

From 1 to 2 pm on Saturday, Oct. 29 I am the featured author at The Bookworm’s Holiday Book Fair. I will sign copies of the new edition of my book “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film.” ($25.95)

Hope to see you at this great independent, family-owned bookstore in Omaha located at Loveland Centre, 90th & Center Streets
402-392-2877
info@bookwormomaha.com

Strong praise for “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film”–
“This is without question the single best study of Alexander Payne’s films, as well as the filmmaker himself and his filmmaking process. In charting the first two decades of Payne’s remarkable career, Leo Adam Biga pieces together an indelible portrait of an independent American artist, and one that’s conveyed largely in the filmmaker’s own words. This is an invaluable contribution to film history and criticism – and a sheer pleasure to read as well.” – Thomas Schatz, Film scholar and author (“The Genius of the System”)

This labor of love project is the most comprehensive study of Payne and the culimination of 20 years covering the Oscar-winning filmmaker. Contains original articles and essays about Payne and his work, The book makes a great resource for film buffs, critics, filmmakers, educators and students as well as more casual film fans who want a handy Payne primer and trivia goldmine.

This second edition is from River Junction Press in Omaha and features new content current to Payne’s “Nebraska” and “Downsizing” projects and the addition of a discussion guide and index. Make sure to get yours in advance of Payne’s new film “Downsizing” promising to be the most talked-about movie of 2017.

Looking forward to signing your copy of the book on Oct. 29.

Let us know you’re coming by visiting the Facebook event page at–

https://www.facebook.com/events/181824015601959/

Also available at Barnes & Noble, Our Bookstore, via Amazon and for Kindle.

Read more about the book and “Downsizing” at these links–

https://leoadambiga.com/2016/07/29/passion-project-introducing-the-new-alexander-payne-his-journey-in-film/

https://leoadambiga.com/2016/08/28/downsizing-may-elevate-filmmaker-to-new-heights-alexander-payne-his-journey-in-film-your-guide-to-his-cinema-universe/.

To all the writers I’ve loved before…

October 10, 2016 1 comment

Being Jack Moskovitz, Grizzled Former Civil Servant and DJ, Now Actor and Fiction Author, Still Waiting to be Discovered

 

To all the writers I’ve loved before…
If you’re a longtime follower, then you know by now I like making lists. It’s not that I don’t have anything better to do, it’s just that it helps give my mind a focused distraction from whatever the real task at hand is, which is usually a writing project or two or three or four…Oh, well, you get the idea.

So, the other day I began listing out as many of the writers I’ve written about over the years that I could recall. I knew it would be a long list, but it turned out longer than I expected. I mean, it’s a very broad and impressive group of writers, some of whom don’t make their living as writers, But in any case they are variously journalists, essayists, poets, novelists, biographers, memoirists and in many instances combinations of these things. I interviewed them all and in most cases wrote profile of them as well. In some cases I quoted them as part of more general features related to their work or project or program. I enjoy speaking to and writing about fellow soldiers of the craft. Read their names below and see how many you recognize and if you’ve read anything by them. Most are Nebraska native or transplant authors but a fair number are not from here.

There are some Pulitzer, National Book Award, Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Poet Laureate and other writing prize nominees and winners among their ranks.

Before I release you to the list, please note that the names are not listed in any particular order – just when their occurred to me. And you can find what they spoke to me about and what I wrote about them and their work by visiting my blog, https://leoadambiga.com/:

Ron Hansen
Richard Dooling
Timothy Schaffert
Rachel Shukert
Beaufield Berry
Ellen Struve
Max Sparber
Summer Miller
Denise Chapman
Scott Working
Kevin Lawler
Doug Marr
James Reed
Robert Reed
Bobby Bridger
Ted Kooser
William Kloefkorn
Roger Welsch
Dick Cavett
Milton Kleinberg
Jack Moskovitz
Joy Castro
Zedeka Poindexter
John Hardy
Stew Magnuson
Colleen Reilly
Warren Francke
Sean Doolittle
Alex Kava
David Krajicek
Michael Kelly
Lew Hunter
Alexander Payne
Jim Taylor
Carleen Brice
Tekla Ali Johnson
Jami Attenberg
Scott Muskin
Will Clarke
Faith Ringold
Isabel Wilkerson
Jon Bokenkamp
Nik Fackler
Eileen Wirth
Kurt Andersen
Edward Albee
Arthur Kopit
Mac Wellman
John Guare
Caridad Savich
Kia Corthron
Megan Terry
Jo Ann Schmidman
Larry Williams
John Nagl
Howard Silber
Robert Jensen
Otis Wesselman
Preston Love Sr.
Laura Love
Robert Nelson
Joan Micklin Silver
Howard Rosenberg
Thom Sibbitt
John Kaye
Lou Leviticus
Dan Mirvish
James Marshall Crotty
Matt Mason
Nancy Rips
Bill Ramsey
Betty Dineen Shrier
David O. Russell
Jason Levering
Hawk Ostby
Bob Hoig
Ron Hull
Patrick Jones
Rebecca Rotert

