Poetry
Poetry writers from Minnesota.

Gene Stark
Gene Stark writes fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, poetry, and has written a children’s book. His writing is local, rural, and outdoors-oriented. Minnesota and local interest predominate his writing. Stark’s audience is comprised of the folks who live and work in Flyover Country. He has been a teacher, farmer, and a grower and propagator of native…

Carol Masters
Carol Masters is the author of Dear Descendent, poems; the biography You Can’t Do That: Mary Davidov, Nonviolent Revolutionary (finalist for the 2010 Midwest Independent Publishers Award), and The Peace Terrorist, short stories (1994 winner of MN Voices Project). She has been part of a Loft Mentor series and a Loft-McKnight winner. Her poems and…

Barton Sutter
Bart Sutter is the only writer to win the Minnesota Book Award in three different categories: poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Among other honors, he has won a Bush Foundation Fellowship, a Jerome Foundation Travel & Study Grant (Sweden), a Loft-McKnight Award, and the Bassine Citation from the Academy of American Poets. In 2006, he…

Kevin Zepper
Kevin Zepper is a professor of English at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He teaches a variety of writing and Humanities classes. He is the author of book-length poetry collection, Moonman and has authored four chapbooks of poetry. Lines& Notes is a collaborative, creative effort with alchemical partner in crime, Professor Terrie Manno, Professor of Music,…

Marilène Phipps
Born and raised in Haiti, Marilène Phipps has held fellowships at the Guggenheim Foundation, Harvard’s Bunting Institute, the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research, and the Center for the Study of World Religions. The Company of Heaven: Stories from Haiti, won the 2010 Iowa Short fiction Award. Her poetry won the 1993 Grolier prize,…

Marie Zhuikov
Marie Zhuikov is a storyteller and poet from Duluth. Her novel Plover Landing was nominated for a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award. Her most recent work, Going Coastal: An Anthology of Lake Superior Short Stories, earned an honorable mention in the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards. Zhuikov’s poems have appeared in several anthologies and community projects, and…

Bill Meissner
Writer/teacher Bill Meissner is the author of 11 books, including four books of fiction, five books of poetry, and two novels. His newest book is Summer of Rain, Summer of Fire, a family drama novel set during the turbulent years of the late 1960s. He frequently visits schools – from elementary school to college level…

Brittany Chaffee
Brittany Chaffee is an avid storyteller, professional empath, and author. On the daily, she gets paid to strategize and create content for brands. Off work hours, it’s all about a well-lit place, warm bread, and good company. Her first book, Wild Morning was released in 2017. Her recent work, Borderline: A Series of Essays, is…

Susan Thurston
Susan Thurston’s grandfather loved a poem she wrote in second grade, and within the glow of his appreciation, she decided to become a writer. Later, a well-meaning adult mentioned that as a journalist, she could earn her living. She became a reporter and editor, but wouldn’t really say what she earned was a living. She…

Dale A. Swanson
Dale A. Swanson is a published author, poet, screenwriter, and playwright. His historical novel, The Thirty-ninth Man, made the Star Tribune “Best book read” in 2013. The sequel, Tears of Sorrow, was released in 2018. His fantasy chapter book, The Wild Ways: Mystery of the Hanging Tower, for 9- to 99-year-old readers, was published in…