Author Presentations and Panels
Saturday, November 7
Scroll down to view full list or jump to a Session:
All sessions and panels take place on
Saturday, November 7
in Main Hall
on the Carroll University Campus.
All Events are free and open to the public.
Free Parking is available in designated campus lots.
Session One
9:00-10:00 am
Authors from Session One will be available to sign their books
from 10:00-10:30 am in Room 113
The Unthinkable is Real
Room 116
Description:
Literature often ventures where certainty cannot. These authors examine how stories help us confront the unimaginable and make sense of a rapidly changing world.
Panelists:
April Bentley
Rosalind McClain
Nancy Yarborough
Moderator:
Lynn Tompitch
Nature Poetry:
“The Earth Has Poetry for Those Who Listen”
Room 201
Description:
Explore how poets draw inspiration from landscapes, seasons, wildlife, and the natural world. Discover how close observation can transform everyday encounters into powerful poetry.
Panelists:
Sara Sarna
Katrina Serwe
Moderator:
Richard Hedderman
This panel is presented thanks to the generous support from
Wild Birds Unlimited, Delafield
Hannah Morrissey
in Conversation with Wendy Wimmer
Room 206
Description:
Join two acclaimed voices in contemporary fiction for a conversation on craft, creativity, inspiration, and the enduring power of storytelling.
Panelists:
Hannah Morrissey
Wendy WImmer
Moderator:
John Klima
The Artistry of Magical Realism
Room 207
Description:
When the extraordinary slips quietly into everyday life, new truths emerge. Discover how writers use magical realism to illuminate mystery, memory, and the human experience.
Panelists:
J.R. Dawson
Edward Underhill
Moderator:
Kathie Giorgio
More Than Length:
The Difference Between Short Story and Novel
An AllWriters’ Workshop
Room 311
Description:
What makes an idea work best as a short story versus a novel? Authors discuss the unique challenges, rewards, and creative choices behind each form.
Panelists:
Alice Benson
Marisa Rae Dondlinger
E.A. Lawrence
Rhea Thomas
Moderator:
Carrie Newberry
Session Two
10:15 am-11:15 am
Authors from Session Two will be available to sign their books
from 11:15-11:45 am in Room 113
Graphic Novels:
Telling Stories Through Words and Art
Room 116
Description:
Where image and text converge, stories unfold in unique and powerful ways. Panelists discuss the creative possibilities and enduring appeal of visual narrative
Panelists:
Maurice Broaddus
Valya Dudycz Lupescu
Moderator:
John Klima
Eat, Drink, Be Merry
Room 201
Description:
Food is never just food. Writers explore the ways meals, recipes, and shared tables reveal culture, memory, history, and human connection.
Panelists:
Jesse Brookstein
Jeanette Hurt
Moderator:
Laraine O’Brien
It’s the End of the World as We Know it
(and I DON’T Feel Fine!)
Room 206
Description:
Apocalypses, dystopias, and imagined futures hold a mirror to our deepest anxieties and greatest hopes. Join a discussion on why end-of-the-world stories continue to captivate readers.
Panelist:
James DeVita (aka James Cleary)
Moderator:
Larry Nelson
This panel is presented thanks to the generous support from
Friends of Waukesha Public Library
Breaking Boundaries of Genre and Branding
Room 207
Description:
The most memorable writers often defy expectations. Explore how authors navigate genre, audience, and artistic identity while remaining true to their creative vision.
Panelists:
Kathie Giorgio
Margaret Rozga
Moderator:
Kristian Zenz
More Than Facts:
The Difference Between Essay and Memoir
An AllWriters’ Workshop
Room 311
Description:
Both begin with lived experience, yet they travel different paths. Writers explore where reflection, memory, and storytelling intersect in creative nonfiction.
Panelists:
Barb Geiger
Nancy Jorgensen
Mary Ann Noe
Moderator:
Dale Morgan
LUNCH
11:15 am-12:30 pm
Brunch
available from 10:45 am-1:15 pm
at
Main Dining Room
Carroll Campus Center, First Floor
Coffee and Snacks
available from 11:00 am-1:00 pm
at
Gert’s Grab and Go
Next to the Main Dining Room
Carroll Campus Center, First Floor
Session Three
12:30-1:30 pm
Authors from Session Three will be available to sign their books
from 1:30-2:00 pm in Room 113
Superheroes, Sci Fi and Fantasy
Room 116
Description:
Beyond escapism, speculative fiction asks enduring questions about power, possibility, and what it means to be human. Explore worlds where imagination knows no limits.
Panelists:
Greg Carter
Kennan Ferguson
Lilly J. Goren
Joshua Parkes
Moderators:
Camille Socol
Ben Book
Kids + Books = Magic!
Room 201
Description:
A great children’s book can open worlds. Authors discuss creating stories that inspire curiosity, imagination, and a lifelong love of reading.
Panelists:
John Coy
Joyce Uglow
Stef Wade
Moderator:
Barb Geiger
Auto/Biographies
Room 206
Description:
Lives become stories through research, reflection, and narrative craft. Discover how writers bring individual journeys and historical figures vividly to life.
Panelists:
Liam Callanan
Thomas Jacobson
Moderator:
Larry Nelson
Writing About Labor
Room 207
Description:
Work shapes our lives in profound and often unseen ways. Writers examine labor as a lens through which to understand identity, community, and social change.
Panelists:
Jesus Salas
Jon Shelton
Naomi R. Williams
Moderator:
Jacklyn Kelly
First Time Novelists Over 50
An Allwriters’ Workshop
Room 311
Description:
Some stories arrive exactly when they are meant to. Hear from authors whose debut novels demonstrate that literary journeys have no expiration date.
Panelists:
Karen Drecktrah
Nancy Flinchbaugh
Ross Hightower
Michelle Wiberg Kobriger
Patty Schopp
Moderator:
Kathie Giorgio
Session Four
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Authors from Session Four will be available to sign their books
from 3:00-3:30 pm in Room 113
Growing New Roots:
Women Writing About Home and Belonging
Room 116
Description:
Through stories of place, migration, family, and identity, writers explore what it means to create belonging and redefine home.
Panelists:
Catherine Jagoe
Alison Townsend
Moderator:
Sue Kalinka
Poetry of Crisis and Conflict
Room 201
Description:
In times of upheaval, poetry offers witness, resilience, and understanding. Writers discuss the role of verse in responding to personal and collective challenges.
Panelists:
Brenda Cárdenas
DeWitt Clinton
David Southward
Moderator:
Richard Hedderman
When Fiction Changes Reality
Room 206
Description:
Stories have the power not only to reflect the world but to reshape it. Explore how fiction influences perception, inspires action, and leaves lasting cultural footprints.
Panelists:
Phyllis R. Dixon
Dasha Kelly
Moderator:
Larry Nelson
So Many Stories
Room 207
Description:
Every writer finds inspiration differently. From fleeting observations to lifelong obsessions, discover the many paths that lead from idea to page.
Panelists:
Colleen Alles
Matt Cashion
Kathryn Gahl
Jim Landwehr
Moderator:
B.J. Best
Prompts:
Get Your Creative Motor Running!
An Allwriters’ Workshop
Room 311
Description:
Sometimes all a writer needs is a spark. Discover prompts and exercises designed to unlock creativity, deepen observation, and set new ideas in motion.
Moderator:
Kathie Giorgio