MCC Creative Writing Forum – October 28-29

October 5, 2016 Leave a comment

Join yours truly and fellow area wordsmiths, along with keynote speaker Sam Ligon, for the MCC Creative Writing Forum on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29 at Metropolitan Community College’s Fort Omaha campus.  This all things considered writing forum is highly recommended for aspiring and emerging writers looking to navigate the process, publishing and business sides of the craft.It’s a chance to hear from and ask questions of veteran writers from different genres and mediums. Networking opportunities abound.

Hope to see you at the Writing for Local Markets panel I am a part of from 9 to 10:20 a.m. on Saturday.

Full event details, presenter bios and registration information can be found or linked to below.

 

MCC Creative Writing Forum
Registration Now Open
$45 Regular forum Includes all sessions, hospitality and a copy of Sam Ligon’s book.
$25 Student forum High school and college students. Includes all sessions, hospitality and a copy of Sam Ligon’s book.
$20 Friday only Includes opening session, poetry slam and hospitality only.
$30 Saturday only Includes Saturday sessions only and lunch buffet.

More details and presenter bios can be found at here.

Online registration can be found at creativewriting.brownpapertickets.com.

Keynote Speaker

This year’s keynote speaker is Sam Ligon. He is an associate professor at Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington. Ligon is also the editor of Willow Springs and the artistic director of the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference. He is the author of two collection of stories, “Wonderland” and “Drift and Swerve,” as well as two novels, “Among the Dead and Dreaming” and “Safe in Heaven Dead.” His stories have appeared in The Quarterly, Alaska Quarterly Review, Story Quarterly, New England Review, Noise: Fiction Inspired by Sonic Youth, Post Road, Keyhole, Sleepingfish, Gulf Coast, Prairie Schooner, Okey-Panky and New Orleans Review. A recipient of a 2005 Artists Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship, Ligon holds an MA from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA from New School University.

MCC Creative Writing Forum

Forum

Friday, Oct. 28

Mule Barn, Building 21

6–7 p.m. Opening reception: heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, soda and water, networking.
7–8 p.m. Reading and Q&A with Sam Ligon.
8:15–10 p.m. Poetry Slam – coordinated by Matt Mason.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Swanson Conference Center, Building 22

8:30–9 a.m. Check in, coffee, networking.
9–10:20 a.m. Breakout session #1 (three sessions)

Young adult reading and Q&A

Lydia Kang, Tonya Kuper, Christie Rushenberg

Writing for local markets

Ryan Syrek, Kevin Coffey, Leo Adam Biga
This panel will feature writers and editors from such publications as The Reader, the Omaha World-Herald and Omaha Magazine.

Telling your (compelling) story

Liz Kay and Brett Mertins
Participants will be led through a series of questions and prompts to help find and focus on their central stories. Applicable for everything from novel pitches to scholarship application letters.

10:30–11:50 a.m. Breakout session #2 (three sessions)

Tell me about your process

Stephen Coyne, Liz Kay, Tim Schaffert
Several area authors will talk about where they get their ideas,
how they do research, what their early drafts look like and all the revisions that happen before going to print.

Slam poetry, process and performance

Sara Lihz Staroska, Stacey Waite, Noni Williams
This will be a panel presentation featuring Slam coaches and poets.

Writing to get paid

Lindsey Anne Baker, Danielle Herzog, Elizabeth Mack
Successful freelance writers will talk about finding and pitching essays and articles.

Noon–12:30 p.m Lunch buffet and networking.
12:30–2 p.m. General session

How to get published

Sam Ligon and Q&A.

