Galena Library Announces LitFest 2023

Galena LitFest will launch its ninth year of bringing high quality authors, workshops, and events to Galenians in January of 2023. LitFest is organized and sponsored by the Galena Public Library and the generous support from the Friends of the Galena Public Library.

Registration and ticket information can be found at www.GalenaLibrary.org, the front desk of the library, or by emailing adult services library, Larissa Distler, at distlerl@galenalibrary.org. The events are being offered in a variety of formats including in-person, virtual, and hybrid.

January 18 at 6 pm - An Evening with Casey McQuiston (Virtual)
Casey McQuiston (they/them) will discuss their writing process and the inspiration for their stories. The discussion will be moderated by Hollie Smurthwaite (she/her), winner of the Illinois Indie Author Project's 2020 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author contest.

McQuiston is the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop, Red, White, & Royal Blue, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler, as well as a pie enthusiast. Born and raised in Louisiana, they now live in New York City with Pepper, a poodle mix and semipro personal assistant. To learn more about Casey, visit https://www.caseymcquiston.com.

Smurthwaite is a paranormal romantic suspense author of The Color of Trauma and The Color of Betrayal. The former was the 2020 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project winner in the adult fiction category. She is active in the writing community as a member of the Off Campus Writers' Workshop, Sisters in Crime, Chicago Writers Association, and a co-organizer for Just Write Chicago. To learn more about Hollie, visit https://holliesmurthwaite.com

January 21 at 2 pm - Creative Nonfiction: The Epistolary Essay - Galena Center of the Arts (Hybrid)
This writing workshop will center on the epistolary works of James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Using these models, Stormy Stipe, Ph.D (she/her) will work with participants to teach what creative nonfiction is and how and why the personal essay is one form of that (as is the memoir), and introduce them to the epistolary personal essay (an essay written in the form of a letter), Stipe will also work with participants on broaching difficult topics, ones that challenge us and maybe even frighten us a little, like racial bias.

Stipe holds a doctorate from the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston and a Master of Fine Arts from the Sarah Lawrence College. Her fiction, poetry, and book reviews have been published in such journals as The Missouri Review, the Texas Review, and American Book Review. Her essays on racism in the U.S. have appeared in Canada's The Walrus. She teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

January 26 at 6 pm - An Evening of Poetry with Angie Trudell Vasquez - The Grape Escape (Hybrid)
A poetry reading and discussion with Angie Trudell Vasquez (she/her), current City of Madison Poet Laureate. Vasquez will read from her latest book, My People Redux, selections from her collection, In Light, Always Light, and new poems. She will also lead a discussion about community, craft, and poetry as a visual art form.

Vasquez is a poet, writer, editor, publisher, and activist. She is the first Latina to hold the position of City of Madison Poet Laureate. She received her MFA in poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2017. Recently, her poems have appeared in The Slow Down, Yellow Medicine Review, Poem-a-Day, About Place Journal , and in several anthologies. In 2018 she was a finalist for the New Women's Voices series. Learn more about her at https://angietrudellvasquez.com

January 28 at 6 pm - Savoring Winter: A Feast! - Galena Cellars Downtown, $55/person
In collaboration with award winning food writer Beth Dooley (she/her) and using her recipes as a guide, Chef Fernando (he/him) at Galena Cellars Downtown has curated a special four course selection of small bites showcasing local producers and wine pairings.

Dooley will be the keynote speaker featuring a discussion about her most recent book, The Perennial Kitchen: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future, which focuses on recipes and resources that connect thoughtfully grown, gathered, and prepared ingredients to a healthy future--for food, farming, and humankind. It is currently on the short list for an IACP Award (International Association of Culinary Professionals, Food Matters and Issues Category).

Dooley, James Beard Award winning food writer, is a columnist for the O section of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Tribune, and appears regularly on KARE 11 (NBC) television and MPR Appetites with Tom Crann. She co-authored The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen with Sean Sherman. Other titles include Sweet Nature, Savory Sweet, In Winter's Kitchen, Minnesota's Bounty, The Northern Heartland Kitchen, and she co-authored Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland with Lucia Watson. Dooley is an Endowed Chair with the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA). Find out more about Beth on her website, http://www.bethdooleyskitchen.com

Save the Date: Sunday, May 21 at 11 am - Around the World in 72 Days: The Adventures of Nellie Bly - Grant Park, $25/plate
Galena favorite, Debra Miller, will be performing as Nellie Bly, the most famous of the "stunt girl" reporters from the late 19th century. A brunch will be provided by Galena Bakehouse. TIckets will go on sale on March 1, 2023.