Listen to literary voices across Wisconsin and attend one of the many opportunities hosted by partner organizations during the Wisconsin Academy’s Bloom: a season of poetry. Bloom illuminates diverse perspectives, personal experiences, and our connection to the natural world. Below, find literature events happening this spring. Contact Jennifer Graham with questions or to ask about adding your event.
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Madison Poet Laureate Debut Gala
March 21, 2024, 7:00PM, Arts + Literature Lab, Madison.
Poetry readings on World Poetry Day— with Madison's newest Poet Laureate, Steven Espada Dawson. Dawson will read alongside '20 – '24 Poet Laureate, Angie Trudell Vasquez, and poet Chessy Normile, author of Great Exodus, Great Wall, Great Party. The reading will be followed by a short Q&A and casual reception. This event is sponsored by Arts + Literature Laboratory and Madison Arts Commision. FREE: donation. No registration required.
Poetry Workshop with Dr. Kimberly Blaeser; THE POWER OF TWO: Creating Metaphors and Woven Stories in Poetry
April 2, 2024, 7:00PM, via ZOOM online, hosted by Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA).
This generative poetry workshop with past Wisconsin Poet Laureate Dr. Kimberly Blaeser will emphasize the power of doubling to add energy and engage readers. Through sample pieces, writing prompts, craft exercises, and free writing, it will inspire class participants to discover and weave together overlapping experiences in their poems. Participants will have an opportunity to share excerpts from their drafts. Free to current WWA members, registration required.
An Evening of Poetry with Clemonce Heard and Josh Kalscheur
April 4, 2024, 6:00PM, A Room of One's Own Bookstore, Madison.
Room of One's Own is thrilled to host Clemonce Heard and Josh Kalscheur for this poetry reading and conversation. In person. FREE. No registration required.
Mackey Keynote Poetry Reading - Ojibwe poet Dr. Kimberly Blaeser
April 5, 2024, 7:00PM, Beloit College Pearsons Hall: Moore Lounge, Beloit.
Ojibwe poet Dr. Kimberly Blaeser will deliver this year’s Mackey Keynote Poetry reading accompanied by two other Indigenous Nations Poets. FREE. No registration required.
April Watershed Reading
April 6, 2024, 7:00PM, Arts + Literature Lab, Madison.
Reading featuring Deshawn McKinney, J.L. Conrad, and Kate Partridge. McKinney, Conrad, and Partridge will be reading poetry. FREE: donation. No registration required.
An Evening of Poetry with Joshua Burton, Patrycja Humienik, and Sadia Hassan
April 10, 2024, 7:00PM, Madison Central Library, Rooms 301 and 302, Madison.
April is National Poetry Month! Join A Room of One's Own and The Wisconsin Book Festival for a reading featuring the work of Joshua Burton, author of Grace Engine, Patrycja Humienik, UW-Madison Creative Writing Poetry MFA and Sadia Hassan, UW-Madison Creative Writing Fellow. FREE. No registration required. This is an in person event at Madison Central Library, Community Rooms 301 &302.
Poetry Reading: Evan Kennedy and mimi tempestt (A Weekend with City Lights)
April 12, 2024, 7:00PM, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Milwaukee. *Hybrid Event*
A Weekend with City Lights Publishers: Two readings and a conversation featuring City Lights authors Will Alexander, Roberto Harrison, Evan Kennedy, and mimi tempestt, with events hosted and moderated by Garrett Caples. Presented as part of Visions in Publishing / Small Press Appreciation series with support from the NEA. Hybrid event. In-person at the book center and online live via Crowdcast. Give what you can. Registration requested.
Conversation: Will Alexander, Roberto Harrison, Evan Kennedy, and mimi tempestt (A Weekend with City Lights)
April 13, 2024, 2:00PM, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Milwaukee. *Hybrid Event*
A conversation with Will Alexander, Roberto Harrison, Evan Kennedy, and mimi tempesttabout histories of small press publishing and bookstores as sites of community gathering, among other topics. Presented as part of Visions in Publishing / Small Press Appreciation series with support from the NEA. Hybrid event. In-person at the book center and online live via Crowdcast. Give what you can. Registration requested.
Poetry Reading: Will Alexander and Roberto Harrison (A Weekend with City Lights)
April 13, 2024, 7:00PM, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Milwaukee. *Hybrid Event*
A Weekend with City Lights Publishers: Two readings and a conversation featuring City Lights authors Will Alexander, Roberto Harrison, Evan Kennedy, and mimi tempestt, with events hosted and moderated by Garrett Caples. Presented as part of Visions in Publishing / Small Press Appreciation series with support from the NEA. Hybrid event. In-person at the book center and online live via Crowdcast. Give what you can. Registration requested.
Monsters of Poetry April Reading
April 13, 2024, 7:00PM, Maiahaus = 402 E. Mifflin Street, Madison.
Presenting R.B. Simon, Cynthia Marie Hoffman, Daniel Khalastchi, and Matti Powers. Monsters of Poetry is a literary reading series founded in 2009. Live and in-person. $3.00 donation requested includes raffle ticket. No registration required.