MCC Logo

Come to Alexander Payne expert Leo Adam Biga’s Sept. 21 book talk-signing “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film”

September 12, 2016 Leave a comment

Come to Alexander Payne expert Leo Adam Biga’s Sept. 21 book talk-signing: “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” at KANEKO-UNO Creativity Library

Come to this relaxed book talk and signing by your friendly neighborhood Alexander Payne expert, Leo Adam Biga, the author of “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film.” My passion project and labor of love is a must-read for movie buffs and fans. I will be selling and signing copies of the new edition before and after my 7 p.m. talk at the KANEKO-UNO Creativity Library, 12th and Jones Streets, in the Old Market, on Wednesday, September 21.

The book sells for $25.95, plus tax. Available via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle and at select book stores and gift shops.

My informal presentation will offer insights into the Oscar-winning writer-director’s creative process gleaned from 20 years of interviewing and covering the filmmaker. The book is a collection of my extensive journalism about Payne and his work. I will also take questions from the audience.

Strong praise for “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film”–

“This is without question the single best study of Alexander Payne’s films, as well as the filmmaker himself and his filmmaking process. In charting the first two decades of Payne’s remarkable career, Leo Adam Biga pieces together an indelible portrait of an independent American artist, and one that’s conveyed largely in the filmmaker’s own words. This is an invaluable contribution to film history and criticism – and a sheer pleasure to read as well.” – Thomas Schatz, Film scholar and author (“The Genius of the System”)

As many of you know, I am an Omaha author-journalist-blogger who often writes about film. In 2012 I turned my in-depth reporting about the celebrated filmmaker from Omaha into “His Journey in Film.”It is the most comprehensive study of Payne’s cinema career and work anywhere. Its collection of articles and essays is based on interviews I conducted with Payne and with many of his key collaborators. The new edition is releasing this fall through River Junction Press in Omaha and features expanded and enhanced content, including a Discussion Guide with Index. It makes a great resource for film buffs, critics, filmmakers, educators and students as well as more casual film fans who want a handy Payne primer and trivia goldmine.

 

FINAL FRONT COVER 6-28-16

The book is updated and current through Payne’s “Nebraska” and “Downsizing” projects.

“Downsizing’s” (2017) epic, tragicomic tale tackles big ideas having to do with pressing world crises and universal human conflicts. The story’s imagined solution to ever depleted world resources is downsizing human beings to a fraction of normal size, thus decreasing mankind’s footprint on planet Earth. Only the reduction experience doesn’t quite go the way that Paul, the Everyman hero played by Matt Damon, envisioned. We go down the rabbit hole of this dark wonderland with Matt into a mind-blowing, soul-stirring, heart-breaking and ultimately inspiring odyssey that traverses everything from geo-political intrigue to classism and racism to human trafficking to love.

The adventure immerses us into new worlds that may represent the new dawn of man. Payne and his collaborators have traveled the globe to make an ambitious film shooting in multiple countries and starring an international cast. It promises to be a cinematic experience filled with spectacle, pathos and satire, yet never losing touch with human intimacy. Every Payne film is about a physical, emotional, intellectual journey. The stakes for the journey Paul takes in “Downsizing” are high because, unbeknownst to Paul, humanity’s future rests on his actions.

Payne and his film should get lots of attention when it releases next year.

“His Journey in Film” takes you deep inside the creative process of this world cinema artist and follows the arc of his filmmaking journey over a 20-year span, when he went from brash indie newcomer to mature, consummate veteran. Along the way, he’s made a handful of the best reviewed American films of the past two decades and his movies have garnered many top honors at festivals and at the Independent Spirit Awards, the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

This is a must-get book for Nebraskans who want to know how this native son has arrived at rarefied heights and in the company of legends. Nebraskans love the fact that through all of Payne’s remarkable success, he has remained rooted to this place. There is much more to come from him and much more to be said about his work. But for now “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” is the definitive word on his journey and output.

Look for announcements about future Biga book talks-signings at:

https://leoadambiga.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LeoAdamBiga/

https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderPayneExpert/?fref=ts

