Norbert Blei

Norbert Blei inaugurates the third year of the UUFDC Emily Dickinson Poetry Series with a reading at
7 pm on Wednesday, April 13. The Series begins each year in April, National Poetry Month, and this reading is one of the featured events of the Door County celebration of National Poetry Month.

Norbert Blei is Door County’s best-known writer, writing teacher, editor and publisher. He moved here from Chicago in 1969. Although his early writings were about Chicago, he has written most extensively about Door County and Wisconsin. He has taught, lectured, given writing workshops throughout the state and Midwest, and is Writer-in-Residence at The Clearing.

Blei has been published in many of the state’s leading periodicals and literary magazines and is a frequent commentator on regional radio. He has won regional, state, and national awards for his writing in diverse genres: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. These recognitions have come from the Wisconsin Library Association, the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, The Council of Wisconsin Writers and Pushcart Press.

He is the author of 17 books and in 1997 began his own press, CROSS+ROADS PRESS, dedicated to the publication of first chapbooks by poets, short story writers, novelist, and artists. His own Wisconsin work includes the award winning trilogy: Door Way, Door Steps, and Door to Door, as well as Meditations on a Small Lake and the controversial Chronicles of a Rural Journalist in America–dedicated to the preservation of the rural landscape.

Please join us for this enlightening evening! An open mic will follow Blei’s reading.

Michael Farmer

By Chuck Lauter

Michael Farmer, a poet from Baileys Harbor, describes himself in the brochure for the 2010-2011 Dickinson series as “short and sweet.” This is true in person, personality, and poetry. His writing is characterized by and noted for an American style of haiku, short, but very penetrating. Here is an example of the way in which he jars one to think differently:

Perennial crop
The garden fares far too well
White marble crosses…

While his haiku will be featured in the reading, many other poems will turn your head, especially in the last line. The twinkle in his eye when he reads is a delight. There is much mischief in his poetry, as well as sobering thought.

Farmer is also intrigued by and devoted to Native American music, especially the flute. He has led many workshops to teach people to construct and play the Native American flute. These rhythms also infuse his poetry.

His reading concludes the 2010-2011 Emily Dickinson Poetry Series on March 9, 7 pm, at the UU Fellowship. An open mic will follow Farmer’s reading.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County is pleased to announce an exciting list of featured poets for the 2011-2012 season. Eleven new voices, plus youth poets, will highlight the series. Bruce Dethlefsen is the Poet Laureate of Wisconsin; he is the fourth poet to hold that post. Norbert Blei is Door County’s best known writer, editor, and publisher. “Obvious Dog” features the ‘Lip’py poems of Cathryn Cofell to the rocking music of Bruce Dethlefsen and Bill Orth. June Nirschl and Judy Roy recently published the poetry book Slightly Off Q. They are members of the Wallace Poetry Group. Sarah and Al Stuart are talented in art, music, and poetry and maintain a gallery in Fish Creek. Edward Dimaio has often read at the open mic in this series. As well as writing poetry, Henry Timm directs, writes and/or acts in many plays. Marybeth Mattson is a poet of lyrical touches and startling imagery. David Clowers is a prolific poet who acts in local productions and still finds time to be a lawyer. Francha Barnard, a retired librarian, was the winner of the 2010 Peninsula Pulse Poetry Prize. The readings by young poets have been so successful that the series will again feature a full evening of poetry by youths.

Each year UUFDC sponsors these monthly poetry readings named in honor of this famous poet. The readings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month and include a featured poet for half the program, followed by an open mic and then a few more poems from the featured reader. The series begins each year in April to commemorate National Poetry Month.

The schedule for 2011-2012 is as follows:

* This reading is the third Wednesday of October in conjunction with a reading for the Friends of Door County Libraries at the Sturgeon Bay Library on Thursday, October 20.

The poetry community in Door County is extremely vital. The Dickinson Series features both beginning and established poets and provides a comfortable setting for the reading of new work. These evenings also attract new listeners, some of whom then become readers. The series is intended to enhance both the appreciation and the writing of poetry.

All readings are held at the UU Fellowship, 10341 Water Street (Hwy 42), on the north side of Ephraim, next to the Green Gables Shops. Brochures describing the series are available at local libraries, bookstores, and information centers. The readings are free and open to the public. All those who love poetry are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Six accomplished Gibraltar High School poets will read their poetry at 7 PM February 9 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim. In addition to their poetry, these young people are multi-talented and bring the enthusiasm of youth to the Series!

Junior Brandon Bogenschütz has been involved in drama, forensics, school newspaper, show choir and math team. He hopes to study writing and literature in college. Brandon finds poetry and other forms of writing useful for expressing his opinions, observations, and emotions.

Sophomore Alexis Janssen is in Karate, track, cross country, and forensics. In college she would like to pursue writing and is presently working on a number of stories. Lexie characterizes her poetry as “quite random” and finds that it shifts between dark and happy emotions.

Sophomore Lena MacDonald likes theater, forensics, show choir and Ecology Club. While she has always enjoyed writing, this year Lena has developed an interest in poetry and song writing; she has found support from her family, school, and community.

Senior Rachel Mickelson participates in volleyball, track and field, student council and DECA. She will attend college this fall, but is undecided as to her major. Writing is one of Rachel’s favorite hobbies; she writes both to relax and to express her thoughts and feelings.

