The Spring Green Literary Festival

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WELCOME TO AN ONGOING FESTIVAL THAT CELEBRATES THE LITERARY ARTS

Throughout the year, in the Wisconsin River Valley near Spring Green, nationally renowned authors and poets meet with area wide lovers of books and writing to explore the importance of the literary arts to human understanding. In settings designed for inspiration, readers gather to listen to a writer's interpretation of the human experience and to discover the fine art of writing.

Next Events -

March 27, 2011 Screening / Discussion of "To Kill A Mockingbird"

April 9, 2011 - An Evening with Jane Hamilton

LitFest Sponsors March 27Community Discussion and Film

The Spring Green Literary Festival will sponsor a community-wide
discussion of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee on Sunday,
March 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the Gard Theater on Jefferson Street. The
discussion, led by Marnie Dresser, professor of English at UW-Richland,
will be followed by the 1962 movie of the same name, starring Gregory
Peck as Atticus Finch. The event is an opportunity for readers to fully
discuss the issues of race, class, civil rights and social justice and the
implications for today.

The book was chosen for the first River Valley Community Read, whereby
all residents were invited to read the same book at the same time. The
book was required reading in the River Valley Middle School. Free books
were provided also to the community during public events presented by the
literary festival and to the Senior Center, the Food Pantry, nursing homes,
and the Spring Green Community Library.

The discussion and movie are free and open to the public.

Upcoming Event -

LitFest Announces Jane Hamilton Appearance

The Spring Green Literary Festival will present An Evening with Jane Hamilton on Saturday, April 9 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Touchstone Theater, the indoor venue of American Players Theater. Admission will be free and open to the public. Hamilton will read from her most recent novel Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, which tells the hilarious story of Laura and Charlie Rider, who have been married 12 years and run the Prairie Wind Farm Nursery in fictional Hartley, Wisconsin. Though they no longer share a bed, they are happy enough: Laura with her growing writing hobby and Charlie with his passion for life.

Hamilton, a New York Times bestselling author, gained acclaim with her debut novel, The Book of Ruth, which won the 1988 PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award for best first novel. Her 1999 novel, A Map of the World, was selected a NYT Notable Book of the Year. Both have been selected for Oprah’s Book Club. She won the Chicago Tribune’s Heartland Prize for her 1998 novel, The Short Story of A Prince.

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Hamilton graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota, married the owner of an apple orchard, and settled in Wisconsin. Her stories are set in the Midwest and are populated by rural and small town families that endure life’s tragedies with stoicism and frankness. Hamilton’s novels have also always been laced with humor. Her latest, Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, is not only a very funny, but sexy and provocative as well.

The evening will include a book signing by the author, the sale of her novels, and refreshments in the lobby before and after the program. The event is free and open to the public. To guarantee seating, tickets are available at the Spring Green General Store, 43/90 North Earth, and Nina’s in Spring Green.

Previously At the Spring Green Literary Festival

Spring Green LitFest Sponsors First Community Read in River Valley -

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Kickoff Potluck with Free Book Giveaway on November 14 from 1-3 pm at the Spring Green Firehouse. See the poster here

The Spring Green Literary Festival is sponsoring the first River Valley Community Read with the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Lee found instant fame from her book published in 1960 which described the hostilities of a prejudicial trial in a tense tug of war between justice and racism. She was showered with literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2007.

The River Valley Community Read will kick off on Sunday, November 14 at the Spring Green Firehouse on Highway 23 with a Southern Comfort Potluck and Book Reading from 1:00-3:00pm. Those attending are asked to bring a dish in the Southern tradition, or simply a favorite one to pass. Colleen Madden, an actor with American Players Theatre, will read from the featured novel.

A series of events are scheduled between now and March, 2011, giving area residents an opportunity to fully discuss the issues of race, class, civil rights and social justice. The first of these is a two-day reading of To Kill A Mockingbird, called “Read Me A Story,” whereby local residents will read out loud the entire book to an audience that comes and goes throughout the weekend. Also scheduled at the Gard Theater is the film starring Gregory Peck, book club discussions of the book, and a final event in March with a presentation by an author who will speak to the issues raised by Lee in the novel and discuss them in terms of where our community and the larger society are today.

At the Southern Comfort Potluck, free books, provided by the Spring Green Literary Festival, will be available along with a full schedule of events and a list of related readings. Lee’s book is also available now at the Spring Green Community Library.

Who is Neil Gaiman? An Evening with Charles Allen Wyman and David Daniel

September 9, 2010, 7 pm - Gard Theatre

Downtown Spring Green

See the Poster Here

The latest Information on Neil Gaiman's Halloween Weekend Appearance At the House ON the Rock is Here

Charles Allen Wyman, local writer, poet, and nationally recognized editor of The Absinthe Literary Review, and David Daniel, actor and education director with American Players Theatre, will talk about Gaiman’s life and books, and read selections from his writings, including the New York Times bestseller, American Gods, published in 2001. It depicts the World’s Largest Carousel at the House on the Rock as a portal into the mind of Odin, the All-Father and central figure in the story. Gaiman claims that he repeatedly has to explain that the carousel was not a figment of his imagination but really exists.

Neil Gaiman is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including graphic novels, a collection of short fiction, and children’s books. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in northern Wisconsin.

Gaiman’s books for sale and refreshments in the lobby before and after the program. For guaranteed seating, free tickets will be available at the General Store and 43/90 North Earth.

Spring Green Literary Festival Broadens Offerings

First in the series: An Evening With David Rhodes -

In an effort to broaden and diversify its audience, the Spring Green Literary Festival is changing from one event held annually in the fall to a series of mini events throughout the year. To kick off its 13^th season and the first in the series, the Spring Green Literary Festival presents An Evening with David Rhodes, author of Driftless, a novel published in 2008. The author’s reading will be Saturday, March 6 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Touchstone Theatre, the indoor venue of American Player’s Theatre. Rhodes is a Wisconsin writer and was named in January as one of fifty most inspiring authors in the world by Poets&Writers Magazine. The evening will include a book signing by the author, the sale of his novels, and refreshments in the lobby before and after the program. Free tickets will be available at the Spring Green General Store, Nina's Variety, and 43/90 North Earth in Spring Green.

Two more mini events are planned for 2010--one for the summer and one in the fall, authors to be announced at a later date. In addition, the Spring Green Literary Festival will sponsor a Community Read. Between now and early fall, community leaders and residents will be asked to nominate a book and author for all area residents to read. The book will be selected and announced in early September of 2010. Free copies will be provided to senior centers and food pantries. The author will then be invited to Spring Green to read and lecture in early January/February, 2011. To send your nomination, email info@springgreenlitfest.org.

Surrounded by nature, Literary Festival participants
share a discussion with a guest author.

Frank Lloyd Wright® and Taliesin® are registered Trademarks of the Frank Lloyd Wright® Foundation. The publicity rights to the name and likeness of Frank Lloyd Wright belong to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona.



	Please read about our upcoming plans, and watch our website for news of upcoming events. There will not be a daylong festival in 2010, but the Spring Green Literary Festival continues to be committed to enriching the literary life of the Wisconsin River Valley.