Spring Conference 2026 Registration Open Now!

Peter White Public Library

Peter White Public Library

Mark your calendars for the 2026 UPPAA Spring Conference and simultaneous Young Writers Storytelling Workshop at the Peter White Public Library in downtown Marquette, Michigan.  New for 2026 is a complete line-up of Friday afternoon Pre-Conference workshops to sharpen your skills and energize your writing!

If you’ve never been to our Spring Conference, you’re in for a treat of not only smart, experienced, and helpful speakers but a one-of-a-kind fellowship and networking with your fellow yooper writers!

We have some dynamite speakers lined up, please click here for the complete schedule and breakout session details.

Last but not least, we sure hope you can join us again for Friday Night Networking + Open Mic night.  The highly anticipated Open Mic nights have become one of our members’ favorite events of the weekend.


 

It is your responsibility to make sure the times work for you for each Pre-Conference Event you choose!
 

 

 

 

Discounts at Landmark Inn for UPPAA members during the conference

UPPAA The lobby of a hotel is decorated for christmas.

Historic Landmark Hotel  

The UPPAA spring conference only a couple of months away, and it’s going to be better than ever! We expect registration to open to members on March 16th, so watch for an email. And remember, renewing your membership DOES NOT automatically register you for the conference. In that we cap the number of registrations allowed, because of space and other restrictions, if we are at max, we may not be able to accommodate walk-ins. So plesae watch for the official registration.

 As you may have noticed, we have expanded your experience to include some workshops on Friday afternoon. This is in addition to “Friday Night Live,” at the Crib, and of course our main conference.
If you want to look at the schedule, check it out on the UPPAA website.
For those looking for lodging, of course, Marquette has many options., The Landmark Inn, which is 50 feet from the Peter White Public Library, has offered generous discounts for folks attending the conference. We have reserved a block of rooms, which are now open for booking. 
Discounted prices are as follows:
  • (Thurs, May 14)
    • King $129
    • 2 Queens $139
  • (Friday and/or Saturday, May 15, 16)
    • King $139,
    • 2 Queens $149 per night
There is approximately 6% additional cost for sales tax and lodging fee (we have negotiated away the MI Sales Tax).   Below explains how to book a room for the UPPAA discounted rate: 

3 Ways to Book your Room: 

  1. Booking Link: Click on the link below to book. It will automatically pull the defined dates and rates for your group block.
    http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=5191278&hotelID=11783
  1. Booking on Website without Link: Visit www.thelandmarkinn.com and select the dates of stay and click “Book Now”. At the top of the next page, there is a box to “Add Code”. Attendees should click the down carrot to display the menu, from there, they should select “Group Attendee”. They will then be prompted to provide the Group Booking Code, which is UPPAA2026. The correct rates and availability will load at that point.  
  1. Call-In: For ease of booking, your attendees can call our front desk at (906) 228-2580 to book their stay. They will need to mention the dates of their travel and their group name (UPPAA2026). Our front desk clerk will assist them in booking their reservation onto the existing block.

 Additional Details:

Should you have any trouble securing your reservation or wish to extend your dates of stay outside of the group block,  please call Rachel at (906)315-8142 or email RCarlson@TheLandmarkinn.com

The UPPAA board looks forward to seeing you all at the 2026 UPPAA conference!

Terri Martin
V.P. UPPAA

 

Events – Charlevoix Public Library Celebrates National Poetry Month

UPPAA A poster for "The Bards of Northern Michigan" event at Charlevoix Public Library, detailing a poetry reading and book signing with author John Mauk on Tuesday, April 21st at 6pm in the Community Room.

Charlevoix Public Library For more information, please feel free to contact the Charlevoix Public Library at 231-237-7340 or email us at reference@charlevoixlibrary.org and visit our website at www.charlevoixlibrary.org. Celebrate National Poetry Month April 1 – 30, 2026 Join us for one of our programs to celebrate National Poetry Month. Our…

Continue reading

Wellness Wednesday hosts “Reading and Writing: Just For the Health of It” with Nancy Besonen

UPPAA A woman with long, wavy brown hair and a blue striped shirt is smiling at the camera. She is standing indoors in front of a light wood-paneled wall.

