Nicholas Northwoods: How to Create Your Own Books!
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIAction and color are important, but it’s the little details that will make people really fall in love with your drawings!
Turn Your Passion Into A Picture Book – The Magic of Monarchs
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WITurn your passion into a picture book! Join my protagonist, Mr. McGinty, and me as we embark on a mission to save the monarch butterflies!
YA Author Workshop
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIStrasburg will moderate a discussion/workshop on being a YA Author. Topics like rewriting your book, balancing home, work and writing, finding a publisher, finding an editor, finding your voice, and a successful book launch will be discussed at this roundtable.
Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIAdopting the geologic habit of seeing everything, including ourselves, as entities sculpted by time is a perceptual shift that can be transformative on the personal and societal levels.
Finding the Missing Puzzle Pieces
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIWhen asked to write the history of Kaukauna Utilities, routine research left puzzle pieces missing for local historian Carol Mainville Van Boxtel. Discovering “how” and “why” helped her to uncover the missing puzzle pieces.
The Road South: Rediscovering the Freedom Riders on the Road South
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIWhat would you get on the bus for? Join B.J. Hollars for a reading from "The Road South" and a conversation on the harrowing story of the 1961 Freedom Riders.
Roads Without Houses: Writing Wisconsin-Based Fiction
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WILocal writer Joseph Rein discusses the various challenges and rewards when writing about Wisconsin, a location that, when done effectively, functions as a character in itself.
Marketing Strategies
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIThe best marketing strategies for 2018. This marketing gig changes weekly it seems, but learn how to stay on top of it continually and adjust to the market.
Growing Up Writing for Kids
Fox Valley Technical College room HS301 (Entrance 16) 1825 N. Bluemound Drive, Appleton, WIWelcome to the wonderful world of a regular guy who just happened to write 80-something books for kids and teens.
Scotland Through the Eyes of the Author
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIFrom 2009 to 20016, Laura Vosika, author of the acclaimed time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, a story ranging across modern and medieval Scotland, has made multiple trips to Scotland and northern England to research the locations of her story—the battlefield of Bannockburn, Inverness’s
Storycatchers Live
The Draw 800 S Lawe St, Appleton, WIStorycatchers Live: Unreliable Narrator
The Road South: Rediscovering the Freedom Riders on the Road South
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIWhat would you get on the bus for? Join B.J. Hollars for a reading from The Road South and a conversation on the harrowing story of the 1961 Freedom Riders.
How Illustrations Are Made
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIInterested in learning about how a picture book is illustrated? Join me for this interactive session that is enlightening and will also get you actively involved in creating.
Wisconsin State Parks: Stories of Geology and Natural History
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIWisconsin has a fascinating variety of landscapes. It occurred to me that to explore any one of these diverse areas and to understand how they came to be, one could use the wonderful State Parks and State Forests of Wisconsin as entry points.
The Motherhood Affidavits-How to Tell Your Own Story
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIPlease join Laura Jean Baker, author of The Motherhood Affidavits, to learn how her braided memoir might serve as a template for your own life story.
Horror Writers Panel
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIA panel discussion with horror writers Kat Köhler, James Lowder, Sarah Read, Richard Thomas, and Chris Welch
Crossing the Driftless: Some Upstream Paddling Required
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WICrossing the Driftless is a river traveler’s tale and an exploration of the streams of geologic and human history, as Lynne and Bob Diebel canoe 360 miles across the Driftless Area.
The Sound of the Word: Milwaukee Voices
The Draw 800 S Lawe St, Appleton, WIJoin poets Amanda Reavey, Dasha Kelly, Matt Cook and De'Shawn Ewing for their special kind of poetry, poems that need to be seen AND heard. Spoken word poets recite/perform their poems in a way that facilitates and enhances understanding.
Latino Style Watercolor Selfies
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WILearn to draw and paint your own portrait in the style of famous Latino artists like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso and more!
Stories and the Lives They Save
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIThe very stories we share and receive are as essential to our survival as food, water, and shelter. They help us make sense of our world. They save our lives.
