1. business and industrial
2. agriculture and forestry
3. farms and ranches

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
The Fox Cities Book Festival is for the Book Lover in All of Us
By Donna
Fischer
The theme of the
2015 Fox Cities Book
Festival is: Connecting Writers and Readers. One might shrug
and say, “Both operate very well on their
own; why connect
them?” One simple
reason might just be
that readers sometimes become writers, and that with the helpful insights from a published author, the road to full – fledged authorship
Ord
TO er i
DA t
Y
can be less treacherous. Well, maybe treacherous
sounds too dramatic, but then I’ve heard some wild
stories about the long, arduous process of getting
one’s first book published. Why not take notes from
a fellow writer who has made it from novice to professional, from an idea – chaser to a storyteller?
For some, the FCBF is less about getting helpful
hints and more about the fun of meeting that favorite author or authors over the seven - day period. I’ve
had the privilege of communicating with most of
these writers during the past couple of months, and
I am left with a genuine appreciation for the courageous spirit these writers possess. It takes nothing
less than courage to write a book, in my opinion.
Whether it is a highly – researched book or a flight
of fantasy, there is nothing easy about putting the
Ask
Us
How!
To
Pi
m ck
orit up
r ow
2 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
words together, page after page, until a book takes
shape.
As I’ve said, it’s a privilege for me to help bring you
comments from the writers of the festival. Hopefully,
you’ll enjoy learning what they think about the craft
and the business of writing as much as I do. I’d like to
thank the FCBF board members for their assistance
with this special section. This confluence of authors
in the Fox Cities is so remarkable, and it takes a good
deal of hard work by the board members and volunteers to make it operate so seamlessly.
So, get ready for another great FCBF and be sure
to connect with the website for the latest details on
author appearances throughout the week. FoxCitiesBookFestival.org.
Fast Service | Digital Printing
In-house Graphic Design
High Impact Color Copies
Personalized Wedding Invitations
Customer Service
534 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Appleton, WI 54915
920.739.5218
instaprintplus.com
A Unique Learning Experience for Writers
This April, book lovers will get to
meet the writers behind their favorite
mysteries, romances, biographies, and
more at the seven – day literary bonanza known as the Fox Cities Book Festival. Libraries, lecture halls, and coffee
shops will host authors from Wisconsin and many other states. Their presentations will give us a chance to get
to know them, while providing useful
tips for turning a publishing dream
into reality.
Jeff Kuepper is the Board President
for the FCBF and notes that this festival is a key opportunity to expand
one’s reading palate. “As in years past,
we’ll be bringing in a wide variety of
authors to the festival,” Kuepper says.
“It’s a chance for readers to connect
with writers. It’s sort of a two – fold
approach. We bring in a lot of authors who are favorites in the area. We
know that by books being sold and
checked out of libraries. It’s a chance
to connect with some of their favorite
authors and ask questions about characters or plotlines. We always try to
look at authors that are new to the Valley that we think are quality authors or
exciting authors to read. It’s a chance
to get exposed to some books that
you haven’t read before. Again, it’s a
combination of some area favorites
and some new people.”
tion to having authors talk about their
work is to have them talk about the
creative process. I think that’s good
even if you’re not a writer, just to hear
about how a book develops, and how
the author researches it or develops
their characters. But certainly for aspiring writers, this is a great opportunity to talk to people who have been
published and have won awards. They
can find out their tricks of the trade.”
The committee for the FCBF sets
out to please as many literary tastes as
possible. “There are so many genres
and niches in writing that obviously every year we can’t hit every one.
We try to over a period of time cover
as many as possible. Over the length
of the festival we have tried to cover
science fiction, and memoir, and biography, and mystery, and history, and
classic literature. I would say that we
strive to hit a wide variety in our audience. If your author wasn’t here this
year, let us know and maybe we can
work him in next year.”
Kuepper is excited about having Kline
share her literary experiences with
readers in the Fox Cities. “We were
struck by the quality of the book,” he
says. “We thought it would appeal
to a wide audience. It’s fiction, but
it’s historical fiction. There are actual ties to the Wisconsin area because
we know that some of the orphans
were brought even into our area, even
though the book is set north of here.
We thought it might touch home for
some folks. There is the concept of
family and adoption. It’s a great read.
High school kids can read it; adults
can read it. We thought it would have
some very broad appeal. It’s been
very popular with book clubs in the
area and the library in the area has reported really strong circulation on the
book so there seemed to be an interest in it. It’s always good to bring in an
author who has the public clamoring
to meet them.”
What does it take to follow an idea
through to final publication? Listen
to a writer’s testimonial and find out.
“One of the things we try to do in addi-
This year’s Fox Cities Reads featured
author is Christina Baker Kline, who
wrote the New York Times’ bestseller,
Orphan Train. Her striking fictional
novel follows two characters from different generations who seek friendship and a way to deal with secrets
in their pasts. This book involves an
overlooked story in U.S. history, the
transportation of a quarter of a million orphaned children during the
early years of the twentieth century.
Another author to note is John Jackson Miller, author of four books in the
Star Wars series, among many other
works of fiction and non – fiction. He
has visited the FCBF before and Kuepper is happy to have the Wisconsin author back. “He’s a really engaging author because he does novels, graphic
novels, and comic books. So he has a
nice breadth. He talks with aspiring
writers about the writing process. We
certainly thought that was a nice tie –
in with the new Star Wars movie coming out.”
Fox Cities Book Festival Board
Fundraisers
Authors Committee
Jeff Kuepper, president
Kris Clouthier, secretary
Martha Swanson, treasurer
Ruth Bloedow
Colette Lunday Brautigam
Bernard Edmonds
Vicki Lenz
Gail Ondresky
Tasha Saecker
Volunteer Chair
Kris Clouthier
Gail Ondresky
Ruth Bloedow
Martha Swanson
Lou Hull
Jeff Kuepper
Bernard Edmonds
Webmasters
Anne Paterson
Evan Bend
Encouraging the writers of tomorrow is part of the focus of this festival,
and organizers have reached out to
Appleton North High School in an effort to engage young readers. “We’re
having an honorary school and this
year; it’s Appleton North High School.
We got some suggestions on authors,
some help with marketing end of it.
We want a strong tie with K – 12 and
the universities so this is a way of expanding that a bit.”
Poetry is also an important element
in this festival. Kuepper is proud to
announce that Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate, Kimberly Blaeser will make an
appearance during the week. Student
poets can also get involved in an open
mic opportunity at the Student Poetry Invitational, at Copper Rock Coffee
Company on College Avenue, Appleton.
For Kuepper, the FCBF is the ideal
opportunity for every book lover. “It’s
fun to hear a novelist explain how
they develop characters, and how
their books have evolved. It’s also
fun to see a non – fiction author and
learn how they did their research for
the book. I enjoy not just meeting the
authors and getting turned on to new
books, but hearing them talk about
the writing process and what went
into the book, and what they had in
mind for characters.”
Get the latest information on author
appearances and other festival news
at FoxCitiesBookFestival.org.
Vicki Lenz, chair
Ruth Bloedow
Joe Bongers, Elisha D. Smith Public Library in Menasha
Lou Hull, Appleton Area School District
Karla Huston, Fox Valley Poets
Jeff Kuepper, UW-Fox Valley
Colette Lunday Brautigam, Lawrence University
Amy Mazzariello, Readers Loft Independent Bookstore
Meghan Odegard, Neenah Public Library
Anne Paterson, Outagamie Waupaca Library System
Diana Sandberg, Appleton Public Library
Angela Schneider, Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library
Ashley Thiem Menning, Kaukauna Public Library
Vicki Vogel, Fox River Environmental Education Alliance
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 3
2015 Fox Cities Book Festival Schedule of Events
There is no charge to attend these events, with the exception of the pre-festival
play at UW-Fox on April 17, the Happy Hour on Earth Day (Wednesday), and the
Westclectic Music and Poetry Fundraiser on Friday night, April 24, at the OuterEdge.
10:10 Stephanie Feuerstein: Butterfly Program – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance –Green Room
Pre-Festival Event: Tuesday, April 14
11:00 to 1:30
Children’s crafts from recycled stuff – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance —Green Room
6:30 Linda Sue Park – Appleton Public Library
Pre-Festival Event: Friday, April 17
6:00 Playwright Philip Dawkins – UW-Fox, Perry Theater
7:00
Play: Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins UW-Fox, Perry Theater (call
920-832-2646 and say “Book Festival Friend” for a discounted ticket)
Monday, April 20
Noon
Jerry Apps – UW-Fox, Union
2:00 Christina Baker Kline (2015 Fox Cities Reads) – Kaukauna High School
4:30
Kathleen Ernst (American Girl books) – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
6:00
Brett Christopherson – Appleton Public Library
6:30 Christina Baker Kline (2015 Fox Cities Reads) – Neenah Public Library
6:30
Raen Smith – Kaukauna Public Library
6:30
Kathleen Ernst (Chloe Ellefson mysteries) – Gerard H. Van Hoof Library
7:00 Lawrence Student Poets Invitational – Copper Rock Coffee Company
(part of Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets series; followed by community open mic)
7:00
Monica Rico – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
7:30
Jessie Garcia – Appleton Public Library
Tuesday, April 21
11:00 to 1:30
Lunch for sale – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance —
Banquet Room
11:00 to 1:30
Animal exhibit tours – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance —Large Sun Room
11:00 to 2:30
Sierra Club Members: Nature Hikes – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance —Large Sun Room
11:00 to 2:30 Bird viewing – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance
—2nd Level Towers
Noon
Bill Berry – UW-Fox, Perry Hall (sponsored by Wild Ones)
12:30
Dale Laurin – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance – Chapel
12:30 Vicki Vogel: Repurposing with Basic Sewing – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance – Conference Room
12:30 Water Splash/Water Filtration – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance – –Green Room (Children’s Program & Activities presented by Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance)
12:30 Sandy Johnson – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance
1:00
Lorna Landvik – Elisha D. Smith Public Library (sponsored by Women’s
Fund for the Fox Valley Region)
1:00 Martin Brief Exhibit/Gallery Tour – Lawrence University --Wriston Art
Center/Hoffmaster Gallery
1:30
Sara Laux Akin – Appleton Public Library
11:00 Christina Baker Kline (meet the author) – UW-Fox, Perry Hall
1:45
Wild Ones Members: Rain Gardens – Fox River Environmental Education
Alliance – Chapel
Noon
Christina Baker Kline (2015 Fox Cities Reads) – UW-Fox, Perry Hall
3:00
2:30
Zohra Sarwari – UW-Fox, Room 1346
4:00
Christina Baker Kline (meet the author) – Appleton Public Library
3:30
Richard Logan & Tere Duperrault Fassbender – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance – Chapel
6:30
Christina Baker Kline (2015 Fox Cities Reads) – History Museum
6:30
Jeff Yeager (Money Smart Week event) – Appleton Public Library
4:30 to 8:00
Earth Day Happy Hour (for adults) – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance (entertainment provided by Mile of Music-- admission is free,
refreshments are for sale )
6:30
John Ferak – James J. Siebers Memorial Library
5:30
Karla Huston – Neenah Public Library
6:30
Chad Lewis – Kaukauna Public Library
5:30
Ace Champion, Cooking Demonstration – UW-Fox, Communication Arts
6:30
Lisa Klarner – Appleton North High School
6:30
Mike McCabe – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
6:00
Northeast Wisc. Land Trust: Land Stewardship – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance
7:00
Julie Mata – Neenah Public Library
7:00
Mill Literary Awards – Appleton Public Library
Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day)
6:00
Bill Berry – The Wild Center (Wild Ones)
Kay Scholtz – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
6:00 Lorna Landvik – Appleton Public Library (sponsored by Women’s Fund
for the Fox Valley Region)
6:00
Earth Day Sing-Along – The Wild Center (Wild Ones)
9:00
KidStage/Fox River Academy: Lorax Program – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance—Chapel
6:30
Gavin Schmitt – Kaukauna Public Library
9:50
Fox River Academy Students: The Canoe Song – Fox River Environmental
Education Alliance—Chapel
7:00
Judith Waller/Compassion Café – UW-Fox Aylward Gallery
7:00
June Melby – Neenah Public Library
7:30
Harvey J. Kaye – Appleton Public Library
10:10 Jeff Yeager (Money Smart Week event) – Fox River Environmental Education Alliance – Chapel
4 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Thursday, April 23
1:30
Letters about Literature – Neenah Public Library
Noon
Nickolas Butler – UW-Fox, Perry Hall
3:00
Michael Leannah – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
4:00
B. J. Hollars – Neenah Public Library
2:00
Wendy McClure & Wendy Wimmer – Roosevelt Middle School
4:00
Lynne Finch (Money Smart Week Event) – Appleton Public Library
6:00
Steve Hazell (Sing-along) – Wild Center (Wild Ones)
4:30
Cynthia Marie Hoffman – Lawrence University--Wriston Art Center/Hoffmaster Gallery
6:30 to 8:30
6:00
Kathy Stewart – Neenah Public Library
6:00
Crystal Chan – Appleton Public Library
1:00
6:30
Jacqueline West – James J. Siebers Memorial Library
1:00
Susan Dolan – UW-Fox, Communication Arts Center (sponsored by Community Health Action Team (CHAT))
6:30
Victor Schueller – Kaukauna Public Library
1:30
Mary Kubica – Neenah Public Library
6:30
Steve Hazell – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
2:30
Claudia Turner – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
7:00
Nickolas Butler – Appleton Public Library
2:30
Wendy McClure – UW-Fox, Communication Arts Center
7:30
Steven Brust – Neenah Public Library
3:00
Dale Kushner – Neenah Public Library
Friday, April 24
Poetry Slam – Copper Rock Coffee (audience participation)
Sunday, April 26
April Henry – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
4:30
Writers’ Panel Discussion – UW-Fox, Communication Arts Center (featuring Dale Kushner, Wendy McClure, and Mary Kubica)
9:30
Miranda Paul & Isatou Ceesay – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
Noon
B. J. Hollars – UW-Fox, Union
Noon
Nickolas Butler – Gerard H. Van Hoof Library
1:30
Julie Buckles – Gerard H. Van Hoof Library
1:30
Will Schwalbe – UW-Fox, Perry Hall
3:30
Will Schwalbe – Neenah Public Library
Appleton North High School, 5000 N. Ballard Rd., Appleton
north
4:30
Douglas Beye Lorie – Appleton Public Library
Appleton Public Library, 225 N. Oneida St., Appleton apl.org
4:30 Fox Cry Review reading with Sarah Gilbert – UW-Fox, Room 1346
Atlas Coffee Mill, 425 W. Water St., Appleton atlascoffeemill.com
Venues
Angels Forever - Windows of Light, 310 W. College Ave., Appleton angelsforever.
com
aasd.k12.wi.us/
5:00
Kevin Miyazaki & Travis Dewitz – Lawrence University -- Warch Campus
Center Cinema
Copper Rock Coffee Company, 210 W. College Ave., Appleton copperrockcoffee.
com
5:30
Elisha D. Smith Public Library, 440 1st St., Menasha menashalibrary.org
Jericho Brown – UW-Fox , Room 1346
7:00
Fundraiser: Westclectic Music & Poetry with Doc Mehl - OuterEdge Stage
$20/person
Fox River Environmental Education Alliance, 1000 N. Ballard St., Appleton
foxrivereea.org
Saturday, April 25
Gerard H. Van Hoof Library, 625 Grand Ave., Little Chute kimlit.org
9:00
Douglas Beye Lorie – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
9:00
Will Schwalbe (writing workshop) – Atlas Coffee Mill
The History Museum at the Castle, 330 E. College, Ave., Appleton
myhistorymuseum.org
9:30
Ann Wertz Garvin – Appleton Public Library
9:30
Rachael Hanel – Kaukauna Public Library
10:30 Jericho Brown – Atlas Coffee Mill
James J. Siebers Memorial Library, 515 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly kimlit.org
Kaukauna High School, 1701 County Road CE, Kaukauna
wi.us
kaukauna.k12.
