Hello and welcome to another Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is August 20th.
Last weekend, I had an opportunity to be a presenter at the Northwoods Art & Book Festival in Hackensack. Fun fact, this is Minnesota's longest-running art and literature festival. Hosted by the Northwoods Arts Council, this day included 60 artists and 26 authors, live music, and locally-made pies and craft beer from Rendezvous Brewing.
I belong to two book clubs and we tend to lean toward picks that are hot on the market - New York Times bestsellers, Reese's Book Club, Oprah - and Amazon algorithms for recommended reading. But what I was reminded of last weekend is that we have a whole treasure trove full of local authors right here in Minnesota.
I was seated right next to the talented Cate Belleveau. Cate is a staple of the Bemidji theater community. Cate's latest book Kayak Cate is about her adventures kayaking all of the lakes of Beltrami County.
On the other side of Cate was the lovely Lisa Cassman. Lisa has authored self-help, poetry, and children's books. From my vantage point two tables away, her children's book Buddy & His Big Truck appeared to be an especially hot seller.
Across the way from me was the fun-loving crime writer Judy M. Kerr. Per the blurb on Judy's website, "Judy writes a series featuring a protagonist from a little-known or talked about federal law enforcement agency, the US Postal Inspection Service. The second installment of the MC McCall series was released March 2022." She is retired from the U.S. Postal Service herself and all of her books sold in the first two hours! Judy is a member of the Twin Cities Chapter of Sisters in Crime which sounds like a super fun group. Some of her sisters in crime - Jessie Chandler, Christine Husom, and Barbara Schlichting, were also in attendance.
It's always fun to see Mike Lien. I first met Mike the last time I attended the Art & Book Festival. Mike's a writer of Up North humor. A genuinely nice guy who's also a member of The Jackpine Writers' Bloc, a hardy non-profit writers group that's really well organized and established in northern Minnesota. They also publish an anthology called The Walking Stick that accepts submissions from Minnesota writers.
If you're looking for things to do in northern Minnesota - or you think you've done it all - an absolute must-read is 100 Things To Do In Minnesota Northwoods Before You Die by Julie Jo Larson. She was a festival featured speaker last year and a hit this year as well.
Arborist Jeff Jepsom was there with his books on knots and tree-felling. A resident of Longville, it turns out that this unassuming guy is quite the rock star in the tree world. His knowledge is all packed into a neat little volume called To Fell a Tree: A Complete Guide to Tree Felling and Woodcutting Methods. His wife looked so familiar to me. I was sure she a Julie; she turned out to be a Bonnie.
Tim Jollymore, formerly of Cloquet and now living in Oakland, CA, was fun to chat with. While his books usually cover mystery and Minnesota intrigue, he was especially excited about his next book, a historical novel set in 5th-century North Africa at the end of the Roman Empire called The Second Confession of Saint Augustine.
While I wasn't able to meet all of the authors, Sue Ready, event co-organizer, book reviewer, writer and friend, offers this nice summary on her blog Ever Ready.
The attendance of the festival was robust and there were always visitors to talk to as they made their way through the rows of tables. I even met folks who had either lived in Wannaskaland or knew someone who had. Book sales were pretty good, too! Who doesn't love a beach read during the summer in cabin country? The festival was so...well, festive, that I even sold a few copies of my business anthologies and a workbook on family cabin planning!
Speaking of Minnesota authors, next weekend I'll be hosting another Red Shoes Writing Retreat in Fosston, Minnesota with other super-talented Minnesota authors Marcie Rendon, Erin Soderberg-Downing and Elisa Korenne (an East Coast transplant to Minnesota who we warmly claim as our own!) We'll be doing a variety of activities and cheering on lovers of writing from all over the state!
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| Mike Lien, author of Firewood Happens (Photo: Sue Ready) |
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
Remembering You
Kim
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