The May NorthWords includes:
Notes from the Board Room
Do you, like me, get a tickle out of those insurance ads where the psychologist tries to help young homeowners from becoming their parents?
He steers them away from “over sharing” with baristas and street maintenance workers, from suggesting the proper way to grill food, from talking about the weather and from pestering celebrities they accidentally meet.
And do you, like me, find more and more often that, after a little chuckle, you think to yourself, “What was so bad about doing that?” (Except for telling someone how to cook; that is rude.)
Being from Minnesota, I can’t imagine a complete conversation without one weather observation. I don’t have children, but I kind of think in this state, “snow,” “fog” and “wind chill” must be among the first 100 words an infant ever learns. I believe I’ve mentioned before the poor transplanted Texan, in Duluth on a temporary work gig, who lamented in the laundromat where I was, “Can’t you people talk about anything but the weather?”
“Actually,” I explained in my annoying Minnesotan way, “most people probably don’t know you well enough to suggest anything but the weather as a topic.” And we just do have interesting weather without it being, usually, overly dangerous like it seems to be in Texas, I could have added, but I didn’t because my mom – a parent – would want me to be Minnesota Nice.
Back to becoming our parents … or at my age, back to becoming exactly the age group I am in. I’ve always loved talking with strangers. I often ask passersby on our Molly Madeline dog walks if they’ll pet the dog. (I think interacting is good for Molly, too, and I don’t worry that she’s becoming like her parents.) We end up talking about the weather … and dogs.
Any writer, after all, must be content with sharing “conversations” with strangers. Most frequently the point of picking up the pen or placing hands on the keyboard is to send a story – fact, fiction or in-between – out into the world to share an idea, a concern or a revelation.
Our Writing Contest judges are in the process, as you read this, of enjoying the revelations of the many writers’ interpretations of “North of Normal” in poetry, short and flash fiction or creative non-fiction. Thank you all for the great response to the contest.
Winners of the LSW Writing Contest will be formally announced May 30 at our Lake Superior Writers Annual Meeting. We hope to have a few winners read from their work. This year, again, it will be in the Quaker Meetinghouse at 1802 E. 1st St. Carol Dunbar, a local author with a national following, will be our keynote speaker. Carol’s been on the Meetinghouse “stage” before when she taught a multi-part course on Acting for Writers there.
May is also our month for starting to receive the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards nominations. We’ve pushed back the submission time this year to May 18-June 30. The rules of the road and the categories are slightly altered to reflect the entries we’ve received and to open the awards to more people from the region. Check those out on LakeSuperiorWriters.org when they go live by May 10. We will also be soliciting readers for the Reading Teams, so if you’re interested, watch for the eblast asking for readers to apply.
Finally, Friday, May 29, LSW and Studio Café plans another Type-In major event! There will be a poetry writing contest – with a topic announced that evening that must be pounded out on the manual typewriters available there (or you can bring your own manual typewriter if you prefer). Entries will be read and winners announced that evening with funky prizes and drawings throughout the evening, 5-9 p.m. Watch for details on Facebook.
While traditionally we’ve limited our events during the summer months, this year we are trying to plan a few activities beyond our regular monthly Writing Circles and Virtual Writers Café. Please follow our Facebook page to watch for June and July events, including an Authors Fair gathering. Some events might even depend on the weather (sorry, Mr. Texas).
– Konnie LeMay, chair on the Lake Superior Writers Board
Lake Superior Writers News & Events
Virtual Writers’ Cafe
Saturday, May 9 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Join a group of local writers to connect about current writing projects, upcoming events, and general discussion.
Lake Superior Writers Annual Meeting
Saturday, May 30 at the Quaker Meetinghouse
Winners of the LSW Writing Contest will be formally announced May 30 at the Lake Superior Writers Annual Meeting. We hope to have a few winners read from their work. Carol Dunbar, a local author with a national following, will be our keynote speaker. More information will be available soon.
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
Book Reading and Art (from Book) Demo
May 4, 2026 at 1pm at the Hibbing Public Library, 2020 5th Ave E, Hibbing, MN
Join Shelley Getten for poetry and printmaking art as she shares the challenges and joys of growing up on a Minnesota farm. As Getten reads from her book, Of Cows and Crows, she will discuss how the creative writing process can bring insight and healing. Getten will demonstrate block art printmaking so attendees can watch and learn about making original relief art. Bookmarks will be shared with audience members to take home.
This program, sponsored by Arrowhead Library System, was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF).
Debra Palmer Shares Between Wounded and Well
May 6, 2026 from 7pm-8:30pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N Central Ave., Duluth, MN
Join us as we celebrate National Nurse’s Week with author and nurse practitioner Debra Palmer. She’ll be sharing her new memoir, Between Wounded and Well: Lessons in Healing on Thursday, May 6th at 7PM. Debra will talk about her book, answer audience questions, and personally autograph her book for people. Invite a nurse or other healthcare professional!
Palmer’s memoir Between Wounded and Well: Lessons in Healing bridges her clinical expertise with personal experiences of adversity to explain what our physical wounds teach us about our healing hearts. Drawing connections between the science of tissue repair and the universal experience of emotional recovery, Palmer offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding how we heal from trauma, offering a transformative exploration of how our deepest wounds can become doorways to purpose, meaning, and connection.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1HB3TyzUVy/
Author & Artist Gabe Montesanti: Drag Thing
May 7, 2026 from 7pm-8:30pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N Central Ave., Duluth, MN
You are invited to a very special evening on Thursday, May 7th at 7pm. Author and artist Gabe Montesanti will be at Zenith Bookstore and share her new memoir Drag Thing: A Memoir of Mania and Mirrors. We’ll have refreshments and light snacks. Gabe will personally autograph her book afterwards. Invite a friend!
A defiant yet tender memoir about drag culture and bipolar disorder that reveals the hard-earned truths of being queer in the American Midwest.
In Drag Thing: A Memoir of Mania and Mirrors, Gabe Montesanti recounts her immersive entrance into St. Louis drag culture performing as Fender Bender, a drag king who ultimately transforms into a “drag thing” (a performer who defies classification altogether). Exploring the fluidity of gender and identity through parody and honest self-exposure, Montesanti learns about binding and the art of facial hair and contouring, and she designs and constructs her own elaborate costumes with minimal budget and maximal imagination. As she clambers for success on the stage with snowballing intensity and copes with estrangement from her family of origin, she fights for her sanity–for her life–in her battle with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, until her drag persona and her rapid cycling mania become indistinguishable from each other.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1LC2ERHikT/
UPPAA Spring Conference
May 16, 2026 from 9:30am-4pm at the Peter White Public Library, 217 N Front St., Marquette, MI
Wherever you are at with your writing, we have something for you! Conference keynote features national bestselling author Sara Maurer (“A Good Animal”). Friday Pre-Conference workshops “Developing Your Poetic Voice” and “Creating a mini-trail Guide for your Book”. Also, open Mic and Networking. Saturday features breakouts on audiobook production, historical research, self-publishing 101, author marketing, bestselling author Sue Harrison on plot, and more. Complete details at https://uppaa.org
Discounts at the adjacent LandMark Inn
Each year, the Young Writers Storytelling Workshop brings kids around the U.P. from grades 6 to 12 learn together in a fun and challenging environment of their peers. Each breakout session is led by an award-winning author/educator who will bring them a unique perspective on the basics (point-of-view, conflict, plot, character development) as well as new possibililties such as poetry and publication.
The workshop takes place concurrently with Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA), who sponsors the Young Writers workshop. Lunch included! Hurry only 10 seats remain https://storytellingworkshop.org/
$30 (scholarships available)
RESCEDULED! Poetry Reading & Open Mic
May 16, 2026 at 2pm at Foxes & Fireflies, 1401 Tower Ave. Superior, WI
Stan Kusunoki hosts three poets: Paula Cisewski-finalist for the MN Book Awards in Poetry, Sandra Hisakuni and Claudia Daly. Limited open mic to follow.
Mac Barnett – Behold! The Picture Book
May 20, 2026 from 6pm-8pm at Mitchell Auditorium – College of St. Scholastica, 1200 Kenwood Ave, Duluth, MN
Behold! National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett is coming to CSS’s Mitchell Auditorium on May 20th. Don’t miss your chance to visit with Mac as he shares his passion for picture books!
RSVP: duluthlibraryfoundation.org/events
Book Launch: Gina Ramsey – Animal Mayhem
May 21, 2026 from 7pm-8:30pm at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N Central Ave., Duluth, MN
Zenith Bookstore is excited to help launch author and humorist Gina Ramsey’s new book, Animal Mayhem: When Wild Things Go Wilder. Gina will be with us on Thursday, May 21st at 7PM. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be able to relate to the hilarious animal stories in her book. Need a laugh in this mixed-up world? Bring a friend and make an evening of it. Gina will personally sign her book for you at the end of the event.
Have you ever sprinted down the street in your pajamas chasing an animal who definitely did not want to be caught? Been outsmarted by a pet with a suspicious amount of confidence? Realized—far too late—that bringing an animal into your life was less a decision and more a lifelong comedy contract?
If so, welcome to Animal Mayhem: When Wild Things Go Wilder—a rip-tickling collection of true stories that proves one universal truth: life with animals is never boring…and often completely absurd. From renegade raccoons and diva dogs to chickens with boundary issues and cats who clearly run the household, these pages are packed with unforgettable moments of chaos, courage, and comedy. You’ll meet creatures who outwit their humans, sabotage the best-laid plans, and somehow steal hearts in the process.
Shrew Detective Book Launch and Mystery Party
May 23, 2026 at 11am at Zenith Bookstore, 318 N Central Ave., Duluth, MN
Meet Minerva Shrew, the detective you didn’t see coming, probably because she’s only two inches long, including her tail. Although she is small, she has a capacious intellect, a vast vocabulary (attributable to her wallpaper, pages of a human dictionary), and, owing to her breakneck metabolism, a gigantic appetite for gourmet bug snacks!
Get a sneak peek into The Shrew Detective; The Case of the Pilfered Pearls with a short reading, a treasure hunt, a mystery game, and plenty of bug snacks (Lice Krispie treats? French flies? Croiss-ants?) Fun for tykes and grown-ups alike!
Dual Publication Launch for Two New Poetry Collections
May 31, 2026 from 2pm-4pm at Performance Hall, The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis
Please join us for a dual publication launch of new poetry collections by Emily Bright, “This Ground Beneath Our Feet” and Joanne Esser, “Nothing Is Stationary,” published by Duluth’s Holy Cow! Press.
Opportunities
Writers’ Monthly Get Together
May 16, 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.
Story Folk Nights
May 22, 2026 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Dovetail Cafe, 1917 W Superior St, Duluth, MN
Storyfolk is an open mic hosted by Nan Montgomery. The tellers sign up to tell, aim for five minutes. No notes.
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.
Call for Submissions – Duluth Transit Zine
Deadline: August 5
We are looking for submissions related to bussing & beyond in the northland, due August 5th.
KUDOS – News about our members
Aimee Bissonette‘s “When Summer Comes,” the newest board book for children in her When Seasons Come series with Blue Star Press/LIttle Big Foot, released on April 28, 2026. The final book in the series will come out in March of 2027.
Steve Fox‘s latest collection of short-stories, These Are My People, was named finalist for the Edna Ferber Fiction Award. This award is part of the Wisconsin Writers Awards and managed by ArtLitLab.org. Here’s a link from the publisher -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18eYAhnXn3/
Kathryn Garvin, a recent UMD grad, has released her debut short story collection “If a Tree Falls.” The book features six of her fictional short stories, each a fantastical telling of lonely individuals and their relationships. Her collection will be available in store at Sol Cafe Duluth, Amazon.com, or BarnesandNoble.com.
Liz Minette has a poem published in the anthology “Making Peace – Ways the Light Breaks Through”, edited by Victor Klimoski and Ann Glumac
Liz Minette has three poems published in the latest issue of Lost Lake Folk Opera out of Winona, Minnesota.
Tim Moder has a poetry collection, Osiris, coming out this spring. https://hiddenpeakpress.com/osiris-tim-moder-poetry-collection/
Jessica Roeder‘s story “You’re Not Alone” appears in the spring issue of Ploughshares. The story is from her linked collection THE BONES OF THE MOUSE MAKE THE CAT, forthcoming from Regal House. You can read it here: https://pshares.org/issue-article/youre-not-alone/
Sara Sha‘s short story, 4000 Luxury Cars at the Bottom of the Ocean, was accepted for the 2026 Thunderbird Review. The scheduled release for this anthology is April 30. The Thunderbird Review is published by the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
The Gilded Weathervane published “Beneath the Sod,” by Anne Stewart. Stewart received honorable mention for her submission to the Prairie Soul Poetry Prize.
Marie Zhuikov‘s interview with Anthony Bukoski about his book “The Thief of Words” was published in “Hypertext” online magazine. Read the story here: https://hypertextmag.com/unrestrained-an-interview-with-anthony-bukoski/
Marie Zhuikov‘s speculative fiction short story, “Invisible,” was published in “Creative Wisconsin” magazine, March 2026 issue. You can find it on pg. 18 here: https://wiwrite.org/wwapress/creative-wisconsin-magazine
Marie Zhuikov‘s photos and story, “Good Fire: Returning Ishkode to Wisconsin Point,” were published in the April/May 2026 issue of “Lake Superior Magazine.” The story details her involvement in efforts to return cultural prescribed burns to the Point.
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 “The moment I heard about Bigfoot, I wanted to believe” – An Interview with Carter Meland by Theresa Beck
Lake Superior Writers 