Literary calendar for the week of Feb. 19

Mary Ann Grossmann, Pioneer Press
·5 min read
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Anoka County Library featured authors: Sixteen Minnesota authors who will be featured in Anoka libraries during 2023 will be at the Local Author Fair, presented by Anoka County Library, with keynote speaker Abby Jimenez, bestselling romance writer and Food Network Champion. The featured writers are Bethany Atazadeh, M.E. Bakos, Minda Gomez, El Holly, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Zinet Kemal, Stanley Kusnunoki, Breanda Lyne, Michael Allan Mallory, Heidi Mortenson, Kyle Rawleigh, Joan Treppa, Artika R. Tyner, Jason Walz, Sarah Warren and Kevin Wind. Free, no registration necessary. 10 am.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Northtown Library, 711 County Road 10 N.E., Blaine.

Celebrating Great River Review: Readings by the literary journal’s 2022 prize winners — Rachel M. Hanson, the University of Minnesota’s Walter Nathan essayist, and Hannah Dierdorff, Pink Poetry Prize winner — who will be featured in forthcoming issue 69 of the Review. The program is in the Walter Nathan Literary Initiatives established in the University of Minnesota creative writing program. The Initiatives’ programming includes three annual reading events, one of which is Celebrating Great River Review, readings by award-winning contributors to the graduate-student-run literary magazine, the longest-running literary magazine in Minnesota. Each year, a Walter Nathan essayist is commissioned to publish an essay in the magazine’s forthcoming issue. The Pink Poetry Prize is awarded annually in memory of University of Minnesota MFA alumnus Daniel Pink. Free. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, University of Minnesota Pillsbury Hall, 310 Pillsbury Dr., S.E., Mpls.

Minnesota Mystery Night: Themed “The Rascal and the Romance Writer,” this month’s program features Minnesota Book Award-winners mystery writer David Housewright, and romance writer Julie Klassen. Housewright began his career in 1996 with “Penance,” winner of the Edgar Allen Poe award for best first novel. A past president of the Private Eye Writers of America, Housewright is best known for his Rushmore McKenzie and Holland Taylor detective novels, winners of three Minnesota Book Awards. Klassen is the author of 18 Regency romance novels that have sold more than a million copies worldwide. She won a Minnesota Book Award for “The Secret of Pembrooke Park,” and three Christy Awards for Historical Romance. 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, Axel’s Restaurant, 1318 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota. Attendees are invited to make reservations for a pre-program meal. Call 651-686-4840.

Readings by writers: Monthly series presents award-winning poets Paula Cisewsk, Ed Bok Lee and David Mura, who will introduce “The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.” Free. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, University Club. 420 Summit Ave., St. Paul.

What else is going on

“Read Brave” about mental health is the theme of St. Paul Public Library’s citywide, intergenerational reading program, now in its 10th year. Read Brave book titles and book-based events for all ages will focus on this year’s theme. Chosen titles are: young adult fiction, “Darius the Great is Not Okay” by Adib Khorram; adult non-fiction, “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem; middle reader (graphic novel) “Living with Viola” by Rosena Fung; early reader, “My Footprints ” by Bao Phi, and picture book, “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld. Menakem, Bao Phi and Doerreld are local authors. St. Paul Public Library distributed more than 5,000 copies of the chosen titles to classrooms and community groups throughout St. Paul. The books are also available for checkout at libraries, including e-book and audiobook copies. SPPL will host free events open to the public March 1-15 throughout St. Paul libraries. SPPL invites community partners — businesses and nonprofit organizations, schools, book clubs and residents — to plan their own Read Brave events around the book selections.

Trio House Press is relocating to Minnesota after 10 years of publishing award-winning poetry books in Florida. Founder Tayve Neese has passed the torch to the new “trio”; Kris Bigalk, executive director; Matt Mauch, production director; and Natasha Kane, publicity/acquisitions. Trio House Press also offers free educational materials for teaching poetry and provides institutional internships for college students. In July the press will publish collections by Minnesota poets Jennifer Manthey (“The Fight”), winner of the 2022 Trio Award, and Matt Mauch (“A Northern Spring”), a mix of poetry and creative nonfiction. Bigalk, who is a poet, directs the AFA creative writing at Normandale Community College in Bloomington. During this school year, she assisted in coordinating Write Like Us, an equity-based writing program in five Twin Cities community colleges., The press can be reached at triohousepress@gmail.com.

Happy author news. Minnesota native J. Ryan Stradal (“The Lager Queen of Minnesota”) is over the moon that his forthcoming novel, “Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club,” got a starred review from Kirkus, whose critic writes: “(Stradal) displays his gift for writing female characters who are fully realized, sometimes unlikable, but always as flawed and compelling as real people.” Stradal’s reaction on Facebook is Minnesota modest: “…I had a hard time imagining that anyone would ever give (this book) a positive review, and a starred Kirkus review seemed like a pipedream. I’ll never be able to completely wrap my head around this.”

Jessie Chandler’s equally happy that her second Shay O’Hanlon mystery, “Hide and Snake Murder,” is back in print from Bella Boks with “a brand, spanking new cover.” Published in 2012, this caper won an IPPY from the Independent Publisher’s Book Awards.

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