Kaukauna Public Library, 111 Main Ave., Kaukauna kaukaunalibrary.org
10:30
Patricia Skalka – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
11:00
Miranda Paul & Isatou Ceesay – Appleton Public Library
11:00
A. T. Haessly – Kaukauna Public Library
Noon
Kimberly Blaeser – Atlas Coffee Mill
1:00
Susan Gloss – Gerard H. Van Hoof Library
Roosevelt Middle School Commons (southwest corner—go in front doors, go
left), 318 E. Brewster St., Appleton rooseveltmiddleschool.net
1:00
Mike Hoeft – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley, 1478 Midway Rd., Menasha uwfox.uwc.edu
1:00
Vivian Probst – Angels Forever - Windows of Light
The Wild Center (Wild Ones), 2285 Butte des Morts Beach Rd., Neenah wildones.
org
1:30
Poets Among Us: Cathryn Cofell/Bill Gillard/Megan Gannon – Atlas Coffee Mill
1:30
Lawrence University, 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton lawrence.edu
Neenah Public Library, 240 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah neenahlibrary.org
OuterEdge Stage, 303 N. Oneida St., Appleton see OuterEdge Stage on Facebook
Wriston Art Center/Hoffmaster Gallery, on Lawrence University Campus
Mini Comic-Con featuring John Jackson Miller – Appleton Public Library
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 5
Special Events
Programs for Children and Young Adults
Fox Cities Reads: Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train, will be here on
Monday and Tuesday. Meet the author of this wonderful community reads book.
See schedule for all events.
Lawrence Students Invitational Poetry Night on Monday night at 7:00 at the
Copper Rock Coffee Company on College Avenue. This event, which will end
with a community open mic for local poets, is part of the Wisconsin Fellowship
Poets Series. See also the Poetry Slam on Saturday night from 6:30 to 8:30 at the
Copper Rock on College Avenue in Appleton. The public is invited to participate.
Mill Literary Awards winners will be announced and honored on Tuesday night,
at 7:00, at Appleton Public Library. At this, the Third Annual Mill Literary Prize
Event, Fox Cities writers will be recognized for their achievements in short fiction
and poetry. In each category, there will be a winner and several honorees, who
will read from their prize winning work.
Money Smart Week events include an appearance of author Jeff Yeager at the
Appleton Public Library on Tuesday night and another event at Fox River Environmental Education Alliance on Wednesday morning. Find out more about Money
Smart Week at Money Smart Week Fox Cities on Facebook.
Martin Brief/Wriston Art Galleries Tour at Lawrence University on Wednesday,
April 22, at 1:00 pm – exhibition of Martin Brief artwork, which focuses on language, almost to the point of obsessiveness, digging deeper and deeper into the
meaning of words until he has reached the very limits of expression.
Earth Day Celebration see Wednesday, April 22, on schedule.
Compassion for the Earth Compassion Café on Wednesday, April 22, from 6:30
to 8:00 pm. at UW-Fox Communication Arts Building. Compassionate Fox Cities,
a program of Goodwill NCW, in collaboration with Judith Waller and her exhibit
‘Small Problems, Big Trouble’, will facilitate a discussion focused on compassion
for the earth. Compassion Café is modeled on the World Café, a progressive conversation featuring facilitated discussion of compelling questions related to the
earth. The Compassion Café will follow a gallery talk with Judith Waller.
Photography Panel: Friday at 5:00, see the work of photographers Kevin Miyazaki & Travis Dewitz in the Lawrence University Warch Campus Center Cinema.
You may have heard Kevin on Wisconsin Public Radio discuss his book Perimeter.
Travis shot the photos for his book Blaze Orange: Whitetail Deer Hunting in Wisconsin. They will discuss their craft.
Westclectic Music & Poetry with Doc Mehl, the Asphalt Cowboy, appearing at
the OuterEdge Stage in Appleton on Friday night. Tickets cost just $20.
Writers’/Poetry Day on Saturday at the Atlas Coffee Mill down in the locks, starting with Will Schwalbe who will talk about writing and publishing. Poetry events
begin at 10:30 with national award-winning poet Jericho Brown will talk at 10:30.
Wisconsin’s new Poet Laureate Kimberly Blaeser will appear at noon, followed by
other great Wisconsin poets Cathryn Cofell, Megan Gannon, and Bill Gillard.
Mini Comic-Con on Saturday afternoon at the Appleton Public Library: John
Jackson Miller will speak at 1:30 about his latest Star Wars book, and his new Star
Trek book which just came out. He will be followed by a panel on the history of
comics and collection including Zachariah Wilson of Power House Comics.
Letters about Literature on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 at the Neenah Public Library: The annual Letters about Literature competition gives Wisconsin students
an opportunity to write letters to authors, living or dead, about how a particular book has affected their lives. Students in grades four through twelve take up
the challenge and compete at three levels: Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8 and Grades
9-12. State awards are presented each April. Wisconsin’s top winners in each of
the three levels are entered into the national competition whose winners are announced at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC.
Tuesday, April 15
6:30 Monday, April 20
2:00 Christina Baker Kline (young adults) – Kaukauna High School (public
event)
4:00
Kathleen Ernst (American Girl books) – Elisha D. Smith Public Library in
Menasha
6:30 Christina Baker Kline (young adults) – Neenah Public Library
7:00
LU Student Poets Invitational – Copper Rock Coffee Co. (part of Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets series; followed by community open mic)
Tuesday, April 21
Noon Christina Baker Kline (young adults) – UW-Fox, Perry Hall
6:30
Christina Baker Kline (young adults) – History Museum in Appleton
6:30
Chad Lewis (young adults) – Kaukauna Public Library
6:30
Lisa Klarner (young adults) – Appleton North High School
Wednesday, April 22 , EARTH DAY
These events are at Fox River Environmental Education Alliance, 1000 N. Ballard
St., Appleton
9:00
Lorax program: KidStage and Fox River Academy Students in the Chapel
10:10 Stephanie Feuerstein: a naturalist discusses animals in the lower level
Green Room
11:00 to 1:30
Lunch for sale in the lower level Banquet Room
11:00 to 1:30
Children’s crafts from recycled stuff in the lower level Green
Room
11:00 to 1:30
Animal exhibit tours in the Sun Room
11:00 to 2:30
Nature hikes, leaving by back door of the Sun Room
11:00 to 2:30
Bird viewing from the second level Towers
12:30 Water Splash Activities: presented by Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, lower
level Green Room
12:30 Sandy Johnson, author of Wisconsin’s Rock Island, a children’s book
Wednesday, April 22
1:30
Sara Laux Akin (story time & craft) – Appleton Public Library
Thursday, April 23
6:00
Crystal Chan (young adults) – Appleton Public Library
6:30
Jacqueline West (children’s fiction) – James J. Siebers Memorial Library
in Kimberly
Friday, April 24
9:30
Miranda Paul & Isatou Ceesay (story time) – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
Saturday, April 25
11:00
Miranda Paul & Isatou Ceesay (story time) – Appleton Public Library
Sunday, April 26
1:00
6 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Linda Sue Park (young adults) – Appleton Public Library
April Henry (young adults) – Elisha D. Smith Public Library
AUTHOR BIOS
Jerry Apps
Author of Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalists Memoir
Though he probably would never brag about such
a thing, Jerry Apps is one of the great ambassadors
for the state of Wisconsin. With his agricultural background and keen interest in a myriad of issues and
themes integral to our state, Apps humbly produces
book after book, each one telling a different tale of life
here. This Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the author of more than 30 books,
some in fiction, some non – fiction, and some for children. Many of them focus on rural history and country
life. His nonfiction books include: Living a Country Year,
Every Farm Tells a Story, When Chores Were Done, Humor
from the Country, Country Ways and Country Days, OneRoom Schools, Cheese, Breweries of Wisconsin, Ringlingville USA (History of Ringling
Brothers circus), Old Farm: A History, Barns of Wisconsin, Horse Drawn Days: A Century of Farming With Horses, and Campfires and Loon Calls.
At the Fox Cities Book Festival, Apps will talk about his newest book, Whispers
and Shadows: A Naturalist’s Memoir, along with his novel The Great Sand Fracas
of Ames County. He says that his novel dealing with the controversy over sand
mining has been well received so far. “Feedback from The Great Sand Fracas has
been very positive,” asserts Apps. “The issue of sand mining in Wisconsin is an
important one, and I, in an entertaining way with a focus on story, try to present
several sides to the issue with a focus on the discussion taking place in a small
town in Wisconsin.”
He endeavors to get the conversation, or debate, started. “I certainly hope that
my six novels, each one with an environmental focus, will help the discussion
about environmental issues. Too, often emotion gets in the way of critical, informed thinking and decision - making.”
Apps grew up in Wisconsin, relishing the great outdoors, and hopes to pass on
some of his love of the state’s quiet beauty to others. “My new book, Whispers and
Shadows, is about how I grew up appreciating the out-of-doors, and how my father, a farmer with a fifth grade education instilled in me a love for nature. I hope
this book may, in some small way, say something to the younger generation of
the importance of getting outside, working in a garden, hiking in a woods, watching a sunset, appreciating a rainy day--and learning to listen for the whispers and
look in the shadows. It is in the shadows that we see what others have missed,
and it is in the whispers of sound where often the deeper messages lie.”
As with most projects involving complex backgrounds, Orphan Train didn’t easily jump from idea to
finished book. “It actually took a long time,” Kline reports. “In the intervening seven years before I started
writing the book, I did three other books (two novels
and a non – fiction book) before I was ready to start
this book. It seemed like such a daunting undertaking
because of the historical research, but also because I
am not Midwestern, and I was worried. I felt like an interloper. I’m not from the Midwest, and I knew that
people who had written about this before tend to be
relatives of people who rode on the orphan trains or
historians, and I’m neither of those two things. I finally did enough work on it
that I realized that I was as good a person as any, and I also felt I had learned a lot
about it. Part of the complicated task as I wrote the book was to absorb all of this
historical research but not to try to regurgitate it, but to try to transform it into
something that would be compelling, readable, and a story. I think that’s always
the task when you do a novel that involves a lot of research.”
When it came to research, Kline didn’t flinch from immersing herself in the
background of her story. She read some 300 first – person testimonials and even
interviewed seven living train riders. “It was only by talking to lots of train riders
… it was only by reading a lot of stories and interviewing a lot of people that I felt
like I had a handle on what that was like to be a train rider,” Kline recounts. “A lot
of people who rode on the trains didn’t want to dwell on that, even when they
told their stories they didn’t necessarily explain what it really felt like. It took me
quite a while to wrap my head around that. That was one of the most interesting
aspects of this whole experience was learning how that felt and how to convey
that. It’s one of the reasons that I wrote fiction. I had freedom as a writer to show
what life was like for this character, and that was really exciting.”
How did the train riders themselves feel about this project of Kline’s? “The feedback has been really positive. I think that a lot of them and especially the train
riders themselves…. Once they started telling their story, they wanted people
to hear it. I think they understood that this is a story that’s been hidden in plain
sight. So, the more people who know about it -the better. It’s so wonderful that
it’s getting attention. I think people are ready to hear it.”
Christina Baker Kline
Some novelists take liberty with historical facts without hesitation. Kline didn’t
feel this was the correct approach for Orphan Train. “Every single fact is accurate;
I did not take liberty with the facts. A lot of novelists are not trying to necessarily
be factually accurate – they’re writing novels. It’s sort of a debate among novelists that if you’re telling a historical story whether you need to be accurate, and a
lot of people don’t feel that you do. But I felt that with this novel in particular that
I had a responsibility to the train riders to be accurate because their story has not
been told in a wide – spread way and I felt that I was lucky to have access to it and
I wanted to be true to their experience, if I could.”
In the early part of the last century, the lack of a structured support system for
orphaned children, particularly in New York City, led to the creation of a program
for transferring children via the rails to Midwestern states, where couples could
adopt them. Christina Baker Kline says she stumbled on the story of the largest
migration of children in United States history over a decade ago. This moment
of chance sparked something in the author that would lead to her #1 New York
Times bestselling book, Orphan Train, and an outpouring of acclaim for her fictional account of this hidden chapter in our country’s history. Kline, an author
of ten books, likes to keep it all in perspective, but she is thrilled that the story is
finally reaching a wide audience.
Having Orphan Train reach the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list is
no small feat. For Kline though, it’s not something that should overshadow her
career as a writer. “I’ve been writing for a long time; this is my tenth book, my fifth
novel. I’m glad that I had a career as a working writer for all these years and I think
it gives me a kind of perspective. I never expected this to happen. It’s great. It’s
been wonderful, and really surprising, and kind of astounding, but I would have
been perfectly content to be a working writer for the rest of my life in the way
that I’ve always been. I published books and I think my next – biggest selling
book was about 30,000 copies and this book (Orphan Train) is over two million,
and that’s really different. But, I was a working writer, and I had contracts and I
had an editor and I always worked. That was fine as far as I was concerned. It’s
Author of Orphan Train, featured book of Fox Cities Reads
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 7
AUTHOR BIOS
lovely and exciting and gratifying that this book has taken off, but I also feel that
if it all went back to the way it was tomorrow I would be okay with it, because the
whole point for me is the writing, and my love of writing and this kind of success
is fantastic but first of all it would probably never happen again, and second, I
don’t mind if it doesn’t. I’ve really enjoyed this but the point of it for me is about
the work, the writing.”
Kline is lingering in the days of the early 1900’s for a bit longer with her next
literary project, inspired by the Andrew Wyeth painting called, Christina’s World.
“It’s just a very interesting story and it’s been tremendously fun to research,”
Kline says. “It’s a different kind of research and it’s about making art. It’s not an
entirely shocking departure because the woman in the painting lived exactly at
the same that Vivian lived, so all that research that I did about America in the 20th
century is research that I can use again.”
