A virtual Annual Meeting of the Council for Wisconsin Writers is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Meeting attendees will be updated on the status of the organization and tentative plans for the 2021 contest awards event. The event is scheduled for May 2022 and will include award recipients reading from their winning work.
The Annual Meeting will be held on Zoom. CWW members interested in attending, please contact CWW Acting Co-Presidents Ron Czerwien at ronczerwien[at]gmail[dot]com or Sylvia Cavanaugh at bgirl4shadow[at]gmail[dot]com for the link.
Upcoming Poetry Events and Deadlines
The following list of poetry readings, workshops, submissions and more is provided by the women of Poetry Unlocked: Katie Chicquette, Cathryn Cofell, Sarah Gilbert, Bobbie Lee Lovell and Laura Winkelspecht.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
DeWitt Clinton and Nathan Reid
7:00 pm
Virtual – see link below
Nathan J. Reid’s work has appeared in Fox Cry Review, Wisconsin People & Ideas, Poetry Hall, OPE!—A Pop-Up Anthology of Madison Writers & Artists, and other publications. He serves on the boards of the Council for Wisconsin Writers, the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. He is the former senior editor for the Wisconsin Review and former guest editor for Bramble Lit Magazine. His first collection of poems, Thoughts on Tonight, was published in 2017 and his newest book, Persistence of Perception, came out July 2020, both by Finishing Line Press. Learn more about him at nathanjreid.com.
DeWitt Clinton taught English, Creative Writing, and World of Ideas courses for over 30 years at the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater. He is a student of Iyengar Yoga, and occasionally substitutes as a Zoom yoga instructor for seniors in the Village of Shorewood, Wisconsin. His four collections of poetry include The Conquistador Dog Texts, The Coyot. Inca Texts, (New Rivers Press), At the End of the War (Kelsay Books, 2018) and By A Lake Near A Moon: Fishing with the Chinese Masters (Is A Rose Press, 2020). A fifth poetry collection is due out in late 2021 or early 2022 from Word Tech Communications.
A limited open mic will follow. Email us to reserve your spot at PoetryUnlockedAppleton@gmail.com. Names will be accepted in the order received until slots are filled.
TO REGISTER FOR DEWITT AND NATHAN, CLICK ON THIS ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-yrqDIvHdYrFgIliPn0Bzrl_v0NhTC_
Immediately after registering, you will see a Zoom confirmation with the actual meeting link. Be sure to copy and save this!
ON DECK FOR POETRY UNLOCKED:
Oct 11: Jane Banning and Beth Tornes
Nov 8: John Fritzell and Annette Langlois Grunseth
Dec 13: 2022 WFOP Poets’ Calendar Reading
These events are brought to you, in part, by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets (WFOP), an organization founded for the creation, promotion and enjoyment of poetry throughout the state of Wisconsin. To learn more, visit www.wfop.org.
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DEADLINES & SUBMISSIONS
Bramble is open for submissions through September 15. Details here: https://www.wfop.org/bramble-how-to-submit
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Hal Prize: deadline September 15. Open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and to photographers throughout the United States, the Hal Prize offers winners publication to a readership of more than 25,000. First place in all categories receive $250 and a Hal Prize mug from Clay Bay Pottery. Second places receive $100 and third places receive $50. $5 entry fee per poem. For official rules and to submit your work: https://www.thehalprize.com/submit
Upcoming Poetry Unlocked events
The following list of poetry readings, workshops and submissions is from the women of Poetry Unlocked: Katie Chicquette, Cathryn Cofell, Sarah Gilbert, Bobbie Lee Lovell and Laura Winkelspecht:
TWO Poetry Unlocked Events in August!
MONDAY, AUGUST 9
Jordan Brown and Madelyne Rose
7:00 pm
Virtual – see link below
Jordan Brown received an MA in creative writing from UW-Oshkosh. His unpublished memoir Henry Wait, focuses on addiction, dysphoria, and the relief that writing brings. His published work can be found in Bramble, Inkwell, Wilde Boy, Nightingale & Sparrow, The Bastard’s Review, and most recently in Barren Magazine. In the Fall of 2021, he’ll be attending the Fiction MFA program at Eastern Washington University.”
