DMITRI’S DREAM: DISCOVERING THE ALPHABET OF THE UNIVERSE – A CONVERSATION WITH STEPHANIE TURNER

Rebecca Mennecke

Dimitri Mendeleev had a dream. 

Literally, a dream. 

After writing his book, Principles of Chemistry, Mendeleev (or, by his Russian name: Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev) sought a way to organize the elements. According to legend, Mendeleev was so exhausted by his efforts that he fell asleep on a train ride after spending three days straight trying to develop an effective system of classification. 

Mendeleev recalled, “I saw in a dream, a table, where all the elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.” 

This discovery, as it turns out, was what we now know as the periodic table of the elements. 

Faculty and students from UW-Eau Claire’s art, sciences, English, theatre, and other departments are celebrating the 150th anniversary of this historic discovery in “Dmitri’s Dream: Discovering the Alphabet of the Universe” – an event that will be celebrated at 7pm on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Pablo Center.

I had the chance to chat with Stephanie Turner, a fantastic professor of English at UW-Eau Claire, who has been “ground zero” in assembling the audio and visuals for the event – a learning curve that has been fun for her, since she enjoys visuals and problem-solving with technology. 

Rebecca Mennecke: First, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I notice on your Blugold profile that you specialize in rhetorics of science! How did you get to be a part of this event?

Stephanie Turner: I'm drawn to this sort of event because my teaching and research typically crosses disciplines. I teach science communication and visual rhetoric, and my writing focuses on animals in visual culture and artists' response to biodiversity loss. I'm interested in how people learn about and use scientific knowledge to make practical decisions. Plus I really like the people involved in this Art AND Science group! I've been involved with their events in previous years. For example, I was one of the readers in a readers theatre production of excerpts of four science-related plays. That was my first experience with doing readers theatre, and it was a lot of fun.

RM: Technical writing is one of your specialties, and part of that comprises taking language within science and communicating it to specific audiences in a way they understand. How can we take a cue from Dmitri in finding new ways to not only integrate science into art, but also communicate that intersection to specific audiences?

ST: Dmitri was a teacher as well as a researcher, and his challenge was trying to teach his chemistry students about the elements. In addition to the story that he had a dream in which he envisioned the periodic table, another story has it that he developed the table that became the basis for the modern periodic table in trying out different ways to teach chemistry. He knew that to really understand something, it's important to teach it. 

RM: Why is the 150th anniversary of the periodic worth celebrating?

ST: Dimitri's contribution to chemistry is that he recognized the periodicity of the elements. In other words, they are predictably related by atomic weight and atomic number, and this can be represented in a systematic way. In fact, I think he used the word "system" to describe his table. In recognizing this underlying system, Dmitri was able to predict the existence of elements that had not yet been empirically demonstrated. That's what we are celebrating with the 150th anniversary.  

RM: Why is art a great way to represent the periodic table? Furthermore, how does science and art interact in this event?

ST: The periodic table is an ongoing human development. Like any other history, the history of chemistry is populated with great moments of insight, loads of everyday problem-solving, and smart, driven people. So the art of story-telling is very much involved in the history of chemistry. Something that fascinates me in particular, though, is the fact that the periodic table itself has been represented in so many dozens of ways. This raises the questions of whether there is an "optimal" periodic table and whether aesthetic considerations can be involved in science. These questions reflect an important divide between realists and instrumentalists, between theory and practice, that until this semester I hadn't really appreciated as an issue in chemistry. Another challenge in representing the elements is that, though they are real physical "things" that exist in the world, like copper and hydrogen, they don't all lend themselves easily to being visually represented. Visual artists love challenges like that, and their attempts to represent the elements and they ways they interact can be both educational and entertaining. 

RM: What makes the story of Dmitri Mendeleev worth sharing?

ST: Well, for one thing, it's got tons of pathos. I won't spoil it for you (you'll have to come to the show!), but the story of how he managed to get into school to learn about chemistry in the first place involves great loss and tremendous effort. You can't help but be on his side when you find out about his early years. 

 RM: What can we learn from Dmitri Mendeleev’s story or from him as an individual?

ST: Find a passion and keep putting one foot in front of the other – you will be rewarded.

RM: What are you looking forward to with this event? What are you hoping to see?

ST: I'm looking forward to seeing how the efforts of so many people involved in this event – faculty and students in chemistry, astronomy and physics, English, and art and design – manage to pull off a cohesive set of images and text. I'm hoping to see audience members find something to wonder and smile about. 

RM: Why is this a must-attend event for students of all disciplines?  

The elements are the very stuff the world is made of. There is no facet of life that they aren't involved in. And there are probably still a few we haven't identified yet. Who doesn't love a good mystery?

*

This isn’t the first event that the arts and sciences have collaborated to produce. Paul Thomas, a professor of physics and astronomy at UW-Eau Claire has been doing outreach projects for quite some time, he said. 

In November 2017, professors Jack Bushnell (English), Jim Rybicki (Physics and Astronomy), and Jill Olm (Art) presented a show at the Foster Gallery on the theme of “Color” as a part of the “Art AND Science” program – which “Dmitri’s Dream” blossoms from. This event, like “Dmitri’s Dream,” included faculty presentations, poetry readings, and drama presentations by students from various departments. It was coordinated with the “Ask a Scientist program,” and over 1,000 people attended both events, Thomas said. 

Last year, Jewell presented the movie “Let There Be Light,” a film about the development of nuclear fusion energy, at the Woodland Theatre in the Davies Center.  Afterward, Dr. Carey Forest, a researcher in the field of fusion energy, presented a brief talk and hosted a Q&A. More than 100 people attended this event. 

This year, “Dmitri’s Dream” is sure to be a hit! It’s coming up quickly, so grab your tickets now! 

Tickets are $5 and are available here.

Keeping The Wheels Turning: Jan Carroll Continues 6x6: A Reading Series

by Rebecca Mennecke

The rules for 6x6: A Reading Series are simple – Six readers. Six minutes. No repeats. 

Jan Carroll began the reading series after initially thinking of doing something similar with friends. When she pitched the idea to BJ Hollars, he said he had been thinking of doing something similar, and 6x6 was born! 

“Several people came to the first reading out of curiosity and to support those first six readers, and people really enjoyed it,” Carroll said. “It hasn’t really lost that momentum. It’s always fresh because each time features six new readers – not to mention a different theme. Also, it’s fun to be able to attend a reading where six quite different readers will be presenting their work. We try to include a variety of ages, backgrounds, and writing-experience levels.” 

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the legacy of 6x6: A Reading Series continues with Kaye Henrickson, Maddie Gray, Barbara Arnold, Jay Gilbertson, Marty Wood and Pamela Livingston, all of whom will read original work on the shared theme “Wheels.” 

Carroll brainstorms each theme for the event by thinking about things that can have multiple interpretations.

“A variety of takes on the subject makes a more interesting reading, in my opinion,” Carroll said. “Then I try to keep the theme something that most people can relate to, rather than assigning a really narrow idea.” 

Barbara Arnold said she considered numerous elements in her interpretation of “Wheels.”

One of her daily writing practices is “morning pages,” which Julia Cameron recommends in her book, The Artist’s Way. 

“The practice is you start writing whatever comes into your head as soon as you wake up in the morning,” Arnold said. “For me, that can be 3am or 4am – I call it the ‘bewitching hour,’ as I’m not totally awake nor totally asleep. Sometimes I’m still in a dream-like state. You write at least three pages, long-hand cursive – not on an electronic or digital device. I spend an hour or two writing this way every day – whatever comes into my head – in notebooks I’ve bought for this purpose.” 

She continued her “morning pages” practice, along with contributing to Volume One, when Carroll invited her to participate in 6x6. 

She said that Ken Burn’s recently released Country Music series inspired the piece she’ll perform, thanks, in part, to the story of The Carter Family and Johnny Cash and June Carter. 

“Can The Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye) by the Carter Family in 1935,” Arnold said. “A circle is like a wheel. Ring of Fire by June Carter Cash and sung by Johnny Cash in 1963. A ring is like a wheel. Roseanne Cash shared in an interview how her father worked out his problems on stage by singing and playing his music. And I realized a connection of sorts as I was doing the same through my Morning Pages.” 

After viewing the series, she began searching for words that had “wheel” in it, then reviewed the list for inspiration. 

At the least expected moment, “up bubbled a memory” from when Arnold visited a Daoist/Taoist temple in Hong Kong in 2012. There, she learned about the Dharma Chakra from a daoshi – or a Daoist/Taoist priest. “Chakra” means “wheel” in Sanskrit. 

That’s when the piece took on a life of its own.

“Both are metaphors for life,” Arnold said. “And that’s where I landed… I created an interactive poem where the audience can ‘play’ along for a longer presentation. The piece is not likely to ever be the same.” 

She said it took about six months of thinking, researching, and letting her ideas percolate before—after a few weeks of writing and editing—she reached her final version.

“With the 6x6 piece, I went through six versions during two weeks. I also read what I write out loud – sometimes in front of a mirror – to make sure it sounds natural,” she said.

Past themes of 6x6 event have included: work and play, Earth, Home, and so many more!  

As a part of 6x6, Carroll hopes for a variety of genres, different tones, and that each reader is “true to their own voice.” 

“I hope each time that each reader is learning something about their writing and about themselves,” Carroll said. 

All local writers are welcome! Writers don’t have to be a part of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild or have had any work published. If interested, just shoot an email to chippewavalleywritersguild@gmail.com. 

“I’m delighted to be part of 6x6, and if only once and forever, that’s wonderful!” Arnold said. “Perhaps this experience will lead to other opportunities to share my writing at gatherings like this.” 

 6x6 is shaking things up and hosting the event at 200 Main Art and Wine Gallery. Space is limited, so nab a ticket ahead of time. Check out more info here! 

Sound and Stories Sneak Preview: 7 Questions With "Joy to the Word" Performer Samantha Kobs

Samantha Kobs / Photo credit: Justin Patchin

Rebecca Mennecke 

Samantha Kobs knows a thing or two about joy – she experiences it with many of the things that keep her busy. She’s served as a Fulbright fellow in South Africa where she taught English for a year. Additionally, she worked in Mauritius – a small island country near Madagascar – and Rwanda for a start-up university. She eventually came back to Eau Claire to work part-time for a year at Delong Middle School. Now, she happily works as an English teacher at Stanley-Boyd High School. 

Besides being an adventurer of sorts, Samantha is also a prolific writer. Her recent piece, “Star Stuff,” was originally written for a 6x6 reading and is now featured in the third issue of Barstow and Grand. She’s also a Volume One contributor, where she says she’s a “meticulous” writer. She records each of her interviews and transcribes them, which she says makes her feel like Katie Couric – or something. 

“I guess I mostly do it to feel cool,” Kobs said. “I don’t have quite as quick of a turnaround with the other creative writing opportunities, and my focus with those is more on storytelling and connecting than relaying important information. Now that I’m thinking about it, my creative writing pieces are written more for my own personal feelings of accomplishment than for the readership’s pleasure. Or are they? Actually, I really don’t know anymore!” 

I had the immense pleasure of chatting with Samantha about an upcoming event in which she’ll be featured: “Sound And Stories Presents ‘Joy To The Word.”—an evening of holiday stories, humbug, good tidings and good cheer.  On December 16, she’ll be performing alongside storytellers and writers Tom Barland, Jan Larson, Bruce Taylor, and B.J. Hollars. All of this, alongside the musical stylings of The UKE Klub!

Rebecca Mennecke: The title of the event is “Joy to the Word,” so I have to ask—how does storytelling bring joy to the world?

Samantha Kobs: First of all, what isn’t storytelling? Movies, songs, video games – it seems like they all tell a story. It’s human nature to turn towards stories for comfort and entertainment. I think humans just want to know that their individual experiences – good or bad – are also experienced by others. That’s why I love going to different events, no matter where I’m at – in Eau Claire, out of town, or abroad. I’m always touched by the things that people share, and it is a great way to build relationships with people. 

