Chippewa Valley Book Festival
Celebrate literary art on October 20-25, 2022!
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 5-day festival in October. Immerse yourself in literary art at the following Chippewa Valley Book Festival 2022 events!
Reclaiming Our Stories with Nadia Owusu
Thursday, October 20, 2022 | 7:30-8:30 PM (virtual)
Description: Owusu will discuss what happens when we discover that so many of the stories that we've been given about our bodies, ourselves, our homes, and our places in them don't serve us and how writing can help reclaim and remake our stories toward healing, self-love, and a radically reimagined world.
>> Learn More & Register Here
Nadine St. Louise Poetry Conversation
Friday, October 21, 2022 | 7:30-8:45 PM (in-person)
Description: A Poetry Exchange - poems and conversation with national award-winning poet Dorothy Chan (BABE, Revenge of the Asian Woman, Attack of the Fifty-Foot Centerfold) and Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez, (In Light, Always Light, Through This Door, My People Redux). Their conversation will be moderated by former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Max Garland.
Location: Unitarian Universalist
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Youth Make-and-Take Workshops
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 9:30 AM-3:30 PM (in-person)
Description: Join illustrator and artist Brianna Capra and University of Wisconsin-Stout lecturer and comic artist Mary Climes for a unique and creative book-making workshop.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, Dabble Box Room
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Differences: The Power to Create Change with Jackie Polzin
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 9:30-10:30 AM (in-person)
Description: Five critical encouragements were passed on to Polzin in the years leading up to the publication of her first novel, Brood. These generous words and actions allowed her to see her dream of publishing a book through to completion. Through the power of encouragement, these five people made a tremendous difference in her life.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Riverview Room
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A Community of Characters with Allen Eskens
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 10:45-11:45 AM (in-person)
Description: Allen will talk about how his penchant for daydreaming led him to write a collection of literary mysteries that are intertwined. Discover that genre books such as mysteries can also have heart; that a mystery novel is the perfect forum to explore family dynamics, character relationships, and deeper themes.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Riverview Room
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Writing Love in the Dairy State with Amy E. Reichert
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 1:00-2:00 PM (in-person)
Description: "Write what you know" is a timeless piece of writing advice, which Reichert has taken to heart. She will discuss how setting her novels in Wisconsin offers readers an understanding of her heritage, history and unique food traditions.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Riverview Room
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America's Narrative Breakdown: Finding Meaning in a Post-Truth Climate with Barrett Swanson
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 2:15-3:15 PM (in-person)
Description: Swanson will explore how the political and social tumult of the last decade has affected various communities around the United States and how they've tried to find meaning in their lives amid the instability and confusion. Discover how the breakdown of cultural narratives and consensus reality has affected citizens not only politically but also emotionally and psychologically.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Riverview Room
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Acquired Taste: Plan Families and the Flavors They Share with Alan Bergo
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 3:30-4:30 PM (in-person)
Description: Have you ever wondered why apple seeds taste like almonds? Did you know you can cook a sunflower like an artichoke? In this visual presentation combining cooking, botany, and cultural traditions from around the world, James Beard award-winning Chef Alan Bergo explains some of the paradigm-shifting culinary concepts in his book The Forager Chef's Book of Flora that have the potential to change the way you think about why some foods taste the way they do.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Riverview Room
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The Social Responsibility of Historical Fiction with Jamie Ford
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 7:30-8:30 PM (virtual)
Description: Known for his ability to weave fiction and history into compelling novels, Ford will discuss his latest book, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, and what draws him to lost history. He'll also examine the responsibility and challenges of presenting uncomfortable truths to a modern world and why he considers himself to be in the compassion creation business.
>> Learn More & Register Here
Young Writers Read Showcase
Sunday, October 23, 2022 | 1:00-3:00 PM (in-person)
Description: 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.
Location: Grand Theatre (102 W Grand Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54703)
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Better than Paradise with Kawai Strong Washburn
Monday, October 24, 2022 | 7:30-8:30 PM (in-person & virtual)
Description: Washburn discusses the complex reality of Hawai'i, and magical realism as part of the fictional imagination. Go beyond the stereotypical image created by the tourism industry to gain a more complete understanding of the history of Hawai'i and the context of the novel.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence, JAMF Theatre
>> Learn More & Register Here
Meet the School Authors: Book Sale & Signing
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 | 5:30-7:15 PM (in-person)
Description: Students, parents, and the entire community are invited to create lasting memories by meeting award-winning authors presenting in area schools during the Chippewa Valley Book Festival.
Location: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, Riverview Room
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Here on Lake Hallie: What One Author Learned While Writing About the People and Places She Loves with Patti See
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 | 7:30-8:30 PM (in-person & Virtual)
Description: Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s as the youngest of eight children, Patti See never imagined she'd stay in Chippewa Falls as an adult. Now she has a new appreciation for all that comes with country living, from ice fishing and supper clubs to pontoon rides and tavern dice. Whether sending her son off to basic training, holding her mother's hand through late-stage Alzheimer's, or tiptoeing over thin ice with her best friend since childhood, See notices the comedy and beauty of life's everyday moments. Join See as she discusses writing about the place she loves best: Lake Hallie. She'll also read and chat about some brief essays in Here on Lake Hallie: In Praise of Barflies, Fix-it-Guys, and Other Folks in Our Hometown, a book that establishes that, above all else, it's friends, family and neighbors who provide us with a sense of belonging.
Location: Pablo Center at the Confluence, JAMF Theatre
>> Learn More & Register Here