E-Calendar April 2007
LSW Activities and Events | LSW Kudos | Area Events | News/Contest/Submissions | Lake Superior Writers Information | About the LSW Calendar | Writing Groups | Resources |
Compiled by LAKE SUPERIOR WRITERS

Vote online for the MN Book Awards "People's Choice" award at: It takes only a minute to make your vote. LSW members include "Promises Vague yet Certain" by Donald Dass in the Fine Book category, and "Response" in the Poetry category (see below)! Both books are published by Calyx Press. Voting ends April 15. To vote see http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/16768836.htm

MEMOIR WRITING GROUP, April 15, Sun 3:00-5:00 pm - Memoir Writing Group meets at Sara’s Table, 1902 E. 8th St. All welcome.

LSW WRITERS’ SQUARE TABLE, April 19, Thur 11:30 am - LAKE SUPERIOR WRITERS’ SQUARE
TABLE meets in the Annex at Sara's Table, 1902 E. 8th Street (the room to the left as you enter). Topic: Working with an
agent. Open to all.
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LSW PLAY-READING GROUP, April 26, Thur 5 pm Join fellow Lake Superior Writers who meet on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Annex at Sara’s Table to read plays from “Humana Festival 2004: The Complete Plays,” edited by Tanya Palmer, Hanover, NH, Smith & Kraus, 2005. This month, we’ll read Act 2 of “After Ashley” by Gina Gionfriddo, have dinner and discuss. Books are available for purchase. Questions? Call Mara at 218-728-1253 or email her at mhart2@d.umn.edu
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FRANCINE STERLE POETRY WORKSHOP POETS IN THE PAINTER’S HOUSE, April 21, Sat 10 am to noon - Poets in the Painter’s House, a poetry workshop with Francine Sterle, author of "Nude in Winter," "Every Bird is One Bird" and "The White Bridge." Lake Superior Writer’s Conference Room, 1301 Rice Lake Rd. Duluth. $25/members. $35/non-members. To register, leave a message at 722-3094.
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DULUTH OUTLOUD: A SENSE OF PLACE
April 28, Sat 7 pm - "Duluth Outloud: A Sense of Place" at LaFayette Community Center, 3026 Minnesota Avenue, Duluth. This poetry reading, to celebrate Duluth and the surrounding region, is organized by Duluth poet laureate Bart Sutter. The poetry reading will feature 12 poets, including Cal Benson, Gary Boelhower, Deborah Cooper, Jean Alice Jacobson, Jim Johnson, Paul Lundgren, Liz Minette, Sheila Packa, Ellie Schoenfeld, Bart Sutter, Ryan Vine, and Connie Wanek. The reading is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served. See a story about two Minnesota Poet Laureates, Barton Sutter and Carol Connolly at http://www.lakesuperiorwriters.org/lswsutterconnolly.html.
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HUNGRY FOR MORE- BE ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR "PASTA FOR POETS AT SEA” - coming Sunday, June 24, 5:30 to 8 pm on the Vista Fleet Harbor Cruises. Watch for more info!.

LSW KUDOS News about LSW Members back to top 

DONALD DASS will read from his book, “Promises Vague yet Certain,” on Tue April 10, between 5 and 7:30 PM at Kieran's Irish Pub in downtown Minneapolis. The event will be Kieran's monthly Raking Through Books event, dedicated this month to all of this year’s Minnesota Book Awards finalists. The evening will be a low-key gathering of authors and folks who would like to discuss and buy books. 330 2nd Ave. S., Mpls. Free food, fun and fellowship. Cosponsored by the Loft, the Rake magazine, Kieran's Irish Pub, Peace Coffee and KFAI Radio.

BRUCE HENRICKSEN will read his new story, "3:41 p.m." at the Octavia Bookstore in New Orleans on April 21 in conjunction with a launch event for the anthology Louisiana in Words (Pelican, 2007).

MARY F. LEE’S “Chanteuse,” was accepted for fall publication in the new literary journal The Minnetonka Review. This will be her 10th published poem, ranging from Reader Weekly, to Dust and Fire Anthology, to last year's Humor Issue of Poetry Magazine.

LISA MCKHANN’S essay, "Build a Garden Shed Instead," will be published in the May-June issue of A View From the Loft, publication of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

LIZ MINETTE had her poem "Going North" published in Main Channel Voices, Spring 2007. Also two of her poems, "Parking In Central Hillside" & "thistle" were published in the "What Light" Poetry Project anthology, sponsored by mnartists.org and Magers & Quinn Booksellers. An anthology release party is scheduled for Sunday, April 15, 5 pm, at Magers & Quinn Booksellers.

MARK MUNGER’S article "Bitter Fruit: Confessions of a Self-Published Novelist" appears in the March/April edition of Writers' Journal, a magazine for writers produced in Minnesota and available at bookstores.

SUSAN NIEMELA VOLLMER’S poem "Middle Age" was published in the 2007 edition of "Dust and Fire" by Bemidji State University. The paperback edition of BERYL SINGLETON BISSELL’S award-winning memoir, “The Scent of God,” was released this month by Counterpoint NY. Beryl is offering the chance to win one of 10 signed copies to those who visit her website and click the "win signed copy" link.

AREA LITERARY EVENTS back to top

April 9, 16, 23, 30 (Mondays) Open Mics Mondays at Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe, 9-11 pm, Dewitt-Seitz Bldg. Wednesdays at Beaner's Central, 7-10 pm, Info: 624-5957.

April 11, Wed 10-11 am - Lake Superior College Writers' Series Presents Workshop: “Metaphor,” presented by poet and teacher Ryan Vine. W1650 Lake Superior College. Poet Ryan Vine shares insights into unleashing the power of metaphor in your writing. To register, contact Steve Dalager, 218-733-5948 or s.dalager@lsc.edu.

April 11, Wed 6:30 pm - Classics Book Group discusses “The Possessed” by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 11, Wed 7 pm - Poetry Reading, featuring Ryan Vine, followed by discussion. Minnesota Room, Lake Superior College. Open to the public. Reception following.

April 12, Thur 1 pm - New Fiction/Non Fiction Book Group discusses “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 12, Thur 3-5 pm - Booksigning - Francine Sterle. Howard Street Booksellers 115 E. Howard St. Hibbing.

April 12, 5-8 pm, Opening--THE SPIRIT OF VENUS: On Renewing the Earth with Beauty at NORTHERN PRINTS GALLERY, 318 N. 14th Avenue E., Duluth. The Gaia hypothesis presents the world as a living and breathing organism, and this is a triumph over the idea of the world as inert matter. But has that vision been sufficient- What can stir us deeply enough to equal the depth of the ecological need? Our Earthday exhibit is based on the hope that love of the intrinsic beauty of the world can help restore the world to healthâ??that when the heart is stirred, action will follow. On display are the prints of many of the artists of the Northern Printmakers Alliance, who live and work in the natural riches of this region and express it in their art.

April 12, 13 & 14 LISA McKHANN performs "Beep the Horn" a one-woman, mixed-media show, at The Play Ground. This is an up-close and personal Project Lulu event using text, images, soundscapes and movement. "Beep the Horn" is written & performed by Lisa, directed by Marilyn Mayry with assistance from Tom Isbell, with sound by Ryan Rapsys, & lighting by Crystal Pelkey. Look for posters around town and mark your calendar.

April 13, Fri 6:30-8:30 pm - Author Mark Munger and local writer Susanne Schuler will host a book launch for Mark's fourth novel, “Esther's Race,” a contemporary story of loss, addiction, racial prejudice and love, and Susanne's debut memoir, “Back of Beyond: A Memoir from the North Woods,” a collection of stories about growing up on a family-owned resort near Ely, Minnesota during the 1940's. Both books are published by Cloquet River Press, a small regional publisher of creative nonfiction and fiction. The event will be held at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth and includes food, drink (cash bar) music, readings by the authors and the chance to buy signed copies of the books. Free and open to the public. Entry to the Aquarium and parking are free.

April 14, Sat 1-2 pm - Rick Shefchik signs “Amen Corner.” Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Drive, Duluth. 218-722-5267; www.norlights.com

April 14, Sat 2-3 pm, the Duluth Manuscript Club Ruby Niemi, Catherine Kopari, Arlene Smith, Bernice Cordell, Claire Schumacher and Loni Barton sign their book “We RememberM emories of the Duluth Manuscript Club. Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Drive, Duluth. 218-722-5267; www.norlights.com

April 17, Tue 7 pm - Notable Books Book Group discusses “Small Island” by Andrea Levy. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 17, Tue 7 pm, Pages & Purls Book Group” discusses “Knitting: A Novel” by Anne Bartlette. Discussion led by Melanie Grune. Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Drive, Duluth. 218-722-5267; www.norlights.com

April 19, Thur 7-8 pm - Booksigning - Kim Meeder signs “Bridge Called Hope.” Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 21, 7:30 pm - SPIRIT LAKE POETRY SERIES - Francine Sterle reads from “Nude in Winter.” Somers Lounge, College of St. Scholastica, 1200 Kenwood Ave., Duluth.

April 23, Mon 7:30 pm - Science Fiction Book Group discusses “Recursion” by Tony Ballantyne. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 24, Tue 11 am - Arrowhead MS Book Group discusses “Summer of the Midnight Sun” by Tracie Peterson. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 25, Wed 5:30-7:30 pm - Mah Jong! - Learn to play the ancient Chinese game of Mah Jong from a group of expert
players. No experience necessary. Join us for camaraderie and a cup of tea. This is a One Book One Community Event.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth. Please RSVP 218-786-0710.

April 28, 1 pm - RESOURCES FOR READING GROUPS LUNCH AND
DISCUSSION - Are you in a book group, or are you thinking about joining or starting one? Join us in our cafe and enjoy
a delicious lunch while learning about what makes book groups great groups! We'll introduce resources that are
available online and elsewhere for book groups, share ideas about how to structure and enliven your discussions, and
discuss reading choices and make recommendations. Reservations and prepayment of $11.75 plus tax (includes
choice of soup & sandwich OR salad, beverage, and gratuity) required by Thursday, April 26. www.jwbeecroft.com for more info. 3631 Tower Ave., Superior, WI. Call 394-2665 for more details.

April 29, Sun 1:30 pm - Booksigning - Elizabeth French signs “Exploring the Twin Cities With Children.” Barnes
& Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, 218-786-0710.

April 29, Sun 2 pm - Performance: The Monkey King - Students from The Duluth Playhouse Conservatory will perform The Monkey King, an Asian story drama. Directed by Cassandra Proball. This is a “One Book One Community” event. Free.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth. RSVP 218-786-0710.

May 2, Wed 7-8 pm - Area-wide Librarian & Media Specialist Reception. Laura Erickson, author and ornithologist, will be the guest speaker. She will sign copies of her books 101 Ways to Help Birds, and For The Birds: An Uncommon Guide.
Dessert and door prizes. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth. RSVP 218-786-0710.

May 17, Thursday, 5:30-9 pm - 19th ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN MN BOOK AWARDS at the Weber Music Hall, UMD. The Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards will be presented in a new venue this year at the Weber Music Hall. 38 books have been nominated this year, and awards will be given in three categories: Fiction/Poetry; Nonfiction/Memoir; and Children’s Literature. Duluth’s poet laureate Barton Sutter will emcee, and Will Weaver, a writer of fiction for adult and young adult readers, will be the featured speaker. Weaver’s collection "A Gravestone Made of Wheat and Other Stories" (Simon & Schuster, 1989) has won many awards, including the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. The title story was recently produced as the independent film "Sweet Land," starring Ned Beatty. The book fair begins at 5:30 p.m.; the program starts at 6:30 p.m.; and a pie reception follows the awards presentation. The free community event is supported by the UMD Library, Friends of the Duluth Public Library, UMD Stores, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Northern Lights Books & Gifts. For more information, call 726-7889 or go to the NEMBA Web site at http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/nemba/index.htm

May 20, 7 pm - The Ida & Arthur Silver Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series features a presentation by Krista Tippett, host of NPR's program "Speaking of Faith." The series is sponsored by Temple Israel and several community interfaith and religious organizations. Ms. Tippett's presentation, based on her new book "Speaking of Faith (Viking Press, 2007)," will take place at the Mitchell auditorium at the College of St. Scholastica. Her appearance will be followed by a community dialogue, a reception in the auditorium lobby, and a booksigning and sale of her new book, provided by Northern Lights Books & Gifts. The event is free and open to the public. Through the generosity of the Warren Silver family, the annual Silver Interfaith Lecture was established in 1982 to encourage interfaith dialogue. For further information, please contact Temple Israel, 218-724-1653.

WRITING GROUPS, MENTORING, EDITING HELP back to top

See info about LSW Writing Groups

NEWS / CONFERENCES / SUBMISSIONS/ OPPORTUNITIES back to top

MANUSCRIPTS WANTED FOR POETRY ANTHOLOGY - Holy Cow! Press would like to consider poems that express grief and gratitude for lost loved ones (parents, grandparents, relatives, friends, lovers, et al). We would especially like to include poems from a wide variety of religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs. Both new work and previously published poems are welcome. Limit: up to three poems and six pages in length. Deadline for submissions: October 1st, 2007, with publication in Fall, 2008. Please include a SASE and adress your poems to: The Editors, "Poems of Grief and Gratitude Anthology," Holy Cow! Press, PO Box 3170, Mount Royal Station, Duluth, Minnesota, 55803

GROWING UP DULUTH - Do you have a story about your childhood in Duluth? Rosey Jencks, Marey Jencks and Peter Leopold grew up in the Central Hillside neighborhood in the 1970s and 1980s and feel that their experiences were unique and are not often reflected in the media. They would like to publish an anthology of people’s experiences growing up in Duluth. They request submissions of short fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, photography or artwork to growingupduluth@gmail.com. Text submissions should be 150 to 1,200 words. All entries must be received by May 31, 2007. For more information, visit www.growingupduluth.com.

DYLAN DAYS WRITING CONTEST for poetry and short fiction. Deadline April 9. Cash prizes, reading at the festival in Hibbing, and work
will be printed in a literary journal. See <http://www.dylandays.com/writers.htm>

May 11-12 - MAGAZINE WRITERS FESTIVAL AT THE LOFT, with keyote speaker David Carr, along with editors and publishers of Minnesota's magazine publishing industry. visit http://www.loft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&Category_id=20 for details.

April 20-21 — FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE at The Loft Literary Center, Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis. To register, call 612-379-8999 or visit www.loft.org

CALL FOR POEMS — visit www.mnartists.org for info about how you can submit your work for future online publication in Mnartists.org’s “What Light.”

MINNESOTA LITERATURE’s loyal subscribers want to hear about your reading/workshop/publication party/call for manuscripts. This is a FREE listing. Include the date, time, location, contact phone # and cost (if any) of your event. Lucy Vilankulu, Editor, Minnesota Literature, 3723 Glendale Terrace, Minneapolis, MN 55410, http://www.minnesotaliterature.org, 612-827-0432.

LSW INFORMATION back to top

Lake Superior Writers prohibits discrimination in its programs, membership, and board of directors participation on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or family status.

ABOUT THE LSW BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE LSW MEMBERSHIP Member Involvement: We value our membership and encourage your involvement in LSW. An annual meeting for LSW members is held in the spring. All members are invited to participate. Financial reports and a summary of the year's activities are presented to the membership at the annual meeting for review. The LSW board meets monthly throughout the year. Members are invited to attend board meetings, review minutes, and look over financial statements.

Lake Superior Writers Calendar back to top

Your editor for this issue of the e-calendar was LSW member and volunteer Gail Trowbridge.