RM: What are you excited to bring to this event?

SK: Well, I have no idea what anybody else is bringing to the event, but I’m hoping that I can offer a unique piece that is both reflective and relatable to the audience. My piece is a story, of course, but my writing is usually a strange form of talk-therapy. Often, when I write about moments in my life, I don’t really know why the moment is significant to me. At some point in the writing process, it usually hits me—it’s like this a-ha moment in which the entire memory makes sense. I’ll realize that the memory serves a purpose and tells me something about myself at the time of the experience that I may not have been aware of. It’s pretty cool, actually. And I’m hoping that the audience can experience that with me.

RM: What is it like to prepare a piece to read at this event?

SK: Writing for these local events is such an awesome opportunity. The theme is always pretty loose, which gives me a lot of creative freedom. At the same time, I’m given a time limit and a deadline, which is exactly what I’ve found I really need in order to create a solid piece. When I write in my own time without a particular event in mine, I often feel myself floundering with so many ideas or a complete lack of focus. I usually table those pieces because I just don’t know which direction to take them. With events like this, I’m given restrictions. As a person who loves a good challenge, it’s the best way for me to produce something!

RM: What is the best part of the holidays in the Chippewa Valley?

SK: I love the holiday season in the Chippewa Valley because there are always so many different events going on. During the summer, I take advantage of free music and the beautiful bike trails and parks, but it’s during the holiday season that I find myself wanting to get out of the house so much more, so I attend more readings, live music performances, or other events. It’s a great time to explore new places, especially when it helps to cure the cabin fever that so many of us get from being cooped up inside. Last winter, the snow was so high and the paths so narrow around my neighborhood that going for walks felt just as stifling as being at home. The different events around town really help combat the winter blues and remind me of how lucky I am to live here!

RM: Do you have any unique holiday traditions in your family that you would be willing to share?

SK: As much as I wish I could say that my family always rents a cabin in Duluth or that we sing carols by an open fire, none of that is true for us. I grew up in a low-income home, and some of my family still continues to work paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet. We don’t do holiday-themed family photos or decorate a tree together. Some years, we just bake Great-Grandma Sylvia’s signature sugar cookies or see if we can get a snowmobile or other random vehicle to start so we can rip around the yard (side note: my parents live on a junkyard). My sister and I usually try to squeeze into these retro snowsuits that belonged to my grandpa back in the day, I think. Last year, she blew out a leg zipper and had to duct tape it closed to keep the snow out. It felt very much like a typical holiday celebration to us – nothing Hallmark worthy by any means, but definitely full of laughter and the occasional non-life-threatening injury. I think my family holidays are so much more fun than holidays I’ve spent with friends or significant others. There isn’t any focus on the food being perfect or people being satisfied with the gifts they get. We just hang out until we’re tired, cold, and crabby, and it’s awesome!

RM: Do you have any tips on writing about the holidays?

Ken Szymanski / Photo credit: Justin Patchin

SK: My most frequently used writing tip comes from the wise and underrated Ken Szymanski, local English teacher and creative writing guru. He used to really stress the importance of moments, and he’s right. There are individual moments that stand out. Brief memories. Detailed visuals that we can’t seem to forget. I think it’s these things that make the best writing material. Again, the big question to ask yourself is this: why is this moment or image so important? If you’re like me, you might not know until you’ve been writing about it for a while. Sometimes something that seems insignificant can make the best damn story, and those are my favorite pieces as both an audience member and a writer. 

RM: What are your hopes for this event?

SK: To put it simply, I hope this event is just as awesome as the previous “Sound and Stories” events. I love how different each reader’s words are, and I’m hoping that our pieces all tell individual stories that collectively reach everybody in the audience in some way.

Join Samantha, Tom Barland, Jan Larson, Bruce Taylor, and B.J. Hollars as they celebrate words with good tidings and cheer at 7pm on Monday, Dec. 16 at the Pablo Center! There will be festive tunes from the UKE Klub.  This event has been generously sponsored by Royal Credit Union.

Support Your Artists, and Support the Arts, Too

B.J. Hollars

According to a newly-released study from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and  the National Endowment for the Arts, in 2015, America’s arts and cultural sector brought in over 763.6 billion dollars to our national economy. 

That’s billion with a b.

The study further notes that the arts “generated 4.2% of the overall U.S. GDP, with roughly 4.9 million Americans working in the sector in 2015…”

Those 4.9 million Americans do everything: from showcasing the art, to selling the art, to marketing the art, and on and on.  Simply put, it takes more than artists to contribute to the artistic community and its economic impact.

But at the same time, we can’t forget the artists, either.   Here’s a difficult truth: only a small sliver of that 763.6 billion ever actually makes it to the artists.  It’s discouraging, but it’s true. 

Here in Eau Claire, I’m regularly greeted with warm smiles from well-wishers who inform me just how much they love supporting “the arts.”  Of course, I always thank them for their support.  And perhaps I’d be better off stopping there.  Yet I can’t help but ask what, for me, seems like the logical follow-up question: “So how do you support the artists?” 

This question is usually met with an uncomfortable silence, mostly because people assume that when they support “the arts” they’re supporting “the artists” too. 

They’re not wrong.

Yet for many, supporting “the arts” begins and ends with buying a ticket to a show.  While that’s a great first step toward supporting the arts, it’s important to understand that only a small fraction of that ticket sale ever makes it into the hands of the artists.  Budgeted within each ticket sale are a variety of other expenses: staff, marketing, heat, electricity, not to mention the cost of the space itself.  This is not a criticism of the business model; it’s merely the way of things.

Every time I talk about the importance of supporting “the arts,” I worry that such a claim sounds much too nebulous.  What I mean to say is that we ought to support the artists—the writers and dancers and painters and sculptors and singers and strummers, all of whom have mortgages and medical bills and car payments just like everyone else. 

Here at the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, the vast majority of our budget goes directly to supporting artists.  If you give a craft talk, you can expect a paycheck.  Or if you perform at one of our ticketed Sound and Stories events, then you know that every penny of those ticket sales goes directly to you and the ticketing fee. 

The Guild takes no cut of the profits.    

It makes for a difficult business model: how can we provide free and low-cost programming year-round when most of the money is immediately distributed back to the artists? 

The answer is you. 

 Help us do away with these fundraising requests forever by becoming a 5.00/month sustaining member today.  If everyone did, we’d be on fantastic financial footing for the long haul.  Equally exciting, we’d be able to dedicate more time to creating great programming for you.  Or if you prefer to make a one-time donation, we’d be grateful for this support, too.

I’ll be the first to admit that the CVWG isn’t quite bringing in billions of dollars just yet.  However, we are proud to contribute nearly $30,000.00 annually to our local creative economy.  Not only that, but we’re contributing to the regional writing community as well by being a member of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, and by collaborating with various regional partners: from the Wisconsin Writers Association to Write on, Door County, and more.

Simply put, we are currently poised to do more than ever.  But we need your gift more than ever, too.   Please take a moment to make your tax-deductible gift today.  

Let’s support the artists.  And by doing so, let’s support the arts.

Be inspired, inspire others,

B.J. Hollars

A Sneak Preview on Elizabeth Evan's Craft Talk "From Acorn to Oak: On Editing, Agenting, and Nurturing Your Literary Work from Idea to Published Work"

B.J. Hollars

Last June, while strolling the streets of Homer, Alaska during a break from The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference, I had the great pleasure of befriending editor and former agent Elizabeth Evans. As we watched the fisherman haul in their halibut, we discussed writing, publishing and beloved books. Immediately, I knew we needed to bring Elizabeth—and her expertise!—to the Chippewa Valley. On November 12 at 6PM, Elizabeth and I will be in conversation on a talk we’re calling “From Acorn to Oak: On Editing, Agenting, and Nurturing Your Literary Work from Idea to Published Work” at 6PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. We’re grateful to the library for co-sponsoring this event.

During this event, Elizabeth will provide insight on the vital role of editors and agents, as well as “live critique” previously submitted query letters written by local writers. This is not to be missed!

Elizabeth and I recently had the chance to catch up. Read the complete interview below!

BJ Hollars: Tell us about how you found your way into the world of agenting and editing?

Elizabeth Evans: In my early 20s, I was living in San Francisco, and poking around the writing world in various ways. SF is a wonderfully literary city. I went to the Litquake festival, and to author readings all the time. I interned for the literary magazine Zyzzyva, which gave me a first taste of the submissions process and how editors select works for publication. And then I joined the MFA program at the University of San Francisco. It was there I met a wonderful writer and instructor, Judy Greber, who helped me find an internship with a local literary agency. The internship was a dream. I couldn't believe my job was to read all day. Before I graduated from my MFA program, I was agenting my first projects.

BH: Tell us about some of the books you were most excited to work with. What made those projects exciting?

EE: It sounds corny, but every book I repped was exciting, because as an agent you have to truly believe in the potential of every book you represent. My first sale was Glenda Burgess's The Geography of Love, a devastatingly beautiful memoir, and each moment of progress, from the cover reveal to the first glowing reviews, was special. Another one that stands out is Ella Frances Sanders's Lost in Translation, which was one of my first books to hit the bestseller list. It was such fun to call Ella to share the good news. My role as an independent editor is exciting in a different way. Often what's most rewarding is seeing the ways in which a manuscript improves between drafts, and feeling you've played a small part in the evolution of an exciting work.

BH: What's the most challenging part of being an editor?

EE: Managing a writer's expectations can be tricky. There are certain realities of the world of traditional publishing that most writers aren't aware of. The need for a platform in nonfiction, for example. I approach every project with enthusiasm, and never want to deter a writer from pursuing their dream, but it's important to me that my clients go into the process with eyes wide open and a clear understanding of the challenges they might encounter in a notoriously difficult industry.

BH: What don't most writers understand about the publication world?

EE: So much is expected of writers beyond the writing. Authors must be proactive partners to their publishers. There's a lot of hustle that's required, even once the manuscript is final and off to the printer. It's a full time job. There's never really any down time.

BH: If you could recommend one book that we should all read this minute, what would it be and why?

EE: Oof! Hard question. Like so many, Toni Morrison has been on my mind lately, and I don't think I've ever had a more powerful reading experience than I did with Beloved. That book is a force. It changed my ideas of what was possible in writing. It absolutely blew me away.

See you at 6PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library on Tuesday, November 12!

A Sneak Peek at "Toil and Trouble": An interview with Dan Lyksett and Sarah Jayne Johnson

It was a dark and stormy night in Lake Geneva, Switzerland, with four friends huddled next to a crackling fire, when one of the friends challenged the others to a ghost story competition. This friendly literary camaraderie between Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Polidori, and Mary Shelley led to one of the greatest pieces of gothic literature ever — Frankenstein. 

Although this is Wisconsin, not Switzerland, literary masterminds still gather for a night of “spine-chilling stories and spooky sounds” with the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild’s Sound And Stories Presents “Toil and Trouble” event on Oct. 29. 

This event will feature the “ghoulish” works of Elan McCallum, Ken Szymanski, Sarah Jayne Johnson, Dan Lyksett, and Deb Peterson with the dark music of Peter Phippen, Victoria Shoemaker, and Billy Krause. 

I had the chance to chat with Lyksett and Johnson about this spooky event and why folks should be on the edge of their seats about this storytelling and music event. 

Rebecca Mennecke: The “Toil & Trouble” event is coming up quickly! What are you most excited about? 

Dan Lyksett

Dan Lyksett: I’m honored to be asked to share that time with such a fun and talented crew. The audience is going to witness skilled writers and inspiring musicians collaborating to present singular moments. The words are known, but much of the blending of music to those words will be spontaneous. The night will be a singular combination of heart and mind.

Sarah Jayne Johnson: It's great to have any type of event that allows local talent to show their work. Whether it's writers, musicians, artists, etc., Eau Claire is bubbling over with people wanting outlets to show off their chops – "Toil & Trouble" is absolutely just that. I'm also excited to be surrounded by a room of weirdos who are (looking) to get a little spooked close to Halloween. Who doesn't like a lil' scare?

