Wisconsin People & Ideas 2019 Fiction and Poetry Contest Reading

Steve Fox’s writing has appeared in or has been recognized by Creative Wisconsin, The Iowa Review, The Midwest Review, Midwestern Gothic, The Masters Review, and the Wisconsin Writers Association. Fox lives with his wife, three boys, and one dog in Hudson and studies creative writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nikki Kallio worked as a newspaper journalist on both coasts before coming home to Wisconsin, where she is now a freelance writer, editor, and writing instructor. Her creative work has appeared in Minerva Rising, Midwestern Gothic, and elsewhere, and her novella, The Fledgling, was shortlisted in the 2018 unsolicited novella contest hosted by Brain Mill Press. Kallio’s short story “Geography Lesson” won first place in the 2015 Wisconsin People & Ideas Fiction Contest.

Michael Hopkins lives on a small farm in Neenah, Wisconsin, with his wife and their dog, cats, and chickens. His book and music criticism have appeared in Philadelphia Weekly and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and his short fiction has appeared in Millwork and Pleiades. His short story “Static” won first place in the 2018 Wisconsin People & Ideas Fiction Contest.

Robert Russell is a recovering economist currently living in Madison. For over ten years he was co-producer of the “Radio Literature” program on WORT-FM, and was coordinator for the CheapAtAnyPrice poetry series. Russell led the Madison National Poetry Slam teams from 1992 to 1994, and has taught poetry in high schools and colleges here and abroad. His short fiction and poetry have been published in various literary magazines and anthologies, and his chapbook, Witness, is available on Amazon.

Mary Wehner is a poet and visual artist who lives on the shore of Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac. A widely published poet, Wehner is also author of several letterpress chapbooks and broadsides through Red Hydra Press and has spent two sessions as Poet-in-Residence at Penland School of the Craft in North Carolina.

Jeri McCormick is a Madison-based poet and former teacher of creative writing in senior centers and Elderhostel. She recently won the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets’ Muse Prize and her new chapbook, Breathtaking, was recently released by Hummingbird Press.

The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters produces programs and publications that explore, explain, and sustain Wisconsin thought and culture. Our signature publication is Wisconsin People & Ideas, the quarterly magazine of Wisconsin thought and culture; programs include the James Watrous Gallery in Overture Center for the Arts, which showcases contemporary art from Wisconsin; Academy Talks, a series of public lectures and discussion forums; Wisconsin Initiatives, exploring major sustainability issues and solutions; and a Fellows Program, which recognizes accomplished individuals with a lifelong commitment to intellectual discourse and public service. The Wisconsin Academy also supports the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission and many other endeavors that elevate Wisconsin thought and culture.