Kline will be participating in the Fox Cities Book Festival several times throughout the week. She plans to bring a slide show with archival photographs, including some from the Library of Congress. Orphan Train has been selected as
the feature book for the Fox Cities Reads program, which involves a variety of
interactive events for the author.
To learn more about Orphan Train, or other books written by the author, go to
ChristinaBakerKline.com.
Jericho Brown
Jericho Brown, born Nelson Demery, III, is an American poet. In 2011, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry.
Brown was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from Dillard University, and from the University
of New Orleans with an MFA, and from the University of
Houston with a Ph.D.
He taught at the University of San Diego until 2012,
when he became a professor at Emory University. Previously worked as the speechwriter for the Mayor of
New Orleans.
His poems have appeared in The Iowa Review, jubilat, The Nation, New England Review, The New Republic, Oxford American, The
New Yorker, and The Best American Poetry. He serves as an Assistant Editor at
Callaloo. His first book, Please, (New Issues Poetry & Prose, 2008) won the American Book Award. His most recent book of poetry, The New Testament, (Copper
Canyon Press, 2014) continues his examination of race, masculinity and sexuality,
often returning to the stories of the Bible.
Steven Brust
Author of “Taltos” novels, among others
Steven Brust is clearly comfortable working within the literary environment of
fantastical, deeply layered stories involving an immense range of characters. He
began writing novels in 1983 with, “Jhereg” and hasn’t let up since. Last year’s
release of, “The Incrementalists,” takes readers down a slightly more recognizable
rabbit hole, with a dizzying mixture of secret societies, murder, and immortality.
It’s also set in Las Vegas. One gets the idea that crafting complex, mysterious
tales, set in this world or another, is an irresistible thrill for Brust.
8 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
It’s tempting to assume there might be more freedom for a writer when the parameters of what is and
is not Earthly reality fall by the wayside. But, as in most
literary endeavors, it’s never that simple. “The thing is,
you start out with a world that’s constructed according
to your taste, a place that permits you to tell the sort of
stories you want to tell,” explains Brust. “As time goes
on, you find those early decisions more and more restricting--you can’t go and drastically violate the laws
of nature you’ve carefully set up, or people will look
at you funny. And, here’s the thing, I’m finding the restrictions are more and more where the fun is -- or, if
you will, the creativity. How should I put this? It isn’t so much that the earlier
decisions prevent me from “this” as that they keep suggesting “that.” I’m always
discovering new, unexplored streets I can walk down, streets that I didn’t realized
I’d put there. It’s fun.”
Brust has written two extensive series of novels set in the world of Dragaera,
plus other novels and a long list of short stories. One would think his fingers
have not left the keyboard since the early ‘80’s. “First of all, I wouldn’t call it work,
I’d call it play -- after all, I’m telling myself a story, right? I like the stories I tell. It
turns out that I’m the perfect audience for them. As for how long, I guess usually
three to six months, but it’s taken as long as 18 months, and twice I did a draft in
six weeks; I have no idea how that happened. One thing I learned is that, after I
finish a book, I need to give myself a break, because I’m not going to get anything
useful done anyway. Then, once I get a piece of story that won’t let go--usually an
opening line, or maybe a bit of plot from somewhere in the middle, or perhaps a
title that inspires all sorts of possibilities -- I start slowly. Maybe a sentence or two
a day. As the story builds, I do more and more, and generally the last couple of
chapters come in a rush as I need to find out what happens.”
Brust has come to appreciate working with fellow writers on novels. “I’ve collaborated with Skyler on a second one now, and I’ve also written books with Megan Lindholm and Emma Bull, and they were all such wonderful experiences that,
sure, if something came up that made me think of someone, I could see doing it. I’m kicking one around with Will Shetterly at the moment.”
Like something that Brust wrote? Send him a Tweet! “I get praise that way,” he
says. “And who doesn’t like praise? Useful feedback I get from my editors, from
my critique group, and from select individuals I trust. Twitter is just plain fun,
because it zings by so fast. It’s like the notes on a banjo--no sustain. And that
often suits my mood, because I’ll think of a line that strikes me as funny, but has
nowhere to go, and now I have outlet for it so I don’t have to interrupt one of my
housemates--though I usually do that too.”
Brust just keeps turning out more intrigue, mystery and suspense. “Well, the
second Incrementalists novel is finished in draft, and we’re now going through
the editorial process with it, so I imagine it’ll be out in a year or so. I can’t describe
how much I love those books, that world. I’m also working on another Vlad novel,
Vallista, which takes place right before Hawk. It’s going more slowly than I’d like,
but somehow it’s fun anyway.”
Julie Buckles
Author of Paddling to Winter: A Couple’s Wilderness Journey
from Lake Superior to Northern Canada
Not long ago, Julie Buckles took off on a 1,700 – mile canoe trip with her new
husband through Lake Superior and into remote wilderness areas of Canada. The
AUTHOR BIOS
subsequent book is called, Paddling to Winter: A Couple’s Wilderness Journey from Lake Superior to Northern Canada, and it has captured attention for its candid
take on modern – day adventures and marriage. The
book was recently awarded the Next Generation Indie
Award, the Independent Publishers Award, the Foreword Book of the Year in Adventure and the Eric Hoffer da Vinci Eye Award for cover design. Buckles was
a reporter and freelance writer and as an adjunct professor at Northland College, where she currently works
in the communications office as the public and media
relations specialist. She is a regular contributor to Lake
Superior Magazine and WPR’s Wisconsin Life.
The enthusiastic response to her book had Buckles feeling glad she took the
effort to put her experiences down for others to discover. “I had my head so deep
into writing the book and into working with the publisher to get it into print,
that I had not thought about what comes next. Well, what comes next is string
of fantastic surprises. I’ve had people contact me from Canada, the United States
and even New Zealand who have felt a strong connection to Paddling to Winter. Just last week, a gentleman found my book at Robertson’s Trading Post in
LaRonge, Canada. I can safely say, you cannot shop any further north in Canada.
Robertson’s is this super cool old-fashioned trading post filled with furs from local trappers, artistry, crafts, food, gear, supplies. This guy was in the north, his
plane was delayed so he spent an afternoon at Robertson’s and found my book.
He ended his email, ‘I was so glad I bought the book, and am happy for how
that winter had brought you into that world, which once was my world.’ I think
there are some of us that, having been in the North, we never completely leave
it, and it never completely leaves us. In short, every time I get a comment from a
young person about how I inspired them to take a wilderness trip or from someone older who once passed through Wollaston and wondered more about it -- I
get a jolt of adrenaline. I wrote this book in isolation for the most part -- but now
it has become a community affair, filled with life, depth, laugher, and memories.”
And just like a trip into the wilderness, this book found it’s way to completion, step – by – step. “The book started as a few random chapters that naturally
evolved into a book,” explains Buckles. “I didn’t have a strong idea that it would
be a book. In fact, I started graduate school at Antioch (for a MFA in Creative Writing) with the goal that I would not write about The Trip. Seems strange to set that
as a goal, but I had spent much of my 30’s planning for, packing for, and then paddling -- I wanted to think and write about something else. But then I wrote an essay and it was that essay the elicited the most questions. So I wrote another essay.
And the same thing happened. The essays started to look like book chapters and I
realized it was a story that needed and deserved the length of a book. I spent my
last semester writing the first half of the book, then took six months afterwards
to write the second half. I had never taken time to reflect on what the journey
meant -- we returned and jumped back into our lives, and never really looked
back. The writing process really became the time for reflection, allowing me to
look back and to realize what an amazing thing it was. Going out and talking
about the story then took reflection to another level.”
Sharing private observations of family life is a daring step for any writer. Buckles seems to have struck gold with her good – natured husband. “Charly was with
me all the way. He never flinched. In one writer’s group session in grad school,
someone commented that it felt as if I was writing with someone looking over my
shoulder. Charly was never literally looking over my shoulder, but he was always
in my head. So, I had to excise him mentally so I could write my book rather than
our book. I announced this to him and as always, he shrugged and said, ‘fine.’
He’s great with the way I portrayed him -- even the less flattering moments. I was
probably more worried about my parents’ reactions. They are such private people
but they were so much a part of our trip that I had to flesh them out. They never
flinched either, at least in front of me. My dad said he was so nervous for us that
he couldn’t enjoy the first time he read the book. And obviously he knew how it
turned out.” The Buckles have turned their adventurous minds to the world of sled dogs
upon finishing their journey. “I’ve not written much about dog sledding mostly
because it’s hard to do when you’re in the middle of it. But now that we’re slowly
ending a very long run with the team, I’ve been feeling nostalgic and wanting to
explore what it meant to our marriage, our family, and our life to have a dozen Siberian huskies in our lives at any one time. Plus, we’ve been on many adventures
with them.”
Buckles says she’s finding a tricky time getting this new story to fit within a natural structure, as with Paddling to Winter, but that she’s having fun with it nonetheless.
Nickolas Butler
Author of Shotgun Lovesongs
Nickolas Butler set his first novel, Shotgun Lovesongs,
in a small Wisconsin town. A group of friends with a
shared past feel the pull from the town and from each
other, even after they’ve moved on. A New York Times
review called the work a “big-hearted book” that is
“impressively original.” High marks from one of the nation’s leaders in book reviews, and one sure that will
help the novel reach a wider audience. Butler says that
reviews are just opinions and it’s important to keep it
all in perspective. “Good reviews are always rewarding,
I suppose, but you can’t take reviews very seriously,” he
asserts. “You have to write or create art for yourself, without a thought to critical
considerations. I’ve gotten some pretty mean reviews too. Everyone has an opinion, and that’s just fine.”
Shotgun Lovesong took Butler two years of constant writing, and an additional
year of editing. As a married father of two young children, he works during the
late evening hours, after every one goes to sleep. “I try to write every day, but
that’s not always possible,” Butler says. “I might be traveling or focused on my
kids or reading another writer’s work and trying to get them feedback. I’m not
sure I’m “highly disciplined”, but I also think that being a good father and husband
and friend and brother and son are frankly more important than writing fiction.”
Butler was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
He earned his BA from UW – Madison, and an MFA from the University of Iowa
Writers Workshop. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The Progressive, The Christian Science Monitor, Ploughshares, Narrative, The Kenyon Review
Online, Isthmus, Roast, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Magazine, New Verse
News, PANK, Volume One, Wisconsin People & Ideas, Sixth Finch, terrain.org, The
Lumberyard, and Fresh Cup. He currently lives in rural Wisconsin. With his next
book entitled, Beneath the Bonfire due out in May of this year, Butler says he is
busy with a lot of projects, but hopes to see a third book out before too long.
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 9
AUTHOR BIOS
Crystal Chan
Author of Bird
Growing up is never a painless process, but growing up as a mixed – race child in the Midwest makes
finding one’s place in the world uniquely complex.
Crystal Chan says there is a lot of herself in her book,
Bird. It has reached countless readers in nine countries
through its tale of loss and discovery, and has garnered
high praise along the way. She’ll share this and more
when she makes an appearance at the Fox Cities Book
Festival. “I’ll talk a bit about my writer’s journey: how I
was “supposed” to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer and
somehow ended up a children’s writer and storyteller
for adults and kids alike – integral to that story is the
process by which I learned how to claim my voice,”
Chan says. “Specific to my novel Bird, I’ll talk about the process that took me from
initial inspiration to landing one of the best agents in the industry; having Bird be
welcomed in, trumpets blaring, at Simon and Schuster; and then being published
in nine countries around the world.”
Chan, who now calls Chicago home, reports that she simply didn’t know any
other mixed – race families when she grew up in Oshkosh during the 1980’s and
1990’s. “But beyond race and ethnicity, everyone questions who they are and
where they fit in in the world, and that’s one of the strengths of the novel – that
no matter what the reader’s background is, you can relate. That’s one of the reasons why I think it’s sold so strong internationally, too.”
When a writer brings in shades of his or her past, sometimes there needs to be
a bit of distance from the biographical details. “I wanted to write about a mixedrace family, but I didn’t want it to be my mix (Chinese/White) – that would be a
little too close to home, and I needed some creative distance,” Chan admits. “I had
to do a lot of research, then, on both Jamaica and Mexico, but Jewel’s experience
of being mixed – how people respond to her, how they question her – I could
identify with very closely.”
Young readers have thoroughly embraced Bird. “I’ve found that kids love Jewel
and John, and they love how some of the adults in the story change over time,
too. The story surprises them: both with the plot as well as with the characters.
And they become curious about the different elements in the book: love of nature and the outdoors, curiosity about other cultures, and even curiosity about
silence. One young girl, after reading the book, said that she was the loudest
kid she knew, but after reading the book she thought she’d give silence a try. I
thought that was a high compliment, indeed!”
Choosing a young girl for her book’s central character was more of a impulse
than a careful decision for Chan. “This girl’s voice was speaking to me, telling me
her story – I guess that’s okay to admit publicly, since I’m a writer. But seriously,
Bird has some pretty sophisticated material in it, which is why adults really enjoy
the book, too. In fact, I get some really strong responses from adults – this one
guy in Germany climbed a tree with my book in hand (the kids in the book climb
trees)…and he was sixty years old! In the U.S., though, it is for middle school kids
– although my UK publisher put Bird for teens, which is interesting. In the book,
Jewel, the protagonist, is twelve years old, and so is her best friend, John. I think
that kids in middle school are starting to approach the world with a unique perspective – on the one hand, they’re starting to see all that’s broken in the world,
and on the other hand, they still know what the magical and the fantastical feels
like. One foot in each world. One of my mottos is never to underestimate the
10 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
depth of kids’ understanding and questioning. Never. And so I wrote a book that
underscores that belief.”
Chan reports that she is at work on another novel aimed at middle – grade
readers. She’s also busy visiting schools and making the festival circuit. She’s
surprised that in 2015 people still get asked, “What are you?” in a clumsy attempt
to learn more about a person’s heritage. She says that living in Chicago with all
its diversity means she doesn’t face questions like that very much anymore, but
that level of insensitivity never really seems to disappear. “I’m active on Facebook groups where mixed-race people talk about receiving questions like this,
so I know it still happens, and all the time. When I do get the question, I feel frustrated, unseen, and sad. There’s so much more to people than the labels society
gives us, whether they be gender, race, whatever. And that’s another reason why
I wrote Bird – to explore beyond labels, to discover those qualities that are both
unique and universal within each one of us.”
Brett Christopherson
Author of Over and Back - Mickey Crowe The Strange and
Troubled Life of a Wisconsin High School Basketball Legend
Brett Christopherson reports for Post – Crescent
Media, specializing in digital content and sports, and
in 2013 published what has to be a dream project for
any sports enthusiast. Over and Back - Mickey Crowe
The Strange and Troubled Life of a Wisconsin High School
Basketball Legend follows the rise and fall of a Wisconsin high school basketball star. Christopherson spoke
with family and friends of Crowe, and plowed through
piles of old newspaper articles in an attempt to capture the most comprehensive report of Crowe’s story. He’ll share that process with folks at the Fox Cities
Book Festival this April. “I’ll be discussing the legend
of Mickey Crowe, his continued relevance among Wisconsin sports icons despite him achieving his fame during a high school career
that ended 40 years ago, his debilitating fall as he dealt with mental illness, depression, drugs and alcohol and how the book project served as a source of therapy,” says Christopherson. “Opening up and telling his story has helped Mickey
achieve a sense of inner peace and closure as he continues to shift his life from
– in his words – ‘drift to direction.’”