Madelyne Rose is a freelance writer and poet born in Los Angeles, CA, and based in Wisconsin. She’s an avid zinester, currently working on her first collection of poetry and her writing can be found in the likes of Sumou Mag, Homegrown Zine, and Stargazette Magazine. She is the blog director for Humankind Zine and contributes to the Fox Valley arts paper, FSM. From a young age Madelyne was a talker, so it only made sense to her family when she eventually turned all those words into writing. What started as scribbles and stories about talking animals eventually turned into her passion, and for as long as she can remember she’s been a writer in one way or another. A writer of everything from poetry to music write ups, she’s yet to find a niche, and rather, writes about whatever inspires her. When she’s not writing you can find her thrifting, making coffee (she’s also a barista by trade), or begging her pets for their attention.
A limited open mic will follow, requiring an advance sign-up. Email us to reserve your spot at PoetryUnlockedAppleton@gmail.com. Names will be accepted in the order received until slots are filled.
TO REGISTER FOR JORDAN AND MADELYN, CLICK ON THIS ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-yrqDIvHdYrFgIliPn0Bzrl_v0NhTC_
Immediately after registering, you will see a Zoom confirmation with the actual meeting link. Be sure to copy and save this!
MONDAY, AUGUST 16
In-Person Poetry Circle
City Park (500 E Franklin St), Appleton
7:00 pm
There will be no featured reader, just some social time and a round robin. Bring your lawn chair and a poem to read. Bring your own beverage or snacks (alcohol is not allowed in Appleton parks without a permit). Join us (weather permitting)!
ON DECK FOR POETRY UNLOCKED:
Sept 13: DeWitt Clinton and Nathan Reid
These events are brought to you, in part, by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets (WFOP), an organization founded for the creation, promotion and enjoyment of poetry throughout the state of Wisconsin. To learn more, visit www.wfop.org.
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OTHER READINGS & EVENTS IN THE AREA
AUGUST 10 – 11
Poetry Intensive with Deborah Keenan
In-Person at Write On Door County
During this day-long plus intensive, we will read a wide range of poetry, consider our lyric and narrative voices, think about how we want to use white space, and various structures for our work. We will think about the poems we must write, the poems we want to write, and the reasons we create. Seven hours of handouts, poems to ponder, enjoy, puzzzle over, and write from. We’ll do some quick, intense first draft work (bring your work notebooks!) and take brief breaks throughout the day in honor of the beautiful natural world around us. We’ll have visual art to challenge and inspire or image-making, share lunch together, and have moments of solitude in which to think and write. We’ll end the day with brief readings of our drafts and have a conversation about present and future goals for your poetry.
On Wednesday, Deborah will meet with each student for a private 20 minute work session. We will focus on drafts created Tuesday; talk about small and large questions you have about poetry; or, if you prefer, you can bring two recent poems for editing and advice.
For more information or to register, visit here:
https://writeondoorcounty.org/event/poetry-intensive-with-deborah-keenan/2021-08-10/
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August 19 & September 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
Two-Part Zoom Workshop
On the Front Lines | Behind the Lines
Writing Political Poetry
Featuring Margaret Rozga
To complement the very engaged and active poetry readings in the Fox Valley and Door County, Poetry at Large is hosting a series of writing workshops in 2021.
Let’s take our writing to the next level with quality instruction and the challenge to delve deeper and advocate for what matters with our poetry.
ON THE FRONT LINES | BEHIND THE LINES
Margaret Rozga creates poetry from her ongoing concern for social justice issues. She was a participant in Milwaukee’s marches for fair housing and later married civil rights leader, Father James Groppi. She will share her process in a two-part workshop.
In the first session On the Front Lines, Peggy will offer suggestions, prompts, and guidance that work for poets concerned about social justice issues in a variety of ways and in a range of engagement with those issues.
In the second session Behind the Lines, Peggy and participants will look at more sample poems, including those of participants. Participants will have a chance between August and September to revise an August draft or write a new draft. Then, for those who’d like more feedback, there will be time allotted to look at their work.
We ask that you register in advance for both Part 1 (https://wfop.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=93d84b1658d7e0c45e0b5f065&id=a1d224b334&e=1e5254b330 )
and Part 2 (https://wfop.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=93d84b1658d7e0c45e0b5f065&id=c800c6d3d6&e=1e5254b330) to authenticate all participants. It’s easy!
As 2019-2020 Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Margaret Rozga co-edited the anthology Through This Door: Wisconsin in Poems (Art Night Books, 2020) and the chapbook anthology On the Front Lines / Behind the Lines (pitymilkpress, 2021). Her fifth book of poems is Holding My Selves Together: New and Selected Poems (Cornerstone Press, 2021).
