UW-Madison Readings

A note from me to you.

2008-05-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Poster Credits: Straub/Thompson, Fitzgerald/Brown, Sandick/Snyder posters by Michael Fusco. Rae Armantrout poster courtesy of Hai-Dang Phan. Kevin Brockmeier poster by Thea Brown. Others by Nate Brown.

Hey All,

It's been an excellent semester (hell, year) for readings, but alas our school year is over, finished, kaput, finito. But don't be sad. C'est la vie: things change.

Ryan Walsh, a UW-Madison MFA candidate in poetry will take the wheel of this bus next year as the Program in Creative Writing's readings coordinator. It's been swell, and Ryan is sure to make it sweller (eh? sweller? I'm punchy).

Have a great summer, and check back periodically to see what the program's up to. Who knows what Ryan's gonna do with this blog. It could be craaaazy.

Thanks for actually using this thing, and for showing up to our readings.

Hasta luego,

Nate Brown

Tonight: Kevin A. González, Shara Lessley & The Annual Creative Writing Awards

2008-05-08T10:31:00.003-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that UW-Madison's Program in Creative Writing will host its final reading of the year tonight at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Kevin A. González (Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellow) & Shara Lessley (Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow) will read. The reading will be immediately followed by the program's annual award ceremony.

Plays will be read tonight!

2008-05-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that tonight, Tuesday, May 6th, will see the first-ever reading by members of a class run by UW-Madison's Carl Djerassi Distinguished Fellow in Playwriting. That's because this year brought the first-ever Djerassi Distinguished Fellow to campus, and his name is Dan O'Brien, and he's super cool.

Anywho, Dan's been teaching a class in Playwriting this semester, and tonight his students are hosting a reading of their plays-in-progress.

The location is weird: Bock Laboratories Penthouse, 1525 Linden Drive on the UW-Madison Campus, and you can only enter/exit on the hour between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. (so show up at 7, 8, or 9 if you can make it). See: www.map.wisc.edu and search for "Bock" to get a better idea of where this is.

Three Events This Week!

2008-05-05T09:14:00.001-07:00

That's right, UW-Madison's Program in Creative Writing doesn't slack off just because it's the last week of classes. No. In fact, we run to the finish line this week with three events. Here they are, in order:

TONIGHT: Monday, May 5th

Graduate students from Jesse Lee Kercheval's graduate poetry workshop will read tonight, May 5th, at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

TOMORROW: Tuesday, May 6th

Members of Dan O'Brien's (Carl Djerassi Distinguished Fellow in Playwriting) playwriting workshop will share their works-in-progress at 7 p.m. in Bock Laboratories Penthouse. The lab is located at 1525 Linden Drive. Due to the building's security system, any interested visitors should arrive on the hour between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The doors will be locked at other times.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Thursday, May 8th

Final Fellows Reading: Shara Lessley & Kevin A. González & Annual Creative Writing Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 8th, 7 p.m., 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

TONIGHT: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting an MFA

2008-04-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that the program in creative writing is holding a panel discussion this evening where UW professor Amy Quan Barry will discuss the MFA degree -- everything from the application process to what you do once you've completed the degree will be covered.

Hope you can join us!

Two Upcoming Readings & an Awards Ceremony

2008-04-16T13:50:00.001-07:00

On Monday, May 5th at 7 p.m. in 7191 Helen C. White Hall, students from Jesse Lee Kercheval's graduate poetry workshop will share their work. Hali Sofala, Ryan Walsh, Kristen Muir, Lisa Kundrat, Jessica Nordell, Laurel Bastian and Steel Wagstaff will read.

Later that week, on Thursday, May 8th at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall, Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Shara Lessley and Kevin A. González will read. The Program in Creative Writing's Annual Awards Ceremony will immediately follow the reading.

Tues. April 29, 7 p.m.: Everything You Wanted To Know About Getting an MFA

2008-04-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Every wonder what it would be like to get an MFA in poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction? Do you have questions about how to go about the application process? Have a question about which programs might be right for you?

On Tuesday, April 29th at 7 p.m. in 7191 Helen C. White Hall, members of UW-Madison's Program in Creative Writing will hold a panel about all things related to the MFA degree. Panelists will include Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Shara Lessley (U. Of Maryland MFA in Poetry) and Timothy Scott (NYU MFA in Fiction), and UW MFA students Kriten Muir (Poetry) and Nate Brown (that's me! Fiction). The panel will be moderated by UW faculty member and poet Quan Barry.