What began as a feature story for his paper evolved into a full – fledged book
– writing endeavor. “I’ve always been enamored with sports history and biographies and had heard about the Crowe legend while growing up in Wisconsin. I
always wondered what had happened to him, so I reached out to a family friend
and arranged a face-to-face interview in Mickey’s hometown of Eau Claire. We
ended up having a great two-hour conversation, and I turned the meeting into a
sports feature that ran in The Post-Crescent. But because I had so much unused
material from that interview, I was convinced I could write a book about his life.
So I approached him about my idea, he pledged support and we ended up having many more discussions throughout the years as I sought to tell the story of
one of the more intriguing and iconic figures in Wisconsin sports history.”
Fortunately for Christopherson, building the framework for his book with background details wasn’t terribly difficult. “Mickey’s family was very helpful, as were
former teammates and those who chronicled his playing days in the 1970s. The
research wasn’t as difficult as it was time-consuming. I’d often start writing but
would then run into more questions that required me to search through piles of
AUTHOR BIOS
old newspaper articles and Mickey’s own clippings and mementos. So I spent a
lot of time looking through articles and things like that. The most frustrating aspect of the research was trying to hunt down old photos and video clips. Thankfully, I was able to put together a decent collection of photos through images
loaned by the Crowe family and other research sources, but I was surprised to
find many newspapers had gotten rid of old negatives. And I was surprised to
learn that TV stations typically didn’t archive old footage.”
Christopherson says that response to the 2013 book has been positive. “I’ve
received a lot of emails and phone calls from folks telling me how much they
enjoyed reading the book. And we’ve had strong turnouts at the five signings
we’ve had throughout the state: Appleton, Ashwaubenon, Eau Claire, Madison
and Manitowoc. We have another signing scheduled for March 4 in Stevens
Point, and I anticipate we’ll have another strong turnout since Mickey played in
the central part of the state, as well. It’s a tribute to Mickey, what he was able to
accomplish and the impact he had that he’s still remembered so strongly 40 years
after he graduated from high school. There might have been better players that
have come through the state high school basketball circuit, but no player before
or since has garnered so much hype, intensity and scrutiny. One of my personal
highlights was stopping by Barnes & Noble in Appleton around Christmas of that
year and being told by a sales associate that the book had sold out. The title had
been moved from the bottom shelf of the Wisconsin section to the main sports
section with three facings on the top shelf.”
Cathryn Cofell
Author of Sister Satellite
The Fox Cities Book Festival is not just a get – together for novelists. Poetry will enchant audiences at
several venues during the week. Cathryn Cofell is one
of several poets heading to the festival. In addition to
Sister Satellite, she has six chapbooks of poetry under
her belt, and finds collaboration with other artists valuable. “While the Fox Cities Book Festival has a rich history of celebrating writers and books from around the
globe, you don’t need to travel far to find some of the
country’s best poets,” asserts Cofell. “Several years ago,
I worked with Karla Huston to create a series of events
that would highlight some of this regional talent. With
such a positive turnout and response from attendees, Poets Among Us has become an annual event. I’m excited to be joined by Megan Gannon, who is the
new Assistant Professor of English at Ripon College, and Bill Gillard, who teaches
at UW-Fox Valley.”
The rhythm of poetry met its musical match when Cofell teamed up with the
artist, Obvious Dog (Bruce Dethlefsen) for the 2010 release of Lip. “I grew up with
music,” says Cofell. “My mom taught herself how to play the piano; she loved
Broadway show tunes! I took piano lessons myself, switched over to saxophone
and played into my junior year of college when poetry took over. Rhythm and
sound continue to inspire my work, but the actual pairing of my poems to music was pushed into existence by my friend Bruce Dethlefsen (former Wisconsin
Poet Laureate) and three free hours in a recording studio (part of a prize for winning a poetry contest). Bruce and fellow musician Bill Orth spent several months
creating music to support my poems or pairing my poems to songs they’d already written. From their hard work, our CD “Lip” was born and we’ve continued
to perform live and create new sounds, songs and pairings as time permits.”
Cofell worked as an advisor to former Governor Tommy Thompson on the establishment of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate, as well as chairing the Wisconsin
Poet Laureate Commission. She explains that it isn’t just a symbolic title. “The
poet laureate plays a crucial role in keeping the arts accessible and vital—to all
age groups—and acts as an ambassador for poetry and creativity and its importance in the cultural life of Wisconsin. So many of life’s most crucial celebrations
and ceremonies -- births, dedications, weddings, inaugurations, funerals -- are
made fuller and more meaningful by the gift of poetry and music...yet so many
people, when asked, seem to fear poetry for its (often) misperceived complexity. Through the Wisconsin Poet Laureate program, we’ve been able to change that
fear to joy in thousands upon thousands of lives in this state and beyond.” Susan Dolan
Author of The End-of-Life Advisor: Personal, Legal and Medical Considerations for a Peaceful, Dignified Death
It’s the subject most people love to avoid. Whether
it’s planning one’s parents’ care or making one’s own
arrangements, the very idea of planning what should
be done at the end of life can seem so intimidating.
This is where Susan Dolan, a registered nurse and an
attorney steps in. She serves as a healthcare consultant and an end-of-life advisor. Dolan co – authored
the award – winning book, The End-of-Life Advisor:
Personal, Legal and Medical Considerations for a Peaceful, Dignified Death. At the Fox Cities Book Festival she
will speak about getting the conversations about one’s
end – of – life wishes going at the right time. “The
presentation is intended to benefit patients, loved ones, caregivers, healthcare
professionals, lawyers, healthcare consumers and students,” explains Dolan. “I
will deliver a message of reassurance and hope using real-life stories and practical step-by-step guidance to dramatically improve the quality of end-of-life for
everyone involved. A key takeaway message is to document wishes and have
the “conversation” around end-of-life now--don’t wait until there is a dramatic
change in a loved one’s health or, even worse, when he/she can no longer speak
for themselves. As the stories I’ll share illustrate, documenting wishes and having
conversations allows our loved one’s wishes to become known--which ultimately
becomes a loving legacy.”
The group most likely to reject the discussion of planning for the end of life
isn’t the group farthest from death. “Young people consistently surprise me with
their openness to learn more about planning and preparing for end-of-life care.
Their motivation and interest is often sparked because a relative, friend, co-worker or someone in the news has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, experienced hospice or has died. They immediately think about other people in their
circle or themselves and how they want to be treated at end-of-life. Smart phone
advance care planning apps like MyDirectives.com simplify the process of completing an advance directive for busy young adults. Tools such as MyDirectives
are appealing because they enable people to express and record their choices
now--in the context of their lives today. Those choices could change as life changes, but that’s the beauty of an online tool that can be updated as often as needed--easily and seamlessly.” Dolan reports that feedback for her books has been rewarding for her, especially when a reader truly embraces her message. One letter said, “You have managed to make the subject of death ‘unscary’, which is not an easy thing to do. I
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 11
AUTHOR BIOS
have read LOTS of books about end-of-life care and the importance of planning
for end-of-life health care decisions. I can honestly say that your book is the best
all-around, concise, easy to read book I’ve read.” Dolan says that comments like
that help her to know her book delivered the intended message on a topic that is
difficult and emotional for most of us.
Megan Gannon
Author of Cumberland
Megan Gannon seems to be doubly – gifted, as
moves with ease between writing poetry and writing
narrative fiction. Her novel, Cumberland involves twin
sisters in starkly different worlds and gives an intimate
vision of their arresting story. For Gannon, both genres
have their place and season. “They fulfill such different
needs in me,” she admits. “Poetry is my religion and
fiction is my recreation. Poetry takes a lot more wool gathering and other – poet - reading and wall - staring,
so it’s often better suited for the summer months. Fiction is nice during the fall and winter, because I can just
sit down and pick up where I left off.” For the twins in Cumberland, Gannon didn’t pull from research in a traditional sense, but relied on something more instinctive. “I did a lot of research for
Cumberland, but I actually didn’t research anything about twins at all. I’ve experienced two or three symbiotic mind - meld friendships in my life, one of which was
with my sister, so I suppose I just drew upon that. I hope it worked.”
This poet and novelist earned degrees from Vassar College, the University of
Montana, and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She currently teaches at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.
There are more distinctive and intriguing publications coming from Gannon in
the near future. “I’m on the final, arduous, make-every-sentence-sparkle stage of
revising a second novel,” says Gannon. “It’s called Claim, and it’s set in the mining camp of Jerome, Arizona in 1898. It’s kind of a panoramic story--much wider
scope with more characters and plot lines that overlap and intersect in this tiny
town. This book took a ton of research--on mining, on food and clothes and products and household amenities in 1898, on the history of Jerome and prostitution
and important town figures and the layout of the town--but it was all fun. Still,
I hope to finish revising it by the early part of the summer so I can move on to
some poems. I’m amassing notes and semi-drafts for some poems about chronic
pain, with some tributes to Frida Kahlo.”
When she visits the Fox Cities Book Festival, Gannon will read a few of her poems from her new collection, White Nightgown.
Jessie Garcia
Author of “My Life with the Green and Gold: Tales from 20
Years of Sportscasting,”
Wisconsin has never suffered from a shortage of fervent sports fans. But, historically, when it came to journalists reporting on sports, there was a definite shortage of women on the scene. Jessie Garcia took her love of sports and carved a
path in the television news industry by becoming the state’s first female sports reporter. She was a Packers sideline reporter and host of both “The Mike Holmgren
Show” and “The Mike McCarthy Show.” She works at WTMJ in Milwaukee and has
12 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
just published a memoir of her years following some
rather famous teams and individuals called, “My Life
with the Green and Gold: Tales from 20 Years of Sportscasting.”
Garcia plans to share some behind – the – scenes
stories from the high profile sporting events she has
covered when she visits the Fox Cities Book Festival. “I
also have some fun videos to share and will do a Q & A
on Wisconsin sports and on being a woman/mom in a
male-dominated field,” Garcia says.
Writing the memoir was not a difficult decision for
her. “I felt I had some funny experiences that people might enjoy reading about,”
Garcia explains. “I wanted to tell about my struggles balancing work and kids as
well as some of the early challenges with being Wisconsin’s first female sports
anchor. I wanted to peel back the curtain on what it’s like at a TV station and
how we cover major events like a Super Bowl and finally, I had many interactions
with famous athletes and coaches and I got to see them more as humans than as
superstars. I wanted to share some of these moments that hopefully humanize
names like Brett Favre, Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy.”
Though she wasn’t one to keep journals, Garcia believes she has a good memory for the people, the conversations, and the details that make up the book. “I
verified stories with others who were there and I’m lucky to work in a business
where much of what we do is on videotape so I consulted stories directly for exact quotes.”
So far the response to Garcia’s memoir has been positive. “The feedback has
been great! People seem to enjoy hearing about a reporter’s life and also learning many new things about the Packers and other sports teams that they never
knew.”
Garcia is quick to point out how proud she is of the television news industry
and the way women have made their mark on it. “My profession has changed
for the better (much better) for female sports journalists. In fact, a young female
sportscaster would have an edge over males entering the field today because
many stations would like to hire a qualified woman. Whether or not that is fair is
a valid question that I am more than willing to debate with people. There is also
a lot of talk about where this profession is headed-- i.e. are local TV stations and
newspapers dying? Perhaps they are, but I still believe there will always be a place
for a talented and hard-working journalist. I will say though that you need to be
much more Internet savvy now and also be comfortable being on camera. Even
print journalists need to tape video chats and things of the like and that will likely
only grow in the future.”
Writing books seems to be something Garcia was called to do, as she has a
second book out now called, “No Stone Unturned,” a non – fiction account of the
FitzRandolph family from Verona, whose son won an Olympic medal and whose
daughter fought cancer. “This book chronicles their life journey-- from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows-- and also details why they chose to fight her
cancer with alternative medicine and what they think worked and didn’t. The
third book is still untitled. It’s the history of Olympians who have Wisconsin connections. The book goes from 1900-present day detailing various Olympics and
the Wisconsinites who competed in them. It will be published by the same publisher as the first, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.”
Garcia is also an adjunct professor of journalism in the Milwaukee area and is
married with two boys.
AUTHOR BIOS
Susan Gloss
A.T. Haessly
Inspiration can come from just about any source,
even a second – hand source. Susan Gloss is an author
with an eye for the styles of the middle part of the last
century. Her debut novel, Vintage, clearly takes notes
from Gloss’ interest in the look of Mad Men. Characters in her novel all frequent a shop called, Hourglass
Vintage, set in Madison, Wisconsin. Readers have embraced this story for its depiction of women coming together to support each other through the rough seas
of life. Gloss’ presentation at the Fox Cities Book Festival is entitled, Second Chances: How Thrift Store Finds
Inspired a Novel. She says she will discuss the ideas and
the process behind her novel, as share of her experiences when getting Vintage published. Have questions? Gloss is happy to answer them.
Anthony Haessly has been intrigued by stories of the
Apocalypse for many years. This interest has been woven into his novel, The Beginning of War, which came
out last year. Here the author takes elements of the
myth and sculpts a modern interpretation filled with
revenge and adventure. “My interest in the plot, and
my entire series, came to me through both religious
and entertainment mediums,” says Haessly. “I always
enjoyed the stories of the end times of all different religions. In these tales humanity is driven to transform
to prove its worth. And though some deeper meanings
and the stories may be controversial to some, I wanted
to write the end times from a unique perspective. So
I made the Horsemen humans. The Apocalypse has always been an interesting
topic for me because of its numerous interpretations. Anywhere from Ragnarok
to excitable people looking at a Mayan calender, I enjoy the stories and the idea
of a pivotal moment for humanity.”
Author of Vintage
The story of this book’s publication is a tale of determination. “I started Vintage
in the spring of 2010 and finished the first draft by the end of that year,” Gloss
explains. “I revised and rewrote the manuscript on and off for another eighteen
months on my own before I signed with a literary agent. Once I began working with my agent, she and I went through two more rounds of revisions before
shopping it around to publishers. After the book sold to HarperCollins, my editor
and I went through even more revisions before the book was published in 2014.
So when I add up the time from when I first came up with the idea to when the
book appeared on book store shelves, it totals about 4 years!” When it comes to getting the characters in a novel just right, this graduate of
the University of Notre Dame says that each revision improved the story. “For me,
that’s where the layers of complexity come in. With each pass I make of the manuscript, I add details that enrich the character’s back story and conflicts.” Gloss says that the experience of touching others through her book makes
the long process worthwhile. “Connecting with readers is why I write, so I love
hearing from readers. Of course, not every person who picks up my book will
love it, and I’ve learned to be okay with that. But when I hear that a particular
character or scene resonated with someone, it makes all the long hours spent entrenched in the writing process worth it. I hear from quite a few readers through
my website. It always brightens my day when a reader takes the time to write me
an email, and I try to respond to as many as I can.”