Sarah Jayne Johnson

RM: What are some of the ways you make your writing spooky? 

DL: My piece is perhaps less spooky than disconcerting. The title is “Death Trip: A True Story,” and there is sadness, and there is consolation. I’ve tried to make it relatable to anyone who has suffered loss, and, because of that, each member of the audience will bring their own experiences to the piece.

SJJ: I'm probably a little too into a lot of creepy stuff (scary videos, paranormal stories, true crime, etc.) so I get a lot of inspiration from different short stories and podcasts I listen to. It's easy to know what scares you but to try and pinpoint what scares other people is a whole other realm. When I'm writing scary stories, I try to take myself out of it and instead convey it in a way that will linger with people even after they're done reading/listening to it.

RM: Even if a spooky story isn’t really that spooky, we as writers can still make it sound scary. What are some of your top scary storytelling tips? 

Musicians Victoria Shoemaker and Peter Phippen

DL: Whether you’re telling a scary story or trying to make someone laugh, “place” is key. The more familiar your characters and their circumstances are to the audience, the more your entire story will ring true. If your story then takes them to a “place” they’ve never been – meeting a spirit, for example – it’s all the easier for them to follow and place themselves there.

SJJ: Honestly, letting other people read and listen to it is the best way to make something scarier. We are all in our own head when it comes to pieces we create, so giving it to an audience – even if it is just one other person – is going to make all the difference in how it is conveyed. Deb Peterson, one of the other speakers at the event, gave me some really positive feedback about pace, pausing, and tone of voice that I wouldn't have been able to hear on my own. I would say that if you ever get the opportunity to workshop your piece, do it. It's a little bit nerve-wracking, but it's worth it.

RM: For folks who are new to this event, what is the number one thing they should know about “Toil & Trouble”? Is it actually a lot of toil and trouble? 

DL: To borrow a cliché, “They’ll laugh, they’ll cry.” There is toil and trouble, but there is also humor and a sharing of important personal experiences and quite a bit of “Well, I didn’t see that coming!” And again, there is the amazing collaboration between musicians and writers that makes this type of event special.

SJJ: Anyone coming to this event should anticipate some very different stories set to some truly impressive music. The combination of scary stories and eerie sounds is sure to fill the room with some very tantalizing tension. Anyone who wants a pre-Halloween spook should definitely consider coming. Maybe there will even be a real ghost! Who are we to know? 

Ready to get into the literary Halloween spirit? “Toil & Trouble” will be from 7-8:30pm on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Pablo Center. 

Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold: 10 Questions With Dorothy Chan

Rebecca Mennecke 

For Dorothy Chan, the newest assistant professor of English at UW-Eau Claire, writing is a non-stop process; she writes as often as she can. Her reading from her recent collection of poetry, Revenge of the Asian Woman, will be a highlight of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival at 6PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library on Oct. 23.

In anticipation of her latest book, we thought we’d familiarize ourselves with her previous book, Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold. Described by poet David Kirby as “steam punk on steroids… plutonium-powered and neon-lit,” Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold explores themes like feminism, Asian culture, food, and sexuality in a fresh way. 

I had the opportunity to chat with Chan about some of the themes she has explored in her writing since the very beginning. 

Rebecca Mennecke: What inspires you to write a poem? 

Dorothy Chan: Lots of things but mostly food, sex, fantasy, fetish popular culture, and Asian American identity. Oh, and power. I think it's important to surround yourself with interesting people. That way, you're always inspired. Sometimes, one of my close friends will say something funny, and the next thing you know, I'm typing up notes on my iPhone. At certain points of the year, I'll have over 200 notes on my phone just from things I overhear, fantasies I have, dreams from the night before, etc. It's the poet's job to always remain awake, alert, ready to take in new ideas.

RM: How on Earth do you title a poem (or a book) that explores so many different elements? Specifically, I’m super interested in your poem “Ode to Psychics, Hookers, Shark Bone, and Free Iced Tea.” How did you decide on the titles that appear in the final version of your book?
DC: This is what I tell my students: aim for titles that are five words or more. Excess. Create full titles that tell stories – that are full of dimension. Back in my MFA, my poetry uncle, Alberto Ríos taught me that "The best line of the poem is the one that I am reading. And that does not exclude the title."

RM: How do titles and the poems themselves work together to create meaning in your work?
DC: Titles should tell stories in themselves. When you open a book of poetry, I think it's important to first fall in love with the titles. Look down the page at the table of contents. Make observations. And then of course, once you read the poems themselves, more meaning is created and observed.

RM: Feminism. Asian culture. Food. Sexuality. How do you weave and intertwine each topic so seamlessly?
DC: I believe all these topics are naturally connected. Intersectional feminism is the way I live my life. It's the way I structure my classes and choose my reading lists. And intersectional feminism is of course linked to sex positivity, along with culture. Food is also this common language for the world. I'll leave this open-ended, but I think you can tell a lot about a person based on the food they eat, the food they prepare, the food they order, and the food they try.

RM: You write a lot about food! It makes me hungry just reading your work. What’s your go-to writing snack?
DC: And Rebecca, you win the award for best interview question of all time! I love Pocky, Koala's March, jalapeño chips, and salt and vinegar chips. If I had all the money in the world, I'd be eating Jean Philippe pastries and macarons while writing. I also love green tea and iced black coffee.

RM: In Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold, you explore some complex relationships with your parents and your family. How do you recommend writers explore complex relationships with people who are important to them through the writing process?

DC: I'm bad, but I'd say don't worry about it.  I find that many times, young writers worry too much about writing about a family member, especially a parent. Again, don't worry about it. Your feelings are valid. 

RM: You write a good number of sonnets in this book. How did you come to like this type of poem? Was there a specific poem or poet that inspired you to use this form?
DC: I could go on and on about the sonnet for days, but I believe the sonnet is the perfect form. Think about it: fourteen lines, ten syllables per line – it's really the amuse-bouche of poetry – it's that palate teaser that makes you want more and more, makes you go on and on. I fell in love with the sonnet during my undergraduate at Cornell. There, I worked closely with Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon. In Lyrae's classes, we not only wrote sonnets, but we also wrote sonnet crowns (7 sonnets in a row). Then, over the years, I experimented with this form, from my chapbook Chinatown Sonnets, to what I like to call my specialty – the triple sonnet.

RM: You also break up your poems in this book into three sections.  How did you decide the different sections?
DC: A triptych is just so romantic. It reminds me of the years I studied art history. When writing a book of poems, I think about the overarching narrative, along with the speaker's development.

RM: In your poem, “My Mother the Writer,” you talk about how your mom is a writer too. You also dedicate this book to her! How did your mom help shape your writing?
DC: She's always been undyingly supportive of my career as a writer.

RM: What writers or writings have inspired you?
DC: A lot! I will first say my mentors, Norman Dubie, Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Alice Fulton, and Alberto Ríos. I'm currently reviewing Rae Gouirand's The History of Art and Lee Ann Roripaugh'sTsunami vs the Fukushima 50 – these are two gorgeous collections. Of course, I'm currently reading my poetry sister, Taneum Bambrick's debut, Vantage, which won the APR/Honickman Prize. I love everything in the Spork Press catalog. I love Richard Siken's poetry. I've been recommending the novella, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata to everyone I know, since the summer. And, I'm excited for E.J. Koh's forthcoming memoir, The Magical Language of Others, along with my Spring 2020 course reading lists, which include Vantage, along with Mess and Mess and by Douglas Kearney, Tender Data by Monica McClure, Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel, Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang, The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy, and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir by T Kira Madden.

RM: You also have strong female and Asian representation in your poetry. What impact do you hope your perspective has on future writers?
DC: Always practice and preach intersectional feminism. 

Be sure to hear Dorothy read from her latest work from 6pm-7pm on Wednesday, Oct. 23

Chippewa Valley Book Festival: Rebecca’s Top 7 Picks

by Rebecca Mennecke

Most kids get to go to the zoo on the weekend. Or, perhaps, they go to the playground, to sleepovers, or to see a movie. When I was younger, I was dragged to authors’ book talks and  signings. Correction: I was willingly dragged to authors’ book talks and signings. A letter from my first-grade teacher revealed I was “sparkly-eyed” when talking about how I met David Shannon – the author of No! David. The author list continues: Marie Lu (author of Legend) Marc Brown (the mastermind behind the Arthur books), Patrick Carmen (author of Skeleton Creek), Lemony Snicket (author of A Series of Unfortunate Events), and so many more. I grew up immersed in literature, so it’s no surprise that I’m super pumped for the Chippewa Valley Book Festival this year. 

But, I’m a busy lady. As much as I’d love (seriously, love!) to go to every one of the events, there’s no way I can cram them all into my already-bursting schedule. Here are my top-picks for this year’s festival, and why I know I can’t miss them. 

1.) Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time

Tanya Lee Stone's Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time discusses one topic I’m personally passionate about: girls’ education and the positive impact it has on society as a whole. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a feminist. I wrote an entire column for my school newspaper, titled Bad Feminist based on Roxane Gay’s TED Talk Confessions of a Bad Feminist. As a writer, and as a human being in general, it’s crucial to know the importance of women empowerment in society. This could be me channeling my inner Emma Watson here (“If not me, who? If not now, when?”), but this is one event you won’t want to miss.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 from 7pm-8pm at Centennial Hall (Room 1614), UW-Eau Claire

2.) Don’t Call Me Crazy: Navigating Mental Health with Compassion, Understanding, and Honesty

I have anxiety. It’s a fact of my life. But, I’m not alone in that respect. At least 20 percent of Americans have a mental illness. Yet, it seems like talking about mental health can be really tricky, leading many people to skip conversations about it altogether.  Kelly Jensen, the author of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health is shaking things up by openly talking about mental illness. (Cue the enormous collective gasp.) This is a book I’m seriously in love with, and I know you will be too. 

Thursday, Oct. 17 from 5pm-6pm at Schofield Hall, UW-Eau Claire

3.) Making the Unseen, Seen: Giving Voice to Diverse Characters in Fiction and Beyond

Achieving diverse representation is something we all as writers aspire to achieve in our writing. However, it can be really tricky to achieve not just representation, but representation that has agency and is meaningful. This talk will walk writers through that complex topic of diversity in writing  with the fantastic read, If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi. 

Monday, Oct. 21 from 6:30pm-7:30pm at the Memorial Student Center Ballroom, UW-Stout

4.) A Font and the Search for One Man’s Fate

If you know me well, you know I work hard to make my handwriting look impeccable. I love looking up “study inspo” on Pinterest just so I can look at neatly-printed notes, and I keep a hoard of colorful pens and markers around my apartment just for that rare moment when I want to try my hand at my own “study inspo.” How the handwriting of Frenchman Marcel Heuzé became a modern cursive computer font is a mind-blowing story that attracted me immediately. When I saw this book on the new book shelf at the library (where I work), I snatched it before any of the other librarians could. 10/10 would recommend. 

Tuesday, Oct. 23 from 7pm-8pm at the Fall Creek Public Library

Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 10:30am-11:30am at the Menomonie Public Library 

5.) Revenge of the Asian Woman: A Reading with Dorothy Chan

Besides being the new assistant professor of English in the English Department at UW-Eau Claire, Dorothy Chan is a brilliant poet who takes on seemingly ordinary topics like sex, food, Asian culture, and family while serving up some fresh (and savory) takes. Her poetry is a delightful read, and so I know I’m more than a little bit stoked to attend her book talk. (Plus, let’s talk about that title: “Revenge of the Asian Woman.” Talk about powerful. I want to know all her titling secrets.) 

Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 6pm-7pm at L.E. Phillips Memorial Library

6.) The Great Believers: Where Fiction Meets History

I couldn’t escape Rebecca Makai’s The Great Believers even if I tried. And, believe me, this is a good thing. Besides sharing the phenomenal same first name, we share the same home – Chicago. (Okay, I cheat. I’m from the suburbs. But, close enough.) This book is seriously phenomenal (and, not to mention, it’s a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer in fiction and the 2018 National Book Award). Also, this book is available literally everywhere. Every time I go to a bookstore, the book is waiting right there on the shelves. I’m pretty sure the bookstores are trying to subtly tell me to buy every copy. Tickets for this event are free, but reserve ‘em ahead of time here. 

Saturday, Oct. 26 from 7:30pm-8:30pm at the RCU Theatre, Pablo Center at the Confluence 

7.) Barstow & Grand: Issue #3 Release Reading

One of the beautiful parts of being a part of the Chippewa Valley community is that we have an awesome literary community, jam-packed full of talented writers. Barstow & Grand offers just a snippet of those talented writers, and so I’m not kidding you when I say this issue will be phenomenal. The Issue #2 release was more than just a book release; it was a joining of great creatives and literary minds from around the Chippewa Valley collectively celebrating words. It’s on a whole ‘nother planet to hear writers read their own work. Check all these fabulous local writers out yourself at the new issue’s release. 

Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 7:30pm-9pm at Lazy Monk Brewing 

As much as I wish I could attend every event, my busy schedule says I have to choose carefully. This is only one short snippet of the talented writers who are presenting their hard work, and they’re all about topics I’m really passionate about. You might find other topics that are way more interesting to you. You can only find out by checking out the event lineup for yourself at the Chippewa Valley Book Festival website, found here. You never know the neat things you’ll find there…

"Oddly Enough" season 2 creeps Onto Converge Radio in October

by Rebecca Mennecke

CREEEAK... 

What’s that sound? No worries, it’s just season 2 of the local radio drama series, Oddly Enough creeping onto Converge Radio (99.9) beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 and running every Friday through Dec. 13. 

This local radio drama comprises the so-good-it’s-spooky work of local writers and radio masterminds resulting in ten episodes involving supernatural and sci-fi elements. Karen Drydyk, the showrunner, assures listeners that the new season will offer “a gasp, a giggle, and the chance to embrace our world in all its weirdness.” 

Drydyk said it takes about a year to put each season of fictional episodes together. After the writers finish the scripts, they do a table read, record and then spend significant time “crafting the auditory experience of each episode.” 

What exactly does that look like when it comes to season 2? I chatted with Karen Drydyk to find out more about this thrilling new radio drama masterpiece. 

KAREN DRYDYK 

Rebecca Mennecke: What should listeners expect from this season? What are you looking forward to in the release of season 2? 

Karen Drydyk: Listeners should expect some twists and turns, some regional geographic nods, and a few surprises. I’m most looking forward to our first and last episode of the season, but that’s because I think they’re relevant for me and other Millennials. 

RM: What makes Oddly Enough a unique storytelling experience, as compared to other radio drama series? 

KD: Oddly Enough is a unique experience because it’s a fictional account of sci-fi and odd concepts. No other local (and very few national) radio dramas focus on episodic sci-fic topics. 

RM: This is a locally created radio drama series! What is it like to work with folks around the Chippewa Valley on this project? 

KD: My favorite part of working as a showrunner for Oddly Enough is working with the incredibly talented inhabitants of the Chippewa Valley – from writers to production staff to voice actors. We have such a vibrant community, and I’m honored to bring their talents and voices to the airwaves. 

JIM JEFFRIES 

One of the writers behind two of the episodes, “Memory Root and Bough,” and “Wrong Number,” Jim Jeffries (also known as: Jane Jeffries’ husband) said it’s pretty sweet to get to work with such “amazingly creative” people. 

Rebecca Mennecke: Can you walk me through the creation of each episode from start to finish? 

Jim Jeffries: My wife, Jane, and I work as a team.  Usually each of us has an idea for a script and write the first three pages.  Then we switch scripts, revise what was written by each other, and then advance the script about three more pages.  We are more objective (ruthless) with each other and are not worried about hurting each other's feelings. We end up cutting a lot of dead wood.  

RM: What makes Oddly Enough unique as compared to other radio dramas? 

JJ:  I like the local feel of the scripts in a Twilight Zone universe.

RM: What makes writing for print different from writing for radio? What are some tips you have to keep in mind? 

JJ: We love radio because we don't have to worry about sets, costumes, blocking, or memorization. And the sound wizards at Converge are awesome to work with for sound effects.

After the writers finish up their reads, the “sound wizards” at Converge radio takes over to make the episode in its final form. One of those sound wizards is Alexx Stadtlander, a UW-Eau Claire student and the producer of every episode. 

ALEXX STADTLANDER

 Rebecca Mennecke: Converge Radio works on adding in music and sound effects to the radio drama. Can you tell us more about the work you have to do to reach the final product of season 2? 

Alexx Stadtlander: The final product for each episode takes anywhere from 3 hours to 6 or 8 depending on how detailed the writer wants the episode. As the producer I have a sound effects library that I get most of the sound effects and music from. If an episode calls for footsteps I'll find it in my database and listen to 2-4 recordings to find the sound that fits the episode best. I do the editing and recording in Adobe Audition so once I find the right sound effect I place it in the correct spot of the recording. Sometimes if I can't find a sound effect I like or the writer is looking for a specific sound I get to find something close and then edit by putting filters on it, I like having the freedom to put my own little twist on the sound effect. 

RM: How does adding music and sound effects change the storytelling process? 

AS: Music and sound effects bring the radio drama to life. It starts with a few voice actors that we record in the studio. They do a good job bringing their voice and character to life but if that were to air on the radio it wouldn't hold the listeners attention very well and the story wouldn't make as much sense. The sound effects add depth to the story and help bring it to life. Footsteps show that the character is walking around or is anxious and pacing around. The campfire ambiance shows that the scene takes place outside at dark. Without those little cues the story is not as exciting.

RM: What was it like to work on Oddly Enough? What is your favorite part of working on this project? 

AS: It was a lot of fun to work on "Oddly Enough". I was part of the recording process for this season and I was the only producer this season so it was a lot of work but I enjoyed all of it. My favorite part of working on this project is the people I get to meet. I get to listen to really interesting stories written by local residents and then I get to meet and work with the writers.

Last season featured five spooky episodes, but this season,  the Oddly Enough team has doubled their efforts with ten jaw-dropping episodes including: 

• Friday, Oct. 4: “Cornfield of Love” by Laura Buchholz 

• Friday, Oct. 11: “Go the Extra Mile” by Deb Peterson 

• Friday, Oct. 18: “Memory Root and Bough” by Jim Jeffries & Jane Marie 

• Friday, Oct. 25: “The Legend of Gassy Gus” by BJ Hollars 

• Friday, Nov. 1: “The Colony” by Deb Peterson 

• Friday, Nov. 15: “Civil Dialogue” by Laura Buchholz 

• Friday, Nov. 22: “Hold Your Nose and Make a Wish” by Deb Peterson 

• Friday, Nov. 29: “Wrong Number” by Jim Jeffries & Jane Marie 

• Friday, Dec. 6: “The Tinkerer” by BJ Hollars 

• Friday, Dec. 13: “7 Inches of Snow” by Laura Buchholz 

In addition to listening on the radio and via online streaming, “Go the Extra Mile” will also be performed live on October 29 as part of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild “Sound and Stories” series.  Tickets are available here.

More information can be found on the Oddly Enough Facebook page here. 

Finally, to get caught up on last season’s episodes, check out our Midwest Radio Drama portal available here.

Riding And Writing: An Interview With Ron Davis

Rebecca Mennecke

In wintertime, some UW-Eau Claire students used to ride down the hill on lunch trays from the campus cafeteria.When Ron Davis was a freshman at UW-Eau Claire, he would ride his first motorcycle down the hill from his apartment by the former Shopko building and park it down by the science building. After class, he said it was “pretty humiliating” to bump start it in front of all the other riders. Years later, he’s still riding with his BMW G310GS – his fifth BMW. In the time between that first motorcycle and his current one, Ron Davis has seen, heard, and experienced a thing or two. Davis recounts these life experiences and his love of riding in his recently published collection of articles and essays, Shiny Side Up: Musings on the Improbable Inclination to Travel on Two Wheels.

I had the chance to catch up with Davis about Shiny Side Up and his love of riding – and writing. 

Rebecca Mennecke: What inspired you to write your book about motorcycle riding — Shiny Side Up?

Ron Davis: About five years ago I had written a number of stories for motorcycle mags and for Wisconsin Public Radio, and the editor of BMW Owners News asked me if I would write a monthly column. I didn’t think I could come up with something every month, but he said, “Just give me one year.” Five years later, I had a bundle of more than 50 essays, and a publisher urged me to compile them into a book. I had thought of that before, but this was the first time I had been offered a book deal. It’s hard to say what inspires me as a writer. All my life, once I get an idea for a story, my brain won’t let me rest until I get it down on paper. It may have something to do with the fact I come from a family of voracious readers, and my father was a newspaper guy. It’s always been, I can’t not write, for some reason. For instance, I recently did a story for Volume One about a tragic circus accident that happened in Eau Claire in 1901. Somebody had mentioned a kernel of the story to me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I did the research and wrote the story.

RM: I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, but I still found your book to be humorous, quite clever, and extremely relatable. How did you balance your writing to appeal to both folks in the motorcycle-riding community as well as folks like me who have never touched a motorcycle before? 

RD: Many of the stories in my columns and in the book have a pretty thin connection to motorcycling. In fact, once, after a story called “The Grand Adventure” was published, a reader sent in a letter to the editor asking, “What the heck does this have to do with motorcycling?” My answer was, “Not very much,” but my editor gives me a lot of rope. I write about personal experiences that somehow, luckily, resonate with readers – riders or not.

 RM: You have quite a bit of humor in your writing! How can a writer learn to incorporate more humor into their work, as you have done in your essays? 

RD: I guess most of the humor in my writing is self-deprecating. I think that’s often the key to being successful with humor. If you watch stand-up comedians like Jim Gaffigan, you’ll see much of their humor is based on confessing to their own imperfections. There’s a connection, maybe a kind of relief to hear, or read, someone else talk, write, about human foibles—pride, impulsiveness, conceit, etc. Your question made me remember a creative writing class I took in high school. We had to turn in journals and the teacher, with whom I was hopelessly infatuated, would read them silently as we worked on something else. I could tell when she was reading mine, and sometimes I would catch her giggling about something I wrote. That forever hooked me on trying to incorporate humor in my work.

RM: You also have a very down-to-earth tone throughout the book. How do you achieve that fun, casual manner of writing?

RD: I try to write like I’m telling a story to a friend. It’s strange how many hours you can spend crafting a story on paper to make it sound “casual!” When I taught writing classes, I used to force university students to tell a partner their stories before they started their first draft, and I think that gave them a little insight into what worked and what didn’t.

RM: In chapter 12, “A Long, Strange Trip” you argue that riders “attach special meaning to the phrase, ‘The journey is the destination,’ but sometimes our destinations can change the way we feel about our journeys.” Did you find this phrase to be true when you were writing the book? 

RD: “A Long, Strange Trip” – about a story of a Nazi work camp survivor and his family – turned out to be one of my favorite stories. I initially wanted to write the story just for the subject’s family since, though really amazing, it had never been put down on paper. But it made me rethink my own life also. I think writing has always been a way of learning about myself, and when you see your writing in print, hear it on the radio, or get a response from a reader, it also changes your self-image.

RM: Riding motorcycles is clearly something you love a lot! What was it like to incorporate your love of riding into your writing?

RD: Truth be told, I’m not a die-hard rider anymore; in fact, the older I get and the more dangers I see for riders, the more it scares me. I guess I’m more what you would call “an enthusiast.” No pun intended, but writing about motorcycling is just a “vehicle” for me to write about the things that make us human.

RM: Let’s talk about your clever titles! “How to Lose Friends and Influence Absolutely No One,” “The Happy Camper,” “We Are What We Speak,” “Welcome to My Nightmare: The Parking Lot,” and so many more! How do you come up with such great titles? 

