The July NorthWords includes:
Notes from the Board Room
Coaches, mentors, teachers and friends … all fall into the category of those who help to inspire us to write and, perhaps more importantly, to write better.
Finding the right “writing” friends is part of the impetus for Lake Superior Writers this year to ignite a few writing circles for various genres. We had a modest start in June, but we’re hoping for some bigger launches this month in July. So far our “Fantasy/Spec Fiction” circle has attracted four folks to share work, suggest tweaks, clarify plot directions or just nudge circle participants toward that next few pages of the projects. (I’m in this circle and it’s amazing to learn how broadly this “genre” ranges.) This group gathers the last Monday of each month at the Studio Café downtown in Duluth, so meet up with us at 4:30 p.m. on July 28.
Our “For Stage & Screen” virtual writers group is hosted by LSW board member Bick Smith and will have its second go-round on Wednesday, July 23. Hey, the guy has an IMDb page as an actor, writer and producer (I know I was impressed when I found it … and I’ve known Bick for awhile). He also organized a “table read” of one of his latest episodic projects – Time and Tide – set in Duluth and Thunder Bay at the most recent Minnesota Film Fest. The same screenplay earned a table read at the Catalyst Content Festival in 2024. The nice thing about this group, of course, is that it is virtual and we would welcome participants from rural and farther flung locales. We plan to have a second Memoir/Non-Fiction Writing Circle that will be virtual, too. More info will be posted on our Genre Writing Circles page.
Meanwhile, though, LSW will launch an in-person Memoir/Non-Fiction Writing Circle later this month. Molly Wick will be host the group on July 24, 6:30 p.m. in the Dovetail Cafe in Duluth’s Lincoln Park. Molly, long connected with Lake Superior Writers and the Duluth Folk School, works as an environmental researcher who writes about people, nature, health and well-being. I love that when she was asked for the EPA website, “If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing?” Molly answered, “Part of what I love about research is writing. It helps me make sense of everything. If I weren’t a scientist, I would probably just be writing something else… stories, memories, maybe even science.” I can’t think of a better coach or friend to hang out with to inspire my non-fiction writing.
There are other genre writing circles we’d like to get rolling, so if you’d love to gather with a different genre, please send your name and area of interest to writers @lakesuperiorwriters.org and we’ll try to arrange more meet and matches.
Here’s my July tips for Save the Dates or Note the Opportunities:
- Fresh from retiring as a communications specialist for Sea Grant and from publishing her fifth book in February this year, Marie Zhuikov will host a Book Club for Writers Monday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dubh Linn Pub on the topic of “From Science to Sci Fi” – which could aptly describe some of Marie’s writing life. Her book The Path of Totality collected short stories and a novella into a related universe. Read more about Marie at Marie’s Meanderings and then come to chat and learn on July 21.
- As I’ve said before – the café is virtual, but the friends are real. Tune in to the Virtual Writers Café the second Saturday of every month to hear about other regional writers’ projects, questions and advices. This month we open the café at 9:30 a.m. July 12. Register here to get the link. (And yes, I push this every month because goodness knows I don’t want to be alone on the internet!)
- Speaking of virtual … (Was that a smooth transition or what? OK, probably “or what.”) … Lake Superior Writers is proud to sponsor Felicia Schneiderhan’s five-part class on “How to Write and Sell Articles.” The class runs Sept. 29-Oct. 27. Watch LakeSuperiorWriters.org for details and to register. The cost will be reduced for LSW members.
Finally … since I’ve talked about gratitude for mentors and supporters, I must say yet another OMG Thank You! to the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council for the operation grant it awarded us this year. We’re looking forward to more upgrades on our website, along with our programming, all thanks to ARAC support.
– Konnie LeMay, chair on the Lake Superior Writers Board
Lake Superior Writers News & Events
Resilience: Read the 2025 Writing Contest Winners’ Work
We announced the winners of the 2025 Lake Superior Writers Writing Contest at the Annual Meeting last Saturday. You can read the winning submissions using the link above. Congratulations to all of our winners! We had so many wonderful entries the judges had a hard time choosing. Keep an eye out for next year’s contest!
Virtual Writers’ Cafe
July 12 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Join a group of local writers to connect about current writing projects, upcoming events, and general discussion. Virtual Writers’ Café at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 12. Don’t forget to use the new registration form on the Virtual Writers’ Cafe page that sets you up for the Cafe through May 2026! This monthly event is free and open to all.
Book Club for Writers: From Science to Sci-Fi with Marie Zhuikov
July 21, 2025 at 6:30pm at Dubh Linn Pub, 109 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
Fresh from retiring as a communications specialist for Sea Grant and from publishing her fifth book in February this year, Marie Zhuikov will host a Book Club for Writers Monday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dubh Linn Pub on the topic of “From Science to Sci Fi” – which could aptly describe some of Marie’s writing life. Her book The Path of Totality collected short stories and a novella into a related universe. Read more about Marie at Marie’s Meanderings and then come to chat and learn on July 21.
Writing Circles
July 23 – For Stage & Screen
July 24 – Memoir/Non-Fiction
July 28 – Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Type In at Studio Café
July 25 starting at 5pm at Studio Café, 102 W Superior St., Duluth, MN
Join Lake Superior Writers and Studio Café for a BYOT (bring your own manual typewriter) Type In on the last Friday of the month starting at 5pm! Don’t have a typewriter? Studio Café will have some available to try out.
Literary Events
Pushing the River: LIVE Author Talk with Frank Bures
July 12, 2025 at 4pm at Honest Dog Books, 40 S. 2nd St., Bayfield, WI
Pushing the River, is a collection of true stories recounting canoeing adventures on the Mississippi River, exploring themes of ambition, terror, friendship, and the forgotten history of the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby.
Frank Bures’ work has appeared in many publications including Harper’s, Outside, and The Atlantic to name a few. His stories have been included in The Best American Travel Writing anthologies and he is the author of The Geography of Madness, editor of Under Purple Skies, and producer of audio history tours for VoiceMap. He grew up on the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Cary Griffith Book Signings in Duluth & Grand Marais
July 13, 2025 from 12pm-2pm at the Bookstore at Fitger’s, 600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN
July 14, 2025 from 11am-1:30pm at Lake Superior Trading Post, 10 S 1st Ave W, Grand Marais, MN
Cary Griffith will be signing copies of Rattlesnake Bluff, Sam Rivers Mystery #5, set in Minnesota’s bluff country.
Book Signing & Author Reading
July 19, 2025 from 1pm-4pm at Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers, 1401 Tower Ave, Superior, WI
Join Author, Jackie Bennett & Sasquatch Publishing Founder, Cheri Fitch will be at Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers in Superior for a fantastic Book Signing/Reading/Meet the Author Event on Saturday, July 19th, from 1-4 PM! We hope to see you there!
Beth Dooley in Conversation with Karen Babine
July 28, 2025 from 7pm-8:30pm at Honest Dog Books, 40 S. 2nd St., Bayfield, WI
In The Allure to Elsewhere, Karen Babine has written about her cross-country journey to explore the hold family history has on our lives, and the power of new stories to shape what lies ahead. In her mid-thirties and, happily single if also tied closely to a family that has long thought of her as their historian, Karen Babine hitches up her tiny Scamp camper and sets out with her two unenthusiastic cats, Galway and Maeve, on a journey from her home in Minnesota to Nova Scotia, to find explore the place where her French-Acadian ancestors settled in North America some four centuries ago.
We’re excited to welcome Midwestern Food Writer Beth Dooley along with Karen Babine for an unforgettable conversation between friends.
Summer 2025 Library Book Tour
Multiple Events through September 2025
To promote her new middle-grade readers chapter book, Rescuing Crash the Good Dog, author Sue Harrison will be touring libraries in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula, June – September 2025. Her programs include workshops and informal talks and a craft/reading program for children. Link– https://sueharrison.com/appearances/
Opportunities
Call for Writers: What is Democracy?
The Minnesota chapter of the Writers for Democratic Action invites Minnesota writers to submit a piece of writing to be considered for publication on our website’s Journal page. Please send up to a 200 word piece. It could be an essay, an op-ed, a story, or a poem that is a response to the question: “What Is Democracy?” We are looking for inspiration and engaging writing. Along with your submission, please include your full name and contact information. Check out our website to see our mission statement. Send your submission via email:
hello@writersfordemocraticactionmn.org
Poetry Writing Group
Local poetry writing group open to new members! Join Angie, Liz, and Lynn on Thursdays at Studio Cafe 6-7pm. We are a low-key group, sharing and critiquing original works. Reach out to Angie with questions at angela.k.ahlgren@gmail.com.
Gentle Yoga and Writing at Svälja Whole-Being
Gentle Yoga and Writing at Svälja Whole-Being from 5pm to 6:30pm (90 Minutes) the first Thursday of each month. This guided yoga and writing session will be offered on the first Thursday of each month at Svälja Whole-Being’s Rose Studio at 5pm. The class will begin with Gentle Yoga where postures are practiced gently and slowly with a combination of moving and stillness accompanied by ambient music. In the second portion of the class, your guide will offer grounding exercises, short readings, and writing prompts followed by a time for free writing (approximately thirty minutes). At the end of the session, there will be time for a check-in and option to share an excerpt of your writing. Please bring a journal and pen or other materials for the writing portion of the session. Mats and props are available for you to use. Please register at https://www.svalja.yoga/.
Writers’ Monthly Get Together
July 19, 2025, from 10am-11am at Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers, 1401 Tower Ave. Superior, WI
Looking for a place to talk about writing, share writerly advice, and hang out with other writers? Join fellow writers at Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10-11 a.m. in a spacious conference room, located at the back of the bookstore.
Refreshments aren’t available onsite, but feel free to bring in your own beverages and snacks if you wish. All writers are welcome. There is no fee or requirement to join anything, just a chance to be part of a writing community.
Lakeside Concert Series
June 13-August 29, 2025 at Birch Lake Park Pavilion in Hackensack, MN
The 2025 Lakeside Concert Series runs from June 13 to August 29. It is held at Birch Lake Pavilion in downtown Hackensack by Birch Lake. Twelve bands are lined up for the concert series. Bring your lawn chair. Beverages and foods will be available for purchase.
The Joy Retreat: Five Days of Writing Toward Delight
In this generative retreat, we will remember that joy is necessary to our writing practice and our lives. With daily workshops, nourishing meals, access to hiking trails, morning meditations, yoga, and writing in the company of others, this retreat is designed to support deep, easy self-care. There will be time for quiet reflection, and time to explore. There will be joy. Cost of attendance is $1875 (a reduced rate for local writers who do not need lodging is available)
For more information: https://www.chelseabdesautels.com/register-for-the-joy-retreat
Call for Submissions to the Upcoming Anthology with The Burnt Gloveboxes Series – Animal Mayhem!
Submissions are open until July 29, 2025
Sound the horns! Uncage the beasts! Submissions are officially OPEN for Animal Mayhem! The newest of the Burnt Gloveboxes Series.
Got a story about ZANY ZOO ANIMALS, wacky wildlife woes, or mayhem of the animal kind? We want it.
Submissions for ANIMAL MAYHEM: WHEN WILD THINGS GO WILDER ANTHOLOGY close in less than 30 days.
Animals driving you bananas? Have you encountered mishaps with a pet or wildlife? Or perhaps you have witnessed rogue farm animals or a stampede at the zoo!
Get your story into the ring— before the barrel bursts and your opportunity swings away screeching.
Submissions close on July 29.
Submissions Link: https://burntgloveboxesanthology.moksha.io/publication/burnt-gloveboxes-animal-mayhem/submissions/submit
Northwoods Art and Book Festival
August 9 from 9am to 3pm in Hackensack, MN
Northwoods Art and Book Festival is the longest-running art and literature festival in Minnesota. The event is free for everyone on August 9th from 9 am to 3 pm in Hackensack, Minnesota. Designated seating is available for seniors and individuals with disabilities. We’re also bringing back some of our favorite vendors and introducing new ones this year. Authors representing a diverse range of genres will be in attendance, featuring book signings and sales. Experience an author presentation: “Insurance Investigator Turns Amateur Sleuth”, by author Laura Hern, on how to write cozy mysteries at 11:00 am in the Union Congregational Church Sanctuary. Children of all ages can enjoy a Lion Safari, an activity that involves a hunt for the lion with designated clues throughout the festival, and WonderTrek, a mobile museum designed to spark interest and encourage imagination through fun, interactive activities. Come and immerse yourself in a day filled with stunning art, inspiring authors, imaginative play, entertainment, food trucks, wine, and craft beer. Don’t miss this fun-filled, unforgettable day!
U.P. Reader Accepting Submissions
U.P. Reader Volume #10 is now open for submissions! Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry up to 5,000 words in all forms are accepted including memoir, humor, short stories, opinion, history, and genre fiction. Emphasis is on Upper Peninsula topics but all topics are considered. Juried pieces will be published in April 2026, submission window closes November 2025. U.P. Reader appears in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook editions. There are no fees except current membership in UPPAA is required. https://upreader.org/submission-guidelines/
KUDOS – News about our members
Luke Moravec, MN Reads (103.3 FM), on Northland Morning, interviews Cary J Griffith about Rattlsnake Bluff, Sam Rivers Mystery #5 – https://www.thenorth1033.org/arts-culture/2025-06-12/mn-reads-rattlesnake-bluff-by-cary-j-griffith
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.
Our blog currently features Minnesota Writers Spotlight on Kathy McTavish by Ethan Ellerstein
Lake Superior Writers 