When she’s not working, Gloss still likes to take in a little vintage shopping
around town. “For good old thrift store shopping, the St. Vincent de Paul store on
Williamson Street can’t be beat. My favorite place for well-curated, mint condition
vintage dresses and accessories is Good Style Shop which, coincidentally, moved
to a location on Johnson Street--which is where Hourglass Vintage, the fictional
shop in the novel, is located.”
Already hard at work on her second novel, Gloss, a wife and mother of a son
says these days she is all about the mod style of Jean Shrimpton. She has even
thrown dress – up parties for past Mad Men premieres. So who knows? Maybe
you’ll bump into Gloss someday when browsing your favorite vintage shop in our
state’s capitol. Be sure to let he know how much you liked reading Vintage! In
the meantime, check out her blog, GlossingOverIt at SusanGloss.com.
Author of The Beginning of War
Haessly lives in the Fox Valley area and says the book took about a year to write,
but he’s already close to finished with revisions on his second book. Conquest of
Gods involves the first Horseman and his rise to power. “He is from ancient Rome
and is tasked with handling gods that have betrayed the Maker and balance,”
Haessly explains. “The third book pertaining to Famine has also been started.
And there will be plenty more to come.”
Steve Hazell
Author of The Kindred Path
When a writer shares deeply personal experiences
and emotions in his written work, the hope is to forge
a meaningful connection with readers. Steve Hazell
felt compelled to do this after reflecting on his friend’s
life, along with his own civic and artistic accomplishments. His book, The Kindred Path follows Hazell’s life in
the folk music scene in the Fox Cities, his participation
in the 2011 demonstrations in Madison, and his friend,
Bob Weitzel’s adventure on Lake Superior, which was
tragically cut short. “It wasn’t until after Bob had died
that I thought of writing The Kindred Path,” explains Hazell. “After Bob died I spent time getting to know him
better by searching out things he had written and put on the Internet and videos
he had posted. As I learned more about Bob, I thought about the impact that he
had on my life, and I came to believe that there was a story waiting to be told. I
felt that Bob wanted me to write that story.”
Hazell seems to have embraced the role of author and recounts how the process required a range of intellectual efforts. “I imagine it’s very common for authors to assume different identities as they go through the stages of writing a
book. Before I started writing I felt like an explorer, sifting through the sources
I’d gathered over the years for threads I needed to follow, digging up old photographs and articles, and searching for new information and verifying things on
the Internet. Once I started writing in earnest, I felt like a keyboard player, with
each chapter being “played” on a different perspective. I orchestrated the different parts into a coherent piece. Finally, when I was finished, I felt like a baker. I’d
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 13
AUTHOR BIOS
taken separate parts, mixed them together, and was ready to share my finished
creation with the world. I am very proud of the finished book.”
Hazell’s wife, Vivian, served as his editor for The Kindred Path. “I have respect for
her ability and am very comfortable taking her advice. She has helped with many
things I’ve written, so it felt totally natural to have her give input on the book.”
As a prolific folk song writer, Hazell is confident when he says there are similarities in the two writing disciplines. “Writing a book is definitely similar to writing a
folk song,” he notes. “In both cases you are sharing a part of yourself that is deeply
personal, but that you hope is also universal so it has meaning for others. You take
a leap of faith and follow inspiration, trying to create a mood. Each chapter is like
a verse.” He admits that it took him many years to write his first book, but with the
level of heartfelt reflection in The Kindred Path, the wait was worthwhile.
April Henry
Author of Adult Suspense Novels and Novels for Teens
April Henry grew up poor in a small Oregon town. At
the time, Medford, Oregon had about 18,000 residents
and the economy was based on timber and pears.
While my family didn’t have much money, thanks to
the local library, we were rich in books.
According to her parents, she started to read at the
age of three. Henry remembers her mom teaching
her with alphabet flash cards. White with a picture of
an object on one side and a letter on the other, those
cards glowed with magic. Her mom was a florist and
her dad was a TV broadcaster. When she was 12, she sent Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory, a short story about a frog named Herman who loved peanut butter. The
day he received it, Dahl had lunch with the editor of an international children’s
magazine and read her the story. She contacted Henry and asked to publish it. But as she got older, even though she read all the time, April didn’t even dream
of being a writer. It would have been like thinking she could fly by flapping my
arms really, really hard. Henry put away my dreams, got a business degree from
Oregon State University, and graduated into a terrible job market. Eventually, Henry got a job in hospital admitting with lots of down time and
started thinking maybe she could try to write a book about the life and death that
surrounded me every day. She was finally pushed into trying to do something
about it when she read a really bad book. She could, Henry figured, write a book
that was at least better than that book. That first book Henry wrote attracted no interest from agents. Her second book
got her an agent (and they’re still together many years and many books later) and
nice rejection letters from editors. Her third book didn’t even get nice rejection
letters from editors. Her fourth book, Circles of Confusion, sold in two days. It was
like an eight-year overnight success.
Since then, she’s written more than a dozen mysteries and thrillers for teens
and adults. The first in the Triple Threat Club series, co-written with Lis Wiehl, was
on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks. It was followed by Hand of
Fate, Heart of Ice and Eyes of Justice. They have a new series that begins with A
Matter of Trust. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award,
and the Oregon Book Award, and chosen twice for Booksense by the independent booksellers of America. They have been translated into Chinese, Japanese,
14 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Spanish, Dutch, German, Polish, French, and Turkish.
She is married and lives in Portland, Oregon. They have one daughter who is
going to college. In her free time, she loves kung fu (she has a purple belt), Brazilian jujitsu, running, cooking, and of course, reading!
Mike Hoeft
Author of The Bingo Queens of Oneida: How Two Moms
Started Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin
Discovering a great story right under one’s nose can be one of the most gratifying moments in writing. Dan Hoeft was born in Green
Bay, and had a career as a reporter for the Green Bay
Press – Gazette, but it was at his wife’s urging that he
looked into the backstory of the Oneida Bingo enterprise. What Hoeft found was a culturally rich story
about the building of a recreational business that went
on to help sustain the Oneida Tribe through uncertain
economic times. The result was, The Bingo Queens of
Oneida: How Two Moms Started Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin. “Well, it was my wife’s idea,” Hoeft says. “I’m
white, my wife, Patty, is Oneida. She was a teenager
when her mom, Sandy Ninham, and Alma Webster
helped start Oneida Bingo in 1976 to pay the bills at
a struggling civic center. Patty and her siblings worked bingo as a family. Bingo
grew and soon began financing other tribal programs to aid the elderly and the
needy. This was before Indian casinos. It was not clear in federal law if tribes could
run bingo outside of state law. The state of Wisconsin believed Oneida Bingo was
illegal and threatened to arrest the bingo managers and shut down the bingo
hall. A tribal chairman and three attorneys played crucial roles in what happened
next.”
It took a dramatic change in Hoeft’s life to allow him time to delve into this
story. “It’s a true story that’s largely unknown to the general public. For years
Patty told me somebody ought to write a book about the two women. I thought
someone else would write it. I was busy with my career as a newspaper reporter
at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Then I went through a serious health scare with
lymphoma cancer in 2009. Time was suddenly precious, and I felt this was a story
worth telling now. When I recovered from chemo, I decided to quit my job on the
newspaper so I could write the book. It was kind of a risky move to be jobless. But
I’m glad I did it. As I started interviewing people, the more intrigued I became by
the story. It went much deeper than I thought.”
The book took four years to research, write, and edit. And in that time, Hoeft got
to know key people within the tribe and gained valuable insight into the Tribe’s
past. “Many people said the bingo story needed to be told. The Cultural Heritage
Department was a big help in tracking down records and photo archives to supplement what Sandy and Alma told me. Dr. Carol Cornelius, department manager at the time, came up with the analogy of bingo being the new corn crop.
Tribal Historian, Loretta Metoxen graciously shared stories with me. I interviewed
many Oneidas who had stories about the late Tribal Chairman, Purcy Powless, a
defender of bingo. He referred to bingo managers as “the bingo queens” and his
nickname for them inspired the book’s title. The tribal council granted permission
to use documents and photos in the book. And Tribal Communications Director,
Bobbi Webster served as emcee for a book launch in May at the tribally owned
Radisson Hotel and Conference Center. I donate all profits from my book sales to
the Purcell Powless Scholarship Fund, which assists tribal members with business
education. I want to give back a little in return for all the Oneida community has
AUTHOR BIOS
done for my family. Indian nations still face many threats to their existence. Will
bingo and gaming be tools that strengthen Oneida tribal culture, or hasten its
end? That’s the challenge for the next generation.”
So, does Hoeft enjoy a game of bingo himself? “No,” Hoeft says. “Strangely
enough, I don’t like to play bingo, cards or gamble. I don’t really enjoy any games.
Still, isn’t life itself a bit of a gamble? We take risks playing with life decisions every day. I bring an outsider’s perspective to this topic. Just what is the fascination
with playing bingo? People told me the attraction is to build friendships and socialize as much as it is to win money. Some players got to be lifelong friends with
bingo workers.”
In his presentation at the Fox Cities Book Festival, Hoeft says he will have a
PowerPoint slide show, questions and answers, and soup. This might very well be
the only presentation at the 2015 FCBF to include soup as part of the discussion.
Hoeft says soup (corn soup – a traditional Oneida food) and bingo have helped
to sustain the Oneida people through hard times. “And we can thank women
for developing both of them,” points out Hoeft. “Our friend, Laura Manthe, will
talk briefly about how women farmed the “Three Sisters” crops of corn, beans
and squash, the mainstay food of Iroquois people from time immemorial. Oneida warriors shared their corn soup with starving American soldiers wintering at
Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. Corn soup was a lifesaver! Bingo has
been called the new corn crop, and women were behind it, too. So this book is
also a story about the power of women. The bingo moms are modest and humble
about accepting credit. I think what they did was heroic, not unlike what women
anywhere do for their communities.”
Hoeft currently works with the Oneida Tribe Child Support Agency, as a paralegal. For his next publishing project he has been considering a book sequel, or
possibly a screenplay.
John Jackson Miller
Author of Star Wars: New Dawn and Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown
Any Star Wars fan will tell you that John Jackson Miller has a dream job. The
author gets to create new adventures and scenarios for
some of the most beloved fictional characters in popular culture. His Star Wars novels include 2014’s Star
Wars: A New Dawn, the first work created in conjunction with the new Lucasfilm Story Group; the New York
Times bestseller Star Wars: Kenobi, winner of the 2013
Scribe Award for Best Original Tie-In Novel – Speculative Fiction; Star Wars: Knight Errant, Star Wars: Lost Tribe
of the Sith, as well as twenty graphic novels, including
ten Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic volumes from
Dark Horse. His first Start Trek novel, The Next Generation: Takedown, is out this year.
Jackson will be a big draw at the Fox Cities Book Festival, to be sure. Fans of
comics, science fiction, and science fantasy, will want to hear from the author
about his approach to his work, and his plans for forthcoming novels or comics.
Jackson, who has been to the FCBF before, says he’ll try his best to give the crowd
what they want. “I’ll be speaking about my writing both in novels and in comics,
and the various franchises I’ve written for, ranging from Star Wars and Star Trek to
video game franchises like Mass Effect to comic familiars like Iron Man and The
Simpsons. As a fan of a variety of different things, I have tried to look for ways to
play in a lot of different sandboxes. I know there are people who are interested in
herding about the particular worlds I’ve written in, but also in how I got started
and what my process is. I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can.”
Jackson works in an unusual avenue of the literary world, one where enthusiastic fans feel a sense of ownership of the franchise they’ve come to know and love.
It’s good to have an audience, but this one can be a little intimidating. “Certainly
the fans feel passionately about the worlds we’re writing in, and they want something that feels like what they remember,” says Jackson. “Fortunately that isn’t
too difficult to arrange, because most writers of tie-in fiction are fans themselves.
I sort of know what kinds of incidents and what lines of dialogue feel right in a
Star Wars book, as opposed to a Star Trek book or something else. Having had that
extra experience from the start makes it more likely that the eventual work will
ring true to a reader.”
Jackson, who has a Master’s in Comparative Politics from Louisiana State University, admits he has been able to model some elements in his fiction after the
political dramas going on in reality. “It’s funny, given that I am often writing
about science-fiction or fantasy settings, how many times I have been able to
draw upon real-life history for ideas or inspiration. The New Dawn novel, for example, is about a time in which the Galactic Empire is consolidating its power and
transforming the Republic from a trade organization into a military powerhouse;
that gave me the chance to borrow some ideas from my own studies of the rise of
the Soviet Union, and the period of industrialization there. There are never direct
parallels, of course — J.R.R. Tolkien rejected the suggestion that there were specific real-life nations represented by each of the races in his stories. But certainly
there are places where an event you’re writing about will have the same feeling as
something else from world history, and you can draw a little on that to get more
comfortable in the story you’re telling.”
2015 is an important year for any Star Wars fan, as the next installment, The
Force Awakens, arrives in theaters this December. Jackson will be right there in
line with the rest of the excited movie – goers. “I’m definitely excited about the
new film — films, really, because a lot more are coming out. I will be signing at
Star Wars Celebration (in Anaheim, California) for my publisher, Random House;
Star Wars: A New Dawn will be out in paperback in time for the show, and I will also
have an original short story in the April issue of Star Wars: Insider magazine. That’s
my stop right before the Fox Cities Book Festival.”
When this busy author isn’t writing books or signing them, he’s happy to kick
back and read both fiction and non – fiction. “On the fiction side of things I’m
working my way through Patrick O’Brian’s naval series that was the basis of the
movie Master and Commander; I’m eleven books in. There’s a naval theme in general — probably the best book I’ve read in the last several years was Herman
Wouk’s classic The Caine Mutiny. On the non-fiction side I read a lot about television and pop cultural history, one of my hobbies: Saul Austerlitz’s Sitcom and Alan
Light’s Let’s Go Crazy are two of my recent favorites.”
Sandy Johnson
Author of Wisconsin’s Rock Island -- Images in Paintings and Verse, uses history, poetry, art and music to
tell this amazing true story. The Rock Island Passage
was the waterway used along with the Fox River by explorers to open up trade and settlement in what was
to become the Wisconsin Territory in 1835. Her presentation is geared to more students grade 5 & up, but she
is very interesting to adults also.
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 15
AUTHOR BIOS
Mary Kubica
Author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby
Mary Kubica enjoys the challenge of keeping readers
hooked on her suspenseful stories. Just like the reader,
she says she enjoys the experience of discovering the
twists and revelations that make the stories so gripping. She says she’ll be discussing her debut as a novelist at the Fox Cities Book Festival, as well as her journey to publication in her career as a suspense author.
