Session Three
Saturday, November 8, 2025
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Carroll University, Rankin Hall
Inside Wisconsin Sports Culture
Rankin Hall, Room 201
Panelists:
Matt Zembrowski
Tony Walter
Jordan Treske
Todd Rosiak
Moderated by Greg Ahrenhoerster
Description: Wisconsin is steeped in its love for sports, from the Packers to the Brewers to the Bucks. These writers will talk about how sports comes right into Wisconsin homes and affects all of our lives.
The War In Ukraine; Told Through Photos, Prose, & Poems
Rankin Hall, Room 230
Solo:
Chip Duncan
Moderated by Larry Nelson
Description: The inimitable Chip Duncan returns to present us with the war in Ukraine in a way we’ve never seen before. Going beyond the news reports, Duncan shows the reality of this situation through stark photographs and expressions of poetry and prose.
Publishing Present & Future
Rankin Hall, Room 240
Panelists:
Amber R. Cederström (University of Wisconsin Press)
Kira Henschel (Henschel Haus)
Cris Siqueira (Lion’s Tooth Bookstore)
Erin Irelan (Story Keepers Books)
Natasha Meyer (Well Red Damsel).
Moderated by Simon Bronner
Description: Let’s learn about what’s happening in the publishing industry from those that are steeped in it: the publishers who produce the books, and the bookstores who sell the books. This will be a discussion between the panelists and the audience about current trends and issues within the industry.
First Time Books
Rankin Hall, Room 320
Panelists:
Rhea Thomas
Howard Veregin
Del Blackwater
Moderated by Kathie Giorgio
Description: Yes, indeed, it is possible to traditionally publish a book in our current times! These three writers all wrote their first novels, submitted them, and sold them to traditional publishers. They’ll talk about their process and how this was possible.
Interactive Fiction
Rankin Hall, Room 330
Panelists:
B.J. Best
Steph Cherrywell
Peter McDonald
Moderated by Tim Galow
Description: Can you play a story? Can you read a game? Three authors who have published traditional books in various genres (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) and who have also designed interactive stories for online and real-life play will discuss these ideas. They will consider how traditional writing and contemporary games intersect with and inform each other.
