June Watershed Reading | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

June Watershed Reading

Join us on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 7 PM to hear three poets read from new books! Former Wisconsin Poet Laureate Marilyn L. Taylor will be reading from Outside the Frame: New and Selected Poems (Kelsay Books); Jess Parker will read from her debut poetry collection Star Things, which won the Dynamo Verlag Book Prize; and Dale Kushner (the author, not the hockey player) will read from her brand-new poetry collection M.

Poets will be selling and signing books. In some cases, payment might be limited to cash or check.

Wisconsin Poet Marilyn L. Taylor

Marilyn L. Taylor

Marilyn L. Taylor, Ph.D., is a former Poet Laureate of the state of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee. She taught poetry for the Honors College at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for fifteen years, and is the author of eight poetry collections. Taylor’s poems and essays have also appeared in Poetry, Able Muse, Measure, Light, Raintown Review, and Rhino, among many other well-known journals and anthologies. She was awarded the Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for verse in forms, and has been a finalist for the X.J. Kennedy Parody Contest, the Howard Nemerov Sonnet award, and the 2017 Lascaux Review prize. She teaches regularly at Lawrence University’s Bjorklunden Seminar Center and elsewhere, and serves as a Contributing Editor for two poetry journals (Verse-Virtual and Third Wednesday). Her newest book, titled Outside the Frame: New and Selected Poems, was published by Kelsay Books in December, 2021... Read More

Poet Jess L Parker

Jess L. Parker

Jess L Parker is a poet and strategist. Originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Jess lives in Madison, WI with her husband and son. Her debut poetry collection, Star Things was released in October 2021 as winner of the Dynamo Verlag Book Prize. Jess' work has appeared in Bramble, Ariel Anthology, Kosmos, Millwork, Wallop Zine, and elsewhere. Jess holds a B.A. of English and Spanish from Northern Michigan University, an M.A. of Spanish Literature from UW-Madison, and an MBA from Concordia University. Stay in touch with Jess' poetry and events on Instagram at @jessleapoetry.

A woman sitting at a table

Dale Kushner

Dale M. Kushner is an award-winning American novelist, poet, and essayist who explores the mysterious terrain of the human psyche and its transformation in her work.

Holding an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, Dale has a deep interest in dreams, creativity, and personal transformation, which was enriched by her study of Jungian depth psychology at the C.G. Jung Institute in Switzerland. There she explored the unconscious, synchronicity, and the archetypal patterns that influence our lives This background profoundly shapes her writing. Dale’s latest book, Wild Freedom: The Princess Who Found Her Name — On Fairy Tales, Imagination, and the Creative Mind, will be published in May 2026 by Chiron Publications and is a hybrid work of fairy tale, memoir, and reflection that explores imagination as a vital psychological and spiritual practice.

Dale is also the author of the popular monthly... Read More

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

CALENDAR

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay up to date on upcoming programs and opportunities through our monthly newsletter.