This event has been cancelled
Seeley G. Mudd Library, Lawrence University 113 S Lawe St, Appleton, WITHIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
The Fundamentals and Essentials of Writing the Suspense Novel
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIIn her workshop The Fundamentals and Essentials of Writing the Suspense Novel, Linda shares her knowledge and experience, taking writers through the elements of developing and writing a novel from start to finish.
An Evening with Linda Castillo
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WILinda Castillo will be reading from her latest release, A Gathering of Secrets. She will also speak about her background and how she researches her books, with time for questions after.
A Conversation with Linda Castillo
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WICome learn about Linda Castillo's background, how she broke into publishing, and some information on writing and researching her current release, A Gathering of Secrets.
Novels to Keep You Up at Night
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteIn Judy’s novels, she walks the line of politics, prophecy, and history in edgy, suspenseful, and gripping page-turners. Judy will talk about the writing process, research, and learning to market.
The Dream Gathers Steam!
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIWhat does it take to write a novel series? Steam … Stamina … and a heart for Adventure!
Living Inside a Hate Crime
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteA man spends more than twenty years in prison for murder without a grand jury indictment for his arrest. Now at the age of eighty-three, he represents the longest-running fight for exoneration on record in America.
Job Man: My Life in Professional Wrestling
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIFrom taking on Hulk Hogan to grappling with a 600 lb. bear, Wisconsin’s own Chris Multerer, author of Job Man, shares his remarkable, decade-long career in the wild world of professional wrestling.
Can Francis Change the Church?
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteThomas Sweetser, SJ will share information related to his most recent book, Can Francis Change the Church? How American Catholics Are Responding To His Leadership.
Imaginary Stories – Real World Inspiration
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIShannon will talk about her debut novel,The Virtue of Sin, and the real-life cult that inspired her, as well as the difficulties involved in inventing an imaginary religion.
Rebel Poet: More Stories from a 21st Century Indian
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteThis eagerly anticipated follow-up to the breakout memoir How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century delves more deeply into the themes of family, community, grief, and the struggle to make a place in the world when your very identity is considered suspect.
Bizarre History of Wisconsin
James J. Siebers Memorial Library 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, WIThis presentation showcases over 100 bizarre newspaper stories from Wisconsin that have not been seen in over 100 years.
Kaukauna Paranormal Research Team
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteDuring this presentation you will learn about the Kaukauna Paranormal Research Team, paranormal terminology, famous case files and the specific case files from KPRT experiences in the field. Some of these case files are featured in their book, A Paranormal Journey: The True Cases of the Kaukauna Paranormal Research Team.
Storytime with Miranda Paul
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIJoin picture book author Miranda Paul for a fun storytime!
Poetry Reading by Gaochi Vang
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIPoetry reading from Gaochi Vang's collection,Building Walls to Break Down composed of poems that embody topics surrounding mental health, identity collision, self-love, and self-acceptance.
The Story of Football Innovator Gus Dorais
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WICharles "Gus" Dorais was Wisconsin's first star high school quarterback. After leading Chippewa Falls High School to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Championship in 1909, he went onto a storied collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, where he revolutionized the game with his good friend, roommate and receiver, Knute Rockne.
Coming of Age Stories
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WI"Are they really the happiest days of our lives?" What you need to know about coming-of-age stories.
Things that Go Bump When You Write
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIPart memoir and part journalism, Midwestern Strange offers a fascinating, funny, and quirky account of flyover folklore. By confronting monsters, Martians, and a cabinet of curiosities worth of strange phenomena, Hollars challenges readers to look beyond their presumptions and acknowledge that just because something is weird doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites Mysteries
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIThis lively, richly illustrated program takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the real-life experiences and historic places that inspired the ten books in Kathleen’s award-winning Wisconsin-based Chloe Ellefson series.
Don’t Make Me Pull Over! The History of Family Road Trips
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIFake wood-paneled station wagons. 8-Track tape decks. Noogies delivered by older siblings. Those great family road trips we took way back when were the BEST. But how did the Great American Road Trip experience come to be?
