Presenters for adult programs
Antler’s epic poem Factory was published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti in the City Lights Pocket Poet Series in 1980. Antler’s book Last Words was published by Ballantine in 1986. Antler: The Selected Poems was published in 2000. Allen Ginsberg called Antler “one of Whitman’s ‘poets and orators to come’.” Antler won Read more
Amelia Klem Osterud is an academic librarian from Milwaukee who is working diligently on becoming heavily tattooed, just in case she ever wants a second career as a tattooed lady. Osterud has a master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and writes and lectures on the subject of Read more
Fabu Carter Brisco is Madison’s 3rd Poet Laureate. Her poetry focuses on children, women, and African Americans. Poems, Dreams and Roses, a compilation of poetry about Fabu’s growing up as a poet is aimed at encouraging young poets and was published in December 2009. In Our Own Tongues will be Read more
Maribeth Fischer’s first novel, The Language of Goodbye, was awarded Virginia Commonwealth University’s First Novel Award for 2002. Fischer’s second novel, The Life You Longed For, chosen as an April 2007 BookSense Notable Book, as well as a alternate book selection the Literary Guild, was cited by The Library Journal Read more
THE POETRY PEOPLE first met as students of poetry, writing and workshopping at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha under the careful eye of Dr. Phil Zweifel. In 1997, the classmates decided to share their work with others and formed as The Poetry People. Their first public reading was hosted by Martha Merrell’s Bookstore Read more
Tom Montag is a middlewestern poet and essayist who is interested in place, the way place shapes us, and the way we are shaped by it. Curlew: Home is his memoir of growing up on an Iowa farm. The Idea of the Local is his collection of essays about people Read more
Lori Handeland has written nearly fifty novels, novellas and short stories in several genres–historical, contemporary, series and paranormal romance, as well as urban fantasy–for such publishers as: Dorchester, Kensington, Harlequin, St. Martin’s Press, Harper-Collins and Simon and Schuster. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Waldenbooks and Bookscan Bestselling Read more
Kris Radish fell in love with words as a little girl when she discovered the joy of reading about Nancy Drew. By the beginning of eighth grade she had read every book in her local Wisconsin library and knew she was going to be a writer. With almost a million Read more
Ellen Kort served as Wisconsin’s first Poet Laureate from 2000-2004. She has traveled widely and for decades has been committed to poetry, teaching, giving public readings, and facilitating workshops and retreats. She offers poetry workshops at medical conventions for physicians and psychologist’s. She has a passion for the natural process Read more
Jack is the president of 800-CEO-READ, now an independent company, but longtime partner of the Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops. Hired twenty-five years ago by the late David Schwartz to promote business and computer books to the Milwaukee business community, Jack used his considerable sales skills and innate business acumen to grow Read more