A Record Of Life: Leader-Telegram All-Star Journalist Eric Lindquist Retires After 40 Years

Gracie Schutte

When it comes to journalism, there are only a few things Eric Lindquist wrinkles his nose at, deadlines being the first: the constant race against the clock, the movie-worthy, sweat-inducing countdown with the reverb clock ticking away in the background, as the journalist’s hands fly across the keys with the deftness of the Bomb Squad with the deadline fast approaching.

““Sometimes you have minutes, or hours to tell a story, and you know it deserves more.” ”

— Eric Lindquist

“Sometimes you have minutes, or hours to tell a story,” Lindquist said, “and you know it deserves more.”

With 40 years in the journalism industry under his belt, Lindquist is no stranger to crunch time, but besides the stress of getting quality stories in on time, Lindquist took to the eat, sleep journalism, repeat cycle like a fish to water.

“I started [at the Leader-Telegram] as a 20-year-old college student,” Lindquist said. “They said, ‘Hey, we’d like you to take this job a week after you graduate,’ and I said, ‘Okay.’ I’ve been there ever since.”

 Whether he knew it then or not, Lindquist soon discovered the whole journalism gig isn’t your typical nine-to-five; journalism is a lifestyle.

 “You eat and sleep it — it becomes part of you,” Lindquist said. “Not only are you always thinking about it, but you care. It’s the same with those big issue stories.  You think ‘Oh, this is really important. I don’t mind working five twelve-hour days this week to make sure I get this one right, because this is big.’”

 Lindquist’s passion for journalism started at UW-Eau Claire, some 40 years ago, at the university’s student-run newspaper, The Spectator. There Lindquist did it all, from writing and editing stories to slaving over photos in the dark room (Remember those?). The late nights spent in the office laying out pages for print were exhausting at times — sometimes keeping students there until 2 a.m. — but The Spectator prepared Lindquist for the tireless work ahead of him.

But it doesn’t feel like a chore when it’s something you’re passionate about, and Lindquist has a knack for the deep dives, the weeks-long investigative research pieces, and the features that reveal the profound and personal happening in our very valley.

““I want to tell the first rough draft of history, but I don’t want it to be so rough.”

— Eric Lindquist

“I want to tell the first rough draft of history,” Lindquist said, “but I don't want it to be so rough. I want to make something somebody in 50 years is going to be researching old newspaper archives, and when they’re reading something I wrote in 1990, or 2000, it’s going to be accurate of what was happening in the Chippewa Valley at that time. This is a record of life in the Chippewa Valley.”

 And record he has. Having written 10,000 stories, Lindquist has covered Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley from the closing of Uniroyal to housing discrimination, from homelessness to the drug epidemic, prison interviews to personal features, and Hmong culture, too.

 “It’s been good to be able to chronicle all the little pieces and then sometimes do the big pieces that start to tie all the ends in and explain to people how that happened — and that it happened.”

 But now, Lindquist is passing on the torch to the next generation, leaving behind gargantuan boots to fill. He plans to continue writing — contributing here and there and maybe even taking on new, fiction-related projects.

 So, dry your eyes and blow your nose — Lindquist isn’t going anywhere. You’ll just have to look up from your morning paper to find him.

A “Joy to the Word” Sneak Preview: Love, Belonging, and Community for the Holidays

Thomas DeLapp

Wintertime in Eau Claire came hard and fast last week, tossing new snow and cold temperatures at us just two days after it was a balmy 65 degrees. Luckily for us, this signals that the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild’s favorite holiday event: Sound & Stories: Joy to the Word is less than a month away!

Combining spoken word stories with festive music from the Eau Claire UKE Klub, Joy to the Word is a cozy holiday get-together. Bundle up and trundle down to the Pablo Center on December 15 to share some cheer with the CVWG. This year’s readers are Allyson Loomis, Nicole Kronzer, Justin Patchin, and Ken Syzmanski — all ready to deliver some stellar seasonal stories.

Syzmanski, Eau Claire Writer-in-Residence, and Joy to the Word veteran will share a family story set to live music by Derick Black. Szymanski’s 81-year-old uncle, he explained, still owns and runs a Christmas tree farm. Customers pick out trees, and he will deliver them straight to their living rooms.

Kronzer, an Eau Claire native who now lives in Minneapolis, is returning to share a story about her love of historic homes.

“My best friend and I love going to historic homes whenever we visit a city,” Kronzer said. “She lives in Milwaukee, and I live in Minneapolis, which is way too far away. So sometimes we’ll meet in the middle, in some small town and then we’ll just have a long weekend in a town we’ve never been to.”

Historic home exploration ties in deeply to Kronzer’s forthcoming second novel, The Roof Over Our Heads, whose main character’s family lives in and takes care of a historic home (based on the James J. Hill house in St. Paul).

One of the reasons historic homes so engage Kronzer is the importance of understanding history itself, especially the overlooked roles of women during now-romanticized times like the Victorian era and the Gilded Age.

In comparison to Europe, Kronzer said, “where an Aldi could actually be a two-thousand-year-old castle,” American architecture and history are much more recent and quickly forgotten. Historic homes are one of our few places to connect with that history.

“These largely female spaces are some of the only actual [historical sites] we have in America, but because they are female spaces, we discount them,” Kronzer said. “But they’re vitally important.”

Maybe a trip through historic homes doesn’t sound particularly holiday-centric, but it’s all about connection and love — perfect for Joy to the Word.

“I can’t even begin to explain how happy making this is, coming back to Eau Claire and being involved in the CVWG. It has filled this hole in my heart that I didn’t know was there. They say you can’t go home again, but I’m coming home in a new way. ”

— Nicole Kronzer

“I can’t even begin to explain how happy making this is, coming back to Eau Claire and being involved in the CVWG,” Kronzer said. “It has filled this hole in my heart that I didn’t know was there. They say you can’t go home again, but I’m coming home in a new way. This isn’t who I was when I left Eau Claire. Everyone has been so accepting and loving and generous. You look at Roof, you look at Unscripted [Kronzer’s first novel]: love and belonging are really the backbone of everything I write. It's just so special, being accepted and loved by your hometown.”

As Syzmanski sagely put it, there’s just something about the holidays that makes people crave stories. New ones, old ones, and even the same stories year after year. It’s being together and celebrating that makes the season.

“I just love the combination of music and the spoken word, “Syzmanski said. “They just elevate each other. As the universal language that music is, they’re just a natural fit together. If it’s all music, it can be one-dimensional. If it’s all story, it can be one-dimensional. Together, it’s magic.”

The CVWG Sound & Stories: Joy to the Word is at 7 pm on December 15th at the Pablo Center. Buy tickets online at the Pablo Center website.

S.Z. Putnam's Poetry Book "Loose Change: Picking up the Pieces" Available Now

By Carlee Shimek

A fresh and brand new voice comes to life here in Eau Claire with the release of Loose Change: Picking up the Pieces by S.Z. Putnam. Putnam’s debut poetry book was released in June of 2022 from Read or Green Books in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fear not, though, you don’t have to go all the way there for a copy. The book is available through Putnam’s website and at Dotters Books right here in Eau Claire. I had the opportunity to sit down (virtually) with Putnam to discuss her book’s content, how it came about, and her journey back into writing after a ten-year hiatus.

Following a mainly linear pattern with free-verse poems telling the story (some rhyming, some not), Loose Change encompasses Putnam’s discovery of her husband’s substance abuse addiction, her trauma and process with that knowledge, and her and her family’s recovery from the ordeal. Powerfully spoken with passionate poetry, Putnam reveals the inner workings of her mind in connection with addiction’s painful effect on its victims and their families.

“For me, it just felt really good and cathartic to write it out and just release these energies so that I wasn’t holding onto them,” Putnam said about the emotional journey through writing her book. “It was just a really good and healthy way to let it go. And it really helped me to heal and reach out for other sources of help. I just want that for everybody else. Just so that they know that they can do it as well.”

A braided combination of many writing styles is found within this creative storyteller’s debut book. It entails Putnam’s discovery of her husband’s substance addiction, the events and aftermath of the journey out of the situation, and her emotions and thoughts. The beginning does include some love poetry about how Putnam and her husband first met and fell in love, as well as prose sections placed throughout the book. The prose pieces act as anchor points when shifting to the next phase of the story told within the poems.

“[The book’s] more or less highlighting how to get back into a place where you no longer feel alone, like you’re connected again to the community and people you love,” Putnam said.

Putnam was always a writer at heart, writing personal prose pieces for years. She took a break from writing during her career in marketing, after which she suddenly decided to start writing again around May of 2021, this time as a poet. Without prior poetry experience, and with some assistance from her younger relatives, Putnam set up an Instagram account and started posting mini-poems on the site. With a wide range of content, she soon earned over 1,500 followers.

While getting back into writing, she became acquainted with a publisher and managed to become one of their debut authors in 2022. Though she mentioned wanting her debut book to be about her parents’ journey from Vietnam, she found herself just writing and going through her emotions with that writing regarding her husband’s substance addiction and how she and her family worked through that part of their lives.

Putnam writes about not just interesting or entertaining topics, but ones that can be triggering, difficult, and serious. And that’s important.

“I hope that what [readers] get out of this book is that this is something that happens a lot. And that there is no shame in feeling the way they feel or wanting to get out of it.”

— S.Z. Putnam

“I hope that what [readers] get out of this book is that this is something that happens a lot. And that there is no shame in feeling the way they feel or wanting to get out of it,” Putnam said. “That’s really what I hope, because if they can free themselves from an addictive state whether they are the person with the substance abuse issue or if they are the family member, I think that is the number one thing. I find that addiction itself takes not just the person but the entire family and for generations. It’s not a one time thing, this is a disease that can affect multiple generations down the road.”

Available through Putnam’s website for $20 (each book is autographed!) or Dotters Books for $15, Loose Change: Picking up the Pieces is available to anyone interested in Putnam’s storytelling through poetry or anyone who may have the desire to deal with trauma and find courage like Putnam does in her book.

Hopefully, through Putnam being so open, honest, and creative with her perspective, she will shine a light on such a heavy topic in a manner that can help someone affected by their loved one’s struggle with addiction or the individual themself.

“[It] may trigger [readers] to feel certain emotions, but at the same point it’s good to release emotions,” Putnam said. “And if they’re able to read my book and find the pieces that really resonate with them and will help make them feel stronger and less alone, I think that is really important.”

UWEC Center for Writing Excellence Tutors (and Chippewa Valley Writers Guild Interns!) Take On Vancouver Conference!

By Grace Schutte, Carlee Shimek, and Thomas DeLapp

The International Writing Center Association (IWCA) conference began Oct. 26 and ran through the 29th with Writing Center Directors and students — both graduates on the road to director-hood and passionate undergrads — gathering from around the world to join us in rainy Vancouver for three days of discussion, reflection, and overall nerdy goodness. 