Juan Felipe Herrera Events, April 7 - April 11!

2008-04-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

The UW-Madison Arts Institute and the Center for the Humanities are pleased to welcome Juan Felipe Herrera to Madison, April 7-11.

Since Juan Felipe Herrera began writing poetry, plays, and children’s books, his work has been devoted to the politics and identity issues of immigration in the Latino and Chicano communities. He is best known for his immensely popular books Super Cilantro Girl/La superniña del cilantro and Calling the Doves, which won the Ezra Jack Keats award in 1997. He is a poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist who draws from real life experiences as well as years of education to
inform his work. His most recent book of poetry, from which he will perform on April 10, is 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border.

Schedule of Events
All events are free and open to the public

Tuesday, April 8, 3-4 pm
Guest Appearance on Jean Feraca's Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders
Program
WERN, 88.7 FM or online at http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/index.cfm

Wednesday, April 9, 3 pm
Humanities NOW Forum: "Immigration and Memory"
6191 Helen C. White Hall
600 N. Park St

Wednesday, April 9, 6 pm
Reading and book-signing: 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border
A Room of One’s Own
307 W. Johnson Street
608-257-7888

Thursday, April 10, 8 pm
Performance: 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border, with special
guests Baba Israel, Michael Chang, and Amberine Huda
Hemsley Theatre in Vilas Hall
821 University Avenue

Sponsored by the UW-Madison Arts Institute and Center for the Humanities in partnership with the departments of English, Communication Arts, Spanish and Portuguese, Theater and Drama, Library and Information Studies, and the Chicano and Latino Studies Program, LACIS (Latin American Caribbean and Iberian Studies), and the Madison Metropolitan School District.

For more information, contact: Kate Hewson, (608) 263-9290,
kahewson@wisc.edu,or visit the UW Arts website.

It's a big week for poetry: Brittingham / Pollak Poetry Prize Reading & Lisa Marie Brodsky

2008-03-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night, poet (and former UW-Madison MFA student!) Lisa Marie Brodsky will be reading from her just-released chapbook We Nod Our Dark Heads (Parallel Press, April 2008) at Avol's Books at 7 p.m.

More info: Avol's Bookstore, 315 W. Gorham. 255-4730 for info.

Lisa Marie's bio and a sample of her work are available here.

And, of course, the Annual Brittingham / Pollak Poetry Prize Reading will be held next Thrusday, April 3rd in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

The winner of this year's Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry is Barbara Goldberg who will read from her collection The Royal Baker's Daughter.

The winner of this year's Brittingham Prize in Poetry is Philip Pardi, who will read from his collection Meditations on Rising and Falling.

Edith Wharton Fans: Help Save The Mount!

2008-03-24T10:16:00.001-07:00

Above: The before and after photos from the restoration of Edith Wharton's Lennox, Mass. estate, The Mount.

Thanks to Emma Straub for passing this email along. Take a peek, and help if you can. And be sure to look at the pictures on the website -- this is a beautiful, historic place and it'd be a terrible shame to see it close.

Dear Friends of Edith Wharton and The Mount,

A sincere and deep thank you to the 600-plus Friends who have given to our Emergency Campaign to save The Mount.

I am very pleased to report that we received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities this week to support our fundraising efforts for an additional 30 days, and the bank has agreed to extend the deadline to April 21st.

We have raised over $550,000 thus far and have promising irons in the fire. But we still need your support. Please spread the word that, in addition to being Edith Wharton's only American Monument, The Mount is one of the very few National Historic Landmarks dedicated to women in this country and it is in danger of being closed to the public forever.

Please help us save The Mount. To make a contribution, go to http://www.edithwharton.org/campaignpledge.php or call us at 413-551-5104. No gift will be processed unless we reach our goal and achieve a successful restructuring with The Mount's major creditors.

Again, please know how deeply grateful we are for your wonderful support.

Stephanie Copeland
President and CEO
The Mount
Edith Wharton Restoration
2 Plunkett Street
Box 974
Lenox, MA 01240
www.edithwharton.org

Donate By Check: Please make your check payable to The Mount and mail to: Box 974, Lenox, MA 01240. Federal Tax Identification Number: 04-2666846.

