Chippewa Valley Book Festival
Celebrate literary art on October 17-22, 2024!
The Chippewa Valley Book Festival is a celebration of the written word and the way literature impacts human experiences. Come join fellow book lovers for author readings, book signings, and other events throughout this 6-day festival in October. Registration will be available in September. Immerse yourself in literary art at the following Chippewa Valley Book Festival 2024 events!
True North
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 5:30-6:30 PM (In-Person Only)
Description: As noted by novelist Mark Helprin, “A good river is nature's life work in song.” Author Andrew J. Graff has used his knowledge of northwoods rivers as inspiration for two novels, including his latest, True North. Graff will discuss the metaphors of wilderness, whitewater rivers, and relationships, and how nature can inform us about ourselves.
Location: UW-Eau Claire | Schofield Hall
>> Learn More & Register Here
Safe And Sound: Reclaiming Your Life
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 7-8 PM (In-Person Only)
Description: Mercury specializes in DIY and home maintenance. She expertly teaches your audience all about unclogging drains, drywall repair, the best tools for your home toolbox, replacing an outlet, knowing your different types of plungers and augers, garbage disposal repair, and so much more! She also shares her life story as a trans woman to highlight the importance of representation of queer people in our lives, media, and communities. She shares her history of growing up in a rural Wisconsin farming town, being forced into pretending to be a “man” by societal and family pressures, learning to embrace her femininity in burlesque, and coming out on stage during her weekly show five years ago.
Location: UW-Eau Claire | Schofield Hall
>> Learn More & Register Here
Books as Passports: Traveling the World with When in Rome and Paris by the Book
Friday, October 18, 2024 | 6-7 PM (Presented In Person & Virtually)
Description: Join Wisconsin author Liam Callanan as he takes the audience on a dynamic European tour through the pages of his most recent novel, When in Rome, and a very special audiovisual display. Building on the virtual tour, Callanan will discuss the important role of “place” in building a novel.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Arshay Cooper: Calling People In
Friday, October 18, 2024 | 7:30-8:30 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Cooper’s attuned focus on human connection exemplifies the power of navigating conflict through a more compassionate and nuanced lens. The outcome of that approach is as humbling as it is transformative. And it seems to be universally understood and desperately craved. Cooper will share his stories and urge others to engage in our divided world with gentle and driven intention.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
The Wit and Wisdom of JKF: Wisconsin Edition
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 9:30-10:30 AM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: While President Kennedy is well-known for his political feats, less is known of his wit and wisdom, both of which contributed to his campaign style throughout the 1960 Wisconsin primary. The campaign was filled with folly, from mistaken identity, to stand-up jokes, car trouble to Jackie Kennedy posing with hams. Wisconsin provided Kennedy plenty of opportunities to transform mishaps into humor, and in doing so, he found the wisdom of laughing at oneself and winning over Wisconsin voters in the process. Learn of Kennedy's comedic style, and how he harnessed humor for political power.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Small in Size, Big in Personality
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 11 AM-12 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Want to find a new weekend escape? Or, maybe, get to know your state a little better? Develop a deeper appreciation for lesser-known destinations in Wisconsin with longtime travel author Mary Bergin. Bergin will share her selective guide to rural treasures and her affinity for small-town life in Wisconsin.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Adversity is a Team Sport
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 1-2 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Northwoods is a murder mystery that goes beyond the crime to explore themes of strength in the face of adversity. It’s a story that celebrates the resilience that blooms when individuals lean on each other, share burdens, and forge bonds that defy the darkest of circumstances. Join the author in a discussion about compassion and sacrifice, and the lengths to which an individual may go to support and uplift others during challenging times.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Big Trouble in a Small Town
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 2:20-3:30 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Moehling will present his latest novel, Where the Dead Sleep and talk about how he came to write a series about Ben Packard (a gay man working as a sheriff’s deputy in a small Minnesota town), and why he likes creating characters more than plotting murders.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Hmong Mythology and Folklore in Fiction
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 4-5 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Lee will share a brief history and overview of Hmong mythology and how she incorporated that into Pahua and the Soul Stealer and the overall importance of diverse characters and cultures within the literary landscape. Gain a fuller understanding and appreciation for stories from different cultures and their importance to all children.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library | Riverview Room
>> Learn More & Register Here
Young Writers Read Showcase
Sunday October 20, 2024 | 1-3 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: At the Young Writers Read Showcase, on Sunday, October 20, selected students will read their winning entries from the stage of the Grand Theatre. The celebration includes poetry and prose from students in grades 3-8, and each participant receives a gift certificate to buy a book of their choice from Dotters Bookstore. The Showcase will be divided into two separate parts again this year:
- Readers in grades 3, 4, and 5 will read from 1:00-1:40 p.m.
- Readers in grades 6, 7 & 8 will to read from 2:00-2:40 p.m.
Location: Grand Theatre
>> Learn More Here (No Registration Required)
Poetry and Conversation
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 5:30-6:30 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: This event is the Nadine St. Louis Memorial Poetry Conversation 2024. Poems and conversation with Bayfield’s current Poet Laureate, Denise Sweet, moderated by Max Garland.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence
>> Learn More & Register Here
Writing Painful Stories About the People You Love Most
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 7-8 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: The truth hurts. But it doesn’t have to ruin your relationships. Meg Kissinger will explain how she wrote an honest, unflinching memoir about some of the most humiliating and painful experiences in her family and still gets invited to Thanksgiving dinner. Attendees will learn how to tell the truth. Where to find medical records, police files, court cases and other family secrets. How to interview family members, their friends, and associates. What to put in and what to leave out.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence
>> Learn More & Register Here
From the Tengri Mountains to the Chippewa Valley
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 5:30-6:30 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Many might think that they are far from supporting the genocide happening in Xinjiang (Chinese-occupied East Turkestan), but will be shocked to find out that even the clothes they wear support those horrors. Author and activist Gulchehra Hoja will provide an insightful look into the struggles of being in exile and reminisce about the beauty of her Uyghur homeland. Learn about Hoja’s personal endeavors – torn between preserving her family’s safety back home and her responsibility to her people.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence
>> Learn More & Register Here
One Book, One Community: A Council of Dolls
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 7-8:30 PM (Presented In-Person & Virtually)
Description: Mona Susan Power will discuss her new novel, A Council of Dolls, a story that focuses on the lingering impact the Indian Boarding School experience has on three generations of a Dakhóta family. Attendees will be mindful of how much the past is never truly past, but still impacts us today–we are being called to reckon with difficult histories in order to help heal our present circumstances and challenges. A Council of Dolls is the seventh title selected for the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s One Book, One Community reading initiative. More information is available at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/onebook.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence
>> Learn More & Register Here