Telling the Hard Stuff: A Confessional Poetry Workshop with Ellen Lord
2026-01-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Detroit) | Hessel School House, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hesssel, MI, 49745, United States
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 workshop, we’ll explore how vulnerability becomes art, how the “hard stuff” transforms into language that resonates, and how craft supports courage. Together, we’ll create a safe, supportive space to write the poems that demand to be written. This class includes an autographed copy of Ellen Lord’s latest book VIGIL.
Whether you write poems on the page or songs for the stage, this workshop welcomes artists who turn lived experience into works of written art. Poets and songwriters alike will find tools for shaping raw emotion into work that connects and endures.
Class Fee: $40.00. Includes a signed copy of Ellen Lord’s latest book VIGIL.
To Register: Call 906-484-1333 or register online at HesselSchoolHouse.org
Facebook event page
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Ellen Lord began writing as a kid, first stirred to poetry by Edgar Allen Poe’s raven and various morbid nursery rhymes. She is inspired by forays in nature, along with feasts and foibles of the human condition. She was raised in the wilds of the Upper Peninsula and often returns to her ancestral home. She is a behavioral health therapist, specializing in addiction and trauma.
NOTE: Scholarship discounts are available. Call 906-484-1333 for details if finances are impeding you from attending this workshop. A limited number of discount tickets are available for teens and low-income participants.

Frederick Stonehouse – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
2026-02-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Join us on zoom for Frederick Stonehouse – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
To get Zoom invitations for each event, please contact egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org or by phone (906) 875-3344

UP History Book Club - Bloodstoppers & Bearwalkers: Folk Traditions of the Upper Peninsula by Richard Dorson
2026-02-18 18:30 - 19:30 | Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
February 18 – Bloodstoppers & Bearwalkers: Folk Traditions of the Upper Peninsula by Richard Dorson
All meetings are on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. We meet in person at the Marquette Regional History Center (145 W. Spring St., Marquette) and online via Zoom (link available the day of the meeting at www.marquettehistory.org/uphbc). You can also join our mailing list on that webpage to get periodic reminders. All book club titles will be available for purchase at the museum gift store in the new year, and museum members receive 10% off.

Julie Buchholtz to feature "Mama's Song" at Hessel School House
2026-02-28 | Hessel School House, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hesssel, MI, 49745, United States
Julie Buchholtz to feature “Mama’s Song” at Hessel School House for a book reading and signing event at Hessel School House on February 28, 2026 (time to be announced later)
See https://hesselschoolhouse.org/ for details

Writing North - Winter Book Fest
2026-02-28 08:00 - 2026-03-01 17:00
From tipster Sara Maurer:
An amazing literary event is coming soon to Manistique. Meagan Francis, author of The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read and owner of Paper Mill Books in Manistique, is planning the first Writing North Book Fest! It will take place Saturday, Feb. 28 – Sunday, March 1 in Manistique with free community events as well as author panels and an exciting literary salon event.
Participating authors will include

Ellen Airgood
Steve Amick
T. Marie Bertineau
Mikel Classen
Karen Dionne (The Marsh King’s Daughter, The Wicked Sister)
Carol Dunbar
Megan Francis
Ann-Marie Ooman

Here is a quick description of the festival:
In the heart of winter, when the Upper Peninsula is at its quietest and most beautiful, Writing North Winter Book Fest – the first literary festival of its kind in Manistique, just off of Highway 2 in the heart of the U.P. – will gather together readers and authors for a celebration of stories and storytellers shaped by northern places, with authors who hail from the northern Great Lakes region and/or craft their work around landscapes like ours. The event will lean into the season’s beauty and coziness by offering warm spaces, close conversations, and fresh inspiration in an intimate, welcoming festival that’s rooted in place. Tickets, itinerary, and details at writingnorth.com.

You can also follow writingnorthup on Instagram for updates.

Diane Windsor Seminar on "How U.P. Writers Can Effectively Sell Books Directly to Readers"
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Diane Windsor Seminar on “How U.P. Writers Can Effectively Sell Books Directly to Readers”
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 seeking to strengthen their skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving literary landscape. The first session will be on March 19, 2026 with Diane J. Windsor, an author, publisher, and book marketing specialist Membership details can be found at www.uppaa.org/join-or-renew.
U.P. Writers Can Bypass the Bookstore and Build Their Author Platforms
Did you know that by selling your books directly to your reader, you not only earn higher royalties, but you also have valuable reader contact information? And you don’t need to store boxes of books in your garage! Diane Windsor, of Motina Books Publishing, will explain how to set up a print-on-demand store from your website.
Diane Windsor is the founder of Motina Books Publishing. She is a lifelong reader, and at one point her dream was to become a published author. She realized she’s better at publishing wonderful books by authors, than writing her own. Diane is also passionate about helping all authors with book marketing, and hosts a monthly Zoom call that’s open to all authors, to brainstorm creative marketing ideas.
WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:00PM Eastern
WHERE: Contact president@uppaa.org to obtain the Zoom link
Join UPPAA and Grow Year-Round!
UPPAA offers far more than just these Fall seminars. Member benefits include:

The annual Spring Conference, featuring expert panels and networking opportunities
Participation in the U.P. Reader literary anthology
The U.P. Notable Books Club, anyone can join this monthly online meeting with authors of the U.P.’s most significant books.
Youth writing initiatives, including the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Award and the Young Writers Storytelling Workshop to encourage U.P. students in grades 5 to 12.

