The April NorthWords includes:
Notes from the Board Room
Happy April Everyone!
Spring is arriving in fits and starts, which means there’s still plenty of time to wrap up your winter writing projects before summer lures us all outside. Judging by our 2024 writing contest submissions, many of you did some serious work over the past months.
We’re passing contest entries onto judges this week and winners will be chosen by early May – then celebrating the winners at our annual meeting, which will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at the Depot. Watch future issues of NorthWords for more details.
If you were bummed that the weather cancelled Linda LeGarde Grover’s March reading, we have good news! Linda will read from her novel A Song Over Miskwaa Rapids at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, at Dubh Linn Pub. The event is free, and we’ll have a prize drawing that includes a couple of Linda’s books, so please join us!
April is National Poetry Month, so we’ve put together a great weekend of poetry offerings you won’t want to miss. On Saturday, April 20, Twin Cities poet Danny Klecko will join us for a reading and conversation with Duluth poet Jess Morgan. Join us from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fitgers for this event, which is free and open to the public.
On Sunday, April 21, we are hosting an open poetry reading for Lake Superior Writers members at the UMD Library. This event is also free and open to the public, but readings are reserved for LSW members. You’ll find info on how to sign up to read in this issue – and if you’d like to read by aren’t a member, visit our membership page and join us.
Do you love to write, but break into a sweat if you have to read in public or pitch your work? Nationally recognized author and former actress Carol Dunbar is teaching “Taking Center Stage: How to Share Your Writing with Others,” as a three part class on May 3, 4 and 11. More info on the class and registration is available in NorthWords.
Then, on Tuesday, May 21, poet Emily August will read from her first published collection, The Punishments Must Be a School, at Wussow’s Concert Café. We’ll have more on that in the May newsletter, but you can mark your calendars now.
Finally, a friendly reminder that you have until May 31 to submit nominations for the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA), which is open to authors who have published works in 2023 that focus on northeastern Minnesota history, culture, heritage, and/or lifestyle. Anyone, including the author, can nominate books in six categories – poetry, non-fiction, fiction, memoir, children’s literature and middle grade/young adult. Visit the NEMBA section of our website for more details.
Wherever you are in your writing journey, we are grateful you’re here with us. Happy writing!
Mary Bode
Interim Board Chair
Lake Superior Writers
Lake Superior Writers News & Events
Virtual Writers’ Cafe
April 13: Virtual Writers Café
Don’t forgot the monthly Virtual Writer’s Café. Chat about your projects, ask advice from
others and be inspired by writers locally and beyond! It’s free, it’s fun, it’s 9:30 a.m. the
second Saturday of the month.
The Marsh Kings’ Daughter Viewing & Six Lessons for Writers with Karen Dionne
April 6 at 1:30 pm at Duluth Public Library, Downtown Branch, 520 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
April 11 at 6 pm over Zoom
Dive into the thriller called The Marsh King’s Daughter. The book is set in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Superior. Partnering with the Duluth Public Library, we
start with the recent major motion picture based on the book and starting Daisy Ridley
and Ben Mendohlsen. There will be a free showing of the movie in the Library at 1:30
p.m., Saturday, April 6. We’ll have time for discussion afterward and a brief note from
the author to start. Then the next week on Thursday, April 11, author, Karen Dionne, will
give a 2-hour virtual workshop on “6 Things I Learned from Writing my Breakout Book.”
The workshop is $10 for LSW members and $20 for non-members. The workshop is
possible thanks to grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the voters of
Minnesota.
Linda LeGarde Grover Reading
April 17, 2024 at 6:30 pm at Dubh Linn Pub, 109 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN
Popular Minnesota author Linda LeGarde Grover will explore a mystery that has haunted Mozhay Point for 50 years when she reads from A Song over Miskwaa Rapids as part of LSW’s Book Club for Writers series.
There will be drawings for copies of Linda’s book, along with an author reading and question and answer period. The event is free and open to the public.
Poetry Reading and Conversation with Danny Klecko hosted by Jess Morgan
April 20, 2024 from 3 pm to 5 pm at Fitger’s Brewery Complex, 600 E. Superior St., Duluth, MN
Celebrate poetry with a reading and conversation by St. Paul poet (and baker) Danny Klecko in the Fitger’s Brewery Complex. The event is hosted in partnership with the Bookstore at Fitger’s and with aid from Fitger’s Inn. The Bookstore will sell Danny’s books there for him to sign. The free event runs at 3-5 p.m. and will feature a conversation with Danny and a local up-and-coming poet. The afternoon is possible thanks to grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the voters of Minnesota.