“While attending the multitude of presentations scheduled at the conference was important to us as participants and fellow presenters, immersing ourselves in the atmosphere of our host city, Vancouver, was quite an experience as well.”

While attending the multitude of presentations scheduled at the conference was important to us as participants and fellow presenters, immersing ourselves in the atmosphere of our host city, Vancouver, was quite an experience as well. It was the perfect city for the first IWCA conference held outside the United States.

Vancouver of British Columbia, Canada, regardless of its fancy, modern skyscrapers, possessed a calming air, probably thanks to being a seaport city. We managed to stroll along one of its proudest features, the longest waterfront path in the world, The Seawall. We didn’t have the time (nor the quads) to traverse all 17.5 miles, but we enjoyed the miles, with many beaches and ships in the water, along Stanley Park, a wonderful public park that’s larger than Central Park.

Though not directly along the ocean shore, Vancouver is a marvelous water city with the English Bay, Vancouver Harbor, and Burrard Inlet surrounding it. For some reason, the neighborhood around our conference’s hotel was quite fond of water decor too. We saw at least 6 beautifully structured waterfall architectures while walking to different attractions and locales for lunch.

Speaking of lunch, many delicious, diverse eateries were abundant throughout the city. From Thai chicken to Mexican burritos to Canadian poutine, there was no lack of options for tastebuds. The city prides itself on being one of the most diverse in Canada.

 Another alluring attraction we visited was Granville Island. It’s a misnomer as the location is a peninsula attached to the southern part of Vancouver. The northern peninsula of the city (where our conference was) is separated from Granville by an inlet, False Creek. You can take a teeny ferry to the location (though you literally could swim, it’s that close) where we visited a farmers market, some artists’ galleries, and many local shops.

It felt like the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market, just on a larger scale. The view of the city from Granville Island, with its lights twinkling in the darkening sky was very relaxing after days of hard, philosophical thinking on the ethics and innovations of writing centers.

With a progressive and inclusive style, Vancouver is perfect as a weekend getaway for an anniversary or serene family vacation. It has something for everyone, and all with manageable distance from each other (by foot and car). Perhaps we may one day be able to visit again (for another conference, let’s hope!) and experience the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden or the Pacific Arts Market and more.

Within the glass castle-like hotel where the conference took place, many astounding discussions and innovative ideas relating to writing centers were enjoyed.

Those in attendance wore their best button ups, comfortable presenting shoes, and super-dooper official IWCA issued lanyards — an academic sea of smart blazers and slacks. With the schedule posted online, people could choose which sessions they wished to attend. But with twelve different presentations to select from each hour, it was nearly impossible to decide with so many exceptional options.

Sessions began every day at 9 a.m. in the various ballrooms and meeting halls found throughout the conference's hotel. While scurrying from one room to the next, folks would grab a cup of coffee and maybe a little snack between sessions — sometimes a fruit kabob, a semi-gelatinous chia seed yogurt, or a classic peanut-butter cookie. The Wall Center took good care of us.

The last round kicked off at 4:30 p.m., giving us Writing Center folk many opportunities to sit in on various presentations and roundtables — shorter presentations followed by an open discussion between the presenters and audience members (as is our Writing Center nature).

A de facto theme we noticed throughout was the colonial nature of writing: How academia has implemented rigid expectations and standards that invalidate multilingual students, those who don’t fit into the white-sounding “American”-English standard, and who may find sitting down and writing at a desk for extended periods to be inaccessible. 

Throughout the conference, directors and students alike advocated for the decolonizing of writing, spoke on the shifting of societal perceptions of “perfect English” and grammar, and how to ensure Writing Centers can be harborers of this change in not only our spaces and departments but in the world.

It was also brought to our attention how strongly our pedagogy and manner of speech are strongly United States-oriented. On several occasions, directors from Canada and Mexico commented on the U.S.-centered nature of the literature. There is work to be done, not only in how we tutor student writers but in how we continue and grow our scholarship.

“By happy coincidence, we three CVWG interns this semester are colleagues in the university Center for Writing Excellence. Together with our director (and Guild board member), Dr. Jonathan Rylander, we presented a roundtable: “Invisibly Here: The Future of Life Writing in Writing Centers.””

 We, too, wanted to talk about these big issues in our own Eau Claire ways. By happy coincidence, we three CVWG interns this semester are colleagues in the university Center for Writing Excellence. Together with our director (and Guild board member), Dr. Jonathan Rylander, we presented a roundtable: “Invisibly Here: The Future of Life Writing in Writing Centers.”

 One of the reasons we wanted to write to you all today is because each member of the CVWG is doing life writing in their own way, every day. But what is life writing?  That’s precisely what we talked about. Though it’s been used in various contexts for a couple of decades, the term “life writing” doesn’t have a particularly good definition.  And we struggled to come up with one, too.

 Basically, we decided that life writing means any writing involving the writer's life. We typically think about it in academic contexts, where students are writing critical essays, rhetorical analyses, and generally not having any fun at all. We know that students thrive and learn more from meaningful writing projects. Meaningfulness is calculated by the student's engagement with the project, the lasting transfer (will I be able to use this in my life?), and whether or not they feel personally connected to it.

Personal connection to a piece can be most easily accomplished by including some aspects of the writer’s life. Surprise! That can be hard, though. Without getting too into the details, our presentation argued that writing centers have a unique opportunity to be places where students can engage more with themselves, with the person and voice inside their writing. And, we argue, writing centers have already been doing this kind of life writing work all along, without realizing it.

 But life writing isn’t purely in academic contexts. It’s for every writer. How do your identities, insecurities, and personality affect your writing process? How do they affect your writing? No matter how hard you might try to make a piece as dry and ineffectual as you can, spoiler alert: you are still writing it. You are still going to be there.

“Writing matters only because you matter.  ”

 What can we learn if we embrace ourselves in our writing instead of running away?  How will our writing and writing process change? The three of us think these are questions every writer should ask themselves. From historical fiction to journalism, to fantasy, sci-fi, and memoir, you, the author, should be present and comfortable in that text. Your writing is important because of the life that writes it.  Writing matters only because you matter. 

Writing, Fishing, and Cartoons: A Chat with Author Victoria Houston

Fishing and murder aren’t two things you often hear next to each other.  Unless, of course, you are Victoria Houston, avid fisher and author of the Loon Lake Mystery Series.  Then, you hear a lot about fishing, murder, and mystery in the Wisconsin Northwoods.

Houston’s Loon Lake series took place over 19 novels.  Last year, she released Wolf Hollow, the first of the Lew Ferris Mysteries, which shares Loon Lake’s characters and location. But Lew Ferris, the former secondary protagonist, is now the main character. The forthcoming Hidden in the Pines will be the second Lew Ferris mystery.

Houston will be reeling audiences in with her know-how at the Chippewa Falls Public Library at 7PM on November 10th, giving a talk: “The Three Major Life Mistakes I’ve Made that Force Me to Write Fishing Mysteries.” 

The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild sat down for a conversation with Houston about mystery, murder, and being a Wisconsin writer.

This conversation has been edited for clarity.

Thomas DeLapp: There are plenty of authors with long series, but only a few from around here. What’s it been like sticking around with these same characters across 21 books?

Victoria Houston: Well, I love it.  Almost 25 years ago I made a decision, and it was based on my experience with some famous cartoonists — I had worked in publishing with people like Gary Trudeau, who does Doonesbury, Gary Larson, who does The Far Side, and Bill Watterson, with Calvin and Hobbes.  I made a decision not to age my characters. I watched those cartoonists, and the ones who made that decision, it just freed up their work. So my characters, in all these years, have aged maybe two and a half years.  And that works for me, because I’m very comfortable with who they are.  I’m aware of other mystery writers who have written themselves into a corner because all of a sudden, their character is, you know, 90. 

TD: So for 25 years you’ve been writing this series with a pretty regular output.  Has fishing always been a part of your writing routine?  What does your ideal writing day look like?

VH: Well I would say fishing is just a real escape. That’s always been an escape. I mean I've been fishing since I was three years old.  When I was a little kid growing up in Rhinelander, we had a kiddie fish pond.  I was the oldest of eight kids born in 10 years, and trust me, my mother just opened the door in the morning, said “here's your tackle box, get out, go.” My ideal work day is to tackle work first thing in the morning, after a full pot of coffee. Spend several hours on that and then that's enough for the day. If I have an opportunity to go out fishing with friends, I do get out on the water quite a bit.

TD: A constant plague for writers is that big scary word, ‘revision’.  How do you approach revision, how do you see it in your work?

VH: Revision is critical.  I'm not a plot driven writer, so I am not a writer who motors through a first draft, and then goes back to revise. I have a synopsis, what I think the story is, and who I think the first victim will be, and then I get started.  But every day, I go back and rewrite work from a day, or two. or three before. By the time I finish the book, I have already revised consistently, six, seven, eight times. I don't move forward with the story until I'm happy with what has been written.

TD: This is a cliché question, but what is your favorite piece of advice to other writers?  Maybe, to make it less cliché, what is your favorite advice specifically for Wisconsin writers?

VH: I mean I think the advice is always the same, and it's a horrible cliché, and it doesn't matter where the hell you live in the world: you just gotta keep your butt in the chair.  I can tell you; I know people who are better writers than I am, people who are much more talented than I am, but do they sit down and get the work done? No. Because it takes time, it takes a year to write a book.  I mean, I'm not exaggerating. There are people who are very talented, but they just resist putting in the time.  Keep your butt in the chair.

TD: Your website lists some of your favorite literature and film.  What are you reading and watching right now?

VH: Right now I'm rereading a Scandinavian series called the Martin Beck series. There are ten books in the series, and it's written by a couple, (Maj) Sjöwall and (Per) Wahlöö. Both of them have since died, but they really set the standard for Scandinavian mysteries. My other really go-to writer, for just sheer enjoyment, is Ross Thomas. Very, very good writer. Great characters, just a pleasure to read. Right now, because I'm working on a book, I won't read any contemporary mysteries. I don't want to have something accidentally in my head.

I just finished a great series called Bad Sisters on Apple, that was fun. I'm watching an excellent sci-fi show, For All Mankind.  I have a son who is an Emmy award-winning comedy writer, he recommended it and said the second and third seasons are the best. Well, the first season is great; I don't know how it will get any better. I watch Borgen on Netflix, that's a Danish government drama.

TD: Any last pieces of advice?

VH: Okay, so here's my advice for anyone who is interested in entering the world of mystery fiction.  Get out there and do some magazine, newspaper, or online writing.  Investigative work.  Also consider seriously work in public relations and advertising.  The reason I say public relations and advertising is that they teach you how to put a lot of information in very few words.  Being concise is key.

