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Poetry Links in Wisconsin

As part of our mission, we intend this page to be a place to link to any and all poetry resources in Wisconsin, from the state Poet Laureate to your local open mike. Email us information about poetry resources: editors (at) versewisconsin (dot) org. Please add a brief explanation if you like.

WI Journals & Zines Publishing Poems

Arbor Vitae
Cannot Exist
Cream City Review
Echoes
a small-sized hand-stitched publication.
ExpressMilwaukee.com Poetry Page
Check here every Monday for a new piece from both past and present Wisconsin poets, curated by Susan Firer.
Flurry* (MN)
*wintry poetry, intermittently, from Minnesota and the Dakotas & now Wisconsin.
Fox Cry Review
Madison Review
Mobius: The Journal of Social Change
begun in 1989 as a free, locally distributed print journal, an online quarterly since 2009, publishing poetry and fiction, Madison.
Our Lives a bimonthly Madison, Wisconsin LGBTQA publication, showcasing a local LGBTQA poet and poem. (See call for poetry.)
Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf
Woodrow Hall Editions brings poetry out of the libraries, book stores and classrooms into unexpected places.

Rosebud
Seems
Sheepshead Review
Verse Wisconsin
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Museletter
Wisconsin People & Ideas
also sponsors annual contest for poetry.
Wisconsin Review

 

WI Book & Chapbook Publishers


Centennial Press
Desperado Press
Fireweed Press (638 Gately Ter., Madison, WI 53711)
Little Eagle Press
Marsh River Editions (currently not accepting submissions)
Parallel Press
Popcorn Press
Zelda Wilde Press
(315 Water St, Cambridge, WI 53523)

WI Organizations & Websites Supporting Poets


Avol's Bookstore, Madison
Book That Poet!

one-stop-and-click resource for poetry event coordinators to locate poets nationwide even when they don't know them by name.
Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee
Council for Wisconsin Writers
annual awards for individual poems (Lorine Niedecker Award) & best full-length collection (Posner Award)
Edenfred

Friends of Lorine Niedecker
Great Lakes Writers Festival at Lakeland College
Illegitimate Prescriptions
posts Concrete & Visual Poetry art and happenings.  There is also an ever increasing list of related links, including poets working in Wisconsin.
LaDeDa Books & Beans, Manitowoc
offers good service and great insights.
Madpoetry
lists readings, open mikes, poets, and poetry news for the Madison area. List of poetry contests. This is your one-stop link for all things poetry in Madison!
PoemFactotum
poetry submission service, with editing, critique, and publishing available from F.J. Bergmann.
Poetry Out Loud
state and national poetry recitation contest for high school students.
Room of One's Own Bookstore, Madison
Verse Wisconsin
UW-Madison Creative Writing Program's Blog
News, readings and events from the faculty, students & alumni of the Creative Writing Program.
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets
WFOP holds two conferences each year and sponsors poetry contests for students and adults annually.
Wiconsin Library Association
annual awards for WI poetry books.
Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Assoc
Woodland Pattern Book Center

 

WI Creative Writing Departments and Programs

Carroll University
Lakeland College
UW Madison
UW Milwaukee

 

WI Poets Laureate

Wisconsin: Marilyn Taylor
Madison: Fabu Carter Brisco
Milwaukee: Brenda Cárdenas

Independent Bookstores Beyond WI

Burke's Book Store, Memphis
Gibson's Bookstore, Concord, NH
Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Cambridge
Left Bank Books, Saint Louis
Open Books, Seattle
Powell's Books, Portland
Quimby's, Chicago

 

More WI Poetry Resources by Region

WI Map

Learning Resources: Workshops, Retreats, Centers & Teachers Open Mikes &
Reading Series
Open Poetry Workshops & Writing Groups
Northwest      
Northeast

Björklunden Lawrence University’s 425-acre estate on Lake Michigan in Baileys Harbor, hosts two intensive 5-day poetry workshops each fall, led by Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate, Marilyn Taylor. Poets’ retreats. Delicious meals and comfortable lodging are available on-site; commuters are also welcome. For more information, contact Mark Breseman, Director: mark.d.breseman (at) lawrence (dot) edu.

The Clearing offers a wide range of classes, including painting, writing, quilting, birding, wood carving, poetry, rustic furniture making, photography, fine wood-working, music, weaving, philosophy, stained glass, metal work, nature study and paper arts. All Clearing classes are taught in a relaxed, informal style.

The Neville Public Museum Green Bay holds Poetry Night the last Thursday of each month.

The Attic Books and Coffee in Green Bay on Bodart Street holds open mic readings on the last Saturday of each month 7:00p.m.-9:00p.m.

The Harmony Cafe at 1660 West Mason (Next to Goodwill) Green Bay holds an open mic every Friday at 6:00-9:30.

Dickinson Poetry Series at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County, 10341 Water Street, Ephraim, WI Starting time is 7 pm.

 
West Central      
Mid-Central   First Thursdays, 7–9 pm: The Original Voice Open Mic meets at The Coloma Hotel, 132 Main Street, Coloma, WI.  
Central-Fox Valley  

Harmony Cafe - Fox Valley at 233 East College Avenue, Appleton first & third Mondays.

The Poetry Collective at Windhover Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac, holds poetry readings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7PM in the Cafe Gallery. Also visit Foot of the Lake Poetry Collective.

 
South Central

Driftless Writers

Potency of Poetry American Players Theatre, Spring Green. Program for teaching poetry to grades 3-12 classrooms, as well as home school groups.

Avol’s Books, 315 W. Gorham Street
Madison, WI (608) 255-4730
hosts the WINTER FESTIVAL OF POETS, Sunday afternoons, 2:00 - 3:30, January 24- March 14, 2010.

Avol’s Books 315 West Gorham Street, Madison hosts a First Thursday Open Mike, as well as many other poetry readings and events.

The Village Booksmith Downtown Baraboo, 526 Oak St., 608-355-1001, hosts a SECOND FRIDAY POETRY series.

The __________-Shaped Reading Series. Monthly Madison reading series, hosted by Andy Gricevich (ed. Cannot Exist) and Lewis Freedman.

Crosshatxh is a monthly reading series curated by Laurel Bastian that aims to shake out boundaries between academy and community in favor of artistic integrity.

The Regent Neighborhood Poetry Club is a group of neighbors and friends who share a love of poetry. The organization holds quarterly themed readings (contact rlhess (at) wisc (dot) edu) and sponsors a monthly poetry exercise hour at 4:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Macha on Monroe Street. For more details, email Angela Rydell or visit her website.

East

Redbird Studio

The Poetry People readings, informal gatherings, & workshop through UW-Waukesha Continuing Ed.

Sheboygan County’s Mead Library Poetry Circle, led by Lakeland College Poet in Residence Karl Elder, will meet monthly this spring at 6:30 p.m. in Sheboygan on February 17, March 24, April 21, and May 19—all dates Wednesdays.

Milwaukee Internet Literary Calendar

 
South   The Wildlife Refuge in Kansasville has monthly "1st Monday night Poetry Night" readings at 8 p.m. 3518 S Beaumont Ave, Kansasville 262-878-4766.