Lake Superior Writers Poetry Month Open Member Readings
April 21, 2024 at 2 pm at the Kathryn A. Martin Library Rotunda, 416 Library Drive Duluth, MN
Come join us on April 21, 2-4 for a celebration of our members and of poetry at the UMD Library Rotunda. Sign up for a five minute reading slot to read your own original work or read the work of poets you love–or just come to listen! The reading will be from 2-3:30 with coffee and snacks and conversation afterward.
Sign up for the readings here. Slots are available to current Lake Superior Writers. If you aren’t a member, join Lake Superior Writers at lakesuperiorwriters.org.
Taking Center Stage: How to Share your Writing with Others with Carol Dunbar
May 3 at 7 pm over Zoom and May 4 & 11 at 1:30 pm at the Quaker Meetinghouse at 1802 E. 1st St, Duluth, MN
Carol Dunbar’s debut novel, The Net Beneath Us, and her second novel, A Winter’s Rime, both set in northern Wisconsin gained national attention. But her first creative endeavors were performance, for which she earned her degree. Now Carol helps writers learn how to take center stage, from take charge of making pitches to publishers to doing powerful public readings to improving writing through reading dialogue aloud. The three-day workshop starts with a virtual introduction class on the evening of Friday, May 3, then moves into an in-person class on the afternoons of Saturday, May 4 & 11, in the Quaker Meetinghouse at 1802 E. 1st St. (it even has a stage!). More information about registration will be on the website soon.
Northeastern Minnesota Book Award Nominations Open
“There’s nothing more wonderful than having your work recognized with a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award,” said Margi Preus, 2023 winner in the Children’s Literature category for Lily Leads the Way. “Being part of NEMBA gives you the same fresh-air, cold-water, piney-woods, heart-thumping feel you get from a good hike along the north shore or a brisk sail on the big lake. It’s just the best!
Have you written or read a book that was published in 2023 that represents life in Northeastern Minnesota? Then it, too, could win a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award! 2024 nominations are now open – don’t delay!
For more information, and to nominate your own book or a book you love, go to lakesuperiorwriters.org/nominate.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Membership Renewals
It’s time to renew or join Lake Superior Writers – and this year there are a number of membership perks worth noting:
- Discounts on workshops and paid events
- Free Writing Contest Entry
- NEW! Online link to member’s latest published work: email writers@lakesuperiorwriters.org with a link to your book
- Discounts at regional bookstores – with 2024 membership printed or e-card*:
- The Bookstore at Fitger’s offers 10% discount on an entire regular-priced purchase, excluding candy and magazines.
- Zenith Bookstore offers 10% discount on 1 item in an order.
- Apostle Islands Booksellers in Bayfield will offer a coupon code for 20% off of one book in a purchase.
- Honest Dog Books in Bayfield will offer a 20% discount in the store with showing of member card.
- *Note: 2024 Membership Cards for current members will be sent out via email over the course of the next two weeks or so. We appreciate your patience as we get caught up.
- SAVE THE DATE: Lake Superior Writers Annual Meeting will be 1:30-3:30 p.m. June 1 in The St. Louis County Depot. Guest speaker: Author/Artist Sam Zimmerman
Literary Events
Book Launch: Leif Enger Presents I Cheerfully Refuse
April 2, 2024 at 7 pm at Ursa Minor, 2415 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
Zenith Bookstore is thrilled to host the launch of Leif Enger’s new novel I Cheerfully Refuse. Join the award-winning Duluth author of Peace Like a River and Virgil Wander at Ursa Minor Brewing for an evening of discussion, book readings, music and celebration. I Cheerfully Refuse epitomizes the “musical, sometimes magical and deeply satisfying kind of storytelling” (Los Angeles Times) for which Leif Enger is cherished. Joining Leif at Ursa Minor will be Duluth musician and songwriter Jamie Ness. Event is free and open to the public. Books can be pre-ordered at zenithbookstore.com/enger .
Full Moon Reading
April 23, 2024 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Drury Lane Books, 12 E Wisconsin St, Grand Marais, MN
This is an open community bonfire where all are encouraged to share a favorite piece of prose or literature. There are no limits to the topics shared; fishing and hiking poems, rants and heated slams, philosophical musings, saccharine love poems, shadow work and gothic prose, a touching moment from a novel, a silly gut busting kids story- we welcome it all! https://drurylanebooks.com/event/2024-04-23/full-moon-reading
“Reverencing Earth” Poetry Reading and Retreat
Poetry Reading & Reception: April 26, 2024 at 7 pm at St. Scholastica Monastery, 1001 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN
Full Day Retreat: April 27 from 8:30 am to 6 pm at St. Scholastica Monastery, 1001 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN
This event celebrates the mysterious ways the natural world influences our inner lives. For centuries, nature has provided a rich vocabulary to inspire writers, artists, and spiritual seekers. Drawing on a newly published anthology of poems, essays, and art (Reverencing Earth edited by Victor Klimoski and Kathy Fleming), the retreat guides participants in exploring how word and image help name what rises within us as we walk a forest path or watch as the sun stirs awake a sleeping world or bear witness to the cycle of seasons. Creativity blossoms in these simple acts of attentiveness that open our hearts to a deeper reality.
There are 3 registration options available. For more information visit, retreatduluth.org/reverencing-earth
Scholarships are available. Please contact Dawn Carrillo at dcarrillo@duluthosb.org or 320.260.8233 for more information.
Independent Bookstore Day
April 27, 2024 from 10 am to 5 pm at Drury Lane Books, 12 E Wisconsin St, Grand Marais, MN
All Day event with two Meet and Greets, giveaways, goodies, and more! As a “Thank You” for our customer’s year long support we will have cookies, including Gluten-free, from Crosby Bakery. We will be hosting two separate Meet and Greets with local authors and illustrators! 11-1pm Betsy Bowen 2-4pm Kari Vick https://drurylanebooks.com/event/2024-04-27/independent-book-store-day
Book Launch: Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters
May 4, 2024 at 6 pm at Drury Lane Books, 12 E. Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, MN
An evening celebration for the release of Last Entry Point! Mellow music, congratulatory treats, and good conversation all around. Come meet the author, have your book signed, and hear survival stories from the BWCAW. https://drurylanebooks.com/event/2024-05-04/book-release-joe-friedrichs-last-entry-point
Book Launch for Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters, by Joe Friedrichs. Celebrate the publication of this new book from MNHS Press. Books will be available for purchase and signing by the author.
Book Release for Staci Lola Drouillard, A Family Tree
May 11, 2024 from 11 am to 1 pm at Drury Lane Books, 12 E. Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, MN
A daytime Meet and Greet to congratulate local author Staci Lola Drouillard’s debut children’s book, A Family Tree! Stop by and meet the author, have your book signed, and take part in celebrating! Treats will be provided. https://drurylanebooks.com/event/2024-05-11/book-release-staci-lola-drouillard-family-tree
Finding Your Flash
May 15, 2024 from 5 pm to 7 pm at The Duluth Folk School, 1917 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
Everyone has a story and I want you to tell yours! In a world that is fast paced, flash fiction has become increasingly popular. Flash fiction is the ability to write a story in approximately 1,000 words or less. The ability to craft a compelling narrative in as little as 500-1,000 words requires discipline, creativity, and spice!
This course we will focus on the fundamental building blocks of story by examining “story beats” in both literary classics and by reading flash fiction examples. We will look at genre and literary fiction, allowing you to find your voice within. After examining examples, you will have a variety of prompts to craft a narrative (or come ready with your own idea ready to edit!). This class will give you the opportunity to work in pairs, editing and distilling your piece down to its core. After several rounds of revision and discussion, you will leave with a piece ready to pitch to the variety of literary magazines, both virtually and in print! We’ll go over how to submit to competitions and submissions using the online platform “Submittable.”
Come with an idea or just be ready to write, and we’ll ensure you leave your story on the page!
UP Publishers & Authors Spring Conference
May 18, 2024 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at Peter White Public Library, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI
UPPAA’s 26th annual conference will include breakout tracks for writers specializing in children’s lit, romance, suspense/thriller genres and much more. Other tracks include breaking thru writer’s block, finding inspiration for writing, and better in-person selling tactics. New for 2024 is our Friday night pre-conference social with Open Mic night. https://www.uppaa.org/2024-conference-schedule/
Book Discussion: How the Birds Got Their Songs with Travis Zimmerman and Sam Zimmerman
May 23, 2024 at 6:30 pm at Split Rock Lighthouse, 3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd, Two Harbors, MN
Join author Travis Zimmerman and illustrator Sam Zimmerman as they present and discuss their new children’s picture book How the Birds Got Their Songs, recently published by MNHS Press.