Putting Action Into Words: The Poetry of Fair Housing
Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University, Nathan Marsh Pusey Room 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WIExperience poetry’s power to bring forward history, social justice issues, and calls to action. Enjoy poems that invite audience participation and some enhanced with visual images.
Literary Trivia
313 Dodge 313 Dodge St, Kaukauna, WIJoin local author Gavin Schmitt for a fun night of adult literary trivia!
Don’t Make Me Pull Over! The History of Family Road Trips
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIFake wood-paneled station wagons. 8-Track tape decks. Noogies delivered by older siblings. Those great family road trips we took way back when were the BEST. But how did the Great American Road Trip experience come to be?
Tea & Legacies
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIJoin Wisconsin author Carrie Sue Barnes for a cup of tea and an interactive discussion of the significance of every individual's personal story. Carrie Sue's debut novel The Hidden Legacy is driven by one woman's urgent need to tell her untold story, and the need of another to hear it.
Things that Go Bump When You Write
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIPart memoir and part journalism, Midwestern Strange offers a fascinating, funny, and quirky account of flyover folklore. By confronting monsters, Martians, and a cabinet of curiosities worth of strange phenomena, Hollars challenges readers to look beyond their presumptions and acknowledge that just because something is weird doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
I am my Sister’s Keeper
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WII am my Sister's Keeper: Inspired Encouragement for Women of God. I have some tools and wisdom, in this book, to help you succeed in your daily Christian walk.
Poetry Reading by Gaochi Vang
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIPoetry reading from Gaochi Vang's collection,Building Walls to Break Down composed of poems that embody topics surrounding mental health, identity collision, self-love, and self-acceptance.
Lost Fox Cities
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WIRediscover the vanishing history of the Fox Cities through vintage and contemporary photography, journalistic accounts, letters and memoirs accompanied by art created by KC Wilson.
Short Story Night
McFleshman's Brewing Co. 115 South State Street, Appleton, WITake one part late-night talk show, a heavy dose of Intro to Lit 101, combine in a brewery and you have Short Story Night. Join host Richie Zaborowske for an evening of trivia, author interviews, literary discussion and more.
Somos Latinas: Voices of Wisconsin Latina Activists
Appleton Public Library 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton, WI"Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world," states Civil Rights Activists, Dolores Huerta, in the book’s foreword. These stories share how 25 Latinas from Wisconsin helped build community against many odds.
All the Hometown Boys Wisconsin’s 150th Machine Gun Battalion
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WI"Today, the 150th is all but forgotten, in part because their unit history was never written. Through letters, diaries, and other recollections, Larson tells us the story of these Guardsmen’s experiences. He traces the path of their wartime service and considers the impact of war’s trauma and tedium on their lives."
From Writer to Author: A Journey
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIFrom first draft to published novel, one writer’s experience of breaking into the publishing industry.
Regreen: Writing Place and Nature Poetry
Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University, Nathan Marsh Pusey Room 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WICrystal S. Gibbins will discuss what it means to write about place, read new and selected poems from Now/Here (Holy Cow! Press), and explore how that writing complicates traditional nature poetry.
Wisconsin Lighthouses
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIInterested in Wisconsin lighthouses and their fascinating history? Explore the state’s waterways and be enthralled with stories of dedication and bravery from a bye gone era. Spectacular images highlight the program.
Poetry Reading by Stewart Cole
Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University, Nathan Marsh Pusey Room 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WIEnjoy a reading from Stewart Cole's lyrical poetry, engaged with both the here-and-now of a world on the brink and the hope of something better. These poems exist in a searching exchange with the world, both entering and being entered by it.
Learning to See the World as a Writer
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIIt takes a lot more than a good idea to make a good story. Author Christina Hagmann will talk about learning to see the world as a writer.
Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WI"Although New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago are often considered the epicenters of American jazz, this extensive, upbeat compilation of jazz musician biographies details Wisconsin's rich association the genre since its the inception of the genre in the early 1900s."
History not Forgotten- Sport- Ship Dog of the Great Lakes
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIThe author will share the true story of Sport: a puppy rescued in Milwaukee by the crew of the lighthouse tender the Hyacinth in 1914. Sport spent the next twelve years as a ship dog traveling on Lake Michigan. His work as a ship dog, and adventures will be described using the picture book which has been illustrated by Renée Graef.
Wisconsin in Watercolor: the Life and Legend of Folk Artist Paul Seifert
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIIn his talk, author Joe Kapler explores in greater detail the background of folk artist Paul Seifert and how his life experiences in his native Germany and new home in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area influenced his art.
A History of Beer and Brewing in Neenah and Menasha
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIThe long, beer-rich history of Neenah and Menasha is a story well worth the telling.
Book Signing with Avi
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIJoin award-winning author, Avi, for a meet and greet and book signing!
Ladies’ Night Out with Kelly Harms
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIThe #1 Amazon bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler shares good books, good laughs, and truly effective self-care tips for busy women and those who love them.
Dark History Lives!
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIIn his book "Murder and Mayhem: Fox Cities", Gavin reveals the Valley's history of murderous fiends, small town brothels, and other unsavory morsels.
Flight: An Air America Pilot’s Story of Adventure, Descent and Redemption
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIBeing hired to fly for the CIA's secret airline conjured up images of Steve Canyon cartoons and James Bond for Neil Hansen. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The Mystery of Carolyn Keene
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteIf you didn’t already know, Carolyn Keene, of the famous Nancy Drew mystery series, is not a real person, but the brain child of one of the country’s most prolific writers for children.
The Mill Literary Prizes
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIThe Mill: A Place for Writers announces the annual Mill Prizes, awarding both short fiction and poetry. The contest is open to all writers within the Fox Cities.
Crafting Characters
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WICharacters are the beating heart of a story. Learn how to add character development through dialogue, action, and description so that your characters jump right off the page and pull your readers into the story.
Wisconsin’s Cheesy History
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIWho doesn't love our state's cheese? Learn new ways to cook with cheese and fascinating stories about the life of a cheesemaker.
Poetry Reading with Tom Montag
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIExploring the heart of the country; or, as Nancy Besonen has said, "Tom Montag is defining the character of the Midwest - one character at a time."
The Art of Anxiety
Kaukauna Public Library 207 Thilmany Rd. Ste 200, Kaukauna, WIThe Art of Anxiety: How writers manipulate our emotions to keep the pages turning. Whether it's a thriller, mystery, romance, or literary fiction, a good book keeps you turning the pages.
Discussion with Mystery Authors Jennifer Hillier and Hank Phillippi Ryan
Gerard H. Van Hoof Memorial Library 625 Grand Ave, Little ChuteJoin us for a discussion with award-winning thriller authors, Jennifer Hillier and Hank Phillippi Ryan as they share their experience writing mysteries and answers questions about anything and everything for aspiring authors.
The Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIA generation of the nation’s young men could not find a job, because there were no jobs. They were hungry, as were their families. They wandered the land looking for a future.
The Power of the Romance Genre
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIThe Wisconsin Chapter of the Romance Writers of America presents a panel discussion on the today’s romance genre, its impact on the publishing market, and its role in the women’s movement.
I Believe in Yesterday: History and Place Illuminate Fiction
Neenah Public Library 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WIThree Wisconsin novelists discuss their novels’ origins and inspiration, exploring how a firm foundation in time and place enables fiction to explore timeless, universal human themes.
A Walk West: Rediscovering America’s National Parks a Step at a Time
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 440 1st St., Menasha, WIAmerica's National Parks are a national treasure: join author Steve Betchkal as he journeys - in stories and images - through some of his (and your) favorites.
Poetry Reading by Allison Joseph and Jon Tribble- Canceled
Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University, Nathan Marsh Pusey Room 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WICANCELED Poets Allison Joseph, Professor and Director of the creative writing program at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and Jon Tribble, Professor and Managing Editor of Crab Orchard Review, presents readings of their acclaimed work.