Victoria Houston will present at the Chippewa Falls Public Library on November 10th at 7 pm.  For more information, visit the library website.

A Fond Farewell To The Priory Writers Retreat, and Reflecting on the Good Times

By Grace Schutte

This past June, writers from across Wisconsin gathered at UW-Eau Claire’s Priory Hall for three days of writing, bookish camaraderie, and creative inspiration. Nobody knew it would be their last retreat at the property. But sadly, that has become the reality as the property will no longer be available for rental. In its place, the Guild is excited to begin hosting an array of new retreat models, starting with the 12-Hour Writers Retreat (with sign-ups opening November 1).

While we’ll miss the good times at The Priory, there’s much to celebrate, too. Just ask last year’s attendees.

“I always learn something new about myself and my own writing.” ”

— Scout Roux

“I’ve attended Priory twice,” Scout Roux said. “I always learn something new about craft, thanks to the wide variety of writers-in-residence who have attended over the years. I always meet a bunch of new people I instantly love, whose work I’ll anticipate and support for years to come. I always learn something new about myself and my own writing.”

The second year of the Priory Retreat featured four authors — or writers-in-residence as we dubbed them — one swanky, published professional for each of the four genres covered during the retreat: Nickolas Butler was on for fiction, Nicole Kronzer for young adult, Angela Trudell-Vazquez for poetry, and Barrett Swanson for nonfiction and memoir.

Daily, one of the writers-in-residence would fill an hour by reading excerpts from their works, discussing craft, and fielding questions from attentive retreat-goers. On top of that, attendees could meet one-on-one with the writers-in-residence for a close and personal look at their work, sometimes looking at fresh content written during the retreat itself.

“The writers-in-residence opportunity to interact was awesome,” Nancy Kolb said. “Nicole Kronzer reviewed my writing and I really enjoyed her comments. I learned lots from her.”

Priory Hall is tucked in the woods, away from the hustle and bustle of Eau Claire and writers had a wealth of serene nooks where they could write undisturbed for as long as their pen ink and computer batteries would allow. Looking back on those four days of dedicated writing time nearly five months later, writers long for that committed writing time once again.

2022 Crew

As it stands, most Priory Retreat folk are passionate writers by night and pass their days at office jobs, shepherding their children and grandkids from school to soccer practice and by attending university. Despite the hodgepodge group, all were united by their shared passion for the written word.

““Writing can feel very lonely at times, having a place to meet like this was very helpful for me. Especially so since the pandemic began.” ”

— Melissa Bergum

“Writing can feel very lonely at times,” Melissa Bergum said, “having a place to meet like this was very helpful for me. Especially so since the pandemic began.”

In light of the isolated nature of writing, it was important to host open mics at the end of the day for those who wished to share their works — either pieces from before or what they’d been scribbling away at out on the veranda.

Roux’s favorite memory from the retreat came from one of the open mics. It was June 24, when the Supreme Court declared the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They described a certain shadow hovering over the Priory after the news broke.

However, a kind of light pierced through during that night’s open mic when one of us shared a poem she had written earlier that day, a product of the news.

“It was heartfelt and sad and true,” Roux said. “The poet (and several of us in the audience) cried when she read it. When she went, still trembling, to sit back down, she was immediately surrounded by outstretched hands and kind words and ‘thank you’s. That’s my favorite memory.”

Roux said the moment encapsulated the function of art: How we, as creatives, use art to make sense of the world, to communicate the incommunicable, and to feel less alone.

Even when not in the face of serious national news, writing, and the community, the Priory Retreat fosters more than bringing people together for three brief days.

““I learned there are so many creative people like me out there who love to write. I also learned to Keep on Keeping On!” ”

— Nancy Kolb

“I learned there are so many creative people like me out there who love to write,” Kolb said. “I also learned to Keep on Keeping On!”

While lasting friendships were made at the retreat, for some, the Priory Retreat became a great place to network, with phone numbers and emails being exchanged alongside offers to read future drafts.

“It was at the retreat that a fellow writer put the Hamline MFA program on my radar,” Hastings said. “I was not considering a Graduate Program in writing as anything I was interested in at all but I looked further into the program and applied this Fall and have been accepted to attend starting in January.”

But, regardless of whether writers left with a pipin’ hot manuscript ready for submission, or ideas for where to take the next chapter — the goal of the Priory Retreat was to grow as writers and grant those in the Wisconsin area the chance to do so alongside friends.

“I think the main way Priory has helped me grow as a writer is to give me the permission — the confidence — to prioritize writing in my life when I leave the retreat,” Roux said. “It has taught me, too, time and again, the importance of engaging with the work of those in my community — especially the unpublished, the part-timers, the old-timers, the just-getting-starteds. It taught me that anyone can be a writer so long as they keep writing (and maybe me, too!) I will always, always be grateful for that.”

As am I. Helping out around the Priory Retreat was one of my first official projects as an intern for the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. It was a wonderful way to kick off my time at an organization that prioritizes this kind of community — one that is so earnest and committed to its residents.

CVWG intern and Priory assistant Gracie Schutte

I met many friends, heard many wonderful stories, and grew as a writer, too—despite that my main duty there was to ensure everyone’s room keys were working, and that the daily schedule was updated, and to answer any questions along the way.

This retreat was a first for me. Never had I immersed myself in a community such as this for so long — I can feel its magic working away inside me still, even five months later.

“[The Priory Retreat] taught (and continues to teach) me that community is an essential part of being the writer I want to be,” Roux said.

For more CVWG related events, check out our website.

Write. Retreat. Repeat: Chippewa Valley Writers Guild Offers New 12-Hour Writers Retreat for Local Literary Enthusiasts

Hold on to your pens, papers, and keyboards—the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild is preparing an exciting, brand-new event for the writers of all levels in the Chippewa Valley and beyond! Come one, come all to the 12-Hour Writers Retreat! Join the Writers Guild at Forage, an event venue in downtown Eau Claire, from 9 am-9 pm on Saturday, Jan. 14, for a day filled with fun, food, fellowship, and of course, writing.

“The event offers the chance to network and connect with fellow writers, ample time to chip away on a long festering writing project,  or the chance to start something new! ”

Registration, available here, opens on Nov. 1 for one of the 20 spots available. The event offers the chance to network and connect with fellow writers, ample time to chip away on a long festering writing project,  or the chance to start something new!  Those who need some help getting started are welcome to follow the writing prompts provided by the event’s host. For the finale, writers will be given the opportunity to present their writing to the public in a fun-filled performance. It will be a day for any and all kinds of writing. Lunch, snacks, and dinner will also be provided!

“The purpose is to create the conditions for writers of all levels to thrive,” said Professor BJ Hollars, director of the Writers Guild and host for the event. “Our daily life provides so many distractions; a writers' retreat is the chance for us to push those distractions to the back-burner so that our creative work can receive the time and attention it deserves.”

In tandem with the Writers Guild and Forage, the Wisconsin Writers Association is also sponsoring the 12-hour retreat. The idea for the retreat began when the Writers Guild, unfortunately, had to say goodbye to their annual 3-day writers retreat at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s the Priory.

“While we loved our three-day retreats (and are certainly envisioning future retreats of that length), it occurred to us that we could use this as an opportunity to better support those writers who can't sneak away for quite so long,” said Hollars. “We decided to experiment with a one-day ‘12-hour retreat’. It's enough time to do some real work, but it's not so long that it will take up a full weekend or break the bank. We hope it'll appeal to locals and people within a three-hour radius.”

The 12-Hour Writers Retreat is especially exciting for the venue it will be taking place at, Forage on 403 S Barstow St. in Eau Claire, WI. The business offers private and public rentals for its space for birthdays, baby showers, wine tastings, holiday parties, open-mic nights, and now writers retreats! An event venue for anything and everything for local community members, Forage is the perfect place to host a literary gathering.

Lydia Park, Event Manager for Forage, described the community venue as “a welcoming and inclusive space, that’s nonjudgmental, very open minded, willing to work with you if you have a dream event that you want to make happen, and provides fun, enjoyable experience for whoever wants to come.” You can contact Park at events@forageeauclaire.com to learn about booking the space for your event.

Park is excited to be working with the Writers Guild by providing a space to create a community for neighborly writers in the surrounding Chippewa Valley. “It’s a very versatile space that offers so many different price points and so many different opportunities to experience what we have here as a community,” she said. “[And] a writers retreat seems to be very specified. So [it’s] geared toward people who want to improve their writing or get something out of that retreat related to writing, or even just build that community, finding folks that are like-minded and wanting to take their writing to the next level.”

To participate in this new and innovative event, a registration fee of $65 is required. Included in this price is delicious coffee from SHIFT Cyclery and Coffee Bar, lunch from the French Press, and dinner from Chef Michelle Thiede. Click here for the daily schedule.

“Some participants will surely be well-published; others may be preparing for their first public reading ever. We’ve got room for both, and in fact, prefer both. Everyone has something to offer. We hope that we, too, have something to offer everyone.”

— BJ Hollars

“The CVWG is somewhat unique in that you needn't be the ‘best’ writer to feel at home here,” said Hollars. “We pride ourselves in creating a supportive and inclusive space for all writers of all levels and genres. Some participants will surely be well-published; others may be preparing for their first public reading ever. We've got room for both, and in fact, prefer both. Everyone has something to offer. We hope that we, too, have something to offer everyone.”

This is the place for a writer to feel connected to their community and get some hard work done in an enjoyable, comfortable environment.

“I hope people leave our retreat feeling rejuvenated, inspired, and proud of their work,” said Hollars. “Writing isn't easy, but it's a little easier with 20 of your new best friends.”

To learn more about the 12-Hour Writers Retreat and registration, click here.

Carlee’s Top 5 Hangout Spaces at The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library

Carlee Shimek

If the steady influx of folks entering the newly renovated L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library at 9am on a Saturday is any indication, Eau Claire’s residents are ecstatic to have the library back up and running for business. After an extensive sixteen-month renovation, the downtown community space officially re-opened to the public at the end of September. We thought it’d be fun to share some of the cozy spots for reading (or even napping!) that I investigated throughout the building’s upgraded layout. Read on for Carlee’s Top 5 Hangout spaces!

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#1 Atkins and Shea Teen Lounge

Teens and tweens, this one’s just for you! This neat little rectangular space on the first floor provides privacy on cool cushions to study, hang with friends, or peruse the latest YA bestseller. The soft blue color tones exude a sense of tranquility.