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DEADLINES & SUBMISSIONS
Muriel Press Now Open for Poetry Manuscript Submissions
Submissions open July 1st – August 15th 2021
Marian University has an imbedded micropress called The Muriel Press that provides wonderful opportunities for the English and Art students to learn about small-press publishing. The Muriel Press is accepting poetry manuscripts for publication; we are interested in chapbook manuscripts that range anywhere from 20 – 35 pages.
Learn More Here: https://www.marianuniversity.edu/student-life/academic-resources/the-muriel-press/
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WFOP Triad Contest
Deadline: August 15, 2021
The Triad is as the name suggests: three separate contests: 1) Kay Saunders Emerging Poet Award; 2) Poets Choice; and 3) on the theme of Forgiveness.
Poet must be a current WFOP member in good standing (dues current).
Visit the WFOP Contest Page to Learn More: https://www.wfop.org/annual-contests
CWW award-winner reveals WI Playboy Club
Playboy bunnies in Wisconsin? In Lake Geneva, no less. Who knew?
CWW award-winner and former board member Christina Clancy, that’s who. She writes about them in her novel, ‘Shoulder Season,’ which goes on sale tomorrow, July 6.
“In the Madison writer’s new novel ‘Shoulder Season’,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Higgins writes in his July 4 review, “the mature Sherri Taylor looks back at 1981, when her teenage self put on Bunny ears and tail for a boot camp in Hefneresque femininity and a crash course in the vagaries of men.”
Christina’s “Lost Cause” published in The Sun Magazine won her the Kay W. Levin Short Nonfiction Award for work published in 2018.
“Clancy will celebrate her book launch through a free Zoom event with Milwaukee writer Liam Callanan at 7 p.m. July 8 via Boswell Books and Oconomowoc’s Books & Company.” Higgins reports in his review. https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/books/2021/06/30/shoulder-season-recreates-life-bunny-playboy-club-lake-geneva/5333251001/
Register for this event through Boswell Books. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PaPlF5JpQWyIF9muKfSnrg
POETRY UNLOCKED UPDATE ON IN-PERSON VS. VIRTUAL
Poetry Unlocked has decided to remain virtual into Spring 2022. Even though that might seem like a long way off, but it the intent is to be virtual in the winter months from now on. Also most late summer/fall PU featured readers specifically requested a virtual event.
To counter this long drought of participants and attendees seeing each other in the real world, PU organizers decided to have an additional event, in-person:
Monday, August 16
City Park (500 E Franklin St), Appleton
7:00 pm
There will be no featured reader, just some social time and a round robin. Bring your lawn chair and a poem to read. Bring your own beverage or snacks (alcohol is not allowed in Appleton parks without a permit). Join us (weather permitting)!
Meanwhile, back in the Virtual World:
MONDAY, JULY 12
ANDREA POTOS & KATRIN TALBOT
7:00 pm
Virtual – see link below
Andrea Potos is the author of several collections of poetry, including Mothershell (Kelsay Books), Arrows of LIght (Iris Press), A Stone to Carry Home (Salmon Poetry), and An Ink Like Early Twilight (Salmon Poetry). Her poems can be found widely online and in print. The Wisconsin Library Association has awarded her Outstanding Achievement in Poetry for each of her full-length poetry collections. She also received the William Stafford Poetry Prize from Rosebud Magazine. Andrea lives in Madison
Australian-born Katrin Talbot’s Attached: Poetry of Suffix is forthcoming from dancing girl press and her other collections include The Blind Lifeguard and Freeze-Dried Love, both from Finishing Line Press, The Little Red Poem & noun’d, verb, both from dancing girl press, and St. Cecilia’s Daze, from Parallel Press. She has recently been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes in Poetry. Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies; she is delighted to have poems recently included in a chocolate & coffee anthology, a bug anthology and a donut anthology. She was voted Madison Magazine’s Best of 2015 Spoken Word Artist/Poet. Ms. Talbot is also a violist and photographer and her coffee table book, Schubert’s Winterreise-A Winter Journey in Poetry, Image, and Song is published by the University of Wisconsin Press. She helps run two poetry series in Madison—one for the Madison Symphony, The Counterpoint Readings, and the other for the Chazen Museum of Art, The Bridge Poetry Series, always seeking new voices.
A limited open mic will follow, requiring an advance sign-up. Email us to reserve your spot at PoetryUnlockedAppleton@gmail.com. Names will be accepted in the order received until slots are filled.
TO REGISTER FOR ANDREA AND KATRIN, CLICK ON THIS ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-yrqDIvHdYrFgIliPn0Bzrl_v0NhTC_
Immediately after registering, you will see a Zoom confirmation with the actual meeting link. Be sure to copy and save this!