Donate By Credit Card: Download donation form here and send to Box 974, Lenox, MA 01240. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. Or call us at (413) 551-5104.

Kevin Brockmeier Returns to Madison!

2008-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Above: A blimp. With Kevin Brockmeier's name on it. Poster by Thea Brown. Who is awesome.

If you missed him last year, here's another chance to catch a reading by the incredible Kevin Brockmeier. His most recent collection of short stories is The View From The Seventh Layer, which includes pieces about a priest and a ghost, a mute who lives in a world filled with song, and a choose-your-own-adventure story for grown ups.

Brockmeier reads at Border's West (University Ave. at Midvale -- across the street from the Hilldale Mall) this Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The New Collection. It's sweet.

Build Your Vocabulary & Help Feed the Hungry!

2008-03-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Above: Rice does a body (and a vocabulary) good.

So, this is a cool thing that you've probably already heard of: Free Rice is an online vocabulary quiz whose sponsors donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program for every word you get right.

Plus, you get to learn words like "mattock" (which, as I just learned, is a pickaxe for digging).

Spring 2008 Writer-in-Residence: Albert Goldbarth

2008-03-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Above: Albert Goldbarth's poster is green and blue because it's almost spring and, well, he's the Spring 2008 Writer-in-Residence. Grass, blue sky, birds chirping, etc. We need these things desperately. Also, we need poetry --- lots and lots of poetry -- to get us through our winter blues.

Albert Goldbarth
Wednesday, March 12th, 7 p.m.
6191 Helen C. White Hall
UW-Madison

Free & Open to the Public!

TONIGHT: Danielle Cadena Deulen & Timothy Scott

2008-03-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Come see Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows Danielle Cadena Deulen & Timothy Scott Read Tonight!

Thursday, March 6th, 7 p.m.
6191 Helen C. White Hall

Mark Your Calendars: Danielle Cadena Deulen & Timothy Scott Read on March 6th

2008-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Above, a poster with a humpback whale on it. Pay no attention to the whale. The important part is that you show up to the reading. Really good readings are few and far between, kind of like good humpback whales, who despite what you may have learned form Star Trek IV, are widely held to be the ill-tempered ruffians of the sea. It's a fact!

In this year's second installment of the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading, Jay C. and Ruth Halls poetry fellow Danielle Cadena Deulen & Carl Djerassi Fiction Fellow Timothy Scott will read their work.

Danielle Cadena Deulen & Timothy Scott
Thursday, March 6th, 7 p.m.
6191 Helen C. White Hall

Danielle Cadena Deulen is currently the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. She's also the recent recipient of a 2007 and 2006 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry prize, and a Virginia Center for Creative Arts fellowship. Her work has appeared in journals such as Cimarron Review, The Cream City Review, The Louisville Review, West Branch, and others.

Timothy Scott's fiction has appeared in New Orleans Review, The Massachusetts Review, and Colorado Review; two stories received Pushcart Prize nominations. He was born in Madison, left when he was three, and is very pleased to be back.

Don't forget about those contests!

2008-02-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

For UW Undergrads (and one for Grad students): The UW Program in Creative Writing sponsors creative writing awards. Details and particulars are below. Good luck!

Charles M. Hart Writers of Promise Award

1.) Eligibility: any undergrad enrolled in English 203 in the academic 2007-2008 year.

2.) Entries must be original. Contestants may submit no more than one short story OR three poems. All entries must be on 8 1/2x 11” paper. Each entry should be clearly marked “short story” or “poetry” and if an entry is more than one page, it should be stapled. No piece which has won any UW-Madison creative writing award may be re-entered.

3.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the first page of each story or individual poem.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, April 23rd at 4pm in 6195D HC White.

George B. Hill & Therese Muller Undergraduate Creative Writing contests

1.) Eligibility: any undergraduate currently enrolled at UW-Madison.

2.) Entries must be original. Contestants may submit no more than one short story AND/OR three poems. All entries must be on 8 1/2x 11” paper. Each entry should be clearly marked “short story” or “poetry” and if an entry is more than one page, it should be stapled. No piece which has won any UW-Madison creative writing award may be re-entered.

3.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the first page of each story or individual poem.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, March 5th at 4pm in 6195D HC White.

Undergraduate Thesis Prizes: Felix Pollak, Eudora Welty, Cy Howard Awards

1.) Eligibilty: any undergradwho enrolled in English 695 for academic 2007-2008 year.

