The February NorthWords includes:
Notes from the Board Room
North of Normal …
To me, this seems like the perfect theme for this year’s annual LSW Writing Contest … for a whole lot of reasons.
Just coming off a couple weeks with temperatures – not windchills, mind you, but temperatures – never leaving the “minus” category, I’m sure much of the world outside the Northland might consider us “north of normal.” And don’t get me started on that minus-50° windchill that greeted my husband, Bob, and our dog, Molly, one night going out for the necessary nightly walk. My rosy right cheek – a wee bit of frost bite, I suspect – certainly did not feel normal.
Then we look toward the recent tragic insanity on the streets of Minnesota’s Twin Cities. That must never be considered “normal.” How citizens have responded to rally around those new to our country and to those trying to protect them also might be considered bravely “north of normal.”
Or perhaps, you’d like to wander, via your writing, into a lighter state of being. I don’t know about you, but I personally have plenty of tales – fiction and non-fiction – straying way north of what others might term “normal” and often funny to boot. Did I ever tell you the one about fainting while giving a sermon titled “God Doesn’t Mind If You Ask Questions”? (Apparently there might be some questions God would consider “north of normal” and not fit to ask, though I did wake up on the floor laughing and asking the worried minister, “What do you think God meant by that?”)
All of this is by way, again, of inviting you to put your Lake Superior Writers membership to good use and enter – free for members! – our annual LSW Writing Contest. Deadline is March 31 and you can choose your method of delivering your “North of Normal” – via poetry, flash fiction, short fiction or non-fiction. It’s a good way to stretch those writing muscles during the days of deep snows or freeze temps … though, of course, we optimistically hope March will actually bring the spring (which really rarely happens Up North).
My notables for this month …
Gina Ramsey, one of our LSW board members, and I will be road-tripping to Grand Marais on March 14 for a two-hour, free workshop on humor writing. We are going to set up a Zoom stream, too, if you’d like to pop in, but can’t pop north to Grand Marais. We are doing the event in partnership with the Grand Marais Art Colony, and you can register via the art colony here. We are also, again, aided by our operating grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. If you’re looking for a fun little highlight, check out the 8:20 a.m. interview by CJ Heithoff with Gina on WTIP radio’s North Shore Morning program on Friday, March 6.
We had a great Talking to the Publisher with Lily Baber Coyle of Beaver’s Pond Press last month, and we are still locking down the specifics for a session with an editor from the University of Minnesota Press in April. We also will be inviting two self-published authors tell us about their experiences, either later this month or also in April. Watch your eblasts and our Facebook page for details. And enjoy your time North of Normal.
– Konnie LeMay, chair on the Lake Superior Writers Board
Lake Superior Writers News & Events
North of Normal Writing Contest
Submissions due: March 31
This year’s writing contest theme is “North of Normal.” Writers may interpret this theme as broadly as they wish in the following categories: poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. The first-place winner in each category will receive a prize of $200, publication on the Lake Superior Writers website and an invitation to share a portion of their work at the Lake Superior Writers Annual Meeting in May. The runner-up in each category will receive a prize of $50.
Find the Funny Writing Workshop with Gina Ramsey
Saturday, March 14 in Grand Marais and on Zoom
Gina Ramsey, one of our LSW board members, and I will be road-tripping to Grand Marais on March 14 for a two-hour, free workshop on humor writing. We are going to set up a Zoom stream, too, if you’d like to pop in, but can’t pop north to Grand Marais. We are doing the event in partnership with the Grand Marais Art Colony.
Virtual Writers’ Cafe
Saturday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Join a group of local writers to connect about current writing projects, upcoming events, and general discussion.
Writing Circles
Writing Circles are where writers of a particular genre like general fiction, memoir, fantasy, mystery and more can gather together to talk about writing and get feedback on their works-in-progress! We will be announcing new Writing Circles as volunteer leaders organize their groups. If you are interested in starting a Writing Circle — either online or in person in the region — please email writers@lakesuperiorwriters.org.