Noah Diaz: Metro theater’s man for all seasons and stages

July 19, 2016 3 comments

Theater prodigies of the kind portryaed in the Wes Anderson film “Rushmore” have their antecedents in real life and just like in that story, they spring up in the most unexpected places. Omaha’s Noah Diaz is the latest Omaha theater prodigy and he finds himself in some very good company historically speaking. Perhaps the best known American theater prodigy, the late Orson Welles, first emerged as a stage presence to be watched at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois before he brazenly announced himself to the world in Dublin and then New York City. Across the pond, Kenneth Branagh, born in Belfast, first asserted his thespian bent in elementary school in Reading, Berkshire after his family’s move to England, and then he displayed his precicious talents at London’s Royal School of Dramatic Art. Back home, Omaha has had its own share of youth-must-be-served stage lights. The most famous of them all, Henry Fonda, was encouraged to try his hand at theater by Dottie Brando, mother of future stage-film icon Marlon Bramdo, at the Omaha Community Playhouse. A young Henry found his calling three and threw himself into all aspects of the craft – from building, painting and taking down sets to acting on stage. Dorothy McGuire soon followed him in the fold. They appeared together in a 1930 production at the Playhouse. Older than her, he left first to pursue a life in theater. Her family moved from Omaha and she soon left home to pursue her own career in theater. They both made it, of course, and two and a half decades after they shared the stage in Omaha in that 1930 show, they returned, this time as Broadway-Hollywood stars, to perform together in “The Country Girl” as a fundraiser for the new Playhouse. Now comes Noah Diaz, who by his early 20s has racked up more theater credits than most players twice or three times his age. He’s also been nominated for and won a slew of local theater awards for his acting. But he’s also a director and his work behind the stage has received raves as well. But it turns out his real calling in theater may be as a playwright. An original piece he’s written, The Motherhood Almanac, is being workshopped around the country and makes its world premiere here in January at the Shelterbelt, which is his theater home. Not to put pressure on him, but he may just be the latest in a recent line of Omaha-bred theater talent – Andrew Rannells, John Lloyd Young, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Quiana Smith, Kevyn Morrow – to make it to Broadway one day. Remember his name.

 

Noah Diaz: Metro theater’s man for all seasons and stages

©by Leo Adam Biga

Appeared in El Perico

 

Noah Diaz has been a force of nature in metro area theater since age eight. Still just 23, he owns 90-plus credits and multiple Omaha Theatre Arts Guild and Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards nominations and wins.

He’s also a feted writer-director. He’s in good company as a local theater prodigy. A young Henry Fonda and Dorothy McGuire blazed early trails at the Omaha Community Playhouse before Broadway and Hollywood stardom. More recent stage-screen stars Andrew Rannells and John Lloyd Young got their performing starts as kids in Omaha theater.

Diaz, a University of Nebraska at Omaha student, is set on making theater his life but he only recently concluded that writing, not acting, may be his calling. A play he’s written, The Motherhood Almanac, is creating buzz. He served a residency with it at the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in Idaho. Two New York City theater companies will workshop it in 2017. It premieres at Omaha’s Shelterbelt Theatre on January 27.

He said it was in Idaho he discovered his true “theatrical path,” adding, “I’ve been directing a number of things recently and I’m enjoying directing very much. But I think I might be a playwright. I think that might be what I want to do. That was like a very crystal moment of clarity for me.”

 

 

As a kid, Diaz and his cousins put on shows for their parents, but he’s been been writing since childhood, too. Almanac began as a poem he wrote as a youth.

“Over the years it expanded and kept unfolding. That poem turned into a handful of different poems that turned into scenes that turned into stories. It was two years ago I sat down and pieced it all together and understood what I had written. It’s a fragmented, nonlinear story with seven actresses about mothers across time and space. It’s my answer to the question – what does it meant to love somebody other than yourself.

“I’m constantly working on it, developing and workshopping it.

That’s why I’m opening myself up to these opportunities to work with different companies and actresses.”

He’s always had the internal drive and discipline writing requires, just as he’s long known he was meant to do theater.

“It’s always been a thing I’ve just understood about myself since I was young.” His parents encouraged his theater interests. “They recognized where my passions lay and they were about fostering my achieving that.”

His pursuit has landed him on virtually every metro area stage, including the Omaha Community Playhouse and The Rose. “By sheer tenacity I’ve wracked up a number of credits and a lot of experience.” No matter where he does theater, he’s younger than his fellow creatives, “I’ve been very fortunate to have had zero run-ins where age is an issue.. I’ve worked with actors who are so open with their process that they’ve allowed themselves over to me. It’s a profoundly high compliment in my book.”

He added, “The only thing I find tricky to maneuver is simply getting the work – being given opportunities. Directing work is hard to come by. It’s scary for people to put a full production in a 23 year-old’s hands. Luckily, I’ve made an artistic home at the Shelterbelt. They’ve been great to me. They’ve given me a number of opportunities.”

He counts theater veterans as teachers.

“I’ve worked with a staggeringly high number of talented people on stage and off. I’ve learned from them, I’m still learning from them. I have mentors, big and small, everywhere. I think in many ways I was raised by my mentors. I received theatrical and life lessons working in shows.”