2.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the title page of the thesis.

3.) All entries must be submitted to thesis director by Wednesday, April 23rd at 4pm.

Graduate Creative Writing Contests: August Derleth, David and Jean Milofsky Prize

1.) Eligibilty: all graduate students currently enrolled at UW-Madison.

2.) Eligible genres: fiction, poetry, personal essay, or research onWisconsin regional literature.

3.) Students may submit one typed double-spaced short story or essay of up to 30 pages AND/OR one group of poems (up to 15 pages, typed, with no more than 1 poem per page). Each manuscript must include a cover sheet with your name, social security number, address, and the genre of submission (research on Wisconsin regional literature, fiction, poetry, personal essay). Entries will automatically be considered for both contests.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, March 26th at 3pm in 6195D HC White.

5.) No student may win more than one prize in a given year. No student may win in the same genre twice.

The Department of English takes no responsibilty for lost or damaged manuscripts. Entries that fail to conform to the contest rules will not be considered. Entries will not be returned. Winners will be posted on the UW Creative Writing Website at www.creativewriting.wisc.edu. Undergraduate winners may have their winning story or poems appear on this website.

TONIGHT: Feb. 20th! : Nick Lantz & Edward Porter

2008-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Don't forget, this Wednesday, the UW-Madison Program in Creative Writing presents the first of three Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Readings, featuring Jay C, and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Nick Lantz & James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow Edward Porter.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading
Featuring Nick Lantz & Edward Porter
Wednesday, Feb. 20th, 7 p.m.
6191 Helen C. White Hall

About Nick Lantz:

Nick Lantz hails from Berkeley, California. When he moved to Wisconsin in 2003, he was told by more than person that Madison was the Berkeley of the Midwest. While he hasn't found that to be quite true (there's no snow in Berkeley, people!), he has certainly enjoyed his time here. He received his MFA in poetry from the UW-Madison in 2005, and this fall he was ecstatic to return as a Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow. His work has appeared in Margie, Mid-American Review, Southern Review, and is forthcoming in Prairie Schooner. He's currently writing a new poetry manuscript based on the works of Pliny the Elder, Bigfoot, and--believe it or not--Donald Rumsfeld.

About Edward Porter:

Ex-actor, ex-carpenter, and soon to be ex-bachelor Edward Porter holds an MFA from Warren Wilson College, and has been published in Inch Magazine and Colorado Review.

For UW Undergrads & Grads: Contests

2008-02-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Each year the UW-Madison Program in Creative Writing holds contests for its undergraduate and graduate students. Here's the info. Please note, these are only open to UW-Madison students. Sorry.

Charles M. Hart Writers of Promise Award

1.) Eligibility: any undergrad enrolled in English 203 in the academic 2007-2008 year.

2.) Entries must be original. Contestants may submit no more than one short story OR three poems. All entries must be on 8 1/2x 11” paper. Each entry should be clearly marked “short story” or “poetry” and if an entry is more than one page, it should be stapled. No piece which has won any UW-Madison creative writing award may be re-entered.

3.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the first page of each story or individual poem.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, April 23rd at 4pm in 6195D HC White.

George B. Hill & Therese Muller Undergraduate Creative Writing contests

1.) Eligibility: any undergraduate currently enrolled at UW-Madison.

2.) Entries must be original. Contestants may submit no more than one short story AND/OR three poems. All entries must be on 8 1/2x 11” paper. Each entry should be clearly marked “short story” or “poetry” and if an entry is more than one page, it should be stapled. No piece which has won any UW-Madison creative writing award may be re-entered.

3.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the first page of each story or individual poem.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, March 5th at 4pm in 6195D HC White.

Undergraduate Thesis Prizes: Felix Pollak, Eudora Welty, Cy Howard Awards

1.) Eligibilty: any undergradwho enrolled in English 695 for academic 2007-2008 year.

2.) The author’s name, social security number, address, telephone number, email address, and title of submission should be included on the title page of the thesis.

3.) All entries must be submitted to thesis director by Wednesday, April 23rd at 4pm.

Graduate Creative Writing Contests: August Derleth, David and Jean Milofsky Prize

1.) Eligibilty: all graduate students currently enrolled at UW-Madison.

2.) Eligible genres: fiction, poetry, personal essay, or research onWisconsin regional literature.

