Chaya Gritton
Have you ever wanted to attend an event that brings music and storytelling together? Well, then look no further! The Chippewa Writers Guild is hosting a fun-filled event called “Joy to the Word” at the Pablo Center, on December 14th, at 7PM. The event features storytellers John Hildebrand, Elan Mccallum, Bonni Knight, Dalton Hessel, and is hosted by Chippewa Valley Writers Guild director, B.J. Hollars. “Joy to the Word is one of our favorite events of the year,” Hollars says. “Few things bring people together more than music and stories in a beautiful venue during the holiday season.”
Indeed, “Joy to the Word” has become an annual tradition, a chance for regional storytellers to share their best holiday stories alongside music by the U.K.E Klub—a talented group of singers and ukulele players who’ve brought their joyful music to the event for years. December’s the perfect time to cozy up inside with this event that staves off the cold and brings with it a bit of winter cheer. Be sure to snag your tickets here!
Keep reading to learn about the amazing writers participating in the event.
John Hildebrand
John Hildebrand is the author of several books, most recently “Long Way Round: Through the Heartland By River” and “The Heart of Things: A Midwestern Almanac”. He also has articles and essays that have appeared in Harper’s magazine, Audubon, Sports Illustrated, Outside, The Best American Sports Writing- 1999, and The Missouri Review. Not only is he an established writer, but he has been awarded a Minnesota Book Award, a Banta Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, a Bush Fellowship, a Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship, and a Friends of American Libraries Award. In this event, he’ll be sharing a reading from his spectacular book The Heart of Things. Be sure to check to check it out!
Bonni Knight
Bonni Knight’s work has been featured in Volume One, the Volume One Podcast series, Snapshots: Eau Claire Life in Pictures, Stories and Sounds, the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, as well as in appearance at The Lakely, the Lazy Monk, and the V1 Gallery. When she’s not storytelling, she’s also a speech coach and a retired French teacher. The story she will be sharing is called “No Room at The Inn”, an intriguing tale about how a blizzard brings total strangers together. A longtime fan of the Sound & Stories series, Bonnie remarks, “From a storyteller's perspective, it's an honor to have an opportunity to share my stories with people. From an audience member's point of view, it's so great to see the work my neighbors are doing with the craft of storytelling.”
Elan Mccallum
If you’re a fan of David Bowie, you’ll really enjoy the story Elan Mccallum has prepared to tell at the event! She brings us into her past, illustrating a special father-daughter connection that started with a David Bowie CD at Christmas. Elan Mccallum is a Filipina-American writer whose work has been published in Barstow & Grand. She has also collaborated with E Dance Company and Dotters Books, and she has read her work in the Chippewa Valley's Sound and Stories Series, the Snapshot Series, the River Prairie Cultural Festival, and the River Prairie Festival Celebration of Art.
Dalton Hessel
Dalton Hessel is a second-grade teacher in Hayward, Wisconsin. He graduated from UWEC in the winter of 2018. You might recognize him as the iconic Buddy the Elf, who appeared on campus during finals week every year. When he’s not teaching, he loves staying busy with photography, videography, podcasting and writing. He has a company called The Northern Nerd and hosts various community events throughout the year. If you ever find yourself in the Hayward area, he’s probably walking the streets or covering an event. Some joyful news is that he and his wife welcomed their first child, Amelia, into the world this year and he's been enjoying dad life. If you want to no more about his life as Buddy the Elf, be sure to check out the event!
B.J Hollars
Finally, as part of his hosting duties, B.J Hollars will also share a story about the great Halloween blizzard of 1991! B.J. Hollars is the author of several books, including Year of Plenty and Wisconsin for Kennedy, both forthcoming this spring. He is a writer, professor, and a burgeoning documentarian. He is the director of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and founder of the Midwest Artist Academy.