He admires writers who sacrifice to get their stories told. “I’m so inspired by local playwrights like Ellen Struve, Beau Berry, Kaitlyn McClincy, Laura Leininger-Campbell, Nick Zadina, Joe Basque.” He’s collaborated with some.

He sees a vibrant local stage scene with “a big surge of people wanting to make theater.” He also sees gaps that need addressing. “I’m a very big advocate for accessible theater,” said Diaz, a special education and communication disorder major. He played a deaf character on stage in SNAP Productions mounting of Tribes. “Opening possibilities and opportunities for inclusivity in theater is important to me. Theaters can do better in terms of offering interpretive performances. I taught a deaf integrated acting class at the Rose (Theater) and I will be training to be an audio describer for the blind.”

Since he’s done so much so early, Diaz often gets asked – why haven’t you moved away yet to try Broadway or Hollywood?

“It’s simply about going when I’m ready. I’m still in school. I’ll be applying to a number of MFA programs this fall for playwriting.

Hopefully I’ll be be accepted to one to begin in the fall of 2017.

“I will move away eventually and work.”

Chicago’s vital theater community is a likely landing spot. He’s well aware of those who’ve left here to find stardom.

“If great success comes my way, that’s cool, but I’m more interested in doing the actual work itself.”

Meanwhile, he’s not giving up acting quite yet. “I will still continue to do it because I enjoy it.”

For details and dates on Almanac’s run at the Shelterbelt, visit http://www.shelterbelt.org/.

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Please join me for – Mauro Fiore: Writing with Light and buy new edition of ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’

July 15, 2016 2 comments

 

Cover Photo

Please join me for–

Mauro Fiore: Writing with Light 

And buy new edition of ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’

Thursday, July 21 @ 7 p.m.
KANEKO, 1111 Jones St.
Tickets $10 General Admission. FREE for KANEKO Members

KANEKO hosts Academy Award winning director of photography Mauro Fiore for an audio-visual presentation exploring his career. Fiore’s filmography as a DP includes “Training Day,” “The A-Team,””Avatar” – for which he won the Oscar for Best Cinematography – and more recently “Real Steel,” “The Equalizer,””The Kingdom” and “Southpaw.” The Hollywood veteran is recognized for his skill with stylized light and realism. He’s collaborated with such major directors as Joe Carnahan, Michael Bay, James Cameron, Peter Berg and Antoine Fuqua. He and Fuqua have teamed on five features, the latest of which is the soon to release remake of “The Magnificent Seven.”

Fiore very much sees himself as a storyteller working in light and image to fulfill the vision of the writer and director.

The July 21 discussion will be moderated by yours truly. As an author-journalist-blogger I bring years of experience writing and reporting about film to the moderator’s chair. I am the author of “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” – a collection of my journalism about the Oscar-winning filmmaker. I will be selling and signing a new edition of the book at the event.

The cost is $25.95.

 

FINAL FRONT COVER 6-28-16  FINAL BACK COVER 6-28-16

 

Strong praise for”Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film”–
“This is without question the single best study of Alexander Payne’s films, as well as the filmmaker himself and his filmmaking process. In charting the first two decades of Payne’s remarkable career, Leo Adam Biga pieces together an indelible portrait of an independent American artist, and one that’s conveyed largely in the filmmaker’s own words. This is an invaluable contribution to film history and criticism – and a sheer pleasure to read as well.” ––Thomas Schatz, Film scholar and author (“The Genius of the System”)

“Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” charts the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s rise to the elite ranks of world cinema. Articles and essays take you deep inside the artist’s creative process. It is the most comprehensive look at Payne and his work to be found anywhere. This new edition features significant new content related to “Nebraska” and “Downsizng.” We have also added a Discussion Guide with Index for you film buffs and students. The book is also a great resource for more casual film fans who want a handy Payne primer and trivia goldmine.  The book releases September 1 from River Junction Press.

For inquiries and pre-orders, contact: leo32158@cox.net. Follow my work at–
leaoadambiga.com and www.facebook.com/LeoAdamBiga.

Mauro Fiore: Writing with Light is a part of the Storytelling season at KANEKO June 3 – August 27. Learn more about the Storytelling exhibitions and programs at–
http://thekaneko.org/kaneko-programs/storytelling/

Hope to see you there.