Wellness Wednesday hosts “Reading and Writing: Just For the Health of It” with Nancy Besonen Wellness Wednesday welcomes off-beat journalist Nancy Besonen’s presentation “Reading and Writing: Just for the Health of It” March 4, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. at Young’s Recreation Complex in Iron County (159 Young’s Lane – Crystal Falls,…

Continue reading

Diane Windsor Seminar on “How U.P. Writers Can Effectively Sell Books Directly to Readers”

UPPAA A woman with curly gray hair stands outdoors, smiling. She wears a pink T-shirt that shows books on a shelf and the words "I'M WITH THE BANNED." There are people and a tent in the background.

Marquette, MI — The Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) is proud to announce the first of the 2026 Online Seminar Series—engaging and educational events designed to tackle timely issues in writing, publishing, and marketing. Offered completely free via Zoom, these evening sessions are open to all UPPAA members…

Continue reading

U.P. Notable Books Club Announces 2026 Schedule

UPPAA The logo for up notable books.

To get Zoom invitations for each event, please contact Evelyn Gathu egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org or by phone (906) 875-3344 Diana Magnuson – Garden Sleeping, Garden Growing: In and Around All Year Long (January 29, 2026) Frederick Stonehouse – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: 50th Anniv. Ed. (February 12, 2026) Sue Harrison – Rescuing Crash, The Good Dog: A Novel (March 12, 2026)…

Continue reading

Michael Carrier Presents: Part Three: The Role of Education in the Life of Michael Carrier

UPPAA A man with a gray beard and mustache wearing a black cowboy hat and leather jacket looks to the side. The background is blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting.

Editor’s note: This is the third of a series of supplemental editorial material from UPPAA Spring 2025 keynote speaker Michael Carrier. As in any editorial, opinions are solely those of the contributing commentator. To read part two, see the Fall 2025 newsletter or the blog post here: www.uppaa.org/?p=10328 A question…

Continue reading

S6: E11: Make It Go In the Snow: People and Ideas in the History of Snowmobiles | Larry Jorgensen

UPPAA Promotional graphic for U.P. Notable Book Club Presents, featuring Larry Jorgensen, author of "Make it Go In the Snow!" Season 6, Episode 10. Includes a portrait of Larry Jorgensen and a northern lights background.

S6: E11: Make It Go In the Snow: People and Ideas in the History of Snowmobiles | Larry Jorgensen Why the snowmobile story matters Snowmobiles are more than machines that move over snow. They are the product of stubborn inventors, quirky experiments, regional necessity, and a culture that turned winter…

Continue reading

Telling the Hard Stuff: A Confessional Poetry Workshop with Ellen Lord

Telling the Hard Stuff: A Confessional Poetry Workshop with Ellen Lord When: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 1:00 -3:00 PM Where: at the Hessel School House  3206 W Cedar Street, Hessel, MI, United States, Michigan 49745 Confessional poetry asks us to speak the truths we often keep hidden. In this two‑hour…

Continue reading

Still Wild: Becoming a True Yooper — A Journey Into the Woods, Grief, and Renewal with Suzanne Sunshower

UPPAA A woman wearing glasses, a red headscarf, and a red shirt stands in a forest with her hands resting on the trunk of a tree. Sunlight filters through the trees in the background.

Emma Palova interviews Suzanne Sunshower Click on the triangle below to start listening https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/pudrwjquq6n88mdj/audio1315549325.m4a At sixty, after a string of losses and a lifetime of making art and words, I did the impulsive, crazy thing: I moved into a 50-year-old hunting camper tucked away in the Michigan woods. I call…

Continue reading

Local Poet Chronicles Life “Still Wild” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

UPPAA Book cover for "Still Wild: poems from bear shack" by Suzanne Sunshower, featuring a Baltimore oriole perched on a weathered wooden post with a blurred green background.

(November 8, 2025) Michigan’s Upper Peninsula holds the treasure of nature where the poet’s soul can live with life in its pure and unadulterated form. Poet and artist Suzanne Sunshower moved to these north woods from downstate so she could observe and embrace this mode of living. Her first solo poetry…

Continue reading