Sign Up for the 2020 Virtual Great River Writes Series
By MVWG Member Jess Witkins
The Mississippi Valley Writers Guild is pleased to be a sponsor of the 4th annual Great River Writes series, which is now virtual. For the past several years, our guild has teamed up with fellow arts and literary organizations including La Crosse Public Library, Winona Public Library, La Crosse Area Writers Group, the River Arts Alliance, UW-La Crosse’s English Department, and NaNoWriMo to bring area writers free writing workshops and author-focused talks.
It’s been an important part of our organizations’ work that we bring in great speakers and craft-focused topics to our guild members, but also our community. In the past, we’ve welcomed such authors as Blair Braverman, Jen Rubin, Wang Ping, Marcie Rendon, Chris Norbury, R.R. Campbell, Nickolas Butler, Michael Perry and more! We’ve covered fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, journalism, and publication topics.
This year, like so many other organizations affected by the pandemic, we’ve chosen to scale back a little, but offer the series virtually, opening up for many more to take advantage of these stellar learning opportunities.
So save the dates! Sign up with us! We hope to “see” you attend our 2020 season.
Great River Writes Keynote Address, Reading, and Discussion
Thursday, November 5th at 6:00pm CST
Jaki Shelton Green, the first African-American Poet Laureate of North Carolina, will launch the 4th Annual Great River Writes series on November 5th. The author of eight collections of poetry, Ms. Green teaches Documentary Poetry at the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies.
In her most recent work, The River Speaks of Thirst, her debut album, she performs new poems set to music, addressing subjects such as police brutality, lynchings, the middle passage, and America’s original sin of slavery. One track, “Oh My Brother,” responds to the killing of George Floyd. Ms. Green will speak about the power of art, the power of poetry, she will read from her work, and will engage with viewers about the craft of writing and the role of perseverance.
This event is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse English Department.
This event is free, but requires registration. Sign up here.
Writing Your Ancestry: Exploring Fiction and Nonfiction Writing About Family
Saturday, November 14th at 2:00pm CST
Join internationally bestselling author (and former La Crosse resident) Danielle Trussoni for a reading and workshop around writing your ancestry. This workshop will use family stories and ancestral origins to explore techniques in fiction and creative nonfiction.
Danielle Trussoni is an internationally bestselling author, columnist, and creator. She is a regular contributor to the New York Times Book Review, where she writes the Dark Matters column. She is also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and was the Chair of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction jury this year. Her new book, The Ancestor, came out in April 2020. For more information on Danielle and her books, visit https://www.danielletrussoni.com/.
This event is sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Writers Guild and La Crosse Public Library.
This event is free and will be held via Zoom. You will be sent the meeting information the week of the event. Register by emailing prustad@lacrosselibrary.org or by calling Payge at 608-789-7145 to reserve your spot.
The Ins and Outs of Getting Your Manuscript Published
Saturday, November 21st at 11:00am CST
Chris Fischbach, publisher at Coffee House Press, will lead a discussion about how to get your work published.
Chris will talk about how Coffee House goes about selecting manuscripts and working with authors, as well as what factors one needs to consider in getting one’s work published—what to do and what to avoid. He will open it up for questions and discussion for the remainder of the session.
Chris Fischbach became publisher of Coffee House Press in July 2011, after sixteen years in various editorial roles. He has served as co-chair of the Minneapolis Arts Commission, assistant director of the Twin Cities Book Festival, and on the board of directors of the Friends of the Hennepin County Library. He currently serves on the board of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.
This event is sponsored by the River Arts Alliance, the Winona Public Library, and the Friends of the Winona Public Library.
This event is free but requires registration. Please sign up at here and you'll receive the event link and login information by 3pm the day prior.
BONUS! New this year, the MVWG is pleased to partner with Birdy’s Bookstore and is offering 10% off on all book sales now through November 4th, including The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni, which is Birdy’s Book Club Pick. Use the code WRITERS to nab your deal.
Jess Witkins claims the title Perseverance Expert. From party crashing as an Oops Baby to paving her way through pop culture, Jess explores it all. Her special skills include: Pretending to be an orphan, severe allergic reactions to the sun, hanging out in coffee shops, and quoting movie lines from the Oscar winning film, Spaceballs. Hang out with Jess on her blog where she attempts to make pathetic look cool. You’re welcome to laugh with her, or at her, as I find the humorous side in life. Go ahead, SUBSCRIBE, you know you want to.