“I am so honored to be attending the Fox Cities Book
Festival this year,” Kubica says. “I can’t wait to meet fellow authors and readers throughout the Fox Cities area
and get the opportunity to share my experiences with
them.”
Mysteries and thrillers seem like daunting books to write, but for Kubica, it’s the
kind of test she loves. “Catching the reader unaware would definitely be the biggest challenge in writing a mystery,” explains Kubica. “I attempt to create strong,
multifaceted characters that will appeal to the reader on some level, but ultimately the story itself is of vital importance. The groundwork needs to be laid correctly
so that when the twist is revealed at the end, the reader doesn’t see it coming,
and yet, the twist isn’t so impossible that the reader finds it farfetched and unbelievable. This can be a tricky task. One of my favorite parts in writing suspense
novels is placing clues along the path to help guide the reader, or in some cases,
to misguide them and keep the reader guessing all the way to the end.”
She says the comparisons of her novel, The Good Girl to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl
haven’t bothered her at all. “Not in the least bit. Gone Girl is such a tremendous
hit that I feel the comparisons have done nothing but help promote The Good
Girl. People either agree with the comparison or they don’t. I, myself, certainly
see areas where the books are similar in nature, and areas were they are strikingly
different. Gillian Flynn is such a talented author, and I’m a huge fan. I am truly
honored by the comparison.”
After her first novel became successful, Kubica charged ahead with novel number two. “Pretty Baby was quite a different experience than The Good Girl for me
for many reasons,” says Kubica. “First, I had a deadline, and I had never written
with a deadline before. Second, I needed to have a proposal approved, and was
working on edits for The Good Girl while simultaneously writing Pretty Baby – so
I quickly learned the value of multitasking. That said, I learned a lot about myself and about storytelling while working on The Good Girl. This benefited me
immensely on my second novel and will continue to benefit me for future works
as well. I wrote The Good Girl in secret, and sent if off to agents without a single
friend or family member checking for typos. With Pretty Baby, on the other hand,
I had a tremendous support network of friends, family, a devoted agent and a
brilliant editor. Pretty Baby came together quite smoothly, though my third novel
is now giving me great grief. I don’t think novels get easier or harder along the
way; I believe they are all their own independent (and sometimes very stubborn)
beings. They provide me with great enjoyment. I love what I do. My hope is that
I, as the author, will learn from each of my novels and continue to improve in my
craft.”
Good writers tend to be avid readers, and Kubica is no exception. “Mysteries
and thrillers are always my go-to as a reader,” she asserts. “Though I’m an avid
reader of all genres, it’s by far my first pick. I’m a huge admirer of such suspense
authors as S.J. Watson, John Searles, Sabine Durrant, Liane Morarity and more. As
an author however, in my early days of writing, I experimented with many genres,
16 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
from women’s fiction to children’s stories and more. I wasn’t certain where I belonged. But when I started writing The Good Girl, I knew right away I’d found my
niche. I don’t outline or do much in the way of brainstorming before starting a
novel, and so find much joy and excitement in discovering myself how the story
will end. These days, I can’t see myself writing anything other than mystery and
suspense.”
Kubica holds a BA degree in History and American Literature from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and says she can’t see herself writing anything other than
mystery and suspense novels. She’s just signed a new contract with Harlequin
MIRA for her third and fourth novels. “My third book is in the early stages of edits,
while I’ve begun to brainstorm ideas for my forth. I’m also very fortunate to be
traveling to quite a few conferences this spring to meet and get to know eager,
enthusiastic writers and readers – and come July will be traveling to promote
Pretty Baby. It’s really amazing to be able to live my dream.
Kubica lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys
photography, gardening, and caring for the animals at a local shelter.
Lorna Landvik
Lorna Landvik is the author of ten novels, including
the best-selling PATTY JANE’S HOUSE OF CURL, ANGRY
HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS, OH MY STARS and
the recently published BEST TO LAUGH.
Landvik’s checkered (but legal) past includes working as a chambermaid in Bavaria, winning a trip to
Tahiti as a contestant on ‘$25,000 Pyramid’ (MacGyver
was her partner), temping at the Playboy Mansion (it
was strictly a clerical position) and walking across the
country as a member of The Great Peace March.
She has acted in many theatrical productions, including a half dozen shows she conveniently wrote for
herself. Her all-improvised show, PARTY IN THE REC ROOM is a local legend, due
in no small part to the margaritas she mixes up onstage.
She is currently working on two novels, one of which is a sequel to her first
book. She has one husband and two daughters and lives in the beautiful blue and
green state of Minnesota.
Chad Lewis
Co - Author of Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations
Chad Lewis promises an evening of bizarre ghosts,
wicked spirits, and deadly poltergeists when he speaks
to people at the Fox Cities Book Festival this April.
“Although I will feature a lot of Fox Cities locations,
this presentation takes the audience on a ghostly journey to some of the most haunted places in Wisconsin,”
Lewis explains. “It covers the entire state of Wisconsin from wandering ghosts of the North Woods to a
haunted B&B in Milwaukee. From phantom creatures
prowling the woods to graveyard apparitions located
in your own back yard, no place in Wisconsin is without
its own haunting.” If you’re not intrigued yet, consider
the photos and eyewitness accounts Lewis will include during his talk. The co –
AUTHOR BIOS
author (along with Terry Fisk) of Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations has
no intention of letting people forget there are plenty of strange and unexplained
stories and incidents in the Badger State.
Over the course of three years, Lewis and Fisk visited approximately 400 locations throughout the state in order to narrow down their list to the 100 points
most notable for hauntings. This research was not easy. “What we found was that
the directions to these places were so bad, the history was often embellished or
erroneous, and there was no investigation to sort fact from fiction,” Lewis says.
Lewis says that one of his most memorable cases involves a murder that someone got away with. “I am a bit partial to a place called Elk Lake Dam near my
hometown of Eau Claire. A woman was brutally murdered out there in 1974 and
the case was never solved. Since that time, numerous people believe that they
have encountered the spirit of this woman who is forever trapped to spend eternity in the location where she met her grisly end. This was one of the first cases
I ever investigated, and one in which I am still investigating now some 20 years
later. The killer still remains at large and it appears as though this woman’s spirit
will not rest until he is brought to justice.”
Still not convinced of haunted people or places? You don’t need to be. “I encourage both skeptics and true believers to grab the book or come to my presentations because they are often surprised to find that I am not out to convince
people of ghosts one way or the other, mainly because after 20 years of researching the strange and unusual, I myself am left with more questions than answers. I
try to use my lectures as an opportunity to present what I have found on alleged
haunted places including the real history, the folklore, eye - witness accounts, and
my own investigations. I present this and then leave it up to the audience to make
up their own minds. What I really want is for people not to take my word on these
cases, but to venture out to these places and decide for themselves whether they
believe it is haunted or not.”
Next, it’s onto a truly bizarre tale from Wisconsin’s past. “Right now I am finishing up a book on Wisconsin Sea Serpents. What most people don’t know is that
during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Wisconsin was home to over two dozen
lakes, rivers, and streams that were thought to be inhabited by a giant sea monsters.”
Only in Wisconsin!
Douglas Beye Lorie
Author of Acaju
For his novel, Acaju, Douglas Lorie stepped out of
the 21st century, and into the wild and dangerous
world of Brazil in the 1700’s. The humble cashew nut
was the trigger for this literary adventure, and Lorie
delved whole – heartedly into his research into the
socio – economic landscape of the time. “For years I
carried around a recurring idea…that being to write a
story about cashews,” says Lorie. “My idea was simply
based on something that I loved to eat but I was not
connected to a geography, characters or story line.
As soon as I discovered in my research that cashews
were native to Brazil, I knew where my story would
be set. When I learned about the origin of the English word, Cashew, that being
an indigenous South American word, ACAJU, I knew that I had found my title.
My research took me to the height of The Atlantic Slave Trade and the fact that
Europe’s addiction to sugar gave rise to the largest slave population in Brazil of
any country on Earth. I also read about the history of the Jesuits in colonial Brazil
and how they were at odds with the Portuguese in their determination to protect
the Indigenous people from slave raiders. My novel is not overtly an “issue” novel
yet during the entire writing process I was never far away from the treatment of
women.”
With research playing a large role in his novel, Lorie knew he would eventually
need to move beyond what was available on the web. “In this age of the Internet
I had all the historical material I needed to ground myself in enough fact that
would allow my imagination to soar. I read numerous articles, snippets of observation and a number of passages from historical works. I looked at paintings
of the period…1700s Brazil…and these images gave me a wonderful sense of
the look and feel of people and their lands. Cashews and ACAJU were the hooks
into my story and I knew in the first year of my writing that I would have to travel
to Brazil and experience Cashew Culture first hand. So I did travel to the state
of Bahia in northern Brazil where my hosts had many cashew trees growing on
their property. They also made cook fires and took me through the entire process
of cashew roasting, shelling. I picked ripe cashew fruit from the trees and drank
smoothies made from the pulp of cashews.”
Creating strong characters in an exotic setting takes work. “I searched for visual anchors that would help me fashion my characters…..clothes, jewelry, the
was the rifles looked, the silver engraving on the metal of a gun, the tunics worn
by indigenous women, the facial hair on a man, the kinds of trades and crafts
practiced during the time. Once I had a strong sense of the visual I went to my
own inner experience with obsession, yearning, love, cruelty, disappointment,
despair, lust. My first chapter deals with the graphic birth of a child. I have been
present during deliveries and I used everything I experienced and what I did not
actually know, I tried to imagine in a plausible way. I have personally never killed
or even been in a fight, but it is not difficult for me to get in touch with an anger
that might want to fight or kill. I always wrote from a certainty that although my
story was set centuries back, the emotions of people were the same and I relied
heavily on my vibrant emotional memory.”
Lorie, a Florida native with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North
Carolina – Chapel Hill and a Masters in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College in
Santa Fe, says he is writing a second novel involving a radical healer he used to
know in the 1970’s.
Julie Mata
Author of Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens
When she visits the Fox Cities Book Festival this April,
Julie Mata will share some of her advice on getting
one’s manuscript into the right hands. “Persistence
pays off,” Mata asserts. “At the beginning, I had this
notion that I would ship off my manuscript to a top
New York literary agent who would pronounce it perfect and then sell it to a publisher for huge amounts
of money. It didn’t exactly happen like that! The truth
is, writing a novel, finding an agent, and getting published all take a great deal of persistence, patience and
hard work. I will talk about my own personal ups and
downs and lessons I’ve learned along the way.”
Mata notes how vital it is to bring complexity to characters, especially when
they are young. “It was important to me that my characters sound real. I tried to
avoid the formula where my main character, Kate, is always nice and her antago-
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 17
AUTHOR BIOS
nist, Lydia, is always mean. Real life in middle school is seldom like that. Kate has
some mean moments, too. And one reviewer noted that Lydia was presented
“without caricature.” To me, that means I succeeded in making her character more
complex—more real. Having two middle school-age daughters also helped me
to capture the rhythm of conversations at that age.”
Mata took a craft that she is very familiar with and used it for the basis of her
novel. Young Kate Walden is an amateur filmmaker and dreams of turning that
interest into a real career one day. Mata and her husband own a video production company in Wisconsin so it’s easy to see where she finds the expertise for her
central character’s all – consuming hobby. “My husband and I own a video production company and we’ve always been interested in film making,” says Mata.
“We even produced our own short film, Bus Driver, which he shot and I wrote
and directed. Our daughters always loved making movies with their friends and
I felt that was something a lot of kids could relate to. It seemed natural to give
Kate the dream of being a Hollywood director. I wanted to show that it’s okay for
kids to dream big, but that dreams often require a lot of hard work. Also, I think
film making is a fun activity for kids. It’s creative and collaborative and it doesn’t
involve TV or video games. I even have an Instagram account, KateWaldenDirects,
which offers film making tips for kids. I’d love to see more kids making movies!”
It would seem almost impossible to write a book like this without some reflection of an author’s past working its way in. “I didn’t base this story on anything
from my childhood but it’s funny how certain elements do sneak in. My older
brother thinks Kate’s whiny sibling, Derek, is based on our younger brother—because it couldn’t possibly be him, of course! I did have a redheaded friend who
struggled at times with being teased. I didn’t set out to write about her, but in a
roundabout way I guess I did.” And when it comes to writing, Mata says she loves
the work more than the publicity that surrounds it. “Some writers insist you have
to write every day but I’m not that disciplined. Since my first book came out, it
seems like I spend way too much time on promotion. If I’m writing new material,
I prefer to write in the mornings. Even so, I find my brain short-circuits after about
four hours. If I’m revising, I can often work all day. Revision, for me, is a bit like an
addiction. It can be hard to put it down and walk away! No matter what, I love the
process.”
The second novel in the Kate Walden Directs line will be out in May of 2015,
called, Bride of the Slug Man. Mata says that if sales are strong she would consider
writing a third book, but she admits that she’s excited about another manuscript
aimed at middle – school readers called, Sword & Pillar, a fantasy adventure. “I’m
really excited about it and I hope Disney Hyperion will be interested in publishing
it.”
Wendy McClure
Wendy McClure is an author, a columnist, and a chil-
dren’s book editor. She is the author of The Wilder Life:
My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the
Prairie, which won the Midwest Booksellers Choice
Award for nonfiction in 2011, received a starred review
from Publishers Weekly, and was a Barnes & Noble
Discover Pick. Her 2005 memoir, I’m Not the New Me,
was featured in publications such as Time Magazine,
USA Today, Elle, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Her
infamous online collection of vintage Weight Watcher
recipe cards and commentary was published in the
2006 humor book The Amazing Mackerel Pudding
Plan. Since 2004 she has written the pop culture column for BUST Magazine. Ad-
18 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
ditionally, her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times
Magazine, Glamour, The Chicago Sun-Times, and on the radio program This
American Life. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.
Her work in children’s books includes her historical fiction series, Wanderville, and she has edited over fifty novels and picture books for children as a senior editor at Albert Whitman & Company. She was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and now lives in Chicago with her husband,
Chris, in a neighborhood near the river.
Doc Mehl
With one foot in the past and one in the present, Doc
weaves the history and the mystery of the West into his
original “westclectic” poetry and music. His debut music CD is titled “Asphalt Cowboy,” and his second music
CD titled “I’d Rather Be…” was released in 2008. Doc
Mehl has also published a CD of original poetry titled
“Cowboy Pottery,” and a second spoken-word poetry
CD titled “The Great Divide” in 2013, named “Cowboy
Poetry CD of the Year” by both the Western Music Association and the Academy of Western Artists. And you
can find Doc hanging out with the inimitable Washtub
Jerry on their duo live album, “Doc & Tub, Live!” Doc’s
poems and musical lyrics have been featured on the
website www.CowboyPoetry.com, he has been published in the poetry journal
“Rattle,” and he was a first-place silver buckle winner at the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo in Montrose, Colorado. Catch up with Doc in concert at this year’s
FCBF fund raiser on April 24, 2015 at 7:30 pm at the OuterEdge Stage. You won’t
regret it.
