Patti See

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This event is being presented in person and virtually.

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s as the youngest of eight children, Patti See never imagined she’d stay in Chippewa Falls as an adult. Now she has a new appreciation for all that comes with country living, from ice fishing and supper clubs to pontoon rides and tavern dice. Whether sending her son off to basic training, holding her mother’s hand through late-stage Alzheimer’s, or tiptoeing over thin ice with her best friend since childhood, See notices the comedy and beauty of life’s everyday moments. Join See as she discusses writing about the place she loves best: Lake Hallie. She’ll also read and chat about some of the brief essays in Here on Lake Hallie: In Praise of Barflies, Fix-it-Guys, and Other Folks in Our Hometown, a book that establishes that, above all else, it’s friends, family, and neighbors who provide us with a sense of belonging.

This program will be a view-only opportunity for virtual attendees. There will not be an opportunity to submit questions to the author.

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PATTI SEE is the author of a new essay collection, Here on Lake Hallie: In Praise of Barflies, Fix-it Guys, and Other Folks in Our Hometown. Her work has appeared in Salon Magazine, Women's Studies Quarterly, The Wisconsin Academy Review, The Southwest Review, HipMama, Inside HigherEd, Volume One, and many other magazines. She writes a monthly column, Sawdust Stories, for the Eau Claire Leader Telegram, and she was a frequent contributor to "Wisconsin Life" on Wisconsin Public Radio. Her blog, Our Long Goodbye: One Family's Experiences with Alzheimer's, has been read in over 100 countries.

Kawai Strong Washburn

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This event is being presented in person and virtually.

Washburn discusses the complex reality of Hawai’i, and magical realism as part of the fictional imagination. Go beyond the stereotypical image created by the tourism industry to gain a more complete understanding of the history of Hawai’i and the context of the novel.

This program will be a view-only opportunity for virtual attendees. There will not be an opportunity to submit questions to the author.

CLICK HERE to buy festival books locally from Dotters Books.

KAWAI STRONG WASHBURN was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. His first novel, Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway award for debut novel and the 2021 Minnesota Book Award; it was also longlisted for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the 2021 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. Former President Barack Obama chose it as a favorite novel of 2020, and it was selected as a notable or best book of the year by over a dozen publications, including the New York Times and Boston Globe. It has also been translated into eight languages and counting. Washburn lives with his wife and two daughters in Minneapolis.

Learn more about Kawai Strong Washburn at kawaistrongwashburn.com.

Jamie Ford

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This event is being presented virtually.

Known for his ability to weave fiction and history into compelling novels, Ford will discuss his latest book, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, and what draws him to lost history. He’ll also examine the responsibility and challenges of presenting uncomfortable truths to a modern world and why he considers himself to be in the compassion creation business.

This program will include a live question and answer session at the end of the presentation moderated by B.J. Hollars.

This virtual presentation is made possible with technology assistance from L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

CLICK HERE to buy festival books locally from Dotters Books.

JAMIE FORD’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Recently, that same novel has been optioned for a stage musical, and also for film, with George Takei serving as Executive Producer. His second book, Songs of Willow Frost, was a national bestseller. Jamie’s latest novel is The Many Daughters of Afong Moy.

His work has been translated into 35 languages. (He’s still holding out for Klingon, because that’s when you know you’ve made it).

Learn more about Jamie Ford at jamieford.com.

Alan Bergo

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This event is being presented in person.

Have you ever wondered why apple seeds taste like almonds? Did you know you can cook a sunflower like an artichoke? In this visual presentation combining cooking, botany, and cultural traditions from around the world, James Beard award-winning Chef Alan Bergo explains some of the paradigm shifting culinary concepts in his book The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora that have the potential to change the way you think about why some foods taste the way they do. Illustrated by the author's own images.