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#2: Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Tween Lounge

This open-air spot, nicknamed “The Lookout”, is on the first floor right next to the children’s play area. This space is available to adults who are accompanying minors, with a combination of tables for laptop work or uniquely structured chairs for lounging, as the space’s title encourages one to do so. It also has computers available for those who may need a better bandwidth than what the house offers. The view of outside will look glorious in all seasons, from the spring buds to winter snow.

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#3: Front Door Lounge Space

To the very right of the front door lies a not-hidden gem. This is the perfect spot for groups of people who want to hang in an environment quieter than say a cafe. The view of the front of the building from the windows and the rest of the first floor allows for casual people-watching, if you enjoy such a hobby. It has a multitude of seating, from singular chairs to tabletops to elongated benches.

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#4: Second Floor Viewing Lounge

This space didn’t have a name, so I made one up. The view comes from the lovely site of its windows that catch a glance of the river cutting underneath the streets of Barstow, Farwell, and Dewey. This space is certainly quieter and possesses a vibe of independence, being on the second floor. It lies nestled behind the Large Print and Graphic Novels sections of the second floor.

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#5: Children’s Cave

Okay, yes, by its name and the fact that it’s right next to the children’s books, this was built for the kiddos to enjoy. But I couldn’t help putting it on this list, it looks too comfortable. I could curl up here for hours and forget about my problems easy-peasy. So if you want to crawl into that cave and not care if youngsters look on indignantly, you do you. If you have a bad back, however, I would refrain for safety reasons. The grass-green bench attached to the cave looks just as cool. We should petition the library to incorporate more of these so there’s more of them to share.

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These were my admittedly biased top picks, but that doesn’t mean the library has no other hidden gems for all folks, if these five don’t pique your interest. The library’s third floor includes a beautiful art gallery with benches and even an outdoor patio, though it probably won’t get much use until spring comes next year. Right outside the front doors of the building are more outdoor tables to soak in the skin-tanning rays while reading, at least for when the sun comes back full-throttle. The basement also has its own hangout chairs and coffee tables, for those who enjoy the groundhog-feeling of being underground.

Along with relaxing spaces for lounging, as an individual or a group, the library has wonderful, additional amenities. They have printing services, computer-access areas, children recreational activities and rooms, private meeting/study rooms, conference rooms for events, and even a “Library of Things” where you can rent out objects like tools, sporting equipment, and cooking utensils just like you would a book.

There’s truly something for everyone at this innovative, updated community space. Come explore the maze of books and more at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

Barstow & Grand Comes Of Age: Celebrating 6 Issues!

Thomas DeLapp

Fresh-faced from a day of teaching and the latest round of journal-proofreading, Eric Rasmussen dropped into a chair at SHIFT with a kombucha and a smile.  The editor and founder of Barstow & Grand, now six years deep into publication, is looking forward to the release of the sixth edition this November.  This year, things have gotten a little bit easier.

“It’s the passage of time, you know,” Rasmussen said. “Hey, we’ve been doing this for a while.  It feels like there’s a little less pressure than in the past.” 

Founded in 2016 to establish a local, community journal for Chippewa Valley writers, Barstow & Grand has had to change with the time — expanding to a more general “upper Midwest” audience in 2020 — but still maintains its hometown roots and support. 

This year, the book release will again be at Lazy Monk Brewery on November 16th.  Mark your calendars! As always, the release will feature time for contributors to read their piece, talk about their process, or just use the open floor.  Literature and camaraderie will abound.

2016, Rasmussen said, was a sort of watershed moment for the Valley’s writing community.  The founding of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and Barstow & Grand brought together Eau Claire’s writers in ways they hadn’t been connected before.

“Eau Claire has always been a rich literary place, but now we are all more aware of each other and more comfortable interacting,” Rasmussen said. 

Barstow & Grand has held a unique position as a hometown journal that allows it to be both personal and accessible.  The expansion to the “upper Midwest” was born out of necessity, Rasmussen said, but has worked out excellently. 

“The writing world is ultimately pretty small, so there’s usually those six degrees of separation back to Eau Claire,” he said.
That expansion helped to bring many new voices into the Chippewa Valley alongside those already established community writers — which Rasmussen said has both perks and drawbacks.

“My goal has always been to support this writing community, give them those stepping stones. On the other side of the coin, it’s kinda terrifying to be the person that says yes and no to friends, contacts, former professors of mine.  But it’s a responsibility I take very seriously. ”

— Eric Rasmussen

“My goal has always been to support this writing community, give them those stepping stones,” he said.  “On the other side of the coin, it’s kinda terrifying to be the person that says yes and no to friends, contacts, former professors of mine.  But it’s a responsibility I take very seriously.” 

Elizabeth de Cleyre

credit: Alexandra Mae

Luckily, Rasmussen isn’t the only one on the Barstow & Grand team — and they are welcoming some new members this issue: new prose editor, Elizabeth de Cleyre, and prose reader, Scout Roux.

de Cleyre, besides being a well-established writer and editor, is also the co-founder of Dotter’s Books in Eau Claire.  Roux is Barstow & Grand’s first non-local staffer ­— a Madison based writer who is fiction editor for Nightingale and Sparrow Magazine.

“Elizabeth is a writer and editor at a level that’s just way above us, so that she is willing to work with us is just great,” Rasmussen said. “She’s infused the journal with such an energy.  And we are so happy to have Scout on board — they’re helping us spread out a little bit, fulfilling that ‘upper Midwest’ coverage instead of just local people.”

For her first issue, de Cleyre also contributed the issue’s editor’s note, which reflected on the newly remodeled of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Library and the vitality of such spaces.  She and Rasmussen agree: the library has long been a cornerstone of Eau Claire’s literary community and character.  The remodeling gives them hope for a future full of writing, literature, and conversation.

The library is also, directly, a supporter of Barstow & Grand, and will contribute sound equipment for the book release event on November 16th. 

The Chippewa Valley literary community is largely made up of those whose first profession isn’t writing.  Balancing writing, then, with other responsibilities isn’t the easiest thing to do — which Rasmussen knows well.  However, there are some parallels between teaching high school English and running a literary journal.

A significant percentage of high school teaching is trying to get kids excited about the process, he said.  Until they have investment in the material and process, nothing will get done — which is similar to interest in literary journals.  It’s hard to keep writing, keep submitting, keep reading.

So how does Rasmussen: teacher, writer, and double editor (he is also fiction editor at Sundog Lit) keep everything balanced?

“People ask that question a lot, and I’ve tried a lot of different answers,” he said.  “Bottom line, the people who have a passion just figure it out.  Someone who loves to garden, they just figure out how to garden, they don’t sit around and lament that they don’t have time for gardening.  You do what you love, and you figure out how to do it.  My formula wouldn’t work for anyone else anyways.”

One thing that keeps him going, year after year, is being able to spend extra time with the pieces in the journal.  Often, he said, the initial read through of literature isn’t where you find what is impressive.  It’s in rereading and reflection that the meaning and value of pieces are revealed. 

On the other side, Rasmussen knows the struggles of submitting — he is a writer too, after all.  Part of the process is getting pieces accepted, but most of the time: rejection.  He even wrote a blog post about his 100th rejection in 2016.  So even when writers are rejected from Barstow & Grand, Rasmussen wants them to keep submitting even more. 

““If I could visit each local author to say, ‘thanks for your submission, please submit again,’ I would do it.””

— Eric Rasmussen

“If I could visit each local author to say, ‘thanks for your submission, please submit again,’ I would do it,” he said. “I don’t want anyone in the community to stop submitting because we didn’t take a piece or because we’re not the right home for them. I want to remain as welcoming as possible, and make sure to avoid any illusion that we are too good for you or your writing, or not welcoming of writers that write what you write.”

So, writers: keep writing and submitting.  Eric Rasmussen said you have to.  After six years of Barstow & Grand, one of the biggest things he’s learned was just how important the personality and connection the Chippewa Valley literary community are.

“I have learned, lately, that anything impressive takes a long time to get established,” Rasmussen said. “I’m confident there will always be literary folks around town trying different projects and doing what excites them.  If this was a business, and I needed to feed my family, I’d be worried about how we evolve.  But that’s not what we are.  This is a passion project, and we’ll do it this way until it doesn’t make sense.”

The 6th issue of Barstow & Grand will be released on November 16th at Lazy Monk Brewery.  For more information, visit the Barstow & Grand website. 

Get Ready for Five Days of Literary Events with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival!

Grace Schutte

When asked about the staples of fall and autumn’s most iconic characteristics, the general population resorts to the usual: the changing leaves, the shorter days, the air’s crisp stinging of toes (and biting of noses); however, folks in the Chippewa Valley know that list is incomplete without the Chippewa Valley Book Festival.

That’s right, folks, the Book Festival is back for their 23rd year with events slated to start up Oct. 20. Get your pumpkin spice lattes ready and sit back for five days of literary goodness.

The festival will host several authors—both regional and from across the nation—to read their works, chat about their craft and the importance of their works, all in the autumnal glory of Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley.

A Mini-Interview with Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez

Angie Trudell Vasquez, the City of Madison Poet Laureate, is one of those authors who will be presenting at the festival, alongside Dorothy Chan, a fellow poet and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Trudell Vasquez has been writing poetry since she was seven years old and has since then earned an MFA in poetry at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her works have gone on to be published in several journals and a number of them are even listed on the Poetry Foundation’s website.  

“Poetry helped me define myself on the page when I was a young person growing up...”

— Angie Trudell Vasquez

“Poetry helped me define myself on the page when I was a young person growing up in Iowa,” Trudell Vasquez said. “As an adult it has made my life so rich and full. I am fortunate to have had these experiences I have had as a writer and to make connections across the United States.”

Her latest poetry collection, My People Redux, came out earlier this year and covers topics she has yet to share with the world. As a proud activist and long-time environmentalist, Trudell Vasquez discusses our human connection with nature, and how she is concerned about the earth and all its inhabitants.

“There’s a line in the poem, ‘My People Redux,’ ‘My people, forgot they rose from the earth,’” Trudell Vasquez said. “I am not just talking about my family, I am trying to say something about those of us who live in the world right now and do not realize we too are nature.”

She hopes audience members will leave the event feeling lighter, connected, and more aware of how precious their life and time on earth is, that they should do the best they can with the time they have left.

Through conversations like these and events like the Book Festival, Trudell Vasquez believes we can become better connected with not only each other, but with the world, too. Reading, writing, and conversations about them help close the distances between people and aid us in understanding the world around us.

“I am most happy when discussing poetry with poets,” Trudell Vasquez said.

The same goes for us! Join in on Chan and Trudell Vasquez’s poetry exchange and conversation from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Unitarian Universalist. No pre-registration required.

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Grace’s Top Three Book Fest Events Picks

While all the events are going to be a most wonderful and educational time, there are a few that have piqued my interest, ones where you’ll be able to find me scribbling down notes madly in my notebook.