June Melby
Author of My Family and Other Hazards
June Melby knew for a long time that she would have
to write a book about her experiences growing up. For
her, it was the best way to work out her conflicting
feelings on what some would call an unusual childhood. After her parent’s abrupt purchase of the Tom
Thumb Mini Golf Course, Melby and her sisters found
their summers turning into chore – filled months. And
then, as if to answer her prayers, the park is sold and
Melby is inexplicably crushed. Collecting moments of
humor from these early years and many more resulted
in the endearing memoir, My Family and Other Hazards,
which was released in 2014.
From the Midwest, Melby made her way out to Hollywood for a career in stand
– up comedy and performance poetry. But the Heartland beckoned and Melby
came back to earn an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. Her
work has appeared in The Utne Reader, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Water~Stone Review, Versal, the LA Weekly, National Lampoon Magazine, and Kaffee.Satz.
Lesen, Hamburg, Germany. She currently lives in a log cabin in the woods with
her husband and their cat.
For her memoir, Melby wasn’t even sure if it would be written in fiction or non-
AUTHOR BIOS
fiction. “I knew I was going to have to write this,” says Melby. “I mean I knew
before I had ever even written prose, before I had written my first short story that
I would have to write this book someday. I can’t explain it. When I started writing
it I wasn’t sure it was going to be a memoir or if it would be fiction. I thought, ‘Let
me just write it and see.’ And if it comes down to the point where I need to make it
fiction so that there is a strong narrative, then I’ll do that. I’m going to stick to the
truth as long as I can, and if I need to I will change it to a novel - writing project. I
have to make sense of this part of my life, which is the best reason to write a book
or any major project that is going to take years of your life. You’ve got to be really
motivated personally.”
Melby reports that the book took six years to write, a time span that seems to
rate as average among writers. The primary challenge in this endeavor revolved
around the span of time the author wanted to capture. “The hardest part is the
fact that this story covers a spread of thirty years and you can’t tell every element
of that. I emphasize the basic idea that as a child I hated Tom Thumb Mini Golf.
It was a great burden, and then when they sold it, I was completely heartbroken.
So that’s the main story, which was for me my main drive to write it. The hardest
thing is then within that narrative arc what scenes or stories do you pull from your
life to help readers see what conflict you’re trying to come to terms with. It would
be easier if you were writing a memoir about that crazy summer in college. That
would be easier,” she says, laughing.
In penning a memoir, the use of one’s journals seems like the essential tool
to have. Melby says she wasn’t a diary – writer though. “No, I was not that kid.
I didn’t start writing until well after I was writing sketch comedy. I didn’t start
writing prose until well into my thirties. I got into stand - up comedy in my mid
– twenties, so I was writing for performance from then on. You’re crafting stories
and jokes in a very concise way. I was not telling stories of any duration. But it
was definitely helpful. Any writing you do will help you become a better writer in
whatever genre you end up with. I did stand - up comedy for ten years and then I
did performance poetry and poetry slams. And then I realized I needed to figure
out how to write a longer story. It was terrifying for me. I had to write a story that
goes on longer than one page.”
Melby admits the return to the Midwest was a shock to the system after life
in Hollywood. “I was going to graduate school and I was in my forties. Anyone
who goes back to graduate school at a non - traditional age - my hat’s off to you
because it’s not easy. I think it’s okay to shake yourself up once in a while in your
life, to do things that are just really humbling.” One advantage for her was the
quieter lifestyle. Living in Iowa meant spending less time on commuting and
attending entertainment activities, and more time on writing. “I don’t know how
people finish major projects living in either coast. There are a lot of distractions,
wonderful distractions.”
Work on a collection of short fiction and research her next memoir keeps Melby
busy these days. “It’s going to be on my years as a stand - up comedian, and I think
I’m going to call it, Bombing,” she deadpans.
Linda
Sue Park
Linda Sue Park was born in Urbana, Illinois on March 25, 1960, and grew up out-
side Chicago. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she has been writing poems
and stories since she was four years old, and her favorite thing to do as a child
was read.
This is the first thing she ever published—a haiku in a children’s magazine
when she was nine years old:
In the green forest
A sparkling, bright blue pond hides.
And animals drink.
—Trailblazer magazine, Winter 1969
For this poem she was paid one whole dollar. She
gave the check to her dad for Christmas. About a year
later the company wrote to her asking her to cash the
check! Linda Sue wrote back explaining that it was
now framed and hung above her dad’s desk and was
it okay if he kept it? The magazine said it was fine, and
her dad still has that check.
During elementary school and high school, Linda Sue had several more poems published in magazines for children and young people. She went to Stanford
University, competed for the gymnastics team, and graduated with a degree in
English. Then she took a job as a public-relations writer for a major oil company.
This was not exactly the kind of writing she wanted to do, but it did teach her to
present her work professionally and that an interested writer can make any subject fascinating (well, almost any subject ...).
In 1983, after two years with the oil company, Linda Sue left her job and moved
to Dublin when a handsome Irishman swept her off her feet. She studied literature, moved to London, worked for an advertising agency, married that Irishman,
had a baby, taught English as a second language to college students, worked as
a food journalist, and had another baby. It was a busy time, and she never even
thought about writing children’s books.
In 1990, she and her family moved back to the U.S. because of her husband’s
job. Linda Sue continued teaching English to foreign students. It took her quite
a while, but she finally realized that what she really wanted to do was to write
books for children. In 1997, she started writing her first book, Seesaw Girl. It was
accepted that same year and published in 1999.
Since then, Linda Sue has published many other books for young people, including A Single Shard, which was awarded the 2002 Newbery Medal.
She now lives in western New York with the same Irishman; their son lives nearby, and their daughter lives in Brooklyn. Besides reading and writing, Linda Sue
likes to cook, travel, watch movies, and do the New York Times crossword puzzle.
She also loves dogs, watching sports on television and playing board and video
games. When she grows up, she would like to be an elephant scientist.
Gavin Schmitt
Author of Milwaukee Mafia
Gavin Schmitt is fascinated with history. His book,
Milwaukee Mafia, explores the seedier side of the city
during the days of Prohibition. Schmitt’s other books
include, Kaukauna, Neenah. His newest book is, The
Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland. He says
that digging up history is all about knowing where to
find the information. “I had the benefit of being taught
about genealogy from my grandmother at an early age, so I’m very comfortable with digging in dusty
court house records,” Schmitt says. “Once the newspaper reports are used up, it becomes a hunt for government records -- dozens of police investigative records,
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 19
AUTHOR BIOS
several hundred FBI files, Department of Labor union records... and this fleshed
out with biographical information from census records, city directories, marriage
certificates.”
Once Schmitt learned a little history on Wisconsin’s mafia past, he was hooked.
“Like most people, I was aware that organized crime existed in Chicago and New
York, but had no idea about Wisconsin until a friend of mine in high school told
me his mother attended school with a mob boss. This confused and intrigued me,
so I started looking. The intrigue only grew when I found that no one had ever
written on the subject, making each stone I overturned a new piece of history.
Now I can’t stop.”
At the Fox Cities Book Festival Schmitt will share insights from his newest book,
Mobsters in the Heartland, talking about the ways the Mafia in Wisconsin made
money prior to the 1960’s. “Bootlegging is the obvious answer, but there was
counterfeiting, labor union extortion, gambling, loan sharking, hijackings and
more,” explains Schmitt. “I’d like to expand on what people typically think about
Prohibition, especially Wisconsin’s role in it.”
Schmitt claims that he never encountered resistance when he probed for more
information from sources. “Surprisingly, this has not been an issue. More often
than not, the relatives of those I write about are excited and supportive. There’s
no doubt that some family stories and photos will be secret forever, but I’d rather
focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t.”
Gavin Schmitt has been a resident of the Fox Cities for over three decades, and
always had a passion for history. He graduated from UW-Fox Valley and UWGreen Bay with degrees in philosophy. He says he hopes to keep exploring local
and state history as long as the publishers and readers will allow him.
Kay Scholtz
Author of The Wisconsin Krueger Family Tragedy - 16 Years of
Letters from Prison
months to get printed. Scholtz, who has been interested in genealogy and local history for much of her life, says the experience has brought nice results.
“Feedback has been positive for the most part. My favorite comment was one
from an elderly lady when I was invited to do a reading at the Krueger house. She said it was time for this, time for healing in the community. Not many remember the family, but one who was a neighbor to the Kruegers said he was
invited as a young boy to come and pick grapes with them.” Scholtz says she’ll
mainly talk about her book at the Fox Cities Book Festival. She will also stress
the importance of saving the hand written letter, and how without the letters
her book could not have been possible. Scholtz will also shed light on life for
the Krueger family after prison.
Scholtz lives in rural central Wisconsin. She and her husband enjoy nature in
all seasons where they live in their small self-built log cabin home. She loves
hiking, archaeology, cross country skiing, quilting, antiques, photography, and
writing non-fiction. Scholtz would like to work on another book based on family letters, diaries or journals in the future. “I’ve always had a passion for nonfiction history and what better way is there to tell a story than from someone who
has been there firsthand. I have recently finished my memoir, about growing
up in poverty and loosing my mother to breast cancer when I was young, and
having cancer come into my own life just before I found a publisher for the
book. I also started writing a nature blog as I love the outdoors and want everyone to appreciate what Wisconsin has to offer, even little things like snow fleas
and pussy willows. Nature and writing are my tools for coping.”
Victor Schueller
Author of You Can Rise Above Criticism, Negativity and Conflict, A Guide to Eliminating Negativity and Abrasive Behaviors and Overcoming Conflict and Mediocre No More, Five
Core Strategies to Awaken Your Inner Greatness
In today’s world, the art of writing a letter has not
quite been lost, but it certainly gets overlooked and
even mocked in favor of digital means of communication. But, if it hadn’t been for letters written and
saved by a Wisconsin family nearly 100 years ago, Kay
Scholtz would not have opened the door on the remarkable and true story for her book. Public opinion
about patriotism during the first World War led many
to look unfavorably on German immigrants, even in a
state heavily populated with people of German heritage. The tragic case of the Krueger family is one of
injustice and intense family loyalty that belongs in
our history lessons.
Failure to get along with others can be a stumbling
block in the workplace and elsewhere, leading to
countless hours lost to conflict, emotional distress,
and low productivity. Author, Victor Schueller offers
ideas for finding solutions to communication issues
and other conflicts prevalent in everyday life. At the
Fox Cities Book Festival Schueller will share strategies
from his book that will help people ask for things in a
way that will change behaviors in others for the better. “During my presentation I will be sharing strategies from my book that you can use to “listen through”
the negativity and criticism and reach a resolution to
any communication problem, no matter how large or small,” explains Schueller.
Scholtz says that reading the letters from the family members was key in
understanding their plight. “Once I began reading the letters I couldn’t stop,”
explains Scholtz. “It was very emotional and sometimes I felt angry. I did feel
a closeness to the family members, especially Caroline and Frank. When I finished reading the letters I was more determined then ever to share their story
and help give them vindication. I still wonder what they would think of me
sharing their story as I have.”
Part of Schueller’s work involves what he calls, “coaching.” “When I got into
coaching, it was because I wanted to help people get to where they wanted to,
whether it was in how they were handling a relationship or a job, or experiencing a better quality of life,” he says. “As I’ve continued to do it, I’ve learned that
actually coaching is essential for us because neurologically we are operating
on automatic and subconscious mental programs that can get between us and
where we want to be without us even knowing it. Once I made that decision,
I’ve been able to better help people through coaching and see the “big picture.” I am focusing primarily on coaching for businesses because I’ve had a lot
She says the book itself took six months to write, and then another nine
20 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
AUTHOR BIOS
of success there, but if individuals in the private sector think I’d be a good fit
for them, I’ll always consider talking with them to see if they and I would make
a good team.”
This will take some work. “I can tell people exactly what they need to do to
eliminate them, but it’s the retention of the strategies and then the implementation that’s the most difficult to accomplish,” says Schueller. “It takes a bit of
work to get accustomed to applying the techniques and using them, but when
you practice them regularly it does get a bit easier. To be honest, it’s still a daily
challenge, no matter what. That’s why coaching is so important. I believe that
one’s mindset is huge. If a person is enthusiastic about making a change, they’ll
respond faster and with better results. I’ve had people who are doubters from
day one, and it usually is much more difficult for them to change. Not to say
it’s impossible, but a positive and expectant mindset can help tremendously.”
Bringing the message to the people is what Schueller says he likes most about
the work of writing books. “It’s a lot of fun to take what I’ve learned and share it
with other people. The books are a great vehicle for spreading a message that
gives people confidence and hope. It’s kind of amusing to me when people act
like writing a book is a major deal. I believe that everyone has a book in them,
and it’s never been easier to get a book in print as it is now.”
Though he admits that his books contain some essence of spirituality, he
would not say he places this in the center of his message. “I work really hard
to try to stay away from religion and politics in my books. The main exception
would be if I’m trying to make a point, and I need to refer to them to make
it. I tend to talk more about spirituality, but even then I haven’t mentioned it
much in either of the two books I have written up to this point. I am a spiritual person, but I also understand that not everyone is. I try to be as inclusive
and respectful of other people’s viewpoints and beliefs as possible, and help
them come to determinations about what I am trying to share in their own way. Some people who are extremely religious or spiritual have come up to me after
my presentations wanting to talk about religion and spirituality, because my
message reached them at that level. And, for me that’s great. However, some
people can listen to the exact same presentation and take away a message that
has more to do with science and research. While spirituality makes up part of
the “backbone” of what I talk about, it is not the main message I share.”
Will Schwalbe
Author of The End of Your Life Book Club
When Will Schwalbe’s mother passed on from her
battle with cancer, he did something that would, in a
sense, keep their conversation going. In the process
of assisting his mother with her treatments, Schwalbe
embarked on long discussions about books with his
mother, also an avid reader. The author will share his
experience with readers at the Fox Cities Book Festival this year. “I’ll be talking about my book, The End of
Your Life Book Club,” says Schwalbe. “This is a memoir
I wrote about the books my mother and read when
she was dying of pancreatic cancer. But I like to think
it’s really about what I learned from her, what we both
learned from the books we read, and how books tell
us what we need to do with our lives and in the world.”
Schwalbe found a way to bring joy to what is commonly a joyless experience. “When I was writing the book many of my friends said, ‘Oh, that’s great,
that will give you closure.’ But I didn’t want closure. I wanted to continue our
conversations. I found that writing the book allowed me to do that — and that
traveling and talking about the book allows me to continue to do that. I’ve been
really fortunate to be able to travel around the country talking about the book;
wherever I’ve gone, I’ve met people who have shared with me something of
their lives and their journeys. I’m really hoping that the book isn’t just my story,
but is a prompt for people to share their stories. I did wind up with the book I
wanted — because the book helps me remember my mother and all she taught
me. Writing brought me a lot of joy. And it allowed me to introduce people to
many of the books my mother and I loved the most. And that gives me joy, too.”