RD: I’ve never been very good at writing headlines for features and news stories, but you have much more freedom when it comes to columns and essays – it’s okay to be obscure or to turn a hackneyed phrase or basically steal a title from elsewhere. It’s fun to fool around with those. Usually I write a few, wait a while, then settle on one; sometimes I get overruled by an editor.

RM: You also have some pretty fun pictures and graphics throughout the book. How do you use images to work with your writing? 

RD: I guess one thing that has made my columns and essays unique is I usually try to include some sort of image with them that ties in. Just like my need to write, since I was a photography teacher for 30 years, I can’t resist the impulse to include some kind of image. Even for my stories that have been featured on “Wisconsin Life,” I try to offer my own image for the web archive.

RM: Although your book focuses primarily on riding, you also explore other themes! How do relate your other life experiences back to motorcycles?

RD: Sometimes you have to kind of amalgamate experiences, which is permissible in the kind of writing I usually do. Motorcycles have been a part of my life, off and on, for a long time, so it’s usually not too hard to weave in some sort of connection. In my last column I wrote about a rather unfortunate high school experience where a former girlfriend knocked me off my feet in front of half of the school with what I later surmised was a five pound purse. I sort of co-mingled that story with another time I was jealous over seeing a different girlfriend on another guy’s Royal Enfield motorcycle.

RM: In chapter 33, you say “The more I learn, the less I’m sure I know.” How can this also be true of writing, as it is with riding? 

RD: Every time I get something published, for a moment I feel pretty good about myself as a writer, then I read somebody else. Like right now I’m reading a lot of Richard Russo, and I am instantly humbled. Every writing project presents new and unique challenges, just like every road I cover on a bike. Like Heraclitus once one wrote “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” You can never step into the same river, just as you can never ride the same road when you’re on a bike.

In addition to teaching high school and university classes in writing, photography, and publishing, and working as a social media writer for the tourism industry in Northwest Ontario, Davis works as an associate editor and columnist for BMW Owners News and has had writing appear in BMW Owners News, BMW Motorcycle Magazine, Volume One, Our Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life,” and the National Writing Project. 

“Not A Good Fit: Overcoming Rejection And Learning To Thrive In The Literary World”: Interviews with the Writers

by Rebecca Mennecke 

The phrase “turning lemons into lemonade” is a common colloquialism in the English language – particularly in the Midwest. But, what does it mean to turn lemons into lemonade when the lemons are rejection letters and you’re a writer, not a lemonade-maker? 

Join Max Garland, Eric Rasmussen, Elizabeth de Cleyre, and Katie Venit at the “Not A Good Fit: Overcoming Rejection And Learning To Thrive In The Literary World” event from 6pm-8pm on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, where they will focus on how writers can spin the negativity of rejection into a positive. 

Rasmussen, de Cleyre, and Venit will kick off the event at 6pm with their presentation “If At First You Don’t Succeed: A Conversation on Persevering Beyond Rejection.” Garland will follow with his presentation, “Befriending Failure: Lessons from the Whitman School of Condemnation, Defamation, Denunciation, and Vilification, or So You Think You’ve Been Rejected?” 

We had the opportunity to chat with the writers/masterminds behind this event to learn more about their backgrounds with rejection and how they turned those literary lemons into lemonade.

Chatting with Max Garland 

Rebecca Mennecke: This presentation focuses on overcoming rejection and learning to thrive in the literary world. Can you tell us about your experience with rejection?

Max Garland: I think "rejection" in the literary sense of the word is simply a part of writing. It's really a part of any human process or endeavor, isn't it? You offer things and sometimes your offerings are accepted as useful to others, and sometimes not. But whether a poem or story or essay is accepted or rejected really has very little to do with the deeper reasons for writing.

RM: What can make rejection so frustrating for a writer?

MG: When a writer is starting out, rejection may seem like a judgement on the "person" rather than the work. Writers may begin to concoct conspiracy theories – how unfair the literary world is, how it's "who" you know, rather than "what" you know. Or writers may become discouraged and doubt the validity of their words. But doubt is part of any heartfelt endeavor. If you need to write to make sense of your life, then you continue, and, in the long run, the "success" of that continual effort will be dictated by how satisfying the writing process seems to you, how important the discoveries you make while writing become to your life.  

RM: As the winner of the 2017-18 Brittingham Poetry Prize, the winner of the Cleveland State Poetry Center Open Competition, winner of the Juniper Prize for Poetry, and the poet behind several successful publications, do you still find it challenging to face rejection?

MG: For every publication or prize there have been many more times when the outcome hasn't turned out the way I wanted. I don't really consider those outcomes as rejections any more than I consider those prizes to signify success. I consider both as part of writing.

RM: How do we as writers turn something as negative as rejection into something positive?

MG: I'll paraphrase the poet Rilke, and say that "doubt" need not be a hindrance, but a signal that you're approaching something important, and you have a decision to make – embrace the doubt, live with it, knowing that it's part of the challenge, or give it the power to stop you. 

RM: Walt Whitman had to appreciate his own work, Leaves of Grass, before anyone else really did. How do you recommend writers gain that kind of confidence with their own work?

MG: Walt Whitman was an undaunted soul. He felt doubt, and was not above calculated professional intrigue, but his reasons for writing ran deeper than discouragement. He was audacious, ambitious, and had a sense of "self" that seemed to transcend the typical understanding of that word. He wrote as if his words came from the shared human experience. When I think of Whitman, I think of something the poet Mary Oliver said. She said it was never a matter of whether or not she was going to write, but a matter of whether or not she was going to love her life.

Chatting with Eric Rasmussen

Rebecca Mennecke: This event focuses on the theme of rejection. Can you tell us about your experience with rejection?

Eric Rasmussen: I started submitting work, including short stories to literary journals and novel manuscripts to agents, about six years ago. The rejections started almost immediately after that and haven’t stopped since! As I’ve learned more about the publishing industry and what writers who eventually get published go through, I understand more than ever how rejection functions in the writing world. But even with that understanding, rejection is still something I struggle with. No more than a few days go by where I don’t receive a rejection, and that still stings.

RM: You have around 1,300 rejections! What do you do with a piece of writing after it is rejected?

ER: One rejection doesn’t prompt any changes. A dozen or so will prompt me to dive back into a piece to add another coat of polish, cleaning up sentences or trying to add creative flourishes. By the time I hit three or four dozen it’s time to think about bigger revisions. What could be added or taken away to make the story sleeker, more engaging, closer to something that lit journals or agents are picking up, or weirder and more unique so as to stand out from the pile?

RM: What makes rejection so frustrating for writers?

ER: Once a writer gets over the emotional response to being rejected (I’m not good enough, it’s not fair, the people who rejected me are mean/stupid/biased/etc.), what remains is the question of what to do with a rejection. How do I use this to improve the writing? The frustrating part is that rejections can mean so many things (that) they are essentially meaningless. Maybe your piece didn’t fit with the issue, or is too close to something recently printed, or is about a topic the editor has seen too many times before. Maybe your writing skills need some work, or your bio isn’t impressive enough. Maybe the editor ended up soliciting most of the pieces for the issue. Maybe your ending isn't dynamic enough, or your characters aren’t likable enough, or the situation is too quiet. Or not quite enough. Good writers will do their best to collect evidence of what they need to improve, but unfortunately, squeezing evidence out of a pile of rejections is an incredibly difficult task.

RM: As an editor, what are some characteristics of pieces that are rejected? What makes a piece "rejectable”?

ER: At the lowest level, not following submission guidelines and errors in basic writing and proofreading skills make a piece rejectable. After that, there are a whole pantheon of reasons, most of which vary by editor. We all like different things, as evidenced by the unique collection of books and TV shows and movies we all love. So, part of submitting is a game of statistics, of finding someone who loves the type of thing you’ve written. I wrote a story that got rejected about forty times because no one liked the ending (I assume this is true, because none of my writing friends liked the ending.) The forty-first editor who read the story loved the ending and accepted the story. That’s how most slush pile successes work.

RM: How can writers get over a fear of rejection?

ER: Sadly, I have no good answer here. I struggle emotionally with rejection all the time. With every new piece, I try to write something more engaging, more entertaining, more tuned to the marketplace. But I would also be betraying my craft if I didn’t write things that I wanted to write, things that I found profound and creative and worth putting on paper. Someday I hope to find where both those concerns overlap, at which point my acceptances will come a tiny bit closer to balancing the rejections. Until then, I wince a little bit whenever I check my email. But at least I understand better than ever before that it’s all part of a process that everyone goes through.

Chatting with Katie Venit

Rebecca Mennecke: This presentation is about overcoming rejection. Can you tell me about your experience with rejection? 

Katie Venit: Well, I’ve been rejected a lot. I’ve been rejected quickly, and I’ve been rejected after months and months and months of waiting. One of my happiest moments as a writer was when I got a “higher tier” rejection from one of my crush journals. This is a rejection, but also a note that says they liked it, it just wasn’t quite exactly right for them and please submit again. I was so excited to get that rejection – even more excited than any of the acceptances I’ve gotten because I haven’t quite managed to get anything accepted at my first-choice journals.

RM: What can make rejection so frustrating for a writer? 

KV: For me it’s the black box of rejection – not knowing why a piece wasn’t picked up. Was it just not a good fit for them or was there something wrong with my piece – something fixable but that I just can’t see because I’m too close to it? I’ve been trying to place a particular piece for over a year—easily my favorite thing that I’ve ever written, but no one wants it. Is it because it sort of a hybrid piece that doesn’t fit into clear boundaries of flash fiction or prose poetry? Or is it just bad and no one could like it but me? I think I have good taste, but it’s also a very personal piece for me, so I don’t know.

RM: How can we as writers spin something as negative as rejection into a positive? 

KV: Someone told me to think of submissions as an opportunity for relationship building. So I try to think of rejections as just a part of the start of the relationship. Let’s say I meet someone I think might make a good friend and ask them to go to a monster truck rally with me. They say no, that’s not their thing. Well, now I know that’s something we don’t have in common. That’s a data point. It might turn out we don’t have enough in common to have a long-term relationship, or it might be that that’s the only thing we don’t share. I gotta keep asking and trying to see what future there is with us. How they refuse my invitation is important, too. Are they classy and kind, or scornful? On the topic of writing, I make a note of the places that say why they didn’t pick up the story. Those are the places that I will submit to more quickly in the future. If the rejections are snarky or inconsiderate, I don’t really care to have a relationship with them, so I can safely take them off my submission list for future pieces. In the flash fiction world, there’s a really prestigious online magazine that took a year to respond to my submission and just said, verbatim, “we’re going to pass on this.” That’s no way to form a relationship with a writer. If you asked your new acquaintance to a monster truck rally and they just said, “no, I’m going to pass,” and walked away how would that make you feel? For me, personally, it’s a sign that they’re not a good fit for me because I value life’s niceties and appreciate the acknowledgement that making an invitation and submitting a story is a vulnerable act. So I suppose the positive would be to look at it as relationship building. Which journals do I want to continue to have a relationship with? Which are a good fit for me, and not just the reverse?

RM: After a piece is rejected, what do you do with it? 

KV: After each round of several rejections, I’ll look at it again and decide if, with distance, I can see how to improve it. And eventually, after 10, 20, 30, 40 rejections I’ll probably give up on it if my passion for it is gone. I recently submitted a piece to only one place and it was rejected, and I don’t think I’m invested in it enough to keep trying.  It depends on how strongly I feel about it. I find submissions to be incredible tedious, so I’m not going to bother if I don’t love it. But it all comes down to priorities and what brings you joy. I couldn’t care less about seeing my name in print—I’ve seen my name in print regularly for 25 years because I’ve been in journalism and freelance writing. That drive for me is spent. The joy of writing, for me, is in the writing and revising. If I enjoyed writing and revising a piece, but it’s not getting picked up and I don’t feel passionate about it anymore, then it’s done its job and I’ve gotten all the joy out of it that I’m going to. So I let it go. The only time I still get an additional jolt of joy out of publishing is when I publish locally because then people tell you they read it and enjoyed it and then you can build a relationship with that person. (Bonus: it’s also easier to place a piece in a local publication like Volume 1’s local lit column or Barstow and Grand.) But random people living in California or Estonia who read your piece on a smaller flash journal don’t tend to reach out to you. Maybe it’s different if you’re published in larger venues. I don’t know yet.  

RM: After getting rejected, do you ever get nervous about being rejected again? How can writers move past a fear of rejection? 

KV: They say that little kids have big emotions because everything is a new experience for them. They scrape their knee and it’s awful, the end of the world, because maybe it’s the first or second time that’s ever happened to them. But eventually, by the time they’re 40 years old, they’ve scraped their knee so many times that it’s not noteworthy anymore. Slap a bandaid on it and get on with your day. I’ve heard the same thing happens with beekeepers. The more you get stung, the less it matters because you’ve been stung so many times before and survived. The novelty wears off. Same with rejection, I think. I used to be sad about it, like, down in the dumps for a couple days, but really quickly into my submission journey I stopped caring. Partly it’s because I got used to it, and partly because I realized what I was just talking about, that seeing my name in print doesn’t call to me. The thing I still struggle with is submissions because I’m a working parent of young kids, so above all else I value efficiency and efficacy. My free time is so limited, and if I spend that not writing (which brings me incredible joy) but submitting, only to be rejected very often, one wonders what’s the point (which is why I will so often abandon pieces). I sure hope the purpose of this panel was not to be purely motivational, because I will not succeed in that. I’m not the person who’s going to tell you to keep trying and not to give up, that it will eventually happen if you just keep going. First of all, that’s just not true. I could try to play for the NFL with every fiber of my being, and it’s not going to happen. I could try to be the next JK Rowling, but the odds are pretty similar. However, I will tell you not to give up on something just because it’s hard or it hurts sometimes, because it won’t always be that hard and it might not always hurt. But eventually you have to figure out where your bliss is and chase it. Maybe that’s writing fan fic in a composition book that you hide under your mattress and never show anyone. Maybe that’s trying to see how quickly you can rack up 100 rejections. I’ve done both, and I know what brought me more joy, and that’s my path. Your path is your own.

Chatting with Elizabeth de Cleyre

Rebecca Mennecke: This presentation is above overcoming rejection and learning to thrive in the literary world. Can you tell us about your experiences with rejection?

Elizabeth de Cleyre: My experiences with rejection aren't especially unique. I imagine all writers can attest to the cycle of submitting, receiving a rejection or an acceptance, and then doing it all over again.

RM: How do you continue writing after rejection?

EdC: I view writing and publishing as two separate yet overlapping entities. Rejection doesn't make me write any less; if anything, it prompts me to write more. This may be an extreme way of looking at it, but how one writes in the face of rejection seems akin to how one lives in the face of death. We know it's inevitable, but do we stop ourselves from writing as a result of it?

RM: As an editor, what do you look for when deciding what makes a piece “good” or “bad”? 

EdC: "Good" and "bad" are subjective terms I avoid as an editor. I'm in service of a piece of writing or a publication, so I ask myself what the piece/publication is aiming to do, and whether it's accomplishing it. What I look for in a piece changes depending on the context of the publication. I don't think pieces are good or bad, as much as they are the right fit for the right venue at the right time. Which, in many ways, is trickier than just naming something as good or bad.

RM: What do you do with a piece of writing after it is rejected?

EdC: After a piece is rejected I either send it to another venue as-is, or I decide to revise it before sending it out again.

RM: What makes rejection so hard for writers?

EdC: Personally, rejection is hard for me because I put so much of myself into my work. As storytellers, it's up to us to make meaning out of events in life. So often we make meaning out of a rejection, and that meaning is usually, "I'm a bad writer." There are so many factors that go into placing a piece (timing, voice, subject matter, context, the editor's subjective tastes, whether that publication has run a similar piece recently) that it's really impossible to determine why it wasn't accepted. Ever since I dropped the story and started to view rejection as a kind of protection or redirection in my career, it's helped me take it less personally. 

Learn from Max, Eric, Katie and Elizabeth on Thursday, September 19 beginning at 6PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

Finding the Writer You Wanted To Be

B.J. Hollars

Eight hours prior to check-in for our inaugural summer at The Priory Writers’ Retreat, I pressed my keycard to the front door of our facility, slipped inside, and—within moments—learned I wasn’t alone.  Equally enthusiastic about the retreat was a house finch, who fluttered in after me, then disappeared down the hall.

For those of you who know me, starting my day with 40 minutes of uninterrupted time with a bird is about as good as it gets.  But on this particular day—a day when I had more than a few matters to attend to—40 minutes with a bird was precisely 40 more minutes than I could spare.  I gave chase, then begged that bird to reroute himself out of The Priory.  When that didn’t work, I took drastic measures: lulling him into a stupor with one of my more boring lectures, then capturing him in a net and releasing him back into the wild. 

Optimist that I am, I pegged that bird’s presence as an auspicious sign.  Things were looking up! 

But the following day, when a second bird couldn’t resist an uninvited tour of the facility, I’d had about all the “auspicious” signs I could handle.    

Birds and all, our first go-round in our brand-new space was, based on the feedback I’ve received, a smashing success.  Of course, like any working draft, there’s always room for improvement.  And now we know exactly how to improve. 

For me, the best moments were also the quietest: early mornings walking past the rec room to spot dozens of writers beginning the day’s work.  They were as quiet as church mice, which seemed fitting given our location at a former monastery. 

 Throughout the day that silence gave way to spellbinding conversations, dozens of which occurred spontaneously as poets and prose writers gathered around their workshop tables, anxious for the chance to share and be heard. 

In the evenings, we were treated to a keynote address (Max Garland!), live music (Eggplant Heroes!), and an adventure downtown (Pablo Center at the Confluence!  200 Main!  The Lakely!).  By Sunday morning—following a scorching day and a rainy one—we gathered in the Main Hall for the final craft talk of the retreat. 

And then, just like that, the enthusiasm and life that had powered The Priory for three glorious days, suddenly faded.  Ready or not, it was time to leave.  Writers reached for suitcases, and after many long hugs and many exchanged email addresses, we returned to our normal lives.

I returned home exhausted and rejuvenated all at once.  As I began lugging everything out of the car, I remembered the red "welcome" book I’d asked participants to write in during the opening day.  “Give me a line or two about your experience here,” I’d said. 

And they had.

Seated on my living room, I read the writers’ comments for much of the afternoon.  Each note was a poignant reminder of why we do the work.  And a reminder, too, that this work is essential.

"I have been writing for many years,” one writer remarked.  “I'm a college professor...and direct the writing center on campus. However, it was not until this retreat that I find myself as a writer, not just an academic. A writer! The type of writer I wanted to be when I was ten years old but lost sight of over time..."

 For me, his words were the purest explanation for why we needed this retreat.  Because all writers—and all artists, I’d argue—need a place to go to find their truest selves.  For the majority of our lives we live in a world in which art is viewed as a luxury.  But as so many of us have long argued, art is no luxury, but an essential part of our humanity.  It’s the kind of work that builds empathy, encourages dialogue, and demands serious thought that extends beyond a soundbite.  Art can be entertainment, sure, but that’s only one of its functions.  For the artist, art is the vehicle with which we move through the world.  It is the gift we have to give, and the one that helps us find meaning, even in the mundane.   

 All of which brings us back to the intruding birds—which, by some measures, might be considered mundane.  But not for a room full of writers, who saw that second bird and transformed him into a poem, a story, a song.  By the time we waved farewell to one another, we were seeing the world a little wider than we had when we arrived.  And there’s nothing more auspicious than that.  

To continue this momentum, today, we humbly ask for your support.  In honor of Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday we’re pleased to announce our “Leaves of Grass(roots) Writers” fundraising campaign.  Consider becoming a sustaining member for as little as 5.00 a month and watch your impact in action.  In addition to funding our many creative endeavors, your gift also ensures the long-term viability of our program.  This is the year we plant the roots that keeps our organization strong.  With that stability will come new projects, as well as new opportunities to reach new audiences and new demographics.

Words are not cheap, and neither are organizations committed to words.  Make today the day this Guild becomes YOUR Guild.  And in doing so, help others rediscover that writer they always wanted to be. 

Be inspired, inspire others,

BJ Hollars

Executive Director

Photo credit: Justin Patchin Photography.

Dear Writer, How Do I Get Paid?

By Amanda Zieba

Dear Writer, 

I’ve been submitting my work to literary journals for a while now, and I’ve been lucky enough to get published in a few of them! While this totally boosts my confidence as a writer, the journals also aren’t paying for my work. Now that I’ve been published a few times by non-paying publications, I’d love to try and get paid for my work. Any suggestions on getting published in a paying market?

Sincerely,

A Writer with a Mortgage

Dear Writer with a Mortgage,

How do you make money as a writer? Now there’s a million-dollar question, right? If you are anything like me, you’ve probably Googled this exact phrase (a few times) only to come back up from the black hole of the internet feeling even more lost and confused. Get rich quick schemes and advertising gimmicks blur your vision from the real goal… earning money from doing something you LOVE.

The answer is simpler than you might think. The first step to making money as a writer is to write. In a minute I’m going to show you all sorts of great websites and platforms that will actually pay you for your written work, but in order to be successful with these opportunities, you have to have written something to submit. There have been times when I see a contest or a submission call and draft a piece on the spot to send. Sometimes it works, but more often than not, if I dust off a piece from the past, look at it with fresh eyes, adapt it as necessary and send in writing that was NOT contrived, forced, and rushed, my success rate is much higher. So, keep that in mind as you browse through the below opportunities. Always keep writing. Even if there is not a deadline in sight… keep writing. Not only will this very obvious advice help you to improve your craft on a daily basis (yes, daily!), you also never know when a journal entry, poem, long-winded rant – I mean essay – will prove useful in the form of a submission.

Now that we’ve got that taken care of, let’s get down to the business at hand. How do you make money as a writer? Below you will find several paying markets for writers of all genres and levels of expertise. The great thing about most of the opportunities listed below is that they are on-going throughout the year, so no matter when you feel the urge to submit (or the mortgage payment is due) there will be a paid writing opportunity ready and waiting for you.

Funds for Writers

C. Hope Clark is a mystery writer, but her larger claim to fame is her award-winning website Funds for Writers which sends out (and archives) a weekly eNewsletter featuring “30 paying opportunities in the form of contests, grants, freelance opportunities, and publishers/agents.” Delivered each and every Friday, this eNewsletter is the perfect way to quickly learn about paid writing gigs. In addition to this weekly treasure trove of submission calls, C. Hope Clark also pays writers $50 for articles about making money as a writer. Here are two pieces that I wrote for her several years ago. My next articles in the newsletter, reprints from my own site, will appear later this year. Her most recent contribution to the paid writing community is a book titled: Writing Contests with Hope where I’m sure she’ll tell you even more ways to earn money as a writer.

Freedom with Writing

Freedom with Writing is another similar site. You can either sign up for their weekly email or browse their website for paid writing opportunities that match your genre or topics of interest. Submission calls are organized into groups and presented in batches of writing opportunities. For example, their website currently lists: 10 Themed Calls For Short Stories that Pay $100 to $300 and 10 Publishers that Pay Writers $200 Per Article.

Reedsy

If you are a fiction writer and like writing prompts, then the weekly Reedsy email is one you are definitely going to want to sign up for. Reedsy is a company that sells self-publishing resources, so most of their efforts go toward marketing their services, but every Friday morning, they also deliver an email with five themed writing prompts. Pick a prompt, write to it and submit it within the week. Reedy’s editors will pick one submitted story to post on their blog and also pay you $50. I know this opportunity is legit because back in March 2017, I won.