Finding Dorothy
Lawrence Memorial Chapel 510 East College Avenue, AppletonAuthor Elizabeth Letts will discuss writing her newest novel, Finding Dorothy.
The Mill’s 2020 Awards Ceremony
Online: Zoom Event with RegistrationPlease join members of The Mill: A Place for Writers for our annual celebration of the best in local fiction and poetry. Since 2013, The Mill has recognized the work of Appleton-based authors. Novelist Steven Polansky will judge fiction entries, and current Wisconsin Poet Laureate
NEA Big Read: Fox Cities Reads Virtual Presentation by Kao Kalia Yang
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlinePlease join us for a discussion with author Kao Kalia Yang. To register for this event; click HERE. The NEA Big Read: Fox Cities Reads 2020 selection is The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang. The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir is
The Unforgettable Life and Writing of Christopher Kunz
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMeet the unforgettable Christopher “Tuffer” Kunz, life-long writer and passionate community member. The 2020 Fox Cities Book Festival is dedicated to his memory and the impact he had on the local writing community.
The Mountain Life of a Fox Cities Woman
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineEdge of the Map author Johanna Garton talks about the life of the Fox Valley’s trailblazing alpinist Christine Boskoff, her adventures in the mountains and the legacies she left behind from her years climbing the highest peaks in the world.
***CANCELLED*** Amy Engel Discusses Her Latest Novel, The Familiar Dark
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineHear Engel talk about her writing and answer questions from the audience.
Ridge Stories: Herding Hens, Powdering Pigs, and Other Recollections from a Boyhood in the Driftless
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineRaised on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area in the mid-twentieth century, Gary Jones gets real about his rural roots, writing with plainspoken warmth and irreverence about farm, family, and folks on the ridge.
NEA Big Read: Fox Cities Reads Virtual Presentation by Kao Kalia Yang
Online: Zoom Event with RegistrationPlease join us for a discussion with author Kao Kalia Yang. To register for this event; click HERE. The NEA Big Read: Fox Cities Reads 2020 selection is The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang. The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir is
Transforming Caregiving with Creativity
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBasting shares poignant and funny stories from her new book Creative Care: A revolutionary approach to dementia and elder care.
Crafting a Feminist Thriller
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBestselling author Andrea Bartz (THE LOST NIGHT, THE HERD) discusses her writing process, crafting "unlikable" yet fascinating female characters, and why thrillers are such fertile ground for complex female friendships.
Book Illustration and Working with Authors
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineAuthors often have an ethereal, tricky to explain vision for their dream book project and book designers are tasked with managing those expectations. Learn to communicate realistic goals by balancing marketing demands with editor requests, and editor revisions. Actually illustrating a captivating, fun book cover might be the easy part!
Write What You Know
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineWriting for children is fun, engaging, and very challenging at times. Join Baptise as he walks you through his creative process of writing fiction and non-fiction stories.
Dairylandia with Steve Hannah
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineSteve Hannah reads and discusses Dairylandia, which profiles the lives of the seemingly ordinary yet quite extraordinary folks of Wisconsin.
From NaNoWriMo to Award Banquets: How I Wrote My Novel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlinePart author's journey, part craft talk, Sarah Read will discuss how she wrote her successful debut novel and what she learned along the way.
Panel: Where Ideas Come From — and how we turn them into books!
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineFour authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Weina Dai Randel, Amy Reichert, and Heather Webb are delighted to talk about the inspirations and challenges they encountered during their writing process.
Wisconsin: A Great State for Birdwatching
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBirdwatchers who take to the field in Wisconsin walk in the footsteps of Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and other inspiring conservationists and environmental leaders from the state. Just as warblers, orioles, and other colorful migrants make birdwatching in Wisconsin exciting in spring, grosbeaks, redpolls, owls, and other hardy birds make it worthwhile in winter.
Writing the Dual-Time Story
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJaime Jo Wright, Award-Winning and Best-selling author of dual-time mysteries, dives into the often murky waters of writing in more than one era.