Schwalbe was an editor before he became an author, and the experience was
nothing if not helpful. “I always wrote — starting in grade school,” says Schwalbe. “I wrote plays in college. I was a journalist right after. And I kept on writing.
But I also love editing. I think the one thing you need to do, whether you are a
writer or an editor, is read. Reading is everything. It teaches you how to write
and it teaches you how to edit. So that’s the common thread. I will say that one
of the things I most appreciate as a writer is good editing. I was incredibly lucky
to have a great editor — a man named Marty Asher. And boy was I ever grateful
for the editing I got. I think being an editor made me particularly aware of what
a gift editing is for a writer.”
Getting people to share their love of reading with each other remains a key
point of satisfaction for Schwalbe. “The most moving feedback I get from the
book is from readers who are inspired to share with me stories of people they’ve
loved, and of books they’ve loved. So many people have shared stories with me
stories of people in their lives, living and dead. I called the book The End of Your
Life Book Club, because I wanted to make the point that we are all in end of
our life book clubs, that no one knows the last book she or he will read, or the
last conversation we’ll have. So the book is a plea (to others and to myself ) to
make each book and conversation count. I love when people tells me that my
book helped inspire them to start a two-person book club of their own: with a
sibling, a child, a parent, a grandchild. That makes me incredibly happy. I also
love to learn that the book reminds people to asked one another: ‘What are you
reading.’ My favorite question. I should add that l love going to festivals and am
very honored to have been asked to come to Fox Cities Book Festival. What a
wonderful list of writers who have attended in the past. And what a great treat
for me to meet readers from this extraordinary part of the country.”
Making electronic communication flow more elegantly seems to be the driving force behind Schwalbe’s other book, SEND: Why People Email So Badly and
How To Do it Better, co - written with his friend, David Shipley, who was then
op-ed page editor of the New York Times. “There’s an expression: You write the
book you need. We both needed this book! We both knew we loved email —
that it made our lives much easier — but we also both knew that email has the
power to cause endless amount of trouble and aggravation. Email entered our
lives without any kind of manual. So we set out to write that, for ourselves and
for others. We came up with lots of tips and lots of advice. But our over-arching
principle was this: Think Before You Send. And Send The Kind of Emails You Want
to Receive. Oh, and we also tried to remind people that email is permanent and
searchable. This is something that even very smart people constantly forget.”
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 21
AUTHOR BIOS
Jacqueline West
Author of The Books of Elsewhere series
Sometimes a writer just knows when something
works. Jacqueline West admits that she never decidedly set out to write for a specific age of readers; she
just felt something click when she started a fantasy
book for middle graders. “The Shadows—Volume One
of The Books of Elsewhere—was the first thing I’d ever
even attempted to write for young readers,” West says.
“Whenever I’m starting something new, I try to let the
idea guide me to the right form and audience. Whether I end up with a poem or a short story or a children’s
novel almost feels out of my hands. I never sat down
and decided, “I’m going to write something for kids!” I
just had an idea (or a tangled ball of ideas, really) that I
knew belonged to a book for young readers, and when I started putting the story
on paper, I felt a sort of click. It was thrilling and comfortable at the same time,
like when you’ve tried every key on a ring, and you finally find the one that fits
the lock.”
This former English teacher and occasional musician and poet, currently lives
in Red Wing, Minnesota, and likes to visit schools to share her passion for writing. Questions usually start out on topic, but they often disperse in just about
any direction. “As a matter of fact, my presentation is based on the questions I
get asked the most often! The top three are probably “Where do get your ideas?”
“How long does it take to write a book?” and “Is there going to be a movie?” (I
also frequently get asked “How old are you?” “How much money do you make?”
and “What kind of car do you drive?” but those answers aren’t part of my usual
presentation.)
The Books of Elsewhere have done very well with readers, reaching the New York
Time’s Bestseller list, and they’ve garnered a hefty pile of rave reviews and notices.
When she visits Appleton in April, West will share some insights on her experience as a successful author. “I’ll be talking mainly about my middle grade fantasy/mystery series, The Books of Elsewhere. The presentation covers how and why
I became a writer, where the ideas for my books came from, and how the writing
and publication process works (or at least how it works for me).”
One thing that works for West is simple enough: reading. When asked how she
manages to read dozens of books a year, her reply indicates how perfectly suited
she seems to be for her profession. “I’m surprised that my list seems long—I always feel like I’m not reading enough. I read 4 – 8 books at once. They’re scattered
everywhere: in my purse, beside the bed, in bathrooms, in the kitchen, in our cars.
This way, whenever I have a free minute, I can pick up the nearest book and read
while I’m brushing my teeth or stirring a pot of noodles. The last several years of
my life have also included a lot of travel; I’ve zoomed through many, many books
while sitting in airports and airplanes. And my husband and I read out loud to
each other while we’re in the car or making dinner. I guess that’s how I find the
time: by using the little bits of it that are scattered around me, just like the books
are.”
West’s future projects involve a Young Adult novel under contract with Dial
Books for Young Readers, and a brand new middle grade fantasy series. She’s
hush – hush on the details with the latter, but that’s fine. Spoilers are no fun at
any age.
Jeff Yeager
Author of How to Retire the Cheapskate Way, The Ultimate
Cheapskate’s Guide to a Better, Earlier, Happier Retirement
22 | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
One of the special events tied in with the Fox Cities
Book Festival is Money Smart Week, which includes
two appearances by Jeff Yeager, the self – proclaimed,
‘Ultimate Cheapskate.’ With four books to his credit, Yeager opts for a humorous approach to a subject
many Americans would rather not examine too closely
– their spending habits. He firmly believes that spending less and consuming less can lead to a happier outlook, and ultimately a greener planet. “The books I
write are not about how to get rich; they’re about how
to get happy, perhaps with what you already have,”
says Yeager. “I write absolutely nothing about stocks or
investing. I write only about the spending side, which
if you stop and think about it, is at least as important as the earning side. We can’t
dictate the return on our stock portfolio, but most people have at least some
degree of control over what they spend. That’s really where I zero in and try to
make the case that in almost any kind of lifestyle you lead, you can choose to
spend more or choose to spend less. Oftentimes when we choose to spend less
the results are at least as good if not superior to when you choose to spend more.”
Yeager, who is 57, and has retired from his “real” job, says he really started focusing on the idea of consuming less when he worked for non – profit organizations. “And the culture there has always been if you don’t have a lot of money to
work with you have to find creative ways to solve your problems.” So Yeager got
creative and began a career writing and speaking on the topic of making do with
less. “I call us Cheapskates to get people to listen to what’s ultimately a pretty
important message, about happiness, and money, and stuff,” he explains. “It’s not
about sacrifice or deprivation; it’s all about the choices we make in life. Starting with the harsh realization that 80 percent of the discretionary items American buy, they express regrets about having purchased within a year. If you really
think about that and how that applies to your own life, you would realize that
you could live very happily on less than you are living on at the current time. That
doesn’t apply to everybody, but I do believe that the vast majority of Americans
would be happier and the quality of life would increase if they would only spend
and consume less.”
When I interject the fact that Madison Avenue would prefer not to have folks
thinking of consuming less, Yeager laughs and agrees. “I’m told that every day every one of us is bombarded by about 5,000 commercial messages, most of which
are saying, ‘buy some stuff and you’ll be happy.’ The odds are stacked against me
in my humble attempt to get people to consume less, but that’s why I try to do
this with a sense of humor. I typically talk a lot about the bizarre culture that we
live in and how to avoid being a victim of all this marketing and promotion.”
And Yeager feels compelled to change minds about the concept of “going
green.” “I get sick and tire of people who say, ‘I’d like to live green, but it costs
so much more.’ I simply disagree with that. You can choose to spend a lot more
to live green or you can choose to spend less to live green. If you’re the typical
American the greenest thing you can do is simply consume less. If you’re going to
remodel your bathroom, I guess using recycled bamboo toothpicks as the flooring would be the greener thing to do, but the greenest thing to do is to just not
remodel the bathroom. Trust me, all those fixtures are eventually going to come
back in style. You’ll be at the cutting edge!”
Yeager insists that the best things in life really aren’t things and they don’t
come with a price tag. Sound advice, but will it make a dent in a culture that
equates shopping with recreation? (I’m not judging, as a certain store with a red
bulls eye for a logo lures me in way too often.) Check out his presentations this
April in the Fox Cities to see how Yeager brings humor and insight to the topic of
the way we spend.
Huge selection of books
Used and out of print books
Collectible hard cover or paperback
Many Subject areas
OPEN DAILY AT 10 AM
Shenandoah books
133 East Wisconsin Ave • Appleton • 920.832.9525
2015 FOX CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL | SCENE SPECIAL SECTION | 23
CONTRIBUTORS
2015 Honorary Fox Cities Book
Festival Chairs
Kristen & Christopher Bergstrom
2015 Honorary School
Appleton North High School
Limited Edition Supporters
($1,000 or more)
Appleton Area School District
Education Foundation
Community Health Action Team
(CHAT)
Community Foundation of the Fox
Valley Region
Friends of the Appleton Library
(FOAL)
Friends of the Menasha Library
Kaukauna Public Library
Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library
Lawrence University
Lyons Fine Books in Neenah
Neenah Literati Book Club
Neenah Public Library
UW-- Fox Valley Foundation
Mile of Music
Tilman & Ann Moe
Octoberfest
Shepard Family Foundation
Wm. Shepard & Shannon Kennedy
Schoen Family Charitable Trust
Thrivent Financial Services Foundation - Winnebago Co. Chapter
Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley
Region
91.1 The Avenue Radio Station
First Edition Supporters
($100 to $999)
James & Susan Bere
Rev. Willis & Ruth Bloedow
Brad & Collette Brautigam
Richard D. Calder
Kris Clouthier
Mary Czarnopys
Linda Dawson
Terry & Marsha Dawson
Connie Diamond
Robert & Cheri Di Renzo
Steven & Susan Endries
Richard & Patricia Filzen
Daniel T. & Elizabeth C. Flaherty
Barbara Fleming
Michael & Mary Gage
Peter & Sarah Gilbert
Joseph & Katie Golichnik
Laura Guy
Habighorst Chiropractic
Daniel J. & Mame J. Heaney
Robert & Susan Kinde
Jack & Natalie Knaack
Edward & Joanne Krcmar
Gerald & Carol Krueger
Barbara Lawrence
Macy’s Foundation
Harvey & Margaret Lorenz
Charles & Lesley McKee
Kathleen Mengel-Flesch
John & Sally Mielke
Judith Mueller
Mitchell & Ruth Nelson
Diane Ostrand
Robert & Shirley Phillips
Stuart & Marilyn Polisner
Bruce & Nancy Pourciau
Dale Schaber & Penny Bernard
Schaber
Beth A. Schnorr
Ivan B. Schrodt
Kathi Seifert
Steve Seifert
Deborah Shaffer
David L. Sovine M.D.
John D. & Suzanne C. Swanson
Martha Swanson
Sarah Traas & Michael Cisler
Janet Turner
Tom & Barbara Wentzel
Rodger & Merry Whipple
Collectors’ Edition Supporters
($1 to $99)
Barbara Agness
Craig & Kathy Akey
Gail Alger
Lee & Amy Allinger
Marian Anderson
Mark Arend
Barbara Armstrong
Michele Asp
Frances & Joseph Bachman
Janet Carlson Daniel Balliet
John & Mary Diane Barkmeier
Jeffery Barthen & William McDonald
Lisbeth Bax
Marcia Bjornerud
John & Jill Burns
John & Liane Butitta
Peter & Mary Helen Casper
Abbey L. Casper-Curtis
Joseph & Kathleen Ceman
John & Karen Cleary
Jean Coenraad
Stephen & Nina Cook
Arlen Dombrock
Mary L. Downs
Verlyn & Marilyn Drager
Helen Edmonds
J. Edmondson
Jeffrey & Sandra Ehlers
Ron & Delores Einerson
Fair Plaza
Faith Technologies, Inc.
Marcel & Kathleen Farina
Jeff & Maureen Feldt
John & Sharon M Fenlon
Friends of the Muehl Public Library
Laurel Filapek
Dan & Mary Flannery
John J & Barbara Fleming
Jane D. Garton
Hubert & Barbara Germiat
Ray & Judy Germonprez
Nolan & Darlene Gnewuch
LouAnn Graf
Kathryn Greenwald
Carol E. Haack
Jonathan & Joy Hagen
Bob & Sheila Hallada
Harp Gallery
William & Frances Henry
Donald & Kristine Hietpas
Julie A. Holcomb
Margaret A. Houk
Jerry & Helene Iverson
Pamela Jacoby
Peter & Wendy Janu
Jones Revocable Trust
Peter & Wendy Juneau
Hope Karth
Judith Keller
Peter & Katherine Kelly
Michael Kenney
Jeffry D. & Shelby J. Knezel
Mary E. Murray & Greg Koerber
Elizabeth Krizenesky
Alyson Krokosky
Darrell Ruechel & Jo Ann Krueger
Loree B. Johnston Lachey
Ronald Mason
Faith Mauk
Paul & Maureen McAvoy
Joanne E. Meier
D. R. & Helen Meyer
Robert & Judith Mickelson
James E. Moes
Keith Niemuth
David & Patricia Nimtz
Ron & Kathryn Odegaard
Thomas & Mary O’Hearn
Jim & Eldrid Olson
Mary Lou Opgenorth
Paperback Book Exchange
Elizabeth Paterson
Mary H. Poulson
Janice Daniels Quinlan
Ronald & Cheryl Reissmann
Patricia D. Rodgers
Victoria Rotzel
Walter & Amelia Rugland
Thomas & Susan Running
Frederick & Virginia Russler
Tasha M. Saecker
John & Jan Saecker
Ellen Savage
Angela Schiller
Lynne W. Simpson
Roberta G. Sprowl
Ronald & Joan Strebel
James & Barbara Syverud
Steve & Sue Taylor
James & Kathleen Thunes
Peter & Judy Treichel
Marcia Trentlage
Beverly Underwood
United Community
Joan Vandehy
Janet Wanamaker
Dorothy M. Warren
Leonard W Weis
Nancy F. Winslow
Susan Woelfel
Patricia Worden
Gene C. & Barbara J. Wulf
Valerie B Wylie
Special thanks to:
Angels Forever - Windows of Light
Atlas Coffee Mill
Copper Rock Coffee Company
Fox River Environmental Education
Alliance
Fox Valley Group of Sierra Club
Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance
Heid Music
History Mueum at the Castle
KidStage/Fox River Academy
Letters about Literature
Lyons Fine Books in Neenah
The Mill: A Place for Writers
MoneySmart Fox Cities
Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust
The Post~Crescent
Radisson Paper Valley
Readers’ Loft Independent Bookstore
in Green Bay
The Scene
Title Town Publishing
Wild Ones
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets