(Chelsea Update would like to thank Emily Meloche for the information in this story.)
Returning for its sixth year, the Midwest Literary Walk will bring award-winning novelists, poets, and musicians to downtown Chelsea. The free, all-day event begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 26 and will host readings at various venues throughout downtown.
Ann Arbor-based mystery novelist Harry Dolan (The Last Dead Girl, Bad Things Happen) will kick off the event at 11 a.m. at the Purple Rose Theatre, joined by performance poet Garret Potter.
At 12:10 p.m., Michigan Notable Book winners Matt Bell (In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods) and Mardi Jo Link (Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a NorthernMichigan Farm) will read at the River Gallery.
During a lunch break, attendees are encouraged to explore downtown Chelsea and its great selection of restaurants. Immediately following lunch, we welcome local writers to share their work at the Community Open Mic at 2 p.m. at the River Gallery. Readers are given five minutes and can sign up for a time slot at the first two venues of the walk.
At 3:10 p.m., poets Diane Seuss (Wolf Lake, White Gown Blown Open) and American Sign Language interpreter/slam poet Mona Jean Cedar will be featured at the Chelsea DistrictLibrary.
Closing out the day at 4:20 p.m., are National Book Award finalist Bonnie Jo Campbell (Once Upon a River, American Salvage) and Detroit poet ML Liebler with the Coyote Monk Poetry Band at the Chelsea Alehouse.
The Midwest Literary Walk is a joint venture of the Chelsea District Library, the River Gallery, and Chelsea Writers’ Workshop, with support from the Friends of the Chelsea District Library and Nicola’s Books. The event is also supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The featured authors’ books will be available for purchase courtesy of Nicola’s Books at the above venues throughout the day.