The Long and Short of Lorine Niedecker
April 19, 2024, 2:00PM, E. D. Locke Public Library: community room, McFarland. *Hybrid Event*
An interactive and introductory workshop. Read together to see and hear Lorine Niedecker’s astonishing poetry. Look at her exemplary short poems as well as examples of her late, great long poems in the context of Niedecker’s remarkable life and letters. Led by poet & author Chuck Stebelton. This program will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. FREE. No registration required. In-person at the library and online here.
Narrative Healing: A Program for Writing and Reflection
April 20, 2024, 10:30AM, McIntosh Memorial Library: conference room, Viroqua.
Presented by Driftless Writing Center, with Dr. Jackie Redmer. Read a text or examine a painting together. In the shadow of this text, you will then be invited to self-reflect using a writing exercise. By close reading and writing together, we connect with others and learn new tools for living a meaningful life. Narrative Healing is adapted from a growing field referred to as Narrative Medicine, which is an intentional process using the humanities to more deeply explore, share and understand the impact of human experiences. This practice relies on close and generous listening, storytelling and self-reflection. Attend one or all of the sessions. Additonal dates May 18 and June 15. FREE. No registration required.
Poetry Reading: Laura Tohe, Kimberly Blaeser, and Elise Paschen
April 24, 2024, 7:00PM, Woodland Pattern Book Center, Milwaukee. *Hybrid Event*
Poetry Reading featuring Laura Tohe, current Navajo Nation Poet Laureate and author of Tseyí / Deep in the Rock (University of Arizona Press, 2005), Kimberly Blaeser, author of Ancient Light (University of Arizona Press, 2024), and Elise Paschen, author of Tallchief (Magic City Books, 2023). Presented as part of our series Native Writers in the 21st Century with support from the NEA. Hybrid event. In-person at the book center and online live via Crowdcast. Pay What You Can. Registration requested.
Conversation: Laura Tohe and Kimberly Blaeser
April 25, 2024, 2:30PM, Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A conversation with author and librettist Laura Tohe and poet and photographer Kimberly Blaeser about interdisciplinary practices and collaborations. Both poets have engaged in several inter-arts projects, including Tohe’s librettos and Blaeser’s photography and picto-poems, among others. Each poet will read some of her own poems during the conversation as well. In-person and open to the public. FREE. No registration required.
An Evening of Poetry with Alison Thumel, Aurora Shimshak, and Steven Espada Dawson
April 25, 2024, 6:00PM, A Room of One's Own Bookstore, Madison.
Room of One's Own is thrilled to host Alison Thumel, Aurora Shimshak, and Steven Espada Dawson, for this poetry reading and conversation. Join them for an evening of lyrical delights with three wonderful wordsmiths! This is an in person event at A Room of One's Own. FREE. No registration required.
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
April 26-27, 2024, McIntosh Memorial Library, Viroqua.
Dr. Kimberly Blaeser will be presenting in addition to numerous other events including author readings, workshops, book signings, community readings, food, live music, and more. Save the date for the second Ridges & Rivers Book Festival. Sign up for the festival newsletter to stay informed.
Visual Poetry Workshop
April 27, 2024, 10:00AM-12:00PM, Center for the Visual Arts, Wausau
Join CVA in celebrating National Poetry Month with a FREE art project great for all ages. Enjoy extended gallery hours 10:00AM-4:00PM. Learn the basics of blackout poetry, ekphrastic poetry, and more with Wausau's Poet Laureate. Visual Poetry is an easy way to make art and poetry together! No experience is necessary, and all supplies are provided. FREE. No Registration required.
The Best of Video Poetry 2024
April 27, 2024, 1:30PM, Hawthorne Public Library, Madison.
Arts + Literature Laboratory is proud to present some of our favorite video poems featured in the first four years of the Midwest Video Poetry Fest. The festival, which invites audiences to discover (or rediscover) poetry, is the first of its kind in Wisconsin. These films, selected specifically for Hawthorne Public Library, include short video poems from around the world, as well as work from regional and local artists. The creators of the festival will be on hand to talk about what video poetry is, provide tips on how to make your own, talk about the films themselves, and answer questions. This program was made possible by a grant from the Woodrow Hall Jumpstart Awards. FREE. Seating is Limited. Registration required.
Plant Poems Workshop
April 30, 2024, 6:00PM-8:30PM, 3rd Floor Education Studio, Arts + Literature Lab, Madison.
Take a walk with your writing and get (re)acquainted with some plant friends and poetry!
Join Teaching Artists, Erin Schneider and Michelle Seaman, for a stroll along the Capital City Bike Trail as they guide you with prompts and questions designed to engage your senses and connect you more deeply to the fascinating flora in your neighborhood. After wandering, return to Art Lit Lab to write free verse poems, haiku, and as an interdisciplinary bonus, to play with some examples of visual art inspired by plant poetry. $35.00. Registration required.
An Evening of Poetry with Séamus Fey, Natasha Oladokun, Chessy Normille, and Patrycja Humienik
May 9, 2024, 6:00PM, A Room of One's Own Bookstore, Madison.
A Room of One's Own is thrilled to welcome Séamus Fey, Natasha Oladokun, Chessy Normile, and Patrycja Humienik for a reading of their poetry and to celebrate the release of Séamus' poetry collection decompose. Join them to hear from these amazing poets! This is an in person event at A Room of One's Own. FREE. No registration required.