3.) Students may submit one typed double-spaced short story or essay of up to 30 pages AND/OR one group of poems (up to 15 pages, typed, with no more than 1 poem per page). Each manuscript must include a cover sheet with your name, social security number, address, and the genre of submission (research on Wisconsin regional literature, fiction, poetry, personal essay). Entries will automatically be considered for both contests.

4.) Deadline: Wednesday, March 26th at 3pm in 6195D HC White.

5.) No student may win more than one prize in a given year. No student may win in the same genre twice.

The Department of English takes no responsibilty for lost or damaged manuscripts. Entries that fail to conform to the contest rules will not be considered. Entries will not be returned. Winners will be posted on the UW Creative Writing Website at www.creativewriting.wisc.edu. Undergraduate winners may have their winning story or poems appear on this website.

Nick Lantz & Edward Porter!

2008-02-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

Above: The poster for Nick Lantz & Edward Porter's upcoming reading. Photo courtesy of Abby Powell. Check out Abby's blog here. Thanks Abby!

It's that time of year again when the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows share their work with the public.

First up are Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Nick Lantz and James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow Edward Porter.

They will read this upcoming Wednesday, February 20th at 7 p.m. in 6191 Helen C. White Hall.

What Do You Want for Valentine's Day? How About Li-Young Lee?

2008-02-08T10:14:00.001-08:00

Above: The Poster for Li-Young Lee's upcoming reading.

We love Li-Young Lee, so it is mere coincidence that he's reading here on the universal day o' love? Say what you will about Valentine's Day -- yes, it's the granddaddy of the made-in-America commercial festival hegemony (mother's day? father's day? what the?) -- but this one's going to rule.

Li-Young Lee
Thursday, February 14th, 7 p.m.
6191 Helen C. White Hall

See you there, lover.

FELIX Reading: Adam Koehler & Emma Straub

2008-02-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Above: So, this Felix has nothing to do with the Felix reading series, but given my inability to open the official publicity poster for this event and my current state of dehydration and delirium, it'll have to do. In any case, this reading will rule. Way more than even Felix the cat rules. And that's, like, a whole lot.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 4:30 p.m.
MEMORIAL LIBRARY, ROOM 126
UW-MADISON

Adam Koehler is a co-editor of The Avery Anthology, published twice a year by Avery House Press in Madison, WI. He is also a graduate student in the Composition and Rhetoric program here at UW-Madison, where he is at work on his dissertation. He's currently working on a draft of a novel tentatively titled Instrument and a collection of short stories called Screen.

Emma Straub is from New York City, and is currently in the MFA program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her stories and poems have appeared in Avery Anthology, The Saint Ann's Review, The Boston Review, and Small Spiral Notebook, among other places. Obscure trivia and more can be found at www.emmastraub.net.

Jesse Lee Kercheval at Borders West. Check it.

2008-02-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Above: UW-Madison's own Jesse Lee Kercheval, who will read at Borders West tomorrow evening.

Jesse Lee Kercheval will read from her Prairie Schooner Award-winning collection The Alice Stories, published by the University of Nebraska Press, this Tuesday, February 5, at Border's West at 7 p.m.

Scott Korb & Peter Bebergal

2008-01-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Above: The jacket image of Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal's The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God.

Former UW-Madison undergrad Scott Korb and co-author Peter Bebergal will read from and discuss their book The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God at The Pres House (731 State Street Mall, Madison, WI 53703) 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Also, check out their website here .

Some nice things people have said/are saying about the book:

"Old Jewish joke--woman buys her grown son two ties, he comes to visit her wearing one of them, she takes a look, frowns, says, 'What? You didn't like the other one?' That's how I feel sometimes when I'm reading one side or the other of this wise, warm, and often witty dialogue. Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal have not only illuminated issues of faith, but also literalized the process of friendship. A wonderful book." -- Ben Greenman, author of A Circle Is a Balloon and Compass Both

“When was the last time two men sat down and wrote about their friendship? This is a beautiful book—frank, open, searching. It is, to be sure, a ‘religious’ book, but its great virtue is that it erases the quotation marks around that word and makes religious insight and longing seem, like friendship, a natural part of the world.” — Jonathan Rosen, author of Joy Comes in the Morning