 

North Omaha Summer Arts continues its art and nature themes with Thoreau Meets The Harlem Renaissance – Friday, July 15


 

Pam berry Ren Posterv3g

 

 

North Omaha Summer Arts continues its art and nature themes with:

Thoreau Meets The Harlem Renaissance

Come and join us…
Friday, July 15
9 am to 1 pm
Malcolm X Mermorial Foundation
3463 Evans Street

We are exploring the connection between American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist and historian Henry David Thoreau with The Harlem Renaissance.

Drawing instruction by artist Ronald Sykes.
Writing instruction facilitated by author Kim Louise.

We will take time to walk, draw and write in the beautiful woods located in the middle of North Omaha at the Malcolm X birthsite.

Lunch and discussion, plus spoken word performance by Felicia WithLove Webster. And we will document pictures of your creations for our virtual gallery on the North Omaha Summer Arts (NOSA) Facebook page.

No drawing or writing experience necessary.
Supplies provided
This class is free of charge.
Bring your chairs and blankets

For registration or questions, call 402-502-4669.

Follow and like NOSA’s free community-based arts festival at–
https://www.facebook.com/NorthOmahaSummerArts/

Mark you calendars for the 6th Annual Arts Crawl on Friday, August 12 from 6 to 9 pm at several North 30th Street venues.

Let my writing cut through the clutter to make you shine


 

Image is everything in doing business, so let my writing cut through the clutter to make you shine.

 

Behind every organization is a story about people. Let me tell the human story of your company or nonprofit through whatever platform you desire: Website content, blog post, press release, newsletter, brochure, article, white paper, script, book. I am skilled in each medium. I will get to the heart of the matter because of my interviewing and storytelling expertise.

My tagline of “I write stories about people, their passions and their magnificent obsessions” is more than a handle, it is what I do and deliver. Story after story, project after project. Long form or short form. Online or in print.

People and what makes them tick are always at the center of the stories I tell. Let me showcase your people. Each one of them. Their passion and personality, their dreams and ambitions, their achivements and awards, their lessons learned, their risks taken. Let me describe how their innovations and successes have moved the organization forward. I will illustrate their administrative, managerial, entrepreneurial, creative, collaborative and team leadership and team building skills. When I get through featuring them, your people will shine like the experts, professionals and rock stars they are. Most importantly, your organization’s story will be framed against the compelling personal profiles of your most important assets and resources – your people. Because, as you know, your organization is only as good as its people.

Let me bring to light everyone and everything that makes your organization special. It will be my privilege to help raise awareness and appreciation for all that your people do and for all that your organization does.

If you are looking for a new and traditional media campaign to highlight your organization or event, I can help with that, too. I bring years of experience as a media expert and liaison as well as thousands of followers across different social media platforms.

 

Testimonials:
“I’ve long admired Leo Biga’s journalism and prose portraiture for its honesty, thoughtfulness, and accuracy. On a personal note, throughout many years of being interviewed, I find Mr. Biga’s articles about me to be the most complete and perceptive of any journalist’s anywhere. They ring true to me — even in critique — in a way that reveals the depth of his talent in observation, understanding, and expression.” –Alexander Payne, filmmaker (Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska)

“Leo Adam Biga portrays his subjects with both precision and generosity, practicing a literary journalism that is enlightening, honest, and immensely readable. His writing is eloquent and provocative, and quite often moving.” –Timothy Schaffert, novelist/educator (The Swan Gondola)

“Leo Adam Biga is an astute, conscientious journalist whose interviews and articles have been widely admired for their accuracy, generosity, depth, and perceptiveness. I would position him among the finest of our national reporters on the arts and culture.” –Ron Hansen, novelist/educator (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)

“Leo Biga personifies one of H.L. Mencken’s more memorable observations: ‘There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers.’ Biga consistently teaches and delights, not with showy vocabulary or flashy syntax, but by placing his prodigious talents in the service of his subject and his readers.” –Richard Dooling, author/educator (White Man’s Grave and Brain Storm)

“Leo is one of the best prepared and most thorough writers I’ve ever worked with. With painstaking detail he builds well-crafted, well-researched stories that are a pleasure to read. Leo is truly one of the finest wordsmiths around.” –John Heaston, Publisher, The Reader

“Leo is a talented writer who handles each assignment with passion, style, and a commitment to quality.” –Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, New Horizons

“Leo is one of those inquisitive writers who knows just what probing questions to ask in order to get a fascinating story. He provides the Jewish Press with a behind-the-scenes look at people doing extraordinary things in their lives.”–Carol Katzman, Former Editor, Jewish Press

Recommendations:

“I’ve been fond of Leo’s writing for years. Lucky enough to sit down with him a year or so ago, I got to meet the talented and versatile writer behind those well-chosen words. Recently, we worked together on a story about the Heartland Latino Leadership Conference. As a public relations professional, it was a pleasure to coordinate the article’s interviews with his prompt and thorough communication.”–Marjorie Maas, Director, Community Engagement at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska

“While I was at Opera Omaha, Leo wrote several features about the work the company was doing – both mainstage and community service. He listened well and we had a couple of very enjoyable conversations. The pieces, as published, were balanced and thorough – I was very happy to have him as a colleague.”–John Wehrle, Assistant Director of Development, Western Division

“Leo Biga is one of the most talented writers in Omaha. He has covered many of our community festivals and events for “The Reader” and I have always been impressed by his professionalism as well as his ability to write thorough, fair and most of all, interesting stories. I would recommend Leo as a writer and journalist without hesitation.”–Vic Gutman, President, Vic Gutman & Associates

 

Let’s talk

I am available on a per project or by retainer basis.

Sample my work at leoadambiga.com.

Send your project specs to me at leo32158@cox.net.

Looking forward to being the lightning rod that activates, animates and illuminates a whole new level of engagement with your organization. With my help, the story of who you are and what you do will shine bright.

–Leo Adam Biga, Author-Journalist-Blogger, Omaha, Nebraska

6th Annual North Omaha Summer Arts festival now officially underway


6th Annual North Omaha Summer Arts festival now officially underway

 

NOSA kicks off with the first in a series of:

Women’s Writing Classes and Retreats
Running Wednesdays, June 1 through July 27
5:30 pm dinner followed by 6 to 8 pm class
Trinity Lutheran Church, 30th and Redick
This summer the focus is on Getting Published.
Facilitator Kim Louise is a playwright and best-selling romance novelist who guides participants in finding their inner writer’s voice.

The Classes and Retreats are just one aspect of NOSA. a free, grassroots, community-based arts festival. Our mission is to bring the experience of art in all forms to the community of North Omaha. NOSA classes and events are open and free of charge to everyone. NOSA is dedicated to the proposition that the arts can positively change the world and the community. Support local arts and local artists because they are making a difference through their work. Let’s make this a beautiful, arts-filled summer. And we hope to see you at our family-friendly, community-based events.

The summer-long fest is the creation of North Omaha native and North High graduate Pamela Jo Berry. She is a veteran artist and art educator who lives in North Omaha. Pamela began NOSA in the summer of 2011 with the support and assistance of fellow parishioner Denise Chapman and Pastor John Backus when she saw a need for more art to be infused into her community. She also wanted to provide more opportunities for area artists to exhibit their work and talent. Under the NOSA banner she organized community arts events and activities, including writing classes, a Gospel Concert and an Arts Crawl, open to all. As the community has embraced the offerings, NOSA has added new programming and partners. The goal is for this arts festival to continue growing and flourishing, but it needs help to do that.

Pamela administers NOSA with the help of volunteers. She has found success paired with a volunteer board who has history and interest in the areas of both North Omaha and the arts. NOSA has attracted a loyal following for its annual events. New programs and opportunities continue to be added. It is truly a privilege for everyone involved to celebrate the arts in North Omaha and to provide these enriching experiences.

More 2016 Highlights include:
Gospel Concert in the Park
Saturday, June 18
5 to 7:30 pm
Miller Park (southeast section, Kansas Ave. and 27th Street)
The 6th annual Gospel Concert in Miller Park features soloists, duets, ensembles and choirs from North Omaha performing diverse gospel styles. Free hot dogs and refreshments. Bring a blanket or chair, get comfy, and soak up the rays and the praise. Lift up your own voice and sing along if the spirit moves you. Music in the park is a beautiful thing. Enjoy this family-friendly event.
NOTE: Watch for announcements about the concert’s performing artists lineup.

Art and Gardening Class
Saturday, July 9
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Florence Branch Library
Combine your passion for making and growing things in a fun-filled session painting art on clay pots and planting flowers that attract pollinators.

NEW EVENT
Pop-Up Art
Various locations TBA
Happening throughout July, Pop-Up Art gives adults and children the opportunity to create art at different locations around North Omaha.

