The Lakefly Writers Conference is my favorite weekend of the year. A few years ago, members of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club (which includes me) was given the challenge of creating a conference for writers.  With the support of the Oshkosh Public Library and the partnership with the Wisconsin Writers Association, we were able to create one.

Our aim was not to be the biggest conference, but to just do one the best way we can. I am proud of our conference.  We have brought great Wisconsin writers to speak- Michael Perry, Nikolaus Butler, Liam Callanan to name a few.

The speakers are informative and entertaining.  However, our biggest blessing is the wonderful people that attend Lakefly.  Like me, they are people that love to write.

Covid-19 caused it to be cancelled this year.  We do not know what to expect in 2022.  We do know that we are moving forward while taking health precautions.  Refunding someone who had to cancel after they paid is a challenge.  Not in letting the money go, but in just finding a way to do it with software and technical reasons.  This year we are able to issue refunds.  So that if someone is not feeling well, they can easily choose to stay home.

I am speaking this year as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Oshkosh.  As our theme is “Into the Unknown” and that seems to be the new normal, I am going to talk on how poetry can help us go into the unknown happily.

Don’t forget to enter the free writing contests. They close March 5th!

Scenes from 2017