A Reading By Justina Ireland
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin Justina Ireland, author of the YA novels Dread Nation and Deathless Divide, for a reading and Q&A.
A Reading with Author, Allen Eskens
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineAward winning author, Allen Eskens, will join us for a fantastic virtual event to discuss his writing and most recent book, Nothing More Dangerous.
An Event with Sonali Dev
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin us for a fantastic virtual event with award winning author, Sonali Dev. The USA Today Bestselling author writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after.
Short Story Night
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineTake one part late-night talk show, a heavy dose of Intro to Lit 101, and you have Short Story Night. Join host Richie Zaborowske for an evening of virtual trivia, author interviews, literary discussion and more.
Booked for Murder
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineIs the stress of modern life poisoning your outlook? I have just the antidote you require. Take one juicy murder, a plethora of suspects, several twists and turns, and a mounting pile of red herrings. Mix with a generous measure of laughter.
Every Now and Then
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineAward-winning, New York Times bestselling author, Lesley Kagen's buzzed-about new novel EVERY NOW AND THEN is both a nostalgic coming-of-age story and a mystery that tackles issues like mental illness, racism, friendship, guilt, and the power of hope.
My Journey From Fire Captain To Award Winning Author
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBENEATH THE FLAMES is based on my twenty-eight-year career as a Milwaukee firefighter. I’ll share some of the most dramatic stories that inspired me to spend ten years writing it. After deciding I had to write this story, I realized I needed to learn the craft of creative writing if I was to do justice to this important story of race in the inner-city of Milwaukee.
R. Richard Wagner discusses Coming Out, Moving Forward: Wisconsin’s Recent Gay History
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineIn his second groundbreaking volume on gay history, R. Richard Wagner outlines the challenges that LGBT Wisconsinites faced in their efforts to right past oppressions and secure equality in the post-Stonewall period between 1969 and 2000.
Teens Speak Up Against Injustice: The Story Behind “The Assignment”
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineInspired by true events, Wiemer shares the unforgettable journey of two students who speak up against an assignment asking them to pretend they’re Nazis and argue for the Holocaust.
Writing the New Southern Gothic
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineEmily Carpenter discusses how growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, center of the Civil Rights Movement, shaped the kind of writer she would become. From being steeped in the Southern Gothic classics as a child, to her experiences working for two CBS soap operas in New York, then returning to the South, Carpenter will discuss her path to publication and how she discovered that Southern Gothic was in her blood.
Reading from the novel We Were Restless Things
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming Online“On his way to the place that would be his new home, a nervous, mothy feeling beat its wings against the inside of Jonas Lake's throat."
Dark Thrills and Sweet Chills: Happy Hour with Thriller Writers Jennifer Hillier, Andrea Bartz, and E.A. Aymar
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineA fun, laid back hour discussing all things thriller, with authors Jennifer Hillier, Andrea Bartz, and E.A. Aymar.
Ella, Eddie, and Egg: Exploring Eagles Around 1000 Islands
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin Stephanie and she reads the book ELLA, EDDIE, and EGG and discusses the importance of the eagle population along the Fox River and 1000 Islands Environmental Center.
The Monarch’s Gift: A Journey Through the Steps of Self-Publishing by Stephanie Feuerstein
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin Stephanie as she reads the book THE MONARCH'S GIFT and discusses the process of writing, illustrating, and self-publishing a children’s book
Jerry Apps discusses When the White Pine Was King: A History of Lumberjacks, Log Drives, and Sawdust Cities in Wisconsin
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBeloved Wisconsin storyteller and historian Jerry Apps chronicles the heyday of Northwoods logging, revealing stories of lumberjacks and camp cooks, sawmills and boom towns, river drives and deadly log jams.
The Cadottes: A Fur Trade Family on Lake Superior with author Robert Silbernagel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineThe Great Lakes fur trade spanned two centuries and thousands of miles. And the story of one remarkable French-Ojibwe family, the Cadottes, brilliantly illuminates this history of trade and trapping while also shedding light on the complex political, social, and economic relations of the region.
