SPOTLIGHT ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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Happy New Year! We are welcoming 2026 in today with updates from our amazing contributors. You can find their work published in our current edition of Walloon Writers Review which is available in independent bookstores throughout the region and many area libraries.

MEET STORM AINSELY

Storm Ainsely is a new contributor to Walloon Writers Review and we are so excited to introduce her exceptional talent to our readers. Her poems, Saturday Morning and 708 Miles are included in Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition. Storm shared with us that she has lived in nine of the United States and will tell you she is from fiction-land. Her work as appeared in Wild Roof Journal, Oakwood, Trace Fossils Review, Exist Otherwise, and West Trade Review, among others.

We caught up with Storm recently…

Since being published in Walloon Writers Review’s Ninth Edition, Storm Ainsely has had work published in Yellow Arrow Journal & Skipjack Review. She has two poems scheduled to come out in October 2025 in Cactifur and Cereal City Review. Other places (not mentioned in her Walloon Writers bio) to find her work include: Sleet Magazine, New Note Poetry, Plumwood Mountain Journal, and Marrow Magazine. Cornerstone Press will be publishing Storm’s first book, a novella, near the end of 2026. Storm can be reached through LinkedIn & links to her publications available online can also be found there. https://www.linkedin.com/in/storm-ainsely-aa513821/details/publications/

Meet MILTON BATES

Milton Bates read his poem Renaming the Pileated Woodpecker published in our Ninth Edition this past summer at the Ishpeming Carnegie Library. He is the author of the book, Stand Still in the Light, and two chapbooks, Always on Fire and As They Were. Milton is a returning contributor and has shared his creative writing and photography with our readers in several editions. We are excited to announce his new book, which has been released!

Much of the poetry in my new collection, Undivided Attention (Kelsay Books, 2025) celebrates my surroundings in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Lately, I’ve also written poems based on entries in Wallace Stevens’s notebooks and have begun submitting them to literary magazines. 

My wife, Elizabeth, and I both turned 80 in 2025, so we’ve officially arrived at elderhood. Fortunately, we still enjoy most of the activities that get us outdoors in all seasons. From these outings come the poems and photos we’ve shared in the pages of Walloon Writers Review.

I live in Marquette, Michigan. My professional profile at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where I taught for many years, serves as my author page: https://www.marquette.edu/english/emeriti-faculty.php.

Meet THOMAS FORD CONLAN

Tom Conlan is a returning contributor to Walloon Writers Review and his poem, Angel Revelry is published in our Ninth Edition. He lives on a small farm in northern Michigan. His prose and poetry have appeared in numerous publications including UP Reader, QU Literary Review, The Avocet, Northwind Treasury, and Michigan Trout Magazine.

I have several projects in the pipeline. My most recent acceptance is inclusion in “The Songs of Summer: Poems about Baseball” from Waters Edge Press. My most recent publication – “Secret Conversation – Reflections in Nature” combines poetry and original artwork.

Tom is writing a weekly column for Charlevoix County News entitled “Readers Corner.” He is also reviewing non-fiction entries for the upcoming 10th Edition of the “UP Reader.”  His new book is available in several bookstores and online.

Find his work at: www.thomasfordconlan.com

Check back again for more about our amazing contributors! For locations on where to by Walloon Writers Review, please click the tab, “Where to Find Walloon Writers Review”. We are honored to share updates from previous and current contributors! Send your headshot, jpeg of your cover if you’ve published, and a brief update to editor@walloonwriters.com

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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Every edition of Walloon Writers Review unveils a fresh collection of creative writing and nature photography celebrating northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We are so fortunate to introduce readers to exciting writers and photographers, some with recognizable names and some at their first time in print. Join us as we continue to share a little about our contributors!

MEET JAMES “JIM” BOLONE

Jim Bolone is a returning contributor to Walloon Writers Review. The Old Men (of Mackinac) Are Gone can be found in Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition. Jim is a native Michigander and has been a bartender, a drummer, a dockporter, a bouncer­—most of these as a summer worker on Mackinac Island. For the past twenty-nine years, Jim has been a junior high school English teacher in Northwest Ohio.  We caught up with Jim this fall for an exciting update!

I recently completed a manuscript for publication in Mission Point Press, due out February, 2026.  It’s called Zombie Seagulls and 15 Other Bite-Sized Nightmares, A chilling collection of 16 flash fiction, high-impact YA horror stories crafted to hook reluctant readers and thrill fans of urban legends. 

My previous work, the Mackinac Island Novels, written with my co-author, Dave McVeigh, can be found on thedockporter.com.

I currently live in Toledo, OH with plans to return to my home state of Michigan sometime next year!

Here are some of Jim’s titles on the shelves now:

Watch for our email for Jim’s new book soon!

