Fox Cities Book Festival: Connecting writers and readers across our diverse communities.

Jenny Kalvaitis is a passionate Wisconsinite, historian, and ally. She is an informal educator and has worked in the field for over ten years. Jenny decided she would be a historian at the age of 10, while occupying a wheelchair because of a violent act of anger. While navigating her largely inaccessible world, she fell in love with history books and specifically with the story of suffrage for its determination and fight. Youths and people of all ages are confronted with structures and ideas that are bigger than any one of us alone. Historical research is her way to understand why and fight for a better future. With the mindset of uncovering histories and empowering youth, Jenny has researched, written, and lectured about gender and women’s history throughout her career. In 2019, she traveled with the First Lady of Wisconsin and the State Superintendent of Schools to promote the study of Wisconsin women's history in classrooms. Jenny earned her BA in History and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and her MA in Public History from Indiana University in Indianapolis. In her spare time, she loves living in rural Wisconsin, planting trees, and tending her herd of goats.