Dark History Lives! Murder and Mayhem
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineIn this unique conversation, Gavin will talk about his journey into the world of Wisconsin crime.
You Don’t Have to Live in New York to Be a Published Author
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBehind-the-scenes at how an Eau Claire native went from journaling her disappointment about the Corn Palace at eight to selling her first novel to a major publisher (much later).
A Discussion with Christina Clancy
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin debut author Christina Clancy (THE SECOND HOME) in discussion.
A Discussion with E.G. Scott
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMeet the two writers who create the work of E.G. Scott!
Women in Writing Panel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin these female authors as they discuss the writing industry from a woman's perspective.
Author Event with Claire Swinarski
Online: Zoom Event with RegistrationJoin children's writer Claire Swinarski in discussion. To register for this event, click here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h5D_O3dGR2m4oZwJarIK5g
A Discussion with Claire Swinarski
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin children's writer Claire Swinarski in discussion.
Crime in the Heartland: How Fiction Can Be Truer Than the Truth
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJohn Galligan, author of Dead Man Dancing and Bad Axe County, will discuss how real life research has shaped his fictional world of Bad Axe County, Wisconsin.
Writers and Bullet Journals: How to Get Started and How to Plan your Novel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin novelist Roselle Lim in discussion!
An Afternoon with Tiffany D. Jackson, a YA Novelist for These Times
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin Tiffany in discussion about her newest, timely YA book GROWN.
Latin American Literature at the End of the World
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMichael Zapata will discuss Latin American literature and craft, in which the relationship between the past and future, the real and the unreal is often blurred beyond recognition.
Debut Author Panel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin four authors as they share their experiences as debut novelists in this panel.
Picture Book Panel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin picture book authors Lori Degman (TRAVEL GUIDE FOR MONSTERS), Jill Esbaum (WE LOVE BABIES), and Baptiste Paul (THE FIELD) as they share what it's like to be a picture book author, their next works, and more!
So, You Want to Make a Literary Magazine?!
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMichael Zapata, co-founder and former fiction editor of the award-winning MAKE Literary Magazine, will discuss the pitfalls, challenges, and absolute joys of creating and writing for a literary magazine.
YA Novelists Panel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin young adult authors Kalynn Bayron (CINDERELLA IS DEAD), Justina Ireland (DEATHLESS DIVIDE), Nicole Kronzer (UNSCRIPTED), and Lori M. Lee (FOREST OF SOULS) as they share what it's like to be a young adult author, their next works, and more!
A Chat With Matt Forbeck
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineCome listen to how Matt Forbeck got started in his career after growing up in southern Wisconsin, and how he’s managed to sustain himself as a creator for over thirty years.
Leota Ester Poetry Reading
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineLeota reads from her poetry collection, Crossing, a Caregiver's Journey. The poems are arranged by the seasons, as that is what his journey felt like: first you will hear him beginning to change, a budding. As the Alzheimer's Disease developed, the poems reflect our new relationship.
A Year of Truth & Dare: Writing, Hybrid Publishing, & Marketing
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineYou wrote a book - now what? Should you query, find an agent, self-publish? Publishing has and continues to change. I’ll share the essentials I’ve learned as a new author.
Matthew Graham Poetry Reading
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMatthew Graham is the author of four books of poetry, most recently The Geography of Home (Galileo Press, 2018). His work has earned numerous national, regional and local honors and awards, including a Pushcart Prize, an Academy of American Poets Award, two grants from the
Seahorses
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineAbayomi Animashaun’s poems are travelogues of an inner country that is shaped and informed by Animashaun’s Nigerian roots, his journeys through America, and his identity as a black immigrant. As an immigrant poet from Nigeria, Abayomi Animashaun has lived in the United States for over
Ruth Awad Poetry Reading
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineRuth Awad reads from her award-winning collection Set to Music a Wildfire. Ruth Awad is an award-winning Lebanese-American poet whose debut poetry collection Set to Music a Wildfire (Southern Indiana Review Press 2017) won the 2016 Michael Waters Poetry Prize and the 2018 Ohioana Book Award
Bring Local Historical Facts to Life in Memorable Fiction
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineWalk with Lainey into the world of Door County and its islands in the late 1800s, a time of shipwrecks, lighthouses, and strong individuals who never gave up.