Should you come to any of these, find me after and we can discuss—that’s what these things are all about, after all.

Reclaiming Our Stories with Nadia Owusu

The virtual event will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 and audience members must register before the event to attend.

Owusu will be presenting on her memoir Aftershocks, a genre-bending piece that explores identity and trauma through cultural history, according to the omnipotent Goodreads.

Those in attendance can expect to learn we harbor more stories in ourselves than we thought, and that power can be claimed when we acknowledge and tell them. Register here for the event.

America’s Narrative Breakdown with Barrett Swanson

Join us in the new Riverview Room at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, for a journey on how the last ten years have affected communities around the United States in their hunt for life’s meaning in the rumerroll that was—and is—the 2010s.

Swanson is no stranger to the literary escapades happening in and around Eau Claire, having served as one of our Writers in Residence at the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild’s very own Priory Retreat.

There I met the Lost in Summerland essayist and heard all his wisdom and swanky jargon on the obligation we, as writers, have to readers, and how we are not so different as these titles may lead us to believe.  

A writer wise beyond his years, get ready for sage wisdom and a breakdown of the political, emotional, and psychological state of our nation.

Better than Paradise with Kawai Strong Washburn

From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, Kawai Strong Washburn will take us into the topsy turvy realm that can be magical realism and the world of fiction.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors is a national favorite (if The New York Times and former President Barack Obama liked it, it’s got to be good, right?), having risen to national stardom since its release in 2020.

I am particularly excited for this event because of both the craft element—exploring this next level of fiction writing—but also to hear Washburn transform history, the history of Hawaii, in a way that shapes the way we understand it.

I would be remiss to say fall in Eau Claire is my favorite season solely because of the chai tea lattes, sweaters, and good views—the Chippewa Valley Book Festival is a must. Bring your notebooks, a pen, an open mind, and get ready for a wonderful bookish time.

History and Fiction Coalesce: Phong Nguyen Brings Ancient Warrior Sisters To Life in His Latest Novel, Bronze Drum

Carlee Shimek

Within the mind of Phong Nguyen lies an adventurous true telling of the ancient Trung sisters of Vietnam, who rebelled against the Chinese occupation of their home in the first century AD. Spanning years of research and writing, Nguyen seamlessly combines fiction and nonfiction in his latest novel Bronze Drum. Hailed as “a riveting bildungsroman about Trung Trac and Trung Nhi,” by NPR, the book’s “nuanced yet visceral reimagining of the sisters’ trajectory fully captures the shifting nature of war and peace, life and death, feminine and masculine.” Released in August, this historical fiction novel is based on the true events involving a pair of warrior sisters whose memory lives on in modern Vietnam as symbols of patriotism, feminism, and bravery.

In a recent interview with the Guild, Nguyen shared that he’d wanted to write about the Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, for years. Now, he’s sharing their story. Join the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild at 6 pm on Monday, Oct. 10, at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library for the chance to meet Nguyen and learn about Bronze Drum. Read below to get a sneak peek into the author's mind before the upcoming event this Monday. 

Carlee Shimek: The Trung sisters, the protagonists of your book, are iconized in Vietnam as national heroines and hallmarks of Vietnamese independence and culture. What was your inspiration for writing such a book about them?

Phong Nguyen: Their story always appealed to me ever since I was young, and I have always wanted to read books and stories about the Trung Sisters, but there weren't any written or published in English when I was growing up, so it became clear to me that if I wanted to read them, that I would have to write them myself. It took me many years to feel up to the task of writing such a big-canvas story as this, so even though this is my fifth book, it has been on my radar for decades.

CS: The book’s genre is classified as historical fiction, but the Trung sisters were real figures in Vietnamese history. Which aspects of the story remain true, and which aspects were fictionalized?

PN: To properly answer this question would take very long-- perhaps another book in itself!-- but the short answer is that the Trung Sisters and their family members (Trung Trac, Trung Nhi, Lord Trung, Lady Man Thien, Thi Sach) as well as those who participate in the battles (Phung Thi Chinh, Phat Nguyet, and the rest of the thirty-six generals; as well as, on the other side, Governor To Dinh and General Ma Yuan) are all historical; other characters such as Kha, Duy, Phan Minh, Mai, and Wan Fu are all invented. Importantly, the tiger-hunting scene is historical; as is the episode of Phung Thi Chinh giving birth on the battlefield and continuing to fight.

CS: What kind of research did you have to do for this book, and how did you go about meshing together fictional aspects and nonfictional ones?

PN: Most of my research on this episode of history came from three books that pertain to the ancient history of what is now known as Viet Nam. I struck up a correspondence with the author of one of those books, named Nam C. Kim, and worked with him extensively on building up a base of knowledge about this period. Beyond that, I have several documents in Vietnamese translated into English, and of course I worked from sources that included individual chapters on the Trung Sisters. As far as meshing it together with fiction, that was the task before me over the span of about 4-5 years, in which I tried to balance the mythic dimension of the story with a kind of contemporary psychological realism. I had to choose many times between the contemporaneous historical Chinese account and the national myth of Vietnam, so adding a fictional dimension felt like just making another narrative choice except instead of choosing between history and myth, I was choosing invention.

CS: The story is about fighting for and taking pride in one’s country and home. Besides this, what do you hope people experience from your book? How do you hope they feel or react after they read it?

“One thing I hope that people take away from the story is that the power of women is not new, nor is it an invention of the Western progressive tradition. It is deeply ingrained in civilizations around the world”

— Phong Nguyen

PN: One thing I hope that people take away from the story is that the power of women is not new, nor is it an invention of the Western progressive tradition. It is deeply ingrained in civilizations around the world, but especially in the ancient history of Viet Nam. I would hope that readers come away from reading the book inspired, or at the very least with a greater acceptance of women leaders and leadership.

CS: You’ve written many genres, from historical and experimental fiction to alternate history to dirty realism. What is your purpose for writing such multifaceted and versatile stories?

PN: In order for me to get excited about a new book project, it needs to be a departure from everything else I've done. If it's not a departure, it feels stagnant. When it represents an exciting new direction, then I find it easier to throw myself full-body into the next project and focus on it exclusively. I also enjoy writers, like Italo Calvino, for whom every book is a different sort of adventure; so that is the kind of writer that I aspire to be.

CS: You’ll be at Eau Claire’s L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library this Monday, Oct. 10, at 6pm for an author reading and conversation. What do you hope to discuss or share with the people coming? What do you hope to accomplish with the event?

PN: I hope to entertain and even inspire people. But more importantly, I hope to share this journey with like-minded people who take an interest in history, literature, or storytelling in general. I'm open to discussing any questions about the book, or writing fiction, or the writer's life. I live for this stuff!

CS: What advice do you have for anyone wishing to write historical fiction like the Bronze Drum?

PN: Know yourself. Stay curious. In your dark moments of doubt, just remember what a blessing and a gift it is to be sentient and literate-- to be capable of this strange striving to create literary art.

Click here for more information on Nguyen’s reading and presentation at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library at 6pm, Monday, Oct. 10. Books will be available for purchase.

Touchdowns, Homeruns, and a Good Book: Joe Niese on Sports Writing and New Book, Gridiron Grit

Thomas DeLapp

Joe Niese isn’t your stereotypical librarian.  When he finishes work as director of the Chippewa Falls Public Library, he goes home to write about sports.

An avid sports fan since childhood (something his older brother instilled in him), Niese collides his love of reading and learning with his passion for sports.

“I made my transition off the field and into writing in the early 2000s,” Niese shared. “My first article was in 2007, about a baseball player from the area, and I stumbled into books from there.”

Since then, he’s become a reliable sports biographer, writing nonfiction books like Zack Wheat: The Life of the Dodgers Hall of Famer and Gus Dorais: Gridiron Innovator, All-American, and Hall of Fame Coach.  

Niese’s most recent touchdown book, though, was a bit different. Gridiron Grit is a fiction, middle-grade chapter book about a young footballer who struggles when he finds he is no longer the star player.

“It was quite a left turn” from nonfiction biography to middle-grade fiction, Niese said. “As my kids were reading more, I saw what they were reading, and as a librarian with books as part of my daily life, I wanted to try something different.”

Such a left turn, in fact, that the book, published by Jolly Fish Press, was published under a pseudonym: J.N. Kelly, to mark the divide between his nonfiction and fiction work.

““You know, in nonfiction, you’re relying on sources, but in fiction, it all comes from your head.  It’s much more vulnerable, especially because I’m just beginning.””

— Joe Niese

“You know, in nonfiction, you’re relying on sources, but in fiction, it all comes from your head,” Niese said.  “It’s much more vulnerable, especially because I’m just beginning.”

Gridiron Grit is part of a series by Jolly Fish called “In the Clutch,” where readers are tossed into a “do-or-die moment” in sports before flashing back to show the young athlete’s journey to that pivotal, game-changing play.

The stresses of a ticking clock in a tense game weren’t lost on Niese: given six weeks to produce the 5000-word book, he said it was a real test of his writing — “every word counts.”

Niese knows that persistence is key.  Over 15 years ago, he started working on and off on his first fiction book, another middle-grade novel about baseball.  Now, after Gridiron Grit, his second novel will be published in the spring.  Niese is happy to share that Eva Paulus — a local young artist known for her work on Volume One’s “The Rear End” with her dad, Mike — will be designing the cover art. 

“It’s great to work with her.  Honestly, sometimes I wonder who is hanging on to whose coattails,” Niese said, laughing.

Writing about sports, he said, is not just important for him — a librarian at heart, Niese wrote Gridiron Grit for the reluctant young reader; a sports lover that hasn’t yet found something that grabs them. 

“You gotta find those books that interest you, and they will take you elsewhere,” he said. “You can read about sports all the time, but maybe something will stick and that leads you to read something else.”

His advice rings true for readers of any age.

“You have to read what you enjoy,” Niese said.  “I just hope this is a book that a reluctant reader can pick up and blossom into their joy of reading.”

Gridiron Grit, other books, and more information about Niese can be found at joeniese.com

A New NOTA: A Discussion With the Newest Editors for None Of The Above

Carlee Shimek

Say hello to UW-Eau Claire’s newest literary team for NOTA. Last spring semester, the three literary editors of None Of The Above graduated and had to say goodbye to the student-run literary magazine they’d fostered. Thankfully, three current students took up the mantle, all of whom we’ll learn about today.

Meet Editor-in-Chief Emma Friend, a junior majoring in Integrated Strategic Communications with a focus in Public Relations and a minor in Creative Writing. Learning about NOTA while being a writing tutor in the Center for Writing Excellence and beginning her NOTA career as the assistant prose editor, Friend had the experience necessary to take on this leadership role.

