Monday, March 18, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:Joseph Scapellato, author of The Made-Up Man, in conversation with CJ Hribal
Marquette alum Joseph Scapellato returns to Milwaukee, this time at Boswell, for a conversation with his former writing mentor, CJ Hribal, about Scapellato’s first novel, in which existential noir meets absurd comedy.
A young man reluctantly enlists as source material for his strange uncle’s art project. Stanley had known it was a mistake to accept his uncle Lech’s offer to apartment-sit in Prague; knew it was one of Lech’s thinly veiled setups for some invasive, potentially dangerous performance art project. But whatever Lech had planned for Stanley, it would get him to Prague and maybe offer a chance to make things right with T after his failed attempt to propose.
Gabino Iglesias wrote about the book on the NPR website: "Joseph Scapellato's The Made-Up Man reminds me of a bacon-topped doughnut — a mixture of incongruent elements that somehow work well together. And like that sweet treat, Scapellato's blend of existential noir, absurdist humor, literary fiction, and surreal exploration of performance art merges into something special."
Joseph Scapellato is author of the story collection Big Lonesome, and his work has been published in Kenyon Review Online, Gulf Coast, and PANK. Scapellato is Assistant Professor of English at Bucknell University. CJ Hribal is author of The Company Car, The Clouds in Memphis, and American Beauty. He is Professor at Marquette University.
Tuesday, March 19, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:Matthew J Prigge, author of Damn the Old Tinderbox!: Milwaukee's Palace of the West and the Fire That Defined an Era
Author of Milwaukee Mayhem and host of WMSE’s What Made Milwaukee Famous, Matthew J Prigge recalls one of the Gilded Age’s forgotten calamities, a fire among the deadliest unsolved arsons in American history and a significant chapter in the history of Milwaukee.
In the dead of an unassuming January night in 1883, Milwaukee’s Newhall House hotel was set on fire. Two hours later, the building, once among the tallest in the nation, lay in ruins and over 70 people were dead. It was a tragedy that brought global notice to Milwaukee, with daring escapes and rescues and heart-wrenching tales of victims burned to death or killed as they leapt from the burning building. From the great horror emerged an even greater string of mysteries. Who had set the fire, and who was to blame for the staggering loss of life? Prigge searches for answers in the history of one of Milwaukee’s greatest disasters.Matthew J Prigge’s work has appeared in Milwaukee Magazine, Urban Milwaukee, and the Shepherd Express. He won the 2013 William Best Hesseltine Award from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press and the 2017 Gambrinus Prize from the Milwaukee County Historical Society. He is author of Milwaukee Mayhem and Outlaws, Rebels, and Vixens: Motion Picture Censorship in Milwaukee, 1914–1971.
Wednesday, March 20, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:Chip Duncan, author of Inspiring Change: The Photographic Journey of Chip Duncan
Photographer, filmmaker, and author Chip Duncan presents Inspiring Change, a collection of photojournalism that captures images of people and places across the world. Cosponsored by NŌ Studios.
During the past decade, Duncan has conducted numerous visits to Afghanistan, Kenya, Colombia, Peru, and Ethiopia as well as journeys to India, Ghana, Pakistan, and Haiti. The people he’s encountered and photographed offer a rare and positive glimpse into the beauty of each individual nation and the unique cultures and faiths around the world.
Chip Duncan is author of the story collection Half a Reason to Die and Enough to Go Around: Searching for Hope in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Darfur, a book of photo essays. He’s also produced documentary films and series such as The Reagan Presidency, The Life & Death of Glaciers, and Mystic Lands, among others.
Thursday, March 21, 6:30 pm, at Boswell:
A YA, Boswell! Event with Tricia Levenseller, author of Warrior of the Wild and Alexandra Christo, author of To Kill a KingdomBoswell is pleased to host a fantastic evening of YA fantasy with Tricia Levenseller (at left), author of Daughter of the Pirate King, and debut YA novelist Alexandra Christo, for a conversation with bookseller/librarian Kelli O’Malley. This conversation will enchant adults and teens 13+.
In Levenseller’s Warrior of the Wild, an eighteen-year-old chieftain's daughter is banished into the monster-filled wild after being betrayed and must find a way to kill her village’s oppressive deity if she ever wants to return home in this Viking-inspired standalone fantasy. School Library Journal praised Levenseller’s writing, saying that she “created a formidable female character who can take care of herself as she makes some hard decisions.”
Christo’s To Kill a Kingdom is an action-packed YA debut that pits a deadly siren princess and a siren-hunting human prince against each other as they fight to protect their kingdoms. Booklist says, “stellar world-building and nonstop action will keep readers hooked on this twisted reimagining of The Little Mermaid." And Publishers Weekly says, “with well-crafted fight scenes and vivid descriptions, Christo has created a world of beauty and monstrosity that will draw readers in.”
Tricia Levenseller is author of Daughter of the Pirate King and its sequel Daughter of the Siren Queen. She received her degree in English language and editing, and she is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. Alexandra Christo (at right) has a BA in creative writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown-up than she feels.
Saturday, March 23, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, at Alverno College’s Sister Joel Reed Conference Center, 3400 S 43rd St:
Featuring keynote lunch speaker Marley Dias, author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!
The inaugural State of Wisconsin Girls Summit 2019 brings together thought leaders, inspiring voices, and workshops to address issues facing girls in Wisconsin, including cyberbullying, poverty, social media, and mental health. The day’s activities will be designed to engage young people and adults interested in responding to these issues facing today’s girls. Featured during the program’s lunch at 12:00 pm is the inaugural Mary Ann Schwartz Academic Excellence Speaker Series Keynote by Marley Dias.
Registration is open now and costs $15 for youth (up to age 22), $35 for adults, and $25 for Alverno faculty, staff, and alumni. Visit alverno.edu/research/girlssummit.php. Food requests closed on March 15, but you can still register to attend the programs.
Marley Dias speaks about her passion for making our world a better place in an accessible guide exploring activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good. Dias shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from parents, teachers, and friends to turn dreams into reality.
Monday, March 25, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:Patrick McGilligan, author of Funny Man: Mel Brooks
Milwaukee based biographer and Marquette Instructor of Digital Media and Performing Arts Partrick McGilligan, author of definitive biographies of Orson Wells and Alfred Hitchcock, delves into the life of a true legend, comedy giant Mel Brooks. Cosponsored by UWM’s Stahl Center for Jewish Studies.
McGilligan insightfully navigates the famous funnyman’s life story, from Brooks’s childhood in Williamsburg tenements and breakthrough in early television to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). His book offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, and behind the scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films.
Engrossing, nuanced, and poignant, Funny Man delivers a great man’s unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream. McGilligan’s new work is a deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony-winner Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater. You can read about about the book in Chris Foran's Journal Sentinel review.
Patrick McGilligan is author the Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane, the New York Times Notable Book Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast and the Edgar Award-nominated Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. He lives in Milwaukee and teaches at Marquette.
More about our upcoming events here.
Photo credits:
Joseph Scapellato: Ryan LeBreton
Patrick McGilligan: William B Winburn
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