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
The Unthinkable is Real
Room B11
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
Nancy Yarborough
Moderator:
Lynn Tompitch
Nature Poetry:
“The Earth Has Poetry for Those Who Listen”
Room 201
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
Jane Hamilton
in Conversation with Wendy Wimmer
Room 206
Join two acclaimed voices in contemporary fiction for a conversation on craft, creativity, inspiration, and the enduring power of storytelling.
Panelists:
Jane Hamilton
Wendy Wimmer
Moderator:
John Klima
The Artistry of Magical Realism
Room 207
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 (2026 Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books Keynote speaker)
Moderator:
Kathie Giorgio
More Than Length:
The Difference Between Short Story and Novel
An AllWriters’ Workshop
Room 310
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
Authors from Session One will be available to sign their books
from 10:00-10:30 am in Room 113
Session Two
10:15 am-11:15 am
Graphic Novels:
Telling Stories Through Words and Art
Room B11
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
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
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
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 310
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
Authors from Session Two will be available to sign their books
from 11:15-11:45 am in Room 113
Session Three
12:30-1:30 pm
Superheroes, Sci Fi and Fantasy
Room B11
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
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
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
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 310
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
Authors from Session Three will be available to sign their books
from 1:30-2:00 pm in Room 113
Session Four
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Growing New Roots:
Women Writing About Home and Belonging
Room B11
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
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
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
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 310
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
Authors from Session Four will be available to sign their books
from 3:00-3:30 pm in Room 113