Literary Events
Poetry Saturday
March 14, 2026 at 2pm at Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers, 1401 Tower Ave., Superior, WI
Duluth poet, Stanley Kusunoki hosts two award winning writers for an afternoon of poetry and discussion. Kusunoki, author of five collections of poetry, is delighted to be reading with fellow Duluth writer, Marie Zhuikov, s who has just released her first collection of poetry, High Fire Danger – Poems of Love and Nature; and Twin Cities poet-pal, Paula Cisewski, whose latest collection of poetry, The Becoming Game, is a finalist for the 2026 MN Book Awards in Poetry. For more info go to: foxesfirefliesbooksellers.com
Meet & Greet: Erika Lynn Adams
March 14, 2026 from 11am-1pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N. Central Ave., Duluth, MN
Zenith Bookstore is so excited to welcome Erika Lynn Adams for a Meet & Greet/Signing on Saturday, March 14th at 11-1 PM. Erika is a Duluth author who will sign copies of her book, Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder (Itasca Books). Her book has won countless awards and is perfect for any age. She will also sign copies of her children’s book, New Moon’s Family. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk with Erika one-on-one about her books and get them personally autographed for yourself or as a gift.
Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder tells the story of fourteen-year-old Allie Little who lives in a perpetual Wonderland–with all the confusion and none of the wonder. Diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), she is continually forced into rabbit holes of misunderstanding and anxiety. Whatever she reads, sees, or hears often turns into nonsense, and the time to be “curiouser and curiouser” about her surroundings is a luxury she can’t afford from the impatient people around her.
A semi-autobiography of the author’s personal experiences growing up with APD, reimagined through the lens of Lewis Carroll’s timeless nonsensical classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, here is a contemporary fairy tale about learning–and accepting–the methods in once’s madness to navigate the real world.
Erika Lynn Adams was born in Helmstedt, Germany in 1986, but has lived in America since 1988. Before she was two years old, she was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder, a central auditory condition that affects the way the brain takes in and processes information. She currently lives and writes in Duluth, MN and regularly indulges in anime, vintage science fiction, and Mexican food.
https://zenithbookstore.com/events/4648720260314
Finding Joy During Hard Times Stories, Trivia, and Folk Songs of the 1930s and ’40s with Naomi Yaeger
March 17, 2026 at 10:30am at Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI
Duluth author Naomi Helen Yaeger will read and share stories from her book, Blooming Hollyhocks: Tales of Joy During Hard Times, a richly detailed work of creative nonfiction that highlights family, resilience, and quiet joy during the Great Depression and World War II. This interactive program includes trivia, music, and a craft activity. No registration is required. This program is intended for adults.
Book Launch! “Big Wave” Dave Adams & Shane Dickey – Old Mose
March 20, 2026 at 7pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N. Central Ave., Duluth, MN
Zenith Bookstore is delighted to host the Book Launch of Old Mose: A Big Fish Story written by local authors Shane Dickey and “Big Wave” Dave Adams. Join the celebration on Friday, March 20th at 7:00 PM. This is a family event* with cookies, a silent auction benefiting Save the Boundary Waters, and the first 50 people will get a free “Big Wave” Dave Adams designed sticker. The auction will include pieces of Dave’s original artwork from the book. Shane and Dave will read Old Mose, answer audience questions, and personally autograph their books for you and all your friends and family. Don’t miss this special night!
In the remote and wild woods of northern Michigan… In the cold dark depths of a mysterious lake… In the vivid imagination of an intrepid boy and his wily great uncle… …exists an enormous creature heretofore unknown to modern science…
Join our brave and wide-eyed 12-year-old hero and his tenacious great uncle in their attempt to lure in an ice-age creature inhabiting a bottomless lake formed by a meteor millennia ago. Generations of hunters have gone before and failed – some not even returning to tell their tale – yet our protagonists have nonetheless taken up the gauntlet, designing an intricate plan which surely cannot fail…
https://zenithbookstore.com/events/4743520260320
Storytime: Carolyn Olson – Pearl’s Garden
March 28, 2026 from 11:30am-12:30pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N. Central Ave., Duluth, MN
It’s not too early to think about spring and gardening! This new children’s book will help us get in the mood. Please join us as we welcome Duluth artist and author Carolyn Olson on Saturday, March 28th at 11:30 AM. Carolyn will read her new children’s book, Pearl’s Garden, and those in attendance will participate in a fun activity. This book is geared towards 3-7 year-olds, but all are welcome!