ON DECK FOR POETRY UNLOCKED:
Aug 9: Jordan Brown and Madelyn Sosa
Aug 16: Round-robin at City Park, Appleton
Sept 13: DeWitt Clinton and Nathan Reid
These events are brought to you, in part, by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets (WFOP), an organization founded for the creation, promotion and enjoyment of poetry throughout the state of Wisconsin. To learn more, visit www.wfop.org.
******************************************************************
OTHER READINGS & EVENTS IN THE AREA
AUGUST 10 – 11
Poetry Intensive with Deborah Keenan
In-Person at Write On Door County
During this day-long plus intensive, we will read a wide range of poetry, consider our lyric and narrative voices, think about how we want to use white space, and various structures for our work. We will think about the poems we must write, the poems we want to write, and the reasons we create. Seven hours of handouts, poems to ponder, enjoy, puzzzle over, and write from. We’ll do some quick, intense first draft work (bring your work notebooks!) and take brief breaks throughout the day in honor of the beautiful natural world around us. We’ll have visual art to challenge and inspire or image-making, share lunch together, and have moments of solitude in which to think and write. We’ll end the day with brief readings of our drafts and have a conversation about present and future goals for your poetry.
On Wednesday, Deborah will meet with each student for a private 20 minute work session. We will focus on drafts created Tuesday; talk about small and large questions you have about poetry; or, if you prefer, you can bring two recent poems for editing and advice.
For more information or to register, visit here:
https://writeondoorcounty.org/event/poetry-intensive-with-deborah-keenan/2021-08-10/
******************************************************************
DEADLINES & SUBMISSIONS
WFOP Triad Contest
Deadline: August 15, 2021
The Triad is as the name suggests: three separate contests: 1) Kay Saunders Emerging Poet Award; 2) Poets Choice; and 3) on the theme of Forgiveness.
Poet must be a current WFOP member in good standing (dues current).
Visit the WFOP Contest Page to Learn More: https://www.wfop.org/annual-contests
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This list of poetry readings, workshops, submissions and more comes to you from the women of Poetry Unlocked: Katie Chicquette-Adams, Cathryn Cofell, Sarah Gilbert, Bobbie Lee Lovell and Laura Winkelspecht.
Readings from “SHELTERING WITH POEMS” Anthology
This list of poetry readings is provided by the women of Poetry Unlocked:
MONDAY, JUNE 14
SHELTERING WITH POEMS: COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION DURING COVID
7:00 pm
Virtual – see link below
About this Event:
On June 14, we’ll hear from contributors to “Sheltering with Poems: Community and Connection During COVID,” an anthology of 89 poems from 74 Wisconsin writers. The poets in this anthology are nurses and lawyers, teachers and scientists, artists, students, booksellers and business owners — in other words, all of us including these featured readers:
Fabu Carter
Robin Chapman
Cathryn Cofell
Maryann Hurtt
Dasha Kelly Hamilton
Emilie Lindemann
Scott Lowery
Jill Madden Melchoir
Sara Sarna
Beth Tornes
Plus publisher Steve Tomasko!
The poems, mostly written in the first months of the pandemic, relate the writers’ efforts to come to grip with those new terms and situations that we all had to deal with: sheltering in place, social distancing, isolation. But it’s not just a bleak world depicted in poems, there is also hope, love and humor.
The poetry editors for the anthology are Bruce Dethlefsen, Kathleen Serley and Angela Voras-Hills. The book is co-published by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and Bent Paddle Press and is available to order at WFOP.org. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to WFOP.
A limited open mic will follow, requiring an advance sign-up. We encourage you to read your own pandemic poems, your own version of Sheltering with poems (or fiction or essays). Email us to reserve your spot at PoetryUnlockedAppleton@gmail.com. Names will be accepted in the order received until slots are filled. Thank you for understanding.
TO REGISTER FOR SHELTERING WITH POEMS, CLICK ON THIS ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-yrqDIvHdYrFgIliPn0Bzrl_v0NhTC_
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
ON DECK FOR POETRY UNLOCKED (virtual):
July 12: Andrea Potos and Katrin Talbot
Aug 9: Jordan Brown and Madelyn Sosa
Sept 13: DeWitt Clinton and Nathan Reid
This list of poetry readings, workshops, submissions and more comes to you from the women of Poetry Unlocked: Katie Chicquette-Adams, Cathryn Cofell, Sarah Gilbert, Bobbie Lee Lovell and Laura Winkelspecht.