“I think it’s good to have a place that’s free of a rubric.”

— Emma Friend

“I really love that NOTA is a space to be creative on campus without doing it for a professor,” Friend said when asked about why she wanted to be involved in NOTA. “I think a lot of us [are] doing a lot of creating for our professors because that’s all we have time for. But I think NOTA is like an excuse to write something that isn’t for your professors. I think it’s good to have a place that’s free of a rubric.”

Friend also talked about ideas to contribute to this new NOTA year, such as bringing back pocket NOTAs (a mini-book featuring prose), creating submissions for themed pieces, and other collaboration projects. Hopefully, this new team will make their great ideas for NOTA come to fruition. She also mentioned a new faculty advisor joining the team this year.

“I’m really excited about Dr. Chan joining us this year. She’s now co-advising with BJ Hollars. She just has so much experience and knowledge that I think is really going to enrich the magazine in a great way.”

Next up, there is newly minted Prose Editor, Mckenzie Minter, a fourth-year Critical Studies major and Creative Writing certificate. Wanting to be involved in the English opportunities on campus, Minter sounds like the perfect person for this job.

“I’m looking forward to reading a lot of the other work that people submit this semester and next semester,” she said. “I think it’s going to be exciting to see the process and the work that goes into actually creating the book.”

Minter has the dedication and appreciation of literature necessary to take on a leadership role in NOTA. She’s expressed her excitement for the selection committee meeting later this semester and what writers and readers can gain from NOTA.

“For those who are submitting, I hope they’re able to produce a piece of work they’re proud of and be proud of themselves for getting published,” she said. “And I hope for those that are reading, they’re able to connect to at least one of the prose pieces or poems or art submissions. I hope that people are just proud of the work that they put into it and can see the hard work that people put in to producing [it].”

Minter also proposed incorporating hybrid art in NOTA, where prose or poetry is combined with a visual art piece.

Last but certainly not least, meet the new Poetry Editor, Claire Bradley. She’s a senior with a Creative Writing Major. An aspiring future publishing editor, Bradley is quite excited to experience the ins and outs of publishing and formatting a literary magazine, as are the above-mentioned editors. Bradley highlighted the creative environment NOTA provides students and her desire to grow that community.

“I would like more people to find out about NOTA,” she said. “So I’d love to help get word out there, get more people to do open reads, and try to encourage people to submit work, even if they’re kind of on edge. I think just getting that experience would be really nice for a lot of creative students on campus.”

It will be exciting to see how NOTA evolves with three new editors at the wheel. All expressed excitement in learning about the process it takes to publish creative magazines and the amazing contribution and opportunities NOTA provides its students. Based on their love of literature and appreciation for this organization, they will achieve great things.

NOTA’s next open read is Oct. 18, which takes place at 7:30 PM in The Cabin in UWEC’s Davies Center. Additionally, submissions are open for UWEC students until Oct. 6. Students can send up to five unpublished poetry pieces, up to three unpublished prose pieces (1,500 words or less), and  They encourage writers of all styles and stories to submit their prose, poetry, art, and even music. Send submissions or any questions you may have to ENGL72@uwec.edu or ENGL64@uwec.edu. The editors are excited and ready to read the amazing work students create.

Love, Life, and Writing in the Driftless: A Q&A with author Maggie Ginsberg on her debut novel Still True

Grace Schutte

Some 10,000 years ago, when glaciers hop-scotched across the world like children at recess, a patch of land was left unscathed from their icy trail in the modern-day Midwest. The 25,000 sq/mi area retains its unique landforms of old: lush forests and springs, deep caves and sinkholes, winding hillsides and streams—driftless to this day.

It is here where the Madison Magazine senior editor and author Maggie Ginsberg grew up, on the outskirts of the Driftless.

I had the great pleasure of discussing Ginsberg’s debut novel Still True, set to be released Sept. 27, and the crucial role the Midwest plays in the text—how it shapes and forms the lives of the characters as they explore the joys and complications of love and life in the Midwest.

Join Maggie Ginsberg and Nickolas Butler for a conversation on her debut novel Still True, craft, and writing about place and home at 6pm on Wednesday Sept. 28 at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. Read on for the complete interview.

Grace Schutte: Midwestern culture and setting play a foundational role in Still True—what is your relationship with the Midwest? Has it evolved over the span of your life?

Maggie Ginsberg: I was born and raised in the Midwest in a small town on the edge of the driftless, and the Midwest has shaped me in ways I am still uncovering. There are so many great things about growing up in a smaller community in rural Wisconsin—there are also some challenging things I didn’t realize at the time, things I am still unpacking today. But I have a ton of love for the Midwest.

GS: How does your Midwestern background influence how you write and think about literature?

MG: I think the Midwest is sometimes overlooked, dismissed or stereotyped by New York Publishers. They might think of our work as regional but not that we’re writing deeply, thoughtfully, and authentically from the Midwest in universal ways. And of course, there are exceptions, but that’s why I think it is so important what BJ Hollars has done in the Chippewa Valley: Bringing together a community of readers and writers and bringing validity to it. There is something really magical about being seen in literature. 

GS: You are an editor for Madison Magazine. What was the transition from non-fiction to fiction like? Do you feel your background in non-fiction brings something unique to the page?

“For a while, I was in my own way because the story I was telling myself was that only a certain kind of writer knew how to write fiction and that I wasn’t that writer. Once I got out of my own way and questioned myself about that, then I was open to learning and being taught...”

— Maggie Ginsberg

MG: When I first got my agent, she suspected my many years of journalism had given me an access to people’s interiority in a way that has helped me write fiction. I agree with that. For a while, I was in my own way because the story I was telling myself was that only a certain kind of writer knew how to write fiction and that I wasn’t that writer. Once I got out of my own way and questioned myself about that, then I was open to learning and being taught—I am so glad, because it has been a lot of fun.

GS: What compelled you to write a novel? As this is your debut book, what has your writing experience looked like so far?

MG: I accidentally took a fiction writing class in 2016. There was a course I took every year and I had already taken all of the nonfiction tracks, and I didn’t want to miss out on the course because I enjoyed it so much, so I thought I’d try fiction. I sat there like a sponge. For some reason, it opened my mind to not just what was possible, but that it was possible for me. I love the freedom I am learning through fiction writing and hope to continue doing that as well.

GS: In the opening pages, we are introduced to our protagonist, Lib, a 58-year-old woman living alone—or alone as you can live in a small midwestern town—in her childhood home, of which she has renovated until it is unrecognizable. How does Still True complicate, or enrich, how readers perceive 50-some-year-old independent women?

MG: I saw [Lib] very clearly, and I think a lot of readers can appreciate protagonists who aren't 35. I think you need to have done a little living to tell an interesting story—I know I had to do quite a bit of living to write one. It’s complicated for Lib. It’s not just that she is living on the edge of town because she’s an independent woman—she’s also protecting herself. You could call it hiding, but those are the tools that have been working for her—or so she thinks.

GS: There is an undeniable chemistry between the characters—it is honest, passionate, and sensual. In what ways does Still True comment on female sexuality, especially the sexuality of “older” women.

MG: I thought about this book in terms of questions, not answers. It starts with this premise of “Do you lose independence if you’re going to have real intimacy with a partner? Can you have both, or not?” I wanted to know what might challenge that understanding. Because of her generation and her trauma, she has a hard earned relationship with her sexuality.

GS: Some would argue family is one of the cornerstones of Midwestern life—you complicate that concept in your book, where secrets are kept and maintained for decades all to come to a head years down the line. How does this serve as a commentary and what does it propose?

MG: I wasn’t setting out to make any kind of statement or anything like that, I just wanted to write people true, write how we really are. For me, the challenge was to do right by [my characters], to really make sure I kept asking them—almost like with my journalism—who they were, where they came from, and to explain themselves to me so I could help them explain themselves to each other.

GS: Who inspires you in life and in your writing?

MG: Nickolas Butler is someone I think of. When I read Shotgun Lovesongs, it wasn’t just that I loved that story and his voice, but that I felt seen as a born and raised Midwesterner in ways that I usually didn’t see reflected in a lot of other literature. That was a big deal to me.

GS: Do you have plans to write another book?

MG: I started working on another book the minute I went out on submission with this one. It was a way to distract myself from the painful process of having a book out on submission—I’m still working on it, five years later. Publishing is a tough business, writing is glorious.

Join Maggie Ginsberg and Nickolas Butler for a conversation on her debut novel Still True, craft, and writing about place and home at 6pm on Wednesday Sept. 28 at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. 

"No Sad Polkas": Ken Szymanski on His New Book, His Aunt Lil, and The Power of Polka

Below is our Chippewa Valley Writers Guild interview with Eau Claire Writer-in-Residence Ken Szymanski, about his new book Sit Down and Stay Awhile: My Aunt Lil, a Small-Town Bar, and a Lifetime of Polkas. Enjoy!

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CVWG: First of all, for your book release (July 21 at Stone’s Throw in Eau Claire), you’re having a polka band and “polka” is in the title of your book. Why does polka music play such an important role in both your book and the book release party?

“And in writing the book, I realized how much polka music fit Lil’s personality. Polka music puts everyone in a good mood. There are no sad polka songs. And polka music brings people together. And Lil made a career out of creating good times and bringing people together at her bar.”

— Ken Szymanski

Ken Szymanski: As I wrote the book, I noticed how polka music was something that kept coming up, all throughout my aunt Lil’s life. With her husband Leon, she ran Leon & Lil’s bar in Thorp for 52 years, and they often had live polka bands on the weekends. But it was more than just that. She grew up listening to polkas, and she listens and sings along with polkas to this day. And in writing the book, I realized how much polka music fit Lil’s personality. Polka music puts everyone in a good mood. There are no sad polka songs. And polka music brings people together. And Lil made a career out of creating good times and bringing people together at her bar. They came together over food, over drinks, over conversation, over dice games, and over polka music. And no one polkas alone. The music literally brings people together. People polka with their parents and siblings and neighbors—not just their spouses, so the music kind of acts like a community builder, in a way.

CVWG: Why did you choose to write a book about Lil?

KS: It was actually Lil’s idea. I’ve known Lil as an incredibly kind and generous person my whole life, but it wasn’t until she was staying at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire recovering from surgery back in 2019 that I had a chance to have daily conversations. It was right on my way home from work. And she was just as entertaining as an elderly person in a hospital bed as she was as a younger person behind the bar. And I always looked forward to the next visit.