Pearl’s Garden tells the story of a young girl who wants to do something really big. She isn’t entirely sure what it takes to grow a garden, but her mom remembers. Everyone in the family is busy with their own work and Pearl has chosen a vegetable garden for her summer work. Her Mom eventually gives her support and the garden begins.
Neighbors and family watch as Pearl tends her garden as it grows all summer long. Come harvest time, she is overwhelmed with lots of food to harvest. With a little encouragement from homemade salsa (made from vegetables from the garden by Pearl and her mom) the family remembers the benefits and finds the time to help out. The summer ends with a neighborhood potluck where everyone shares in the bounty. It’s a story of folks loving each other and working together.
Carolyn Olson is a narrative painter working primarily in gouache, pastel and oil. She has worked professionally as a painter, sculptor, graphic designer and art teacher for 40 years. She enjoys painting everyday life including what happens at home, while at work or in her community. Her gestural full figures are intentionally distorted with larger than realistic limbs, hands, and feet reflecting energy and strength. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
https://zenithbookstore.com/events/4566520260328
Poetry Reading Open Mic
April 2, 2026 at 6:30pm at Cloquet Public Library 320 14th St., Coquet, MN
The Cloquet Public Library is hosting an open mic event to celebrate National Poetry Month. Everyone is invited to share their work, read a favorite of someone else’s, or just come and enjoy listening. This event is open to all ages. Light refreshments will be provided.
Opportunities
Writers’ Monthly Get Together
March 21, 2026 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 and Northwoods Art & Book Festival
Concert Series: Fridays 5pm-7pm by Birch Lake in Hackensack, MN
Northwoods Art & Book Festival: Saturday, August 8 from 9am-3pm in Hackensack, MN
It’s never too early to plan your summer activities. Northwoods Arts Council has three planned venues for your enjoyment. A concert series with different bands each week is held every Friday evening, 5-7, through the summer in Hackensack at the park pavilion. The Northwoods Art and Book Festival is on August 8th, 9-3 with 65 artists and 35 authors showcasing their work.
KUDOS – News about our members
Dr. Thomas Wayne King, UW-Eau Claire professor emeritus of speech, language and hearing sciences, moderated the February 17, 2026 North Woods and Waters Zoom program “NWW LIVE!” Featured Presenters were Laurie Allman, essayist and poet, and James Everest, multidisciplinary artist and creator of sound gardens. Viewers from all around Minnesota and Wisconsin participated. North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix, based in Taylors Falls, MN, seeks designation by the U.S. National Park Service of the St. Croix River Watersheds of Wisconsin and Minnesota as a combined National Heritage Area. NWW Live! programs are free, and archived online at North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area. Thomas Wayne King lives and writes in Solon Springs, WI, headwaters of the Wisconsin Brule River and St. Croix River. The Brule River flows into Lake Superior. The St. Croix River flows into the Mississippi River.
R. H. Miller’s prize-winnning story, “Life for Life,” will be published in his forthcoming collection, .”Upper Michigan: Stories, Memories, and Verse,” by Modern Hisrory Press.
Mark Your Calendar!
Gina Ramsey‘s Animal Mayhem: When Wild Things Go Wilder will soon be unleashed.
Launching April 29th
Twenty-four rib tickling adventures
Zero filters: Maximum Mayhem!
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 “Everything you write won’t be for every reader” – An Interview with Susan Perala Dewey by Delia Alger
Lake Superior Writers 