Finding Your View
May 29, 2024 from 5 pm to 7 pm at The Duluth Folk School, 1917 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
From the intimacy of first-person to the detached all-knowing omniscient narrator, point of view makes an impact on how a reader understands stories. This course will examine first, second, and third-person points of view as well as omniscient. Through reading examples of each, the group will gain a better understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and why. Through imagery and writing prompts, participants will have an opportunity to tell the same story from a variety of viewpoints.
Point of view is a powerful tool for a writer to pull in their audience — showcase a multitude of thoughts or the deepest secrets of a character. We will leverage pronouns, emotions, and language to tell a unique story. There is no wrong way to showcase a narrative, but one can be intentional. This class will help you assess the deepest core of that story — the viewpoint.
Come ready to write, share, and leave with a fresh take on how we interpret the world around us.
Author Kent Krueger Presentation
June 12, 2024 at 1 pm at the Community Building in Hackensack, MN
Kent Krueger will be giving a author talk. The title of his presentation is The Importance of Books in a Time of Chaos. This event is free but preregistration is necessary at northwoodsartscouncil.org and space is limited.
Book Discussion: Oskar’s Voyage with Laura Purdie Salas and Kayla Harren
June 13, 2024 from 11 am to 1 pm at Lake Superior Maritime Museum in Canal Park, 600 S. Lake Ave., Duluth, MN
Join MNHS Press author Laura Purdie Salas and illustrator Kayla Harren as they discuss and sign copies of Oskar’s Voyage, their children’s picture book based on their research into the Paul R. Tregurtha laker!
Opportunities
Grand Marais Art Colony
The Art Colony offers writers’ residencies from 1 – 4 weeks in length. Guest suite lodging available. Visit: http://www.grandmaraisartcolony.org to learn more.
KUDOS – News about our members
Three of Cathy LaForge Tonkin’s short stories are going to be published in online magazines. The stories are ‘Haunting of Oakwood Manor’, ‘Two Lakes’ and ‘Killing Them Softly.’
Judith Brenner is proud her novel, The Moments Between Dreams (2022, Greenleaf Book Group) has won four fiction awards in the US and UK. Judith participated on an author panel sponsored by the Palm Springs Writers Guild. This March 2nd event for Guild members addressed a self-editing process and insights about when to hire an editor. Because she is a book editor, Judith explained differences between Developmental Editing, CopyEditing, Line Editing, and Proofreading. If members have questions on editing, you can reach her at creativelakes@outlook.com. Website: JudithfBrenner.com On March 14th, she was the featured speaker at the Edina Federated Women’s Club on their theme: “Strong Women Lift Each Other Up.” Judith explained how her female fictional characters empower each other with hope and courage. Her historical fiction book is a story set in Chicago during WWII which highlights the polio epidemic and the trauma of domestic violence.
Lin Salisbury was awarded a 2024-2025 Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Liz Minette has a poem published in the 12th edition of The Thunderbird Review, published out of Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College.
Lynn Watson’s short story, ‘Hiking With Tigers’, was published in UMD’s Literary Guild, Roaring Muse in the fall edition 2023. The Roaring Muse (Fall 2023) (660.3Kb application/pdf)
Dr. Thomas Wayne King, UW-Eau Claire professor emeritus of communication sciences and disorders, and resident of Solon Springs, WI, moderated the latest North Woods & Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area open-mic Zoom session “NWW LIVE!” on Tuesday evening, March 19, 2024. Dr. Dave Mills, experienced veterinarian, Shell Lake, WI, read from his unique, engaging career tales as a rural animal doctor in northwest Wisconsin. Also featured was multi-award-winning author, Carol Dunbar of rural Superior, WI, whose books The Net Beneath Us and A Winter’s Rime weave intricate, emotional stories of northern forests and people. See CarolDunbar.com.
For WI/MN watershed maps, more complete NWW information and event archives, please see: https://northwoodsandwaters.org/about-nww
Lake Superior Writers Blog
Lake Superior Writers invites members to submit guest posts for possible inclusion on our blog. Please visit our blog information page for more details: https://lakesuperiorwriters.org/blog/blog-submission-guidelines/
Our blog currently features When Our Audience Gets Bigger by Anton Dabbs
Lake Superior Writers 