Future Events

FinnFest 2024 Finnish-American Authors

Time: 1:00 PM

Date: Saturday, July 27, 2024

Place: Chester Creek Room at The DECC 350 Harbor Drive Duluth, MN 55802

Cost: Free with regular festival entry fee ($10 - $179)

Greg Watson’s most recent work 'Stars Unseen' will be previewed and available for advance sale exclusively to FinnFest attendees. Official release date in September for the general public.

Heartfelt, poetic meditations that explore family dynamics from an accomplished poet of Finnish heritage.

In Stars Unseen, Greg Watson fearlessly navigates a path through multi-generational trauma and grief, explores his Finnish-American heritage, and the joys and challenges of single parenting in the present age. It is a clear-eyed collection that seeks hope and redemption in the face of adversity, and manages to pin down the smallest moments for closer examination.

Julia Klatt Singer writes short stories and poems, works as a visiting writer to the school through COMPAS, and is the poet in residence at Grace Neighborhood Nursery School. Her stories and poems have appeared in over four dozen journals and magazines, including the St. Paul Almanac, The Opposite of Cold, and Poetry East. She is co-author of Twelve Branches: Stories from St. Paul

Stars Unseen Book Launch Party

Time: 7 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, Sep. 17, 2024

Place: Subtext Books 6 5th St W Saint Paul, MN 55102

Cost: Free

Heartfelt, poetic meditations that explore family dynamics from an accomplished poet of Finnish heritage.

In Stars Unseen, Greg Watson fearlessly navigates a path through multi-generational trauma and grief, explores his Finnish-American heritage, and the joys and challenges of single parenting in the present age. It is a clear-eyed collection that seeks hope and redemption in the face of adversity, and manages to pin down the smallest moments for closer examination.

KFAI Radio Write On! Radio Interview

Time: 7:00 PM

Date: Tuesday, September 24th, 2024

Place: 90.3 FM or online at KFAI.org

Greg Watson will talk about his latest works released in 2024 - Stars Unseen and The Days Between

In Stars Unseen, Greg Watson fearlessly navigates a path through multi-generational trauma and grief, explores his Finnish-American heritage, and the joys and challenges of single parenting in the present age. It is a clear-eyed collection that seeks hope and redemption in the face of adversity, and manages to pin down the smallest moments for closer examination.

Twin Cities Book Festival

Time: TBA, festival happening all day

Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024

Place: Minnesota State Fairgrounds 1265 Snelling Ave N Saint Paul MN 55108

Cost: FREE

On the heels of the release of his latest collection of poetry 'Stars Unseen,' released Sept 17th, Greg will be participating at this year's Twin Cities Book Festival in October.

Host Greg at your next Reading Event

Greg Watson’s work has appeared in numerous literary reviews and anthologies, and has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the author of eleven collections of poetry.

Greg's most recent work is 'The Sound of Light' published by Whistling Shade Press. He is also co-editor with Richard Broderick of The Road by Heart: Poems of Fatherhood, published by Nodin Press.

Upcoming Releases include 'The Days Between' coming June 2024 from Kelsay Books and 'Stars Unseen' coming Sept 17th, 2024 from Holy Cow Press (currently available for pre-order).

Contact Greg via email or facebook (link icons directly below)

Past Events

Saturday Book Feature

January 20th, 2024

The Sound of Light

Poetry Reading at SEIU Local 26

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Place: SEIU Local 26, 826 18th Ave NE Minneapolis MN 55418

Enter the building on 18th ave NE, near Jackson Street. On-street parking available on 18th Ave NE.

Cost: Free

Greg Watson’s work has appeared in numerous literary reviews and anthologies, and has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the author of nine collections of poetry.

Diane Jarvenpa has received The Midwest Independent Publishers Association Award and an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. She is a teaching artist with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project MN. As a singer-songwriter she performs under the name Diane Jarvi.

Whistling Shade Authors Reading

Time: 7:00 PM

Date: Saturday, August 12th, 2023

Place: Eat My Words Bookstore 214 13th Ave NE Mpls, MN 55413

Cost: Free

FinnFest 2023 Finnish-American Authors

Time: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023

Place: The DECC Horizon Room #205, 350 Harbor Drive Duluth, MN 55802

Cost: Free with regular festival entry fee ($20 - $179)

Greg Watson’s work has appeared in numerous literary reviews and anthologies, and has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the author of nine collections of poetry.

Diane Jarvenpa has received The Midwest Independent Publishers Association Award and an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. She is a teaching artist with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project MN. As a singer-songwriter she performs under the name Diane Jarvi.

Midstream Reading Series

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Date: Thursday, Jul. 13, 2023

Place: Unity Church-Unitarian, 723 Holly Ave St. Paul MN 55104

After: Sweeney’s Saloon has a full bar and kitchen. Please join us at 96 Dale St N, Saint Paul MN

Cost: Free

The readers will be Clare Wahmanholm, Tracy Youngblom, Greg Watson and Carol Rucks. The host will be Diane Jarvenpa.

Greg Watson's work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including the Saint Paul Almanac, and This Was 2020: Minnesotans Write About Pandemics and Social Justice in a Historic Year. He is the author of nine collections of poetry, most recently The Sound of Light. He is also co-editor with Richard Broderick of The Road by Heart: Poems of Fatherhood, published by Nodin Press.

Tracy Youngblom has published two chapbooks of poems, as well as two full-length collections of poems, including the recent Boy from CavanKerry Press. She has been the recipient of two Pushcart nominations and has published poems and essays widely. She teaches English at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

Claire Wahmanholm is the author of Meltwater (2023), Redmouth (2019), and Wilder (2018). Her work has most recently appeared in, or is forthcoming from Cream City Review, TriQuarterly, Sierra, Ninth Letter, Blackbird, Washington Square Review, Copper Nickel, and Beloit Poetry Journal. She was a 2020-2021 McKnight Writing Fellow, and is the winner of the 2022 Montreal International Poetry Prize.

Carol Rucks graduated from the University of Wisconsin system, where she studied Literature and Creative Writing with David Steingass and Dave Engel. She has worked mainly in libraries, especially at the Art/Music/Literature reference desk at the Minneapolis Central Library. Her poems have been published in Abraxas, West Branch, Colere, Earth's Daughters, Poetry Quarterly, and elsewhere. She is the author of the poetry collection Evidence of Rain, published by Nodin Press, and a new second collection, Wavelength, just out from Kelsay Books.

Readings by Writers

Time: 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Place: University Club of St. Paul, 420 Summit Ave St. Paul MN 55102

Cost: Free

Greg Watson’s work has appeared in numerous literary reviews and anthologies, and has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the author of nine collections of poetry.

Diane Jarvenpa has received The Midwest Independent Publishers Association Award and an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. She is a teaching artist with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project MN. As a singer-songwriter she performs under the name Diane Jarvi.

Sharon Chmielarz taught German for thirty years in Minnesota and has had three children’s picture books and fourteen books of poetry. The Widow’s House and The J Horoscope received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews. She’s the South Dakota 2021 Poet of Merit.