E-Calendar April 2008
LSW Activities and Events | LSW Kudos | Area Events | News/Contest/Submissions | Lake Superior Writers Information | About the LSW Calendar |
Compiled by LAKE SUPERIOR WRITERS

Here’s the perfect antidote to snow on the ground on April Fool’s Day. Your April LSW E-Calendar.

LSW member Phil Fitzpatrick is the e-calendar editor. Send your info to him at calendar@lakesuperiorwriters.org.

LSW ACTIVITIES AND NEWS.

7 pm on April 12, 2008
Noteworthy: Writers and Musicians Collaborate For Peace: An evening of original music, poetry and prose will be held 7 pm on April 12, 2008 at Sacred Heart Music Center. LSW members submitted poetry and prose and area musicians/song-writers each selected a piece from the written work to serve as the inspiration for an original composition, a song or an instrumental number. The project will culminate with an evening performance. The 2008-2010 Poet Laureate will also be announced that evening. The musician/songwriter and poet combos are listed below. Their selections were made anonymously, of course. Thanks to all who submitted work! Musician/songwriter/Poets include: Steve Horner with Marion Gustafson, Bill Isles with Teresa Falsani, Sara Softich with Clayton Fink, Jamie Ness with Liz Minette, Sam Miltich with Cal Benson, Wendy Grethen with Lezlie Oachs, Sara Thomsen with Deborah Cooper, Georganne Hunter with Julie Johnson, Jim Hall with Susan Niemela Vollmer, Rachael Kilgour with Gary Boelhower, Mary Lou Willams/Dave Winchester with Ann Niedringhaus.

Saturday, May 17 from 2-4 p.m.
WRITING WORKSHOP WITH BILL HOLM Bill Holm will be offering a writing workshop as part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of NEMBA and Lake Superior Writers. This will be an excellent opportunity to spend two hours with Holm, who is also the keynote speaker for the NEMBA awards ceremony on Sunday, May 18th. The workshop will be held in the Rotunda of the UMD Library, Cost is $35 for LSW members; $40 for non-members. For further information and to register for this workshop, call the LSW office at 218-722-3094 or email: writers@lakesuperiorwriters.org.

The Alan H. Zeppa Family Foundation, based in Duluth, has awarded Lake Superior Writers a matching grant of $3,500 to support the 2008/10 Duluth poet laureate project. The funding raised with this matching grant will be applied towards expenses for the poet laureate project, including an honorarium for the poet laureate, fees for host site rentals, payments to participating poets, and publicity for promoting events. Current donors to the 2008/10 poet
laureate project include Lake Superior Writers, Northern Lights Books & Gifts, Friends of the Duluth Public Library, the Duluth Public Arts Commission, and the Arrowhead Reading Council.

LSW MONTHLY OPEN GROUPS

A new Children's Writers Group is meeting. Call Julie at 722-4336.

Memoir Writing Group, Sunday April 20, 2-4 pm at Chester Creek Café. (218) 728-1253 or mhart2@d.umn.edu.

Fiction/Poetry Writing Group, April 16 (third Wednesday), 6-8 pm at Chester Creek Cafe, 1902 E. 8th Street. Contact
Jill Hinners (349-6431) or Cheryl Reitan (creitan@d.umn.edu, 218-728-3154). **

Writers' Square Table: Thursday, April 17, 11:30 AM, Chester Creek Café. Contact Mara Hart, (218) 728-1253 or mhart2@d.umn.edu.

LSW Play-Reading Group. Contact Mara, 218-728-1253 or mhart2@d.umn.edu.

Freshwater Screenwriting Group - For info, call Marion Gustafson at 247-5720.

LSW KUDOS News about LSW Members back to top 

Cheryl Reitan has been awarded the UMD Outstanding Service Award, the highest award recognizing staff at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
She will be honored on April 16 for her high level of excellence and "talent as a writer" in telling the story of the university to donors, Alumni, board members, and friends through the alumni magazine, the UMD webpage and other publications. The award also notes her campus and community involvement for taking 40 students to work at a Habitat for Humanity project in New Orleans, for organizing an American Indian lecture series, and for her leadership on a Methamphetamine community education program which received a national award.

ERIC CHANDLER's article "Chop Wood, Carry Water, and Wait for the Opener" appears in the Mar-Apr 2008 issue of Northern Wilds. It's a brief essay about looking forward to opening the family cabin in the spring..

AREA LITERARY EVENTS back to top

Open Mics: Circular Muse open mic(s): Mondays at Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe, 9-11pm, Dewitt-Seitz Bldg. Wednesdays at Beaner's Central, 7-10 pm. Info: 624-5957.

April 3, 5:30 PM, Carlton County Historical Society, Cloquet WHAT WOULD GREAT GRANDMA SAY? A discussion of new book LIFE-TIMES SIX by Margaret Olson Webster- some foods featured in book will be served (not a full meal)

April 3, 5-8 pm, 'What We Keep' - An exhibit of the collaborative images of Deborah & Joel Cooper, poems & prints, opens at Lizzards Gallery (11 W Superior St). The reception will be held on Thursday, April 3rd from 5 to 8 pm.

* Saturday, April 5 at 11 AM
Chris Monroe reading/signing Monkey With a Tool Belt. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Saturday, April 5 at 1 PM
Arvonne Fraser signing She's No Lady: Politics, Family and International Feminism. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble
Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Saturday, April 5 at 3 PM
Warren Read signing The Lyncher in Me: A Search for Redemption in the Face of History. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Saturday, April 5 at 1-2 PM
Book Signing: Chuck Frederick - Leatherheads of the North Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Dr. Duluth
218-722-5267 800-868-8904

* Sunday, April 6 at 1 PM
Chuck Frederick signing Leatherheads of the North: The True Story of Ernie Nevers and the Duluth Eskimos. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Tuesday, April 8, 7 pm, UMD Kirby Ballroom.
Matt Sanford will speak on "Everyone's Disability. Matt, a native Duluthian is the author of "Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence," which explores the mind-body nature of disability. "Losing his father, his sister, and his legs in a terrible car accident at age 13 did not stop Matthew Sanford from living his life. He offers a powerful, honest account of his battle: awakening a spirit within a damaged body. A book signing will follow the presentation. At 4:30 p.m. on April 8, Matt will present a Yoga Demonstration in Sports and Health Center Room 135.

* Saturday, April 12,from 1 to 2 pm.
Bruce Henricksen will sign copies of “From the Other Side: Poems in Memory of James Wright” - a collection he edited, and copies of his new novel 'After the Floods' at Northern Lights Books & Gifts

* Saturday, April 12, 2 pm.
Sheila Packa will do a lecture & poetry titled "Whiskey Was a Life Waiting for Somebody to Marry It" at Ironworld in Chisholm at 2 pm on Saturday, April 12. For more info: http://www.ironworld.com/lecture/

* Sunday evening, April 13 7 pm.
Ray Suarez in Duluth for The Ida & Arthur Silver Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series, April 13, 2008. PBS "NewsHour" senior correspondent and author Ray Suarez will be this year's featured presenter for the annual Silver Memorial Interfaith Lecture Series, sponsored by Temple Israel and co-sponsored by the Oreck-Alpern Interreligious Forum at the College of Saint Scholastica, and other community interfaith and religious organizations. Ray Suarez's presentation, based on his recent book, "The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America" (HarperCollins, 2006), will take place on in the Mitchell auditorium at the College of St. Scholastica. His appearance will be followed by a community dialogue, a reception in the auditorium lobby, and a booksigning and sale of his recent books, provided by Northern Lights Books & Gifts. This event is free and open to the public; open seating begins at 6 pm. For additional information, please call Temple Israel, 218-724-8857.

* Monday April 14,6:30 p.m.
Children's Writers Group - meeting (changed time) at Amazing Grace in Canal Park. New participants welcome. Bring your writing to share with us. If you have questions, call Julie at 722-4336.

* Tuesday, April 15, 7 PM
Pages & Purls Book Group - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Dr. Duluth 218-722-5267 800-868-8904

* April 16, Wed. 7 pm, UMD Library 4th Floor Rotunda.
New York City comes to Duluth! The University of Minnesota-Duluth welcomes celebrated New York poets Allison Cobb and Jen Coleman reading from their work. The reading is free. A reception will follow. Allison Cobb is an assistant professor at UMD this semester teaching poetry. She is the author of Born2 (Chax Press) and co-editor of Pom2 literary magazine. Jen Coleman is a Minnesota poet transplanted to New York City. Her work appears in magazines including Ixnay, Chain, Beloit Poetry Journal, Observable Books and more.

* Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m.
The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets is sponsoring a "Paint Chip" poetry reading at the Black Cat Coffeehouse in Ashland, Wisconsin. A "paint chip" poem uses at least three paint color names from those little sample cards one picks up at paint stores. Paint poem or not, everyone is welcome to come and read a few short (30 lines or less) poems of their own or a favorite poet. Come and celebrate National Poetry Month at the Black Cat, 211 Chapple Avenue (one block up from downtown). For more information, please email janchronister@yahoo.com

* Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m.
Reading and Reception: Geoff Herbach, The Miracle Letters of T. Ringberg. Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Dr. Duluth 218-722-5267, 800-868-8904

* Friday, April 18 from 5:30-7 PM
Julia M. Williams, PHD, signing Jules on Schools: Teaching, Learning, and Everything in Between. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Friday, April 18, 7:15 PM
Glen Gilderman Presentation/signing Managing Middle School Madness: Helping Parents and Teachers Understand the Wonder Years. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Saturday, April 19 from 1-3 pm
Bruce Henricksen will offer a workshop on prose fiction in his home on, limited to the first six to register. For info, contact Bruce at info@losthillsbooks.com.

* Monday, April 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Great Hall of The Depot Constructing Afghans for Afghans: A One Book, One Community Event. Northern Lights Books & Gifts, 307 Canal Park Dr. Duluth 218-722-5267 800-868-8904

* Thursday April 24 at 6:30 pm.
Sheila Packa and several Duluth poets will read poems for Take Back the Night, Washington Center, Duluth on

* Saturday, April 26 from Noon-2 PM
Suzuki Talent Education Program Performs at Barnes & Noble Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

* Monday, April 28, 9 p.m.
Sheila Packa and Kathy McTavish will do a spoken word/cello performance for the Homegrown Music Festival at Poetry Night at Carmody's Pub, Duluth, on followed by Paul Lundgren and Haus Meeting.

* Friday, May 2 at 7 PM
Presentation/signing - The Minnesota Crime Wave: Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart, and William Kent Krueger. Contact Jill Lyman, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 218-786-0710

The Loft: Readings, workshops and classes for writers are offered by the Loft throughout the year. The Loft Literary Center at Suite 200, Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415, http://www.loft.org or contact: Dara Syrkin 612-215-2575 loft@loft.org Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at Open Book.

NEWS / CONFERENCES / SUBMISSIONS/ OPPORTUNITIES back to top

* Seeking New Board Members: The Lake Superior Writers Board is in need of 3 new enthusiastic & energetic members to serve a 3-year term beginning in July. Board members are expected to attend the monthly meeting, serve on one of our committees and assist with LSW sponsored events. If interested, call the LSW office at 722-3094.

* What Light: MNARTISTS selects one poem a week for their website and newsletter. The contest is sponsored by mnartists.org and magersandquinn.com. Submit up to three short poems (maximum 50 lines or 300 words each) as attachments to poems@mnartists.org. You must be a resident of Minnesota and a member of mnartists.org to enter this contest. Deadline for submissions: Saturday, April 19, 2008.

* Call for Youth Artists & Writers: Project Girl is a nationally touring visual arts exhibition designed to defend adolescent girls from the harmful effects of media messages. Intermedia Arts is currently seeking artwork by local girls to be part of this exciting exhibition in our Minneapolis gallery. Girls ages 10-18 with art, writing, photography, video or other work that addresses the media’s influence on girls through TV, magazines, movies, and commercials, are invited to be part of an exciting exhibition at Intermedia Arts. Deadline to Apply: Friday, April 25, 2008. See http://www.intermediaarts.org/pages/programs/project_girl/.

* ARAC is currently seeking applications from individuals who live outside Duluth to fill two at-large Board positions. The deadline for submitting an application is May 2, 2008. The available term runs through June 30, 2010. Individuals may apply directly or be nominated by others. For more information about Board members responsibilities or to receive an application form, please contact the ARAC office at 1301 Rice Lake Rd., Suite 111. 1-218-722-0952, 1-800-569-8134 or email info@aracouncil.org

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

THIS CALENDAR is a benefit of your membership in Lake Superior Writers. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the literary arts. We welcome information from you regarding events, classes, kudos or announcements to be included in upcoming calendars.We reserve the right to edit all submissions.

Your editor for this issue of the e-calendar was LSW member and volunteer Phil Fitzpatrick. Thank you for contributing and for reading. Address all calendar events to calendar@lakesuperiorwriters.org. Address all concerns or questions about the calendar to Phil Fitzpatrick c/o pfitzpa@charter.net.