UPPAA welcomes writers of all levels and genres—from aspiring authors to seasoned professionals. Membership helps fund programming and ensures a thriving literary community throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
To learn more about the 2026 seminars, visit www.UPPAA.org.

About the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA)
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with over 180 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing.

March Memoir Writing Course
2026-03-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Story Spring Course—Write a Memoir

Memoir Writing Course

Memoir Writing Course
Begins Wednesday, March 25
Wednesdays at 7 pm Eastern Time
March 25, April 1, 8, 15, & 22
Details
This five-week Memoir Writing Course is designed for writers who are in the beginning or middle of a memoir project. It will help you focus on the most important aspects of crafting a memoir and manuscript. In the first week, we will hone in on your theme and purpose so you can identify the most important stories to share. In the following weeks, you will learn how to use vivid, honest details to introduce the people and places in your life onto the page. Finally, we will focus on structure. Learning to organize scenes and chapters well will help you sustain your reader’s interest from beginning to end. These classes will help you build strong writing habits and avoid common pitfalls. The journaling handbook (free with the course) will serve as a workbook throughout the five weeks. Many of the exercises will be explained in depth and practiced together in class. In addition, you will receive more resources, and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussions.
For more information: ​https://www.storyspringwriting.com/memoir-writing​
Find the right package for you!

Course with handbook: $150
Course with coaching: $249
Scholarships are available.

Contact with questions: Rehema@StorySpringWriting.com or Rehema.Clarken@Outlook.com

Sara Maurer to feature "A Good Animal" at Hessel School House
2026-03-28 | Hessel School House, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hesssel, MI, 49745, United States
Sara Maurer to feature “A Good Animal” at Hessel School House for a book reading and signing event at Hessel School House on March 28, 2026 (time to be announced later)
See https://hesselschoolhouse.org/ for details

U.P. History Book Club with Schoolcraft's Indian Legends and Ojibwa Narratives of Charles and Charlotte Kawbawgam and Jacques Lepique, 1893-1895
2026-04-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Marquette Regional History Center, 145 W. Spring St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
Schoolcraft’s Indian Legends ed. by Mentor L. Williams and/or Ojibwa Narratives of Charles and Charlotte Kawbawgam and Jacques Lepique, 1893-1895 ed. by Homer Kidder

Bards of Northern Michigan: Live Poetry Reading
2026-04-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Charlevoix Public Library, 220 West Clinton St, Charlevoix, MI, 49720, United States
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 afternoon workshop instructor and emcee for our evening event is author John Mauk. His stories have appeared in a range of publications. He has two full story collections, Field Notes for the Earthbound and Where All Things Flatten. He has also published several textbooks and essays. He hosts Prose from the Underground, a free YouTube video series for working writers.
Poetry Across Genres: Why Writers of All Stripes Should Keep Poets Close
Tuesday, April 21 • 2:00 pm • Registration Required
Community Room
In this workshop, author John Mauk will focus on a crucial poetic element: the unstated or what is sometimes called subtext. We’ll explore the power of ideas that lurk just below the linguistic surface and try some strategies for intensifying that delicate dimension of both prose and poetry. The first twenty people to register will receive a free copy of his latest book, Where All Things Flatten.
Bards of Northern Michigan: Live Poetry Reading
Tuesday, April 21 • 6:00 pm
Community Room (No Registration Required)
Join us for our third annual event celebrating the spoken word. Our emcee and keynote, author John Mauk, will be speaking on “The Poetry of Fiction, Memoir, Essay, and Everything Else.” He will share a few of his favorite poems and explain why all writers should make poems part of their daily study. Some of our talented regional poets will read from their published works. We will have light refreshments to enjoy. All poets will be available to chat, sell, and sign books.

Spring Pre-Conference Events
2026-05-15 13:00 - 21:00
There are several Pre-Conference Events that members can participate in on May 15, 2026
Each of these is an optional “add-on” to your basic free membership for the Spring Conference on May 16, 2026

Pre-Conference Workshops (attendance is limited!)

Developing Your Poetic Voice, with Kathleen Carlton Johnson (2:00 pm to 5:00 pm)
Create Your Writing Mini-Trail Guide, with Julie Covert (1:00 pm to 4:00 pm)
Know Your Writing-Style Color and Make It Help You Write Better with Julie Covert (4:15 pm to 5:15 pm)

Friday Night Live – Pre-Conference Networking & Social Mixer, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Spring Conference 2026
2026-05-16 09:00 - 16:00 | Peter White Public Library, 217 N Front St, Marquette, MI, 49855, United States
UPPAA members can attend Spring Conference 2026 for free!