Arts Crawl
Friday, August 12
Reception at Charles Washington Branch Library
5:30-6:30 pm.
The Crawl at several venues on or near North 30th Street
6 to 9 pm
This walkable, continuous art show showcases the diverse work of emerging and established artists at venues on or near North 30th Street. The 6th Annual Crawl starts at the Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus Mule Barn building and ends at the North Heartland Family Service – with Church of the Resurrection, Nelson Mandela School and Trinity Lutheran in between. Walk or drive to view art in a wide variety of mediums, to watch visual art demonstrations and to speak with artists about their practice. Enjoy live music at some venues.
NOTE: Watch for posts about The Crawl’s visual and performing artists roster.

COMING SOON: Look for our announcement about an opportunity to help NOSA continue offering these and other arts experiences free of charge to the community.

Like/follow/share NOSA on social meda–
NOSA Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/NorthOmahaSummerArts/?fref=ts
NOSA Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1012756932152193/

For more information, to be a participating artist or to partner with NOSA, call 402-502-4669.

North Omaha Summer Arts's photo.
North Omaha Summer Arts
 

 

North Omaha Summer Arts back for 6th annual free arts festival

May 23, 2016 1 comment

North Omaha Summer Arts back for 6th annual free arts festival

 

NOSA is dedicated to the proposition that the arts can positively change the world and the community. Support local arts and local artists because they are making a difference through their work. Let’s make this a beautiful, arts-filled summer. And hope to see you at our family-friendly, community-based events.

Check out the schedule below:

 

Cover Photo

We are delighted to announce that June 2016 marks the beginning of the 6th year for North Omaha Summer Arts (NOSA), a free, grassroots, community-based arts festival!

Our mission is to bring the experience of art in all forms to the community of North Omaha. NOSA classes and events are open and free of charge to everyone.

The summer-long fest is the creation of North Omaha native and North High graduate Pamela Jo Berry. She is a veteran artist and art educator who lives in North Omaha.

Pamela began NOSA in the summer of 2011 with the support and assistance of fellow parishioner Denise Chapman and Pastor John Backus when she saw a need for more art to be infused into her community. She also wanted to provide more opportunities for area artists to exhibit their work and talent. Under the NOSA banner she organized community arts events and activities, including writing classes, a Gospel Concert and an Arts Crawl, open to all. As the community has embraced the offerings, NOSA has added new programming and partners. The goal is for this arts festival to continue growing and flourishing, but it needs help to do that.

Pamela administers NOSA with the help of volunteers. She has found success paired with a volunteer board who has history and interest in the areas of both North Omaha and the arts.

NOSA has attracted a loyal following for its annual events. New programs and opportunities continue to be added.  It is truly a privilege for everyone involved to celebrate the arts in North Omaha and to provide these enriching experiences.

2016 Highlights include:

Gospel Concert in the Park
Saturday, June 18
5 to 7:30 pm
Miller Park

The 6th annual Gospel Concert in Miller Park features soloists, ensembles and choirs performing a variety of gospel styles.

NOTE: Watch for announcements about the concert’s performing artists lineup

Women’s Writing Classes and Retreats
Wednesdays, June 1 through July 27
5:30 pm dinner followed by 6 to 8 pm class
Trinity Lutheran Church
This summer the focus is on Getting Published.

Facilitator Kim Louise is a playwright and best-selling romance novelist who guides participants in finding their inner writer’s voice.

Art and Gardening Class
Saturday, July 9
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Florence Branch Library

Combine your passion for making and growing things in a fun-filled session painting art on clay pots and planting flowers that attract pollinators.

 

NEW EVENT
Pop-Up Art
Various locations TBA

Happening throughout July, Pop-Up Art gives adults and children the opportunity to create art at different locations around North Omaha.

 

Arts Crawl
Friday, August 12
Reception at Charles Washington Branch Library
5:30-6:30 pm.
The Crawl at several venues on or near North 30th Street
6 to 9 pm
This walkable, continuous art show showcases the diverse work of emerging and established artists at venues on or near North 30th Street. The Crawl starts at the Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus Mule Barn building and ends at the North Heartland Family Service – with Church of the Resurrection, Nelson Mandela School and Trinity Lutheran in between. Walk or drive to view art in a wide variety of mediums, to watch visual art demonstrations and to speak with artists about their practice. Enjoy live music at some venues.

NOTE: Watch for posts about The Crawl’s visual and performing artists roster.


COMING SOON: Look for our announcement about an opportunity to help NOSA continue offering these and other arts experiences free of charge to the community.

Like/follow NOSA on Facebook–

NOSA Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/NorthOmahaSummerArts/?fref=ts

NOSA Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1012756932152193/

For more information, to be a participating artist or to partner with NOSA, call 402-502-4669.

North Omaha Summer Arts's Profile Photo