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CHEF ALAN BERGO is one of America's leading voices in the world of foraging and wild food. Known for his website foragerchef.com, the internet's largest resource on cooking with wild mushrooms, his work has been featured on the Today Show, The Sundance Film Festival, and The Wallstreet Journal, with essays and recipe selections published in 15 books and counting. His online series “The Wild Harvest” (now called “Field Forest Feast”) won a 2022 James Beard Award in Instructional Visual Media as well as a Taste award for best Online Food Show in 2022. His first book, The Forager Chef's Book of Flora, now in its fourth printing was published through Chelsea Green Publishing in 2021.

Learn more about Alan Bergo at foragerchef.com.

Barrett Swanson

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This event is being presented in person.

Swanson will explore how the political and social tumult of the last decade has affected various communities around the United States and how they’ve tried to find meaning in their lives amid the instability and confusion. Discover how the breakdown of cultural narratives and consensus reality has affected citizens not only politically but also emotionally and psychologically.

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BARRETT SWANSON is a contributing editor at Harper's Magazine and the author of the essay collection, Lost in Summerland. He was the 2016-2017 Halls Emerging Artist Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and was the recipient of a 2015 Pushcart Prize. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Harper's, The New Yorker, GQ, The New York Times Magazine, The Believer, The New Republic, The Guardian, The Atavist, The Paris Review, and two editions of Best American Travel Writing, among other places.

Learn more about Barrett Swanson at barrettswanson.com.

Amy E. Reichert

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This event is being presented in person.

“Write what you know” is a timeless piece of writing advice, which Reichert has taken to heart. She will discuss how setting her novels in Wisconsin offers readers an understanding of her heritage, history, and unique food traditions.

AMY E. REICHERT loves to write stories that end well with characters you’d invite to dinner. All based in Wisconsin, her novels include The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, and Once Upon a December (October 2022). Her books have been featured in People, Real Simple, Buzzfeed, Food & Wine, and many more. She serves on her library’s board of directors, is a member of Tall Poppy Writers, and lives in Wisconsin.

Learn more about Amy E. Reichert at amyereichert.com.

Allen Eskens

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This event is being presented in person.

Allen will talk about how his penchant for daydreaming led him to write a collection of literary mysteries that are intertwined. Discover that genre books such as mysteries can also have heart; that a mystery novel is the perfect forum to explore family dynamics, character relationships, and deeper themes.

ALLEN ESKENS is the USA Today best-selling author of eight novels: The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, The Shadows We Hide, Nothing More Dangerous, The Stolen Hours, and his most recent, Forsaken Country. His books have won The Barry Award, the Silver Falchion Award, the Rosebud Award (Left Coast Crime), and the Minnesota Book Award. He had been a finalist for The Edgar Award, the Thriller Award, and the Anthony Award. Eskens lives with his wife, Joely, in Greater Minnesota.

Learn more about Allen Eskens at alleneskens.com.

Jackie Polzin

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This event is being presented in person.

Five critical encouragements were passed on to Polzin in the years leading up to the publication of her first novel, Brood. These generous words and actions allowed her to see her dream of publishing a book through to completion. Through the power of encouragement, these five people made a tremendous difference in her life. When we shift away from viewing the world through our differences and into the mindset of making a difference in the lives of others, we enact real and meaningful change.

JACKIE POLZIN’s first novel, Brood, won the Sue Kaufman First Fiction Prize, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, an Indie Next List selection, and was shortlisted for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Los Angeles Times Book Award, and a Minnesota Book Award. Her writing has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, and The Idaho Review. Polzin attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned an MFA from Boise State University. She currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two children.

Learn more about Jackie Polzin at jackiepolzin.com.

Dorothy Chan and Angie Trudell Vasquez

If you weren’t able to join us for the 2022 Nadine St. Louis Memorial Poetry Conversation event or are interested in watching it again, click below to watch the recording.

This event is being presented in person and is the Nadine St. Louis Memorial Poetry Conversation 2022.

A Poetry Exchange: poems and conversation with national award-winning poet Dorothy Chan (BABE, Revenge of the Asian Woman, Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold) and the City of Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez.

-Moderated by former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Max Garland

CLICK HERE to buy festival books locally from Dotters Books.