Stick Figure with Skirt
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlinePoet Cathryn Cofell will read from and talk about the poems in Stick Figure with Skirt. Winner of the 2019 Main Street Rag Poetry Book award, Stick Figure with Skirt explores the theme of work from the complicated perspective of a woman/mother/wife/ caretaker wrestling with
The Lesson, a reading
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin Cadwell Turnbull as he reads from his science fiction novel, THE LESSON. This will be followed with a Q&A session.
And This is How I Got Here.
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineJoin us for an Evening with Stephen Graham Jones, author of the new horror novel THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS.
Writing Realistic Characters
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineHow do you flesh out a character to the point where they can drive the story? In this talk, we will discuss tips and tricks for writing characters that feel real. Time permitting, we will have a brief writing exercise, so come with pen and paper ready!
A Discussion with Jen Waite
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineMeet author Jen Waite.
The Makings of History
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineIn the search for a secret that had drowned over half a century ago, Natalie found more than she could begin to imagine.
An Author’s Journey
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineEach author’s journey to publication is unique. Lora Hyler will share conventional paths and how she fast forwarded to become a published author after a public declaration in Writer’s Digest.
How the Fox Cities Informed Luke Geddes’s Debut Novel
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineLuke Geddes reads from his novel HEART OF JUNK (published by Simon & Schuster in January) and talks about how growing up in the fox cities influenced his writing career
Keeping Your Scenes Afloat With the Five Fun Floaties of Scene Structure
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineLet's discuss how to keep our scenes above water with goal-oriented storytelling. After discussing the fun floaties of scene structure, attendees will send their manuscripts sailing to greatness!
Turning History into Historical Fiction
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineHow do writers negotiate the line between fact and fiction? Using her own novels as examples, Janie Chang explains when facts matter in historical fiction and they don’t.
Letting Go: An Author’s Story
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineGet to know Christopher “Tuffer” Kunz, the novelist. Learn about his writing process, his unsuccessful experience with traditional publishing, and his decision to publish his three novels and a book of essays in the five months before his death in June of this year.
365 Writing Prompts & Other Promises to Myself: A Writing Workshop
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineWe've all made an ambitious writing schedule that worked for a day and then we've forgotten entirely. Or we've sat down to write and ended up deciding to repaint the ceiling. In this workshop we'll lean into what it feels like when writing comes easily and talk about how to curate that ease.
Comic Book Writing: Story Arc in 4 Panels Workshop
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineThis is a great introduction to writing comic books and a glimpse at how cross-genre storyboarding can add depth to your writing!
Storytelling 101 by Storycatchers
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineIn this workshop, we will interact with specific creative thinking and writing strategies to help guide your story-shaping process!
A Line Meant
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming Online"A Line Meant" poems and stories about her journey as a creative change agent.
Hope is The Thing
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineWhere did Wisconsinites find hope in the pandemic? Join B.J. Hollars, Angela Voras-Hills, Donte McFadden, Ryan Browne, and Yia Lor for a reading and conversation on the power of words amid crisis.
Committing and Moving Forward No Matter What
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineFrom his training as a psychiatrist to living with cancer, Dr. Stern will speak about committing to moving forward in a way that aligns with our values no matter what.
At the End of the World with Zhanna Slor
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineWelcome local author Zhanna Slor to discuss her debut mystery novel, At the End of the World, Turn Left
Black and White and Read All Over
Online: Zoom Event with Registration and Facebook Live Streaming OnlineBestselling middle grade author, Alan Gratz, discusses the inspiration behind some of his recent, Black, White, and Redbooks.