Senior Morgan Petersilka is active in Varsity Letter Club, National Honor Society, softball, and volleyball. She plans to study biomedical engineering in college. Morgan writes free verse, exploring issues and feelings that she encounters in her life.

Sophomore Caitlin Weber enjoys acting and cross-country. She plans to attend college, perhaps to study photography, psychology, acting, or computer science. Caitlin finds poetry to be one of the most beautiful arts and enjoys using words to express her feelings.

An open mic opportunity will follow the students’ presentations for others to share their works. Join the poets for a reception at the conclusion of the readings.

The Dickinson Poetry Series is held the second Wednesday each month offering an opportunity for both experienced and new poets to share their works. It is free and open to the public. The UU Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42, Ephraim.

Gary Jones will be the featured poet in the UU Fellowship’s Dickinson Poetry Series on January 12 at 7:00 p.m..

For much of his life Jones has written poetry for his own satisfaction, and occasionally for that of contest judges and journal editors.  He also writes fiction, feature articles, essays, book reviews, and plays.  Some of his work appears in the Pulse and Door County Living.

A retired teacher, he occasionally presents writing workshops for both young people and adults.

“For me,” Jones said, “writing poetry is like meditation, a method of processing all that might be amusing and confusing, ironic and poignant, alarming and scary, in life.”

The Dickinson Poetry Series features a well-known poet each month.  Others in attendance are then invited to read their poetry.  The series is free and open to the public.

The UUF is located at 10341 Highway 42, Ephraim.

Caleb Whitney

Baileys Harbor firefighter, Caleb Whitney, will be the featured poet in the UU Fellowship’s Dickinson Poetry Series on December 8 at 7:00 PM.

Writing in isolation for more than ten years, Whitney never really addressed any audience other than himself. Intrigued by Linda Aschbrenner’s critiques of the poetry entries to the 2008 Hal Grutzmacher contest, he sent several poems to Linda’s journal Free Verse. “Her open admonishment to pursue publishing is the sole reason I entered the Wisconsin People and Ideas annual contest,” he explains. The resulting place-winning, publishing, and reading at the 2009 Book Festival in Madison opened the door to sharing all of his work.

Whitney’s separation of the “internal” audience from the more traditional “external” audience has been the result of using free verse poetry as a way to personally come to terms with his experiences as a rural firefighter. Inspired by two local poets (Barbara Larsen’s Pine Ridge, 1937 and Mark Turcotte’s Exploding Chippewas), he worked and reworked many of his poems for years in order to pare them down to just the essence of each event described.

Having moved to downtown Baileys Harbor as a bachelor in 1994, Whitney is now a husband, father, self-employed landscape gardener, fourteen-year veteran and Assistant Chief for Baileys Harbor Fire. His poetry has been printed in the Peninsula Pulse, Free Verse, Verse Wisconsin, Wisconsin People & Ideas, and the Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar.

The Dickinson Poetry Series, recently described in a Pulse Picks review as “a lovely evening, for poet and non-poets alike,” features a well-known poet each month providing an opportunity for that person to read. Others in attendance are then invited to read their poetry. The series is free and open to the public. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42, Ephraim.

Sharon Auberle

Sharon Auberle is the featured poet at the November 10th Dickinson Poetry Series sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim.

Auberle grew up in the Midwest, exploring fields, woods and waters, often in the company of her grandfather, who passed his love of the outdoors to her. With this heritage, her years of living in the Southwest, and now in Door County, she finds much to draw on in her writing.

“Poetry helps me to remember and celebrate the ‘aha’ moments, both of my life and others; those small epiphanies that otherwise would soon be forgotten. I also strongly believe in the power of writing, and all of the arts, to help bring peace and healing to our planet. If, with my words or images, I can help someone to know a river or a mountain; a bird or a flower that they might not otherwise notice, it’s a start. For I believe that what we know we will begin to love, and what we love, we will want to save.”

When not writing, she may be found hanging pictures and poems at her website—Mimi’s Golightly Café. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, as diverse as Earth’s Daughters; The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Calendar; Lilipoh; Hummingbird; Fox Cry Review and Verse Wisconsin. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and included in a number of anthologies, such as Woman Prayers; Literary Lunch; and the Nature of Door. Auberle has been a frequent contributor to numerous on-line magazines: Quill & Parchment; Sketchbook—a Journal of East & West; Your Daily Poem; and Haibun Today, to name just a few.

Auberle also enjoys photography, collage, and painting, and her artwork has been published in on-line magazines, as well as included in several local exhibits.

Writing, however, is her first love, and poetry in particular. She is the author of two books: Saturday Nights at the Crystal Ball: a memoir in poetry; and Crow Ink, a collection of her poems and photographs.

Auberle has also recently ventured into the world of recorded poetry, with the release of her first CD: Something After Burning. The CD was recorded with background music provided by some of Door County’s finest musicians: George Sawyn; Lynn Gudmundsen; and Lloyd Michaelsen. A new book with the same title will soon be forthcoming.

An open mic will follow Auberle’s reading November 10th providing an opportunity for others to share their work. The free monthly Series begins at 7 PM and open to all who love poetry. The UU Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42, Ephraim.