Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival is Oct. 14 & 15

The Friends of Lorine Niedecker are hosting the eighth annual Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival on Oct. 14 & 15. The Poetry Festival celebrates Wisconsin poetry from all over the state, and the legacy of Fort Atkinson’s own renowned poet Lorine Niedecker. All events are free and open to the public.

New this year, the Saturday program will be held overlooking the Rock River at the historic Fort Atkinson Club. “The Poetry Festival is a great event to have at the beautifully restored and renovated Fort Atkinson community center/special events venue. The festival combines art, culture, history and community with a special sense of place. It is what we are all about,” says director Renae Mitchell.

Events at the festival include: open mics, talks by poets, roundtable discussions with poets, group poetry and dinner. 2016 presenters are: Brenda Cárdenas, Norma Cole, Nick Demske, Kathryn Gahl, Ronnie Hess, Dot Kent, Oscar Mireles, Patrick Moran, Angie Trudell Vasquez, John Walser, Paul Wiegel and David Wilk.

Dot Kent noted, “This festival is building a poetry tradition and the Fort Atkinson Club, along the banks of the Rock River, is the perfect place to host this event. The annual festival is becoming a fall destination for writers and poets, and this year’s event promises to be our most diverse yet.”

For a complete schedule visit lorineniedecker.org or contact Dot Kent (262.495.8867) or Amy Lutzke (920.563.7790).