“Friendship between men is at the heart of this powerful and surprising story. But Peter Bebergal and Scott Korb's The Faith Between Us is also the story of their love affairs with God—entirely unsentimental and utterly passionate affairs that make compelling reading.”— Sara Miles, author Take This Bread

“This unlikeliest of books--a tag team spiritual autobiography--is a remarkable achievement. It's part Confessions of St. Augustine, part Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a true story that is both subtle and adventurous. Bebergal and Korb, a Jew and a Catholic, an ex-mystic and a reformed ascetic, transcend the clichés of spiritual memoir to create genuinely unique story of faith evolving. The Faith Between Us is a milestone in the genre of memoir and a crucial reflection on American religion, in all its eccentricity, diversity, and depth.”—Jeff Sharlet, author of Jesus Plus Nothing and co-author of Killing the Buddha

“This is the book for this moment. In an era of rigid (and false) dichotomies--when one is told to be either a blind believer or a dogmatic atheist--Bebergal and Korb offer a third way, the path of respect, of common sense, of dialogue rather than doctrine. There are fewer hot topics today than religion, and this book provides an accessible, heartfelt, compelling, and ultimately inspiring message that will speak to many of us, religionists and secularists alike. If you think deeply and openly, go get a copy right now!”
--Niles Elliot Goldstein, author of Gonzo Judaism and founding rabbi of the New Shul in Manhattan

“Here are two ordinary young men, a Catholic and a Jew, journeying toward God. Lost in a wilderness of their own making, they find their way toward life's better possibilities. Their stories are deeply personal, while describing the raw need for meaning common to us all. The book reminds us that we may continue to seek God even in the noise of our chaotic and scientific age. Scott and Peter's friendship will long remain in my mind as will the complex bravery of this book.”— Anne Roiphe, author of Up the Sandbox!, Generation without Memory, and 1185 Park Avenue

Spring Readings are FUN-damental!

2008-01-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Above: Ducklings and eggs and bunnies make us think of spring.

This spring, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get out there and fight your seasonal affective disorder by attending one of our many excellent readings. Be sure to check the events calendar at the bottom of this page for revisions and updates.

FEBRUARY

Tuesday, February 5th
Borders Books West (University Ave & Midvale), 7 p.m.
Jesse Lee Kercheval will read from her Prairie Schooner Award-winning collection The Alice Stories, published by the University of Nebraska Press, this Tuesday, February 5, at Border's West at 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 7th
Memorial Library, Room 126, 4:30 p.m.
Avery Anthology editor Adam Koehler and UW-Madison MFA fiction writer Emma Straub will read as part of the FELIX series of new writing this Thursday, February 7th, in Memorial Library's Room 126 at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 14th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
The poet Li-Young Lee, whose many awards and honors have included Guggenheim, National Endoment for the Arts, Whiting and Lannan Fellowships will read from his new collection, Behind My Eyes.

Wednesday, February 20th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Nick Lantz and James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow Edward Porter will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.

MARCH

Thursday, March 6th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow Danielle Deulen and Carl Djerassi Fiction Fellow Timothy Scott will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.

March 13th - March 15th
(Final Time & Location TBA)
Creative Writing's Writer-in-Residence Series
Albert Goldbarth, our spring Writer-in-Residence, will read and meet with our graduate students.

Thursday, March 13th - Wisconsin Studio, Overture Center for the Arts
201 State Street, Madison, WI, 7 p.m.
Writers Charles Baxter(The Soul Thief, Saul and Patsy, The Feast of Love) and Richard Price (Lush Life, Clockers, Ladies' Man) will read at the Overture Center for the Arts on State Street.

APRIL

Thursday, April 3rd
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
Annual Brittingham-Pollak Poetry Prize Reading
Poet Barbara Goldberg will read from her winning volume The Royal Baker's Daughter alongside fellow prize-winning poet Philip Pardi, who will read from his winning volume, Meditations on Rising and Falling.

MAY

Thursday, May 8th
6191 Helen C. White Hall, 7 p.m.
Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Reading
Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellow Kevin A. González and Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow Shara Lessley will read as part of the annual Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows' Reading Series.

Emma Straub in Avery!

2007-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so we're on break and everything, but you definitely need to track down a copy of the new edition of the Avery Anthology. Avery II has many, many great stories, though we're particularly partial to one piece, "The Queen of Troy" by our very own MFA fiction writer, Emma Straub.

Check Avery out here.