I had written my grandfather’s life story, and hearing her dad’s story I think may have planted the seed in her head. And he died before I was born, so that made the project a lot more difficult. So when Lil mentioned that she had always wanted to write a book about her life, it seemed easy. She’s a great storyteller with a fascinating small-town life. And now that the book is done, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this 20 years ago. But sometimes the things and people in your own life are difficult to imagine as writing material. But when you step back, the people in your family are more fascinating than you realize. And that’s definitely been the case with Lil. I knew she was a special person, but not until the interviews did I realize the impact she made on her community by the way she treated each and every person who walked through those tavern doors. And it didn’t matter if you were a regular or a first-time customer. She didn’t seem to have an “in-crowd” or an “inner circle.” And valuing every single person wasn’t some calculated business move. The book shows how she was like that before and after her time in the bar.

CVWG: It sounds like you’ve really enjoyed this process. Is this idea of writing about elderly relatives something you’d recommend to others?

KS: Definitely. And you don’t have to know everything about them to do it. You can use this process as a way to get to know your relatives. Their stories are worth sharing and preserving. You don’t have to make a book about it, but you can. It could also be a few pages that’s just shared with the family. It’s really about the process. It’s about asking the questions and hearing the stories and bringing back the memories and, really, letting your elders know that they’re valued, and that their stories are important. And when you show interest, sometimes people really open up, and you get to know them in a whole new way.

CVWG: How would you advise getting started?

KS: Tell them that you want to start a project of learning more about your family history. See if they’ll let you record an interview. Come up with a list of questions, but also just see where it goes. Often, the more people talk, the more they start to remember. And that initial conversation often gets them thinking for a few days, and more memories start popping up…so do some follow-up sessions. Then use that information to interview other relatives and jog their memories. Then take those back to the original person and see if that helps them remember more.

The tough part is figuring out how to organize that into something. The way it worked for me was I wrote a long rough draft and showed it to a friend who had never been to Thorp, never met Lil, to get an outsider perspective. He pointed out things that were confusing, things that were repetitive, and things that were underdeveloped. That was super helpful. After making those improvements, I found a new person to show it to and saw how this improved version looked to fresh eyes. Then it was a long process of sanding it down until it was as smooth as possible. And it’s important not to try to tell everything. You’d never finish the project, and it’d collapse under its own weight if you did. I tried to present the best of my findings—just the best quotes and the best examples to represent their life.

CVWG: What was your aunt’s reaction when she saw the final product?

KS: She was quite overwhelmed. She was so happy. And I remember she said, “I wish Leon could see this.” And she’s really gotten a kick out of the publicity. She’s always been a celebrity in Thorp, and at age 96, it shows that she still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

Book Release Polka Party at Stone’s Throw in Eau Claire

Thursday, July 21 at 7:00

$3 Cover Charge

After a book talk and reading, enjoy live polka music from the band Klezmazel. Books will be available for purchase, and the dance floor will be open.  

Sit Down and Stay Awhile…or Don’t

Saturday July 23 at Volume One Local Store, 11:30-8:30

Free

In this unusual marathon reading, Szymanski will imitate NPR’s “Chapter a Day,” but with a chapter every half hour. Starting at 11:30AM, Szymanski will read the first chapter from the book. Then every half hour, he will read the next chapter until he finishes the book at 8:30 that night. In between the book’s 19 chapters, he will be available to sign books, answer questions, and talk about writing. Like a street musician or corner preacher, performances will go on whether anyone is listening or not.  

A Visit With Lil

Thorp Area Historical Society

Thorp, WI

Friday, August 5

Anytime From 2-4

Free

Visit with Lil Kaczmarek at the Thorp Area Historical Society and hear about her new book, Sit Down and Stay Awhile. The book will take you back to when polka music filled the bars and Lil kept the party hopping for decades with generosity and charm. See Leon & Lil's memorabilia, hear small parts of the book read by author Ken Szymanski, and take home a copy signed by Lil. The event is free (donations accepted).

In addition to the events, the book will be available at the Volume One Local Store, Nolchek’s Meats in Thorp, Marieke Gouda cheese shop in Thorp, and Thorp Area Historical Society starting July 23. Each book purchase comes with a limit-edition Leon & Lil’s bar coaster, while supplies last.

What The Guild Gives You When You Give to the Guild

B.J. Hollars

Ah, summer!  The most wonderful time of year.

A time to dust off those manuscript drafts or start a new one!  But also, it’s a time to read, reconnect, rejuvenate, and see where our words take us next. 

Over the next three months, The Guild is here to support you, most notably by way of The Priory Writers Retreat this June 23-26!  We are so thrilled to have a full crew!  And we are equally thrilled to host The Priory Celebratory Reading at Pablo Center at the Confluence taking place June 25 at 7:30p.m. and featuring readings from Nick Butler, Toya Wolfe, Angela Trudell Vasquez, Nicole Kronzer and Barrett Swanson!  A huge thanks to the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library and the Wisconsin Writers Association for their support!

While we’re looking forward with great enthusiasm for what comes next, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also take a moment to reflect on the Guild’s many recent programs, too.

Over the past year, we’re proud to have curated one of our most diverse and well-received line-ups of events to date.  Highlights include Verse in the Valley, our Sound & Stories series, the River Prairie Festival Celebration of Art, and Barstow & Grand Issue 5 Release!

And who can forget our incredible craft talks featuring Cam Squires, Cheryl Klein, Kathryn Nuernberger, Matthew Gavin Frank, Angela Trudell Vasquez, Amanda Skenandore, Margi Preus, Phong Nguyen, Larry Watson, Carson Vaughan, Pat Zietlow, among others?

In addition to our own events, we’ve also worked with local and statewide partners to co-sponsor events as wide-ranging as the Wisconsin Writers Association’s Symposium on Literary Activism, to Words & Waffles alongside our friends at CVTC.  And how wonderful it was to enjoy “Awakenings” as part of the local poetry showcase in cooperation with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation.  Additionally, we’re thrilled to be members of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, and we look forward to fostering this partnership for years to come. 

And just wait to see what we’ve got planned for the fall!

“But here’s the difficult truth: while we’re offering more opportunities than ever before, our donations remain stagnant. ”

— BJ Hollars

But here’s the difficult truth: while we’re offering more opportunities than ever before, our donations remain stagnant.  For accessibility purposes, we have made the decision not to charge membership fees.  However, because of that decision, we are entirely reliant upon the generosity of people like you.  Might you make a $10 donation today to help us offset our program costs?  Or if you prefer, become a $5/month sustaining member to help us with our long-term goals.

Simply click here to make your tax-deductible donation to ensure the longevity of our organization.    

If we all give a little, no one needs to give a lot.  Thank you for ensuring that we can be here for you throughout the coming year and beyond!

Warmly,

B.J. Hollars

Executive Director

Lake Hallie is More Than a Hometown: A Sneak Peek at Patti See's Forthcoming Essay Collection (And Its Impact on a Local)

Elaina Myers

 Hometowns are like first loves—like grandma’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, and a grandfather’s embrace. We can never forget them.

Growing up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, my only goal was to get out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, which—for a time—was a goal shared with Patti See. See’s essay collection Here On Lake Hallie: In Praise of Bar Flies, Fix-It Guys, and Other Folks in Our Hometown takes readers on her journey of falling back in love with the place that raised her. Upon learning more about it, I was compelled to reevaluate my small town’s impact on my life.

The way See captures the tenderness of neighbors, the quirks of local bars and the overall beauty in the seemingly small aspects of Lake Hallie reminds me of the mornings my sister and I would spend hours ice skating on the lake behind our house. Creating the perfect rink was no easy task. My father would carry gallon buckets of water down to the bank as my sister, and I meticulously shoveled a perfect rectangular border just big enough for us to do laps. We would then dump the buckets inside the boundary line and my father would rake it across the surface trying his best to fill any imperfections in the ice.

Eventually, the neighbor boys in surrounding houses would carry down their mangled hockey nets as the girls laced up the pink and white laces of their figure skates. And then, the competitions would commence. Squeals of laughter echoed up the embankment to our house as we each took turns spinning and twirling on the ice to be crowned best figure skater, (although we all knew my sister was the reigning champion).

““As I got older, I really began to recognize what I treasured so much about the Chippewa Valley. The essays span from around 2009 to the present, so I talk about a lot of big moments in my life that not only capture what I’ve been through but what the spirit of Lake Hallie truly is.” ”

— Patti See

 Childhood memories like this are packed into See’s book as she shines a light on the charming people she grew up with and the struggles she had entering adulthood as a mother and daughter of a parent with Alzheimer’s. “As I got older, I really began to recognize what I treasured so much about the Chippewa Valley,” explains See. “The essays span from around 2009 to the present, so I talk about a lot of big moments in my life that not only capture what I’ve been through but what the spirit of Lake Hallie truly is.”

 See writes a monthly column for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram called Sawdust Stories, where many of the articles from her book were first published. Much like her book, the articles explore themes of motherhood, nature, childhood, and her various connections to the Lake Hallie and Chippewa Falls. In addition to being a prolific writer, See is also an academic advisor at UW- Eau Claire where she helps students plan their schedules and stay on track for graduation.

Reading about See’s strong community values provided me a new perspective on my own town. Skating on that homemade ice rink isn’t just a fond memory but one that features the friendships I created with my neighbors, the hard work and dedication my father had for his children, and the endless love between sisters.

 I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in our monotonous routines and lose sight of the places and people that shaped us into who we are. But See helps us remember. Each of her articles is written with such pride and attention to detail that it’s hard not to apply her stories to our own lives. As easy as it is to disregard a hometown as a set of streets leading to old buildings filled with ordinary people, perhaps it’s exactly those characteristics that makes the places so extraordinary.

 “One of my favorite things about this book is that it’s about the people of this area and a lot of the landmarks that they would know and recognize, specifically Leinenkugel’s,” said See. “It has been rewarding for me to write about the place that I grew up and now live and love, but even more rewarding that these areas will be portrayed to a national audience.”

 It has always been my plan to move away and leave my hometown for good, and that may still be the case. But thanks to Patti See, at least now I can leave cherishing the special influence my town has had on my life and, evidently, the lives of others too.

Here On Lake Hallie will be published in May, 2022 from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. See welcomes everyone to her book launch party on June 28, 2022, at 6:00 pm on Lake Hallie Golf’s outside patio (in case of rain it will be in Lake Hallie Golf’s covered but open-air pavilion). Join her for cake and a cash bar. See will talk about the book and read one essay. Books will be for sale.

Finding Yourself on the Page: The Journey Toward Journaling

By Dawson Jollie

Sitting in my dorm room one restless April night, I flicked on my lamp and sighed.  It was midnight, and I couldn’t sleep.  But how could anybody, with a million thoughts zooming through their skull, every last one begging for our attention? I could feel waves of emotions swell in my chest. I needed to act, needed to do something with those thoughts.  And so, I reached for my notebook.