Submittable

Submittable is a submission manager platform that also lists hundreds, probably thousands, of submission opportunities. The site is also used for admission to camps, scholarships applications and a variety of other limited-quantity type events, so the entire site isn’t devoted to writing. But a large part of it is. My favorite thing about this site (other than its ability to help you keep track of where you sent in your work and the results) is that you can search by topic, genre and type of opportunity. Parenting. Science Fiction. Grants. Awards. Nonprofit work. Chapbook. Juried. Native American. Thriller. If you are an impatient kind of writer (aren’t we all!) you can browse by due date and select something that has a quick deadline to decrease your wait time. Again, this is where having a cache of pieces in the wings is helpful. An hour of searching could uncover a dozen opportunities to submit (and get paid for!) things you have already written! Go check it out. Pick out a handful, and toss your hat in the ring.

Women on Writing

Women on Writing is a website that holds contests for flash fiction and creative nonfiction all year round! Varying pay levels for prize winners and publication opportunities await the winning writers. I have made it into the second round of judging (top 20) in the contest before, but no prize money yet. I submitted for their Spring Quarterly Contest, so fingers crossed! The great thing about this contest is that you can pay an additional $10 with your entry fee for a critique of your piece. The opportunity to get unbiased feedback is so rare, and to do it at such a bargain price is unheard of!

Our Wisconsin

For the nonfiction writers of the guild, Our Wisconsin is a magazine that “celebrates all that is great about the Badger State.” You can see their list of departments that run articles each month here and their contributor guidelines here. Payment for publication in this magazine is not publicly stated, however, the website does say, “Story and photo packages that we print covering a page or more in the magazine are compensated with an appropriate freelance writer’s fee. Short submissions we print that are a few paragraphs in length, or photos we publish that cover less than a page in the magazine, are compensated with our thank-you gift of a freshly baked Amish pie.” How very Wisconsin.

You can find a list of Wisconsin Magazines to reach out to individually here. The Wisconsin Writers Association put together this list of contests and publishing opportunities that can be viewed here and Author’s Publish website created a list of 32 Literary Journals that Pay which you can see here. The Wisconsin Council of Writers gives out awards, accompanied by a monetary prize annually, and the Wisconsin Writers Association has also curated a list of paying awards.

Really, all it takes is a little patience and time to dig for the opportunity that is a good fit for you… and writing… and the ability to wait.

I hope that this list will get help you find a way to be paid for doing what you love. Don’t forget to share your success and exciting news with the guild once the paycheck arrives! If there’s something we love more than writing, it’s sharing the joy that comes from it with writing friends!

Happy writing,

Amanda Zieba

Learn more about Amanda and her writing by clicking this link!

"If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy": An Interview with Writer/Director/Performer Katie Venit

by Lauren Becker

Mother’s Day weekend is almost upon us and we know just how you can spend it.

Join us at the Pablo Center May 13th at 7pm as we round out this season's Sound & Stories series with one final installment. 

Celebrate alongside local writers and storytellers Allyson Loomis, Yia Lor, Brooke Newmaster, Patti See, the Eau Claire Women in Theater (ecWIT), and musician Jerrika Mighelle for an evening of songs and stories on the vast and varying experiences of motherhood.

In preparation for this event, we had a chance to chat with the event’s director and storyteller, the tremendously talented Katie Venit.

Lauren Becker : For those of us who aren’t as familiar, could you tell us a little bit about the nature of the Sound & Stories Series?

Katie Venit : Sound and Stories is a series that combines the talents of local musicians with local writers and other spoken word performers. It's a great little event in an intimate space at the Pablo.

LB : Could you give us a teaser on what we can expect from the evening?

KV : Sure! All of our performers are women, and many of them chose to explore mother-daughter relationships, either through the perspective of the mother or daughter (or in the case of ecWIT's dramatic reading, both). Most pieces will be personal essays (with one fictional piece). We'll also have performances about mothering sons. So it's not just pieces about being a mother, but also having a mother. I'm really excited about the diversity of the ages represented in this show. Often when people think of motherhood, they think of new mothers and that astonishing time. But as this evening will illustrate, motherhood just begins when the baby is born. It just gets more interesting.

LB : Could you share with us some insights you’ve made about the brilliant artists you’ve had the pleasure of getting to know through your time spent planning this event?

KV : They're hilarious. Not every piece that we experience at the Sound and Stories event will be funny or have humor in it, but as people I think they're each delightfully funny. I also went into this process trusting the artists to do their best work. I figured all I had to do was tell them where to be and when, maybe with a little nudging to make sure we stay on theme. That faith has been completely justified. They're each so, so talented.

LB : Can you speak on how various manifestations of motherhood will be communicated with those who have never experienced it?

KV : That's a good question. I think the job of every good writer is to help the reader or audience understand an aspect of the human experience that they might not be familiar with. If we've done our job right, you won't have to have been a mother, or even had a significant relationship with your mother, to recognize some aspect of your own life in our stories. We've all known mothers, though, whether they were our own or someone else's, and we've all loved a woman who was a mother. I think this will appeal to everyone, mother or not.

Deb Brown, member of ecWIT and one of the artists who will be guiding us through this intimate evening of exploration, offered this thematically relevant quote courtesy of N.K. Jemison’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms : “In a child’s eye, a mother is a goddess. She can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe.” -

Can’t wait? Neither can we. Purchase your tickets here.

The Beautiful & Complex: A Conversation with Heid E. Erdrich

Lauren Becker

credit: Chris Felver

On April 25, the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, in partnership with the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and the UW-Eau Claire Department of English, have the pleasure of hosting acclaimed author, poet, educator, and interdisciplinary artist Heid E. Erdrich.

Heid has authored six collections of poetry, is the editor of two anthologies of literature by Native writers, and has been the recipient of numerous writing awards highlighting her beautiful and complex work. Heid grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota and is Ojibwe, enrolled at Turtle Mountain.

Throughout the evening, Heid will read from her own recent work and present brief poetry videos, “poemeos”. These poemeos are made through the collaboration of an all-Indigenous team of artists, animators, filmmakers, and composers. Join us at 7PM in the Woodland Theater in UWEC’s Davies Center.

Lauren Becker: Could you speak a little on what you’re looking forward to sharing with us on the 25th?

Heid E. Erdrich: The poems and poem videos (tiny films and animations) I'll share are part of my most recent book and one coming out later this year. My most recent book of poems focuses on forms of communication and expressions, everything from cave art to music lyrics and cell phones. The more ways we find to communicate, the less we seem to understand one another.

I'll read some new poems and talk about the anthology I edited for Graywolf Press and that came out in summer last year, but is in its fourth printing already!

LB: What’s led you to this path of creation and advocacy?

HE: I am pretty much as creation made me - someone who has always been interested in art, words, justice and deep listening to the world. Poetry has always been a part of my life and I've loved collaborating, but did not find the time and company to really engage it until recently.

LB: Could you speak on your experience collaborating with all-Indigenous teams of creatives?

HE: My team of collaborators were, first of all, my friends and colleagues. We worked together in a lot of settings including with choreographers and in community development, so I knew they would understand my aims in making short films and other art projects based in poetry.

LB: Your work has been characterized as ecologically centered, deeply complex, critical, strikingly beautiful, and simultaneously ironic. What does your creative process look like?

HE: It often looks like daydreaming, walking around an urban lake, laughing at the absurdity of the world, texting pictures and ideas back and forth with visual artists and reading aloud to groups of people so I can hear where my voice works and what does not work.

LB: Before attending this event, is there anything you wish your audience would know more about?

HE: It would be great if audiences came to poetry readings without any worries that they might not "get" a poem. Not all poems need to be figured out. Sometimes it's just fun to let the words flow over you, to enjoy the humor or other tones. I usually give time for questions, too, so the audience can ask about anything the poems bring up. I like my audience to expect an enjoyable evening with some laughs, even.

LB: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

HE: I really appreciate being invited to these literary events and it's how I make my living, in fact. As my 94 year old Dad in North Dakota says, "People actually pay you to read poems, huh? Well, how about that!"

How about that indeed!

You can check out Heid’s latest collection of poetry, Curator of Ephemera at the New Museum for Archaic Media here.

For those who would like to form a better understanding of the traditional homelands of the Nations of Wisconsin, please visit https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/.

Giving the "Green Light" to Emerging and Established Writers

The green light has officially been lit! UW-Eau Claire graduates Ashly Curtis and Caitlin Bittner started The Green Light Literary Journal in May of 2017. They both had a desire to support fellow authors, both emerging and established, by sharing their work with a wider audience. While anyone can submit to any issue, Caitlin and Ashly especially like to feature new voices and artists who have never been published before. They want to be the “green light” for their contributors.

Editors Ashly and Caitlin

The Green Light Literary Journal is an online only publication that publishes several regular issues throughout the year while also publishing “special” issues. Some of the past special issues have included Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and National Poetry Month themes.

 After receiving a large number of great poetry pieces, Caitlin and Ashly decided to showcase as many of them as possible, featuring one poem per day on their blog for the entire month of April. Later, each post will be compiled into a complete, fourth special issue for National Poetry Month.

 Submissions to The Green Light Literary Journal are accepted on a rolling basis. Caitlin and Ashly are grateful to have “met” many wonderful writers, photographers, and artists while working on the journal. They have learned a lot from their experience so far, and they continue to learn from their contributors and friends every day.

In addition to publishing issues, The Green Light Literary Journal also provides weekly writing prompts on their blog for writers and photographers alike! They also publish book review intermittently on their blog.

Always striving to promote writing and art, Caitlin and Ashly have created a sustainable online journal with a strong following and a wonderful, supportive community of writers. And they want you to be a part of it! They hope to inspire future writers/submitters to get out of their comfort zone and create something.

Click the button below to learn more.

Poetic Marks & A Modern Day Presence: Insight From Poet Jennifer L. Knox

Jennifer L. Knox

By Lauren Becker

Join us on April 10th at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library for an evening of surprises, as poet Jennifer L. Knox takes us through a reading and discussion on the surprising nature of poetry. 

In preparation for this event, we had a chance to gain Knox’s insight into what we should expect from the evening.

Lauren Becker: So, we’re going to talk about surprises and poetry. This begs the question - are they pleasant surprises? Or unpleasant? 

Jennifer L. Knox: Hopefully the surprises will be somewhat pleasant, but I can’t guarantee they’ll all feel like finding a $20 bill in your jeans pocket kind of surprise. 

Could you give us a bit of a teaser as to what you have planned for the evening? 

I'm going to read some poems from my books (perhaps even some new ones) and talk about how they surprised me— either by the way the ideas for them entered my brain, in the process of writing them or by the way people responded to them.

Some of us who aren’t as familiar with poetry may chalk it up to archaic, melancholy haikus about ponds. You’ve proven time and time again that’s not the case. What are your thoughts on the presence of humor and jarring language in poetry?

Poems and poets are as varied as styles of music; we each have a different song in our head. And there are different kinds of humor; I enjoy subverting the expectations of the reader—that's the incongruity theory. It's like hard-wiring surprise into a poem, and one way to accomplish this is to use diction and ideas that people don't ordinarily expect to see in a poem. When most people think poetry, they think of poetic-ness, and beauty and truth and ponds, as you mentioned. They don't necessarily think deep-fried Twinkies or mad cow disease. Using language that surprises helps me create an epiphany for the reader. 

When you’re writing, do you ever stop and think “where the heck did that come from?”

JK: Every day, Lauren! Generative writing comes from the same spot in the brain as lying, so when we're generating words on the page, nothing's off limits. It's like that game where you stand in the glass box and try to catch the dollar bills blowing around—you'd grab anything that blows by. Editing happens in the same part of the brain as accounting; in this phase, we must imagine the readers receiving our words and empathize with them.

Many of us who are just beginning our own long journey of poetic writing may look at your work and ask, what path did you take to get here?

