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Category: Literature

The latest news in the literature scene in Door County along with reviews, creative writing and news about The Hal Prize.

  • Multicultural Book Club Turns 30

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    On Jan 2, 1-2 pm, Sturgeon Bay Library’s Multicultural Book Club will celebrate its 30-year anniversary. To check out the complete list of books the group has discussed over the past three decades, visit the Readers Resources tab at doorcountylibrary.org. The Sturgeon Bay Library is located at 107 S 4th Ave. in Sturgeon Bay.

  • Family Winter Reading Challenge At Algoma Library

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    The Algoma Public Library’s third annual Family Winter Reading Challenge will run Jan. 1 to Feb. 29, 2024.  To enter the challenge, families and individuals of all ages can track their reading on the Beanstack app or with a paper tracking log. Readers can download and print a tracking log at tinyurl.com/4fsp5wxh or pick one […]

  • The Year In Literature 2023

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    2023 Hal Prize 2023 marked the 26th year of the Hal Prize. This year’s writing and photography submissions were judged by Toya Wolfe for fiction, Edward McPherson for nonfiction, Sean Hill for poetry and Allen Morris for photography.  2022 Hal Prize First-place Winners Fiction: “Newlyweds in Front of a Lilac Bush” by Victoria Lynn Smith […]

  • Hal Prize Winners Displayed at PenArt

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    The Peninsula School of Art is now exhibiting the winners and honorable mentions of the Hal Prize in its Annex Gallery through the end of January. A casual reception was held Dec. 8 with light refreshments. Some photography winners and their families attended to see their work and read the notes from this year’s photography […]

  • Local Booksellers Receive Holiday Bonus

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    Three local booksellers were among 600 independent booksellers across the country to receive a James Patterson Holiday Bonus, which were announced on Wednesday, Dec. 13.  Liz Welter of Novel Bay Books in Sturgeon Bay, Margaret Magle of Other Worlds Books & More of Sturgeon Bay, and Heidi Raak of Yardstick Books in Algoma will each […]

  • Tree-to-Tree Communication Topic of 2024 Ridges Reads Book Club

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    The Ridges Sanctuary will host its annual Ridges Reads book club starting in January 2024. This year’s program, titled The Root Issue, will explore the theory of tree-to-tree communication, as well as the scientific evidence that supports the theory and the ongoing debate that surrounds it. Discussions will center on Finding the Mother Tree by […]

  • Door County Library Wins Major Grant Award

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    Door County Library’s Door County Reads 2024 events received a major grant award from Wisconsin Humanities to provide additional support for 2024’s event series based on the book Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith, and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt.  J.P. Leary, Associate Professor in First Nation Studies, […]

  • New Sci-Fi Epic By Local Author

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    Door County author Patrick Baird is launching his new military science fiction novel, The Epsilon Passage, during a book signing on Dec. 16, 10 am – 2 pm. Baird is the author of six novels and the co-host of Unknown Orbits, a science-fiction podcast. His new book is the sequel to his previous novel, The […]

  • Local History Book Revised

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    A revised large-print edition of Piecing Together the Butler Puzzle, co-authored by Phyllis Zatlin and Joe Klapatch, is available now. The original book, published by the Jacksonport Historical Society in 2008, was inspired by a postcard collection Ellen Butler Zatlin began in 1907 at age seven. Her daughter, Phyllis Zatlin, would later play with these […]

  • Book Recommendation: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

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    Recommended by MORGAN KIEDROWSKI Bookseller at Novel Bay Booksellers The Wife Upstairs is a hard book to put down. Appearances are not what they seem in this fast-paced, Southern Gothic retelling of a Jane Eyre story. Jane is hoping for a new start when she begins a dog-walking business in the upscale Thornfield Estates. But […]

  • Bestsellers

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    HARDCOVER FICTION 1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride 2. Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros 3. Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett 4. Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros 5. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus HARDCOVER NONFICTION 1. Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, by Rachel Maddow 2. The Comfort of Crows: A […]

  • Announcing the 2023 Hal Prize Winners

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    The Hal Prize is finishing another year of celebrating writing and photography, with the announcement below of the winning authors and photographers – some of those Door County residents. You’ll find the top six photography winners in this issue. The winning entries will also be printed this month in the 8142 Review, as well as […]

  • Christmas Stories for Kids at Your Local Library

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    By JEANINE BRENNAN Egg Harbor Library branch manager Children’s books are gifts that keep on giving, and they’re an easy way to add to your family’s holiday traditions. Here are a few that can be found at your local library. Red and Green, by Lois Elhert. This book is a fun adaptation of The Night […]

  • Bestsellers

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    Trade Paperback Fiction  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas 2. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr 3. Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree 4. The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman 5. A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas Trade Paperback Nonfiction  1. Killers […]

  • Registration Open for Young Writers Conference, Women’s Mentoring Program

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    Registration is open for “Telling the Truth of Our Lives,” the Dick Scuglick Memorial Residency and Fellowship, and the Young Writers Conference. Through Dec. 10, Write On, Door County is accepting applications for “Telling the Truth of Our Lives,” a year-long, women’s mentoring program starting in 2024.  The program is designed for women who would […]

  • Some Lit Bits

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    List compiled by Write On, Door County. Among the many celebrations in December are a few lesser-known holidays for readers and writers.  Dec. 10 is Dewey Decimal System Day, as well as Emily Dickinson’s birthday. Dec. 17 is the publication anniversary of Charles Dickens’  A Christmas Carol. Dec. 20 is Poet Laureate Day. Dec. 21 […]

  • Free TAP Tickets Through Door County Libraries

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    Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) is collaborating with Door County Libraries to help patrons “check out” TAP. Coupons are available at all eight of our Door County Library locations while supplies last. Coupons come out by show and each admits up to two theatergoers. Pick them up before they are gone. Contact TAP for show time […]

  • Healing Through Writing With Mary Mullen

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    Visiting writer and Write On, Door County resident Mary Mullen presents a special edition of the organization’s free monthly program, Healing Through Writing, on Dec. 12, 11-1 pm. The program is for people with little-to-no writing experience, as well as those who have an established creative practice and want to focus on writing as a […]

  • Poetry Collection By Ellison Bay Author

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    Ellison Bay author James Stehle has released a new book, Poetic Lessons: Bible and Life in Poetry. The book is a collection of poems about faith, love and devotion. After each poem, the author reflects on relevant scripture passages and how they can be a source of comfort in difficult times. The collection can be […]

  • Albert Belleg Signs New Book

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    Local author Albert Belleg will discuss and sign his new book, Living the Deepest Truth You Know, 10 am – 12 pm on Dec. 2. The book explores the guidance that’s made available by looking inward. Through personal stories from his own and others’ lives, Belleg describes the process of learning to trust one’s deepest […]