With the pages flipped open, empty, in silence, those thoughts seemed to scream out, each wanting to be recognized in the notebook: my inspirations; my forlorn, college angst; rising fears for a future fast approaching... The desire to fill those pages never felt higher. But staring into the paper, those lines and margins so concisely laid out, helped to close the gates in front of my brain. Close them, but only enough to form a funnel, where I could usher out what’s written.

In that moment, three ideas came to mind: a concert. A wave of faces. And a heart, beating loud into beautiful lights. These are what would fill my journal that night.

This was one of my several experiences with journaling, or the act writing in a journal. For a long time, the process has been a chance to seize reflection: analyzing our emotions, actions, imagination, and the world around us, in the attempt of gaining a better understanding of our place in life. It still serves that same purpose today, no less effective.

And this is something I can attest to. Many people can. Living in an age of constant adaptation, stress, and anxiety, it gets far too easy to lose sight of what really makes us so unique. Hence the reason why a journal should first and foremost be a service for yourself.

So then what does that look like? How does this work?

Well, I started writing that one night, letting every detail come out in order. Not a single thing forced. I described the concert prior: the heat of a hundred bodies, a hundred strangers I’ll never see again; the spectrum of colors that painted the crowd and their faces; the thumping of my chest as my heart raced with a thundering beat.  

A picture was being formed by the words echoing in my mind, and the emotions jumping toward the light. I had no plan to stop.

Instead, I went deeper… how nice it was to be at a music venue, without having that nagging sense of a threat to normalcy brought by the pandemic. I looked back to the faces of those around me, all their eyes expressing that same relief. All worries and pains, stifled, then soothed. Like the world was suddenly opening to us and revealing a future where “normal” was no longer a distant memory.

I filled the first page quickly… then another. And another. And another. But seeing it all before me, my own emotions and experience laid out on every line, I saw myself reflecting through the writing. In every entry I made.

“And that’s the beauty of it all: just like yourself, the page of a journal can become as much as your imagination dictates.”

— Dawson Jollie

And that’s the beauty of it all: just like yourself, the page of a journal can become as much as your imagination dictates.

With that said, the only “wrong” form of journaling is the kind that doesn’t encompass yourself. It may be one thing to write something down on a piece of paper, but what should be a therapeutic tool turns into a chore when it doesn’t speak to your interests. Or your growth as an individual.

One may really find peace losing themselves in 5 minutes of daily prose; or perhaps a long session diving into the deepest desires of the heart. Or maybe some thoughtful sketches to describe what can’t be put to words. Regardless of form, a person’s journal should be tailored to themselves; a blank space that only they have control over.

So why not give it a try? Take a few minutes, 5 or 10 sometime during the day, and just write what comes naturally. If you feel sketching would be better: then sketch. Spend a couple weeks building that habit, digging into that perspective you thought you knew. Scribble away at that journal, and watch as you find yourself forming on the pages.

 It was 3 am by the time I stopped writing that morning. And with the sun soon to rise, I flicked the lamp off. Closed the notebook. Heart and mind, finally satisfied.

Reading Widely and Writing Routinely: An Interview with Poet Alex Zitzner

By B.J. Hollars

If, over the past six years, you attended Cirenaica or The Priory Writers’ Retreat, then chances are you met Alex Ziztner—the ping-pong playing, hardworking poet whose retreat duties included everything from doorknob fixing to workshop, to hosting live readings.  Through it all, Alex was also working on his own craft.  A few weeks back, his hard work and dedication resulted in his admittance to New York University’s prestigious Master of Fine Arts program, where Alex will be working alongside renowned writers such as Terrence Hayes, Claudia Rankine, Sharon Olds, among others.  A committed literary citizen, Alex has been serving our region’s writers since his second year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  I recently chatted with Alex about his journey, the lessons learned, and what comes next.   

B.J. Hollars: Tell us a bit about your writing journey at UW-Eau Claire and in the wider community. What inspired your work?

Alex Zitzner: Strangely, up until a few months before attending, I thought I was going to do pre-med or geology as my major instead of creative writing. Once I got to UWEC my first goal was to be published in NOTA, which somehow I was lucky enough to get into those first two semesters, and then somehow I became their editor-in-chief my second year. Taking on that role pushed me forward as an all-around writer, reader, and editor. I was reading a book of poems either every day or every other day, plus the occasional novel and short story collection, just to make sure I was as widely read as possible when it came time to evaluate submissions. It’s a never-ending game of catch-up though, trying to read books being published every month and then reading books published in the past.

As far as the wider community goes, since [as an editor] I couldn’t publish in NOTA, I published a decent amount of work in online and print journals across the states. I’ve taken a step back from submitting lately, and one day I’ll try to get some stuff published again, but it’s not something that really interests me at the moment. What inspired me or what still inspires me is friendship, which sounds mega corny. My main example, though, is that when I was living in Eau Claire, prior to covid, I’d get together with friends and we’d write. Like Chloe Ackerman, Connor Drexler, Katy Hackworthy, Mary Shaw, Reed White—I’d meet up with them one on one generally, though sometimes we’d have a crew, at a coffee shop, write and read for a while, then we’d go to the Joynt, sit in the poets corner if it was open, and talk about what we worked on over beer, or we’d play pool. It was great to have friends that I could write with and also hang out with outside of writing, because those are a few of my very good pals, and I’m stoked on their writing, which in turn got me stoked.

BJH: In addition to your course work, you also served as NOTA's editor-in-chief, an academic apprentice for fellow undergraduates, a CVWG board member, and a college assistant at both Cirenaica and The Priory. Can you share about how these literary activities influenced your growth as a writer?

AZ: Definitely, though I should say, I was a part of every English club for a certain period of time, primarily the English Ambassadors for incoming creative writing majors/minors and for the curriculum committee.  Plus, I helped proofread The Flipside on weekends. I’d say the overlapping growth came from feeling a sense of community through those literary activities. I always felt extremely proud to represent each position I served in, and maybe that didn’t necessarily grow my actual ability to write, but I feel like it was each a maturing opportunity as a literary citizen. This isn’t to say I didn’t grow a lot as a writer through those activities, but being a literary citizen is even more important.

BJH: What were some of the challenges you faced as you began eyeing the possibility of graduate school?

AZ: Cost was the largest challenge. I’m not sure exactly how much I can reveal, but one aspect of NYU that was enticing was that at the very least, I think every student gets some funding, plus opportunities for fellowships and can teach in their second year. Mainly what I can say is that I got lucky with being able to attend, though I’ve already begun going over the headache which is then affording to live in New York City as a student. Aside from that, another challenge was choosing where I wanted to go, and then essentially gambling on being accepted. I was fairly particular with where I wanted to go and was ready to be in it for the long haul of reapplying year after year until I got into where I wanted to go. The largest challenge though prior to all of this was putting together my writing sample and letter of intent. I mean everyone always said to just submit my best work, which is what I did, but my packet was all over the place which kinda worried me. Like I had narrative poems, lyrical poems, translations, erasures, etc. I was extremely worried about there not really being a sense of cohesion, but I guess looking back that most accurately displays my writing style which is probably the most important, like that the selection committee saw a glimpse into how I write outside of just that sample.

BJH: What advice might you give undergraduate writers hoping to continue their studies at the graduate level?

AZ: Go to a school that pays you, offers funding, and offers teaching experience. Prior to applying, depending on where you’re at in your undergraduate journey, read as much as you possibly can and don’t stop. That will do more for your writing than only focusing on writing. I’m sure that advice has been given numerous times, but also read widely. If you’re not sure what to read, do what I did and pester your professors for recommendations. On the same level of importance would be to get involved with the writing community. If you’re a UWEC student reading this, or an Eau Claire community member looking to get an MFA, there are so many opportunities to get involved. There are always craft talks, open reads, and workshops going on. Plus there are numerous magazines and journals to potentially work for or get published in.

BJH: What excites you most about your forthcoming experience in New York University's MFA program?

AZ: I’m not sure if there is one aspect that excites me more than others, because it’s all very exciting. I think if I were to pick one, meeting the students and professors is really exciting. I’ve missed being in workshops and going to readings with friends, so I’m looking forward to getting to do that again too. I’m going to miss Wisconsin, especially Eau Claire and all of the friends I made there, but I can’t wait to represent the Guild and UWEC at NYU, as I’m very excited and proud to have that opportunity to do so.

Open Yourself Up to the Power of Poetry at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s Local Poetry Showcase

Elaina Myers

It’s fair to say that the last few years have been hard for all of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carrying the stress of not knowing what each day will bring caused the whole world to hold their breath, but as we finally seem to be reaching the end of this exhausting journey it’s time for us to breathe again. What a better way to celebrate this transition back to “normal” life than during National Poetry Month at this year’s Local Poetry Showcase!

 The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire has partnered with CVWG to host a showcase of local poets on April 20th from 6:30pm to 8pm. The event is open to the public and people are encouraged to attend in-person, although there will be a live online streaming on the UUC Facebook page. The theme of this showcase is centered around “Awakening,” which is defined as the act of coming into existence or awareness in not only a spiritual way, but an emotional and physical realization as well.

 There will be an array of local poets performing at this event including Lopamudra (Lopa) Basu, Debbie Campbell, Max Garland, two UWEC students Dawson Jollie and Carlee Shimek, and a handful of others. Each poet will be reading original poetry that they feel captures their own interpretation of the theme “Awakening”.

 “Honestly, I'm just ecstatic having another opportunity to meet more local poets. Sure, I'm happy to present, but I'm looking forward to being immersed in an environment filled with such creative minds,” said Dawson Jollie, one of the CVWG interns. “For me, the concept of awakening is like a "call to arms" for the body: the mind shouts into the deepest corners of the heart, telling it to get up once more. It's a wonderful feeling, but in these uncertain times I fear we need more of it.”

 Although poetry is something that should be recognized every day, this showcase comes at a unique time of growth and conversion from the unknown to the familiar. Reverend Julianne Lepp, main coordinator of the event, recognizes the impact that poetry can have and hopes that those who attend the event feel a deeper connection to the poets and their words.

““I think we’ve all been through a collective trauma with the pandemic and we are all encountering different challenges reentering into community, so I hope the power and inspiration that poetry contains will touch something in each of us and awaken our realities.” ”

— -Rev. Julianne Lepp

“I think we’ve all been through a collective trauma with the pandemic and we are all encountering different challenges reentering into community, so I hope the power and inspiration that poetry contains will touch something in each of us and awaken our realities,” said Lepp. “I believe this will be a beautiful event and I am excited to be apart of this safe space that allows us to process our feelings and dig deeper within ourselves.”

 For more information on the event visit https://www.cvwritersguild.org/events/2022/4/20/local-poetry-showcase.