I learned to love poetry by writing it. I believe it creates physical sensations in the brain, like exercising. A poem is a puzzle you make that only you can solve. But what has kept me writing poetry is my community of poets and writers, many of whom I met while earning my MFA, but there are others. My poetry people have been my ace in the hole.

What do you hope folks take away from this upcoming event?

I hope they're excited to write and read more poetry!

If this hasn’t enticed you enough, Kathleen Rooney summarizes why we so desperately need the artistic work and insight of individuals such as Knox, now more than ever.  

“In the face of ecological meltdown, art gains extra urgency and Jennifer L. Knox is one of our most urgent ecological poets. In the face of the Anthropocene—the geological era in which we are living, when human activity has irreparably damaged the earth—Knox laments our losses and celebrates what we have left. Her creativity—with its obsession with extinction—is driven, like much creativity, by death, but is animated with an unmistakable life force. The humor and sadness in each of her poems invites the reader to mourn what can never be regained environmentally, and also to make the most of whatever it is that remains.”

—Kathleen Rooney, O, Democracy!

Check out Knox’s latest book, Days of Shame and Failure, here! 

Barstow & Grand Issue #3: Your Name in Print

By Lauren Becker

For those who may be new to the Valley, Barstow & Grand is an annual print journal, published in the fall, that highlights writers connected to western Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley. 

We’re happy to share that submissions for issue three are now OPEN! And to celebrate, we asked the editor we all know and love, Eric Rasmussen, to share a few words.

Eric Rasmussen

Lauren Becker: Could you give us a brief snapshot of the history that's built Barstow & Grand into what it is today?

Eric Rasmussen: It all started with BJ Hollars and the work he did in establishing the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. Watching him build the organization was very inspiring, and I wanted to play along. So, we brainstormed what else the local literary community might need, and where that intersected with my skills and the skills of those who might want to participate. After lots of years working with literary journals and trying to get published in literary journals, creating a local publication made the most sense. We hosted some organizational meetings, put together a staff, and just like that we’re gearing up to produce our third issue.

As both a fiction writer and an experienced high school English teacher, can you speak to the importance of literary opportunities such as this for beginning writers?

Most writers start by writing for themselves. A lot of the advice new writers hear fits with this idea. “Write the story you want to read,” things like that. For many poets and authors, writing can continue to be an act of self-discovery for their entire lives, for which they often receive loads of support from friends and loved ones, and that’s a powerful and worthwhile thing. But some writers desire to take that next step and share their work with strangers, and this requires a subtle yet profound shift. What the writer wants to write must take a back seat to what the reader wants to read. Life is short and money is tight, and people will only read what appeals to them, not what appeals to the author. For this reason, the literary journal game becomes an important rite of passage for many creative writers out there. It’s a little Darwinian, but what makes your writing better than the other dozen (or hundred or thousand) pieces in the slush pile? When a writer is able to push through the inevitable heartache that accompanies sending out work and receiving rejections (and all writers receive loads and loads of rejections), they can ask the question “How do I better appeal to a reader?” And that is where all improvement in writing begins.

For those of us who may be hesitant to submit, for fear of putting ourselves out there, what would you tell us?

Sending out your writing is like going to the gym (all stereotypes of writers not being fitness oriented aside!) At first, it sucks. No matter what. For everyone. But if you stick with it, changes will occur. Progress will be made. Guaranteed. It’s never as fast as we want it, and the steps we take are usually less dramatic than we envision. But one day, almost as if out of nowhere, you’ll take a step back and admire your list of publications, or your manuscripts, or your agent and book contracts, and you’ll be so thrilled you kept at it. And if you keep working, there’s nothing stopping you from achieving whatever goal you’ve set.

If you had to summarize the beauty of Barstow & Grand in only a sentence, how would you capture it?

Barstow & Grand seeks to fulfill a humble mission: to support, grow, and professionalize the community of writers associated with the Chippewa Valley. (Stolen from our website, but I couldn’t say it any better!)

What are you most looking forward to in this next issue and where is the publication growing from here?

After issue #2, we received a letter from a submitter whose piece we rejected. He explained that at first, he was pretty sore about the whole process, but then he took our suggestions, revised the piece, and it was picked up by a publication that, in all honesty, is way more prestigious than we are. This story fits with our mission exactly. I would love to see work from those folks who have submitted before, especially those whom we’ve rejected, to see how their writing is improving. And I’d love to see submissions from the area’s authors who have proven themselves in other publications if we’ve successfully earned their esteem. More than anything, I can’t wait to hand copies of the journal to the issue #3 authors. That moment makes the mountain of work this journal takes worth it.

➜ Are you ready for that moment? Submit your work here! 

➜ Support the literary community of the Chippewa Valley by purchasing past issues of Barstow & Grand here!

5 Reasons To Apply To The Priory Writers’ Retreat This Minute

B.J. Hollars 

For the past three summers, I had the great privilege of welcoming writers from across the country to Cirenaica—our wondrous writers’ retreat in the Wisconsin wilderness.  In total, we hosted 16, 3-day sessions, and in doing so, created a nurturing environment where 160 writers could write, workshop, listen, learn, and thrive. 

This summer, we’re thrilled to bring the spirit of Cirenaica to our new location at The Priory. Originally established as a monastery for Benedictine nuns in 1964, today The Priory serves as an ideal location for creativity to flourish.  Situated on 120 wooded acres just miles from downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the property features 48 single-occupancy, air-conditioned rooms, several common areas, and no shortage of natural splendor.  And from July 18-21, it’s all ours.

As the snow begins to melt and I turn my eyes toward summer, nothing makes me more excited than the prospect of joining you and others for three days of creation, collaboration, and celebration.  While there are dozens of reasons why you should apply, I’ve narrowed down my list to the top five.  Read on, and then, apply today!  Your writing deserves it.

1.)   Personal Feedback From Writers-in-Residence.

At some writers’ retreats, you get to brush shoulders with greatness.  But at The Priory, you get a lot more than that.  For our inaugural summer, we’re thrilled to welcome four incredible writers-in-residence: Dasha Kelly Hamilton (poetry), Nickolas Butler (fiction), Mary Mack (comedy/humor writing), and David McGlynn (memoir/nonfiction).  When you apply to work with these writers, you’ll really work with these writers.  By capping each workshop at 12, we guarantee it.  Each day you and your fellow participants will partake in a private workshop led by your writer-in-residence.  Not only will your creative work benefit from this process, but you’ll be playing a vital role in supporting the creative work of others, too.  In doing so, we all improve our writing, and we all learn collectively.

2.)   Learning Beyond Genre.

One way The Priory Writers’ Retreat distinguishes itself is by fostering an environment in which all writers of all levels and genres can learn from one another.  While our individual workshops focus on genre (fiction, poetry, memoir, and comedy writing—interpreted broadly!), participants will have the opportunity to learn from all of our writers-in-residence by way of daily craft talks.  Simply put, our poets can learn from our prose writers and our prose writers can learn from our poets.  In addition to shared learning, this interdisciplinary approach is geared toward encouraging collaborative opportunities.  What happens when you put 48 writers in a room together?  We’re about to find out!   

3.)   Field Trips.

credit: Justin Patchin

Hailed as an “outdoorsy cultural mecca” by Time Magazine, Eau Claire, Wisconsin is, indeed, a city on the rise.  And there’s never been a better time to check us out.  (Want a preview?  Just click here!). While much of our time will be spent on The Priory’s 120 wooded acres, on Saturday night we’ll board our chartered bus to downtown Eau Claire.  The evening will begin with a reading by our writers-in-residence at our brand-new Pablo Center at the Confluence.  Then, our bus will shuttle folks to various downtown locations, including The Brewing Projekt and The Lakely—two of our city’s finest establishments.  Grab a drink, enjoy some live music, and celebrate your work alongside new friends.

4.)   Putting the World on Pause.

As every writer knows, there are always plenty of reasons not to write.  Our house is a mess, the laundry needs folded, the dishes need washed—the list goes on.  At The Priory, we create the conditions for you to create.  Each participant will enjoy a private room, as well as all on-site meals and drinks.  When you’re with us, you don’t waste a minute cleaning, or folding, or placing a single plate on the drying rack.  Your only responsibility is to be a writer and to give every minute to your craft.  Trust us, by the end of our retreat, you’ll leave feeling happy, rejuvenated, accomplished, and inspired.   

5.)   The Best Friend You Haven’t Met.

A successful writers’ retreat depends on many factors: the writers-in-residence, the offerings, the food, the rooms, the property, the list goes on.  Yet it’s the participants who ultimately ensure a retreat’s overall success.  That’s right.  It’s you.  And you.  And you.  By bringing us together in this shared space for three uninterrupted days of writing, reading, learning and relaxing, we’re merely creating the conditions for the magic soon to come.  No one leaves our retreats without a few new writer friends.  Writer friends, I’ll add, that often serve as great editors, too.  There’s nothing we love more than watching these friendships blossom over our shared love of writing.  Join us, and make a friend, and be a friend, too. (Also, refer a friend and, upon acceptance, receive 10.00 off your fee!)

So what are you waiting for?

Click the button below and apply today!

Dear Reader - March 2019

Dear Writer, I just had a piece critiqued by my workshop group. While they gave me a lot of good feedback, some of their feedback is steering me away from my original vision for my piece. Should I ignore their advice, or are they right and my original idea is flawed? How do I know what’s right?

Sincerely, A Story Torn in Two

Dear A Story Torn in Two:

Writing workshops are tremendous.

These groups--comprised of folks united in a common goal of getting better at putting words on the page--are usually the first spot where our stories, poems, essays, etc., land. Until now the only other people who've seen our writing are the occasional friends or family members we've foisted our work on, begging for any kind of feedback.

But people are busy. No time for the fine-tooth-comb deep dives. We get the cursory, "It's good," or in the event someone really didn't like or understand the piece, we might be on the receiving end of the distinctly Midwestern, "That's different."

So we set out in search of like-minded souls who have stories of their own to share, who like us have had a piece rattling around the inside of their heads long enough, who have taken a story as far as they can on their lonesome. And though workshops provide myriad benefits, they aren't without their pitfalls.

A big challenge is that writing workshops are filled with writers, and sometimes* writers tend to approach a text as writers instead of readers. As we read through a piece of writing, the machinations of our own creative engines** creak to life, and when we come across elements that aren't working for us, we begin to think of ways we'd fix them. That's fine. But when giving feedback we need to rein it in a bit. Maybe develop the equivalent of one of those tiny stop signs which appeared at the bottom of standardized test pages, warning us we'd reached the end of the section. Most of the workshops I've participated adhered to three basic guidelines for giving feedback***, which helped foster that diminutive mental stop sign:

1. Identify what you think the author intended with this text (this part of the process is invaluable, as it lets the author know if what they were going for landed with their readers). 

2. Identify what's working well for you in this piece (huzzah for validation!).

3. Identify areas which caused you to stumble or where you had questions (if a majority of group members point out the same parts or have similar questions, it's a usually a good indicator of something getting lost in translation between the brain and the page).

During workshop, folks would go around the circle, or whatever shape we happened to be meeting in****, and speak to the above guidelines. Whoever's piece was being discussed would listen and take notes, and afterward, have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions.

While it can be a bit overwhelming to receive that much information in one go, there's an unspoken rule***** inherent in writing workshops which helps keep things manageable: after thanking everyone for their insights, you get to return to your piece of writing and can then listen to or ignore as much or as little of the feedback as you want to; you get to decide what's going to help you the most.

So embrace your original vision. Hold onto it with all the fervor and excitement you had from the outset, and use the advice from your workshop that'll best help you to tell the kind of story you want to.

Best,
Ryan

*Okay, often.
**That sounds really pretentious. Apologies.
***This is neither the only nor best way to structure workshop, just what's worked for me.
****Generally, I've found circles or ellipses conducive constructs for effective feedback. Oftentimes comfy chairs were involved.
*****Though maybe it should be spoken, or even bellowed at the top of every meeting. 

P.S. Or, to put it much more succinctly, Neil Gaiman writes, “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”