MEET CJ GIROUX

CJ Giroux is a returning contributor to Walloon Writers Review. His poem Return, Afternoon is found in our Ninth Edition, and poem Kayaking the Leland River, and short story, Limbo: South of Leland, North of Beulah, can be found in our Eighth Edition. CJ read at our Saginaw reading at the Hoyt Library, Saginaw Public Libraries, this past Spring.

CJ Giroux in Saginaw and teaches at Saginaw Valley State University. A lifelong Michigander, he has most recently been published or has work forthcoming in Christianity & Literature, ArLiJo, Superpresent, Connecticut River Review, San Pedro River Review, and Muleskinner Journal among other publications. He is a reader for Dunes Review and helps coordinate poetry contests in his community. 

MEET ELLEN SCHETTLING WHITEHEAD

Ellen is a returning contributor of both excellent photography and poetry to Walloon Writers Review. Her poem, is found in this edition of Walloon Writers Review. Ellen writes:

I am married with four children and a retired administrative assistant for Clarkston Community Schools. My husband and I live on a beautiful inland lake in Northern Michigan where I am a Loon Ranger through the Michigan Loon Preservation Association and the Lake Monitor for our lake through the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. I love writing poetry and have been doing so since fourth grade. I also enjoy hiking.

I write and post a daily haiku based on a photo I have taken. This practice, which I have done for the past eight years, grounds me and fills me with peace and joy! Currently, I am just posting on my own Facebook page. I plan to publish a book based on my haikus and photos. My recent projects include:

  • Shell Song published in 2003 by DeForest Press. It is a semi-biographical book based on the life of my grandmother who suffered from schizophrenia back in the 1930’s.
  • Self-published a poetry book titled Sitting with Stones; Speaking thru Flowers.
  • Poems published in Peninsula Poets.
  • Poems selected for Poet’s Night Out in Traverse City Michigan in four different years, winning the PNO Founders Prize in 2024.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving sincere thanks to everyone involved in making Walloon Writers Review a success!

Look for more contributors soon!

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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Every edition of Walloon Writers Review unveils a fresh collection of creative writing and nature photography celebrating northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We are so fortunate to introduce readers to exciting writers and photographers, some with recognizable names and some at their first time in print.

After a whirlwind season of live readings by our contributors and display of some of the photography, where audiences had the incredible experience of hearing the writers read their own work in person, we wanted to keep that good feeling going! We caught up with several contributors to find out a little more about them and what they are working on next!

(photos Left to Right: Elizabeth Kerlikowske reads poetry at Crooked Tree District Walloon Lake library; Contributors from Left to Right: Susan Boback, Stephen Hooper, Ellen Lord, Katherine Roth, founder Jennifer Huder, Patty Durell, Lisa Fosmo, Kate Allore, Elizabeth Bates, and Milton J. Bates pose at Ishpeming Public Library reading event; Petoskey’s John Lennon reading at Walloon Lake Library).

In the next few posts, check out “Spotlight On Contributors”, with photos, bios, and a short note from them on what new projects they are working on right now. We hope you will continue to follow these contributors as they publish and present their new works in the future. Sign up for our email list where we share new books or gallery showings by contributors and other events.

We are honored that contributors have selected Walloon Writers Review to share their work and hope you find these updates fun! We will include Ninth Edition and previous edition contributors we’ve heard from recently. Contributors, in case you missed it, please email editor@walloonwriters.com if you have updates to share! Headshots and relevant photographs welcome!

Spotlight On Contributors

Meet Carrie Cantalupo

Carrie Cantalupo is a new contributor to Walloon Writers Review. Her poems blue black night and sumac can be found in our Ninth Edition. From her home in northern Michigan, Carrie shares this update with us:

I have been working on a collection this year and hope to have it ready to 

send out into the world by January. I am also working on illustrating a children’s book!  (A BIG 

first for me!) I am so honored to be in the Walloon Writers Review with so many wonderful writers.

Carrie Cantalupo writes poetry and flash fiction and has been published in Pike’s Peak, Making Waves, You Might Need to Hear This, Poetry Project Matters and Transformation: Stories of Northern Arts and Culture. Carrie lives in Maple City in the Bohemian Wood and loves to hike, travel, and read.

Meet Don Spezia

Don Spezia is a new contributor to Walloon Writers Review. His photography Natural Beauty can be found in our Ninth Edition.

Don’s work can be seen in other places, including art galleries. His photograph titled “Feather Brushed” was published in Decagon Gallery – Beyond the Mirror photo book in 2024. He has also had other honorable mention awards and purchase awards at various galleries. From his hometown in Traverse City, Don writes:

Photograph in the 9th Edition of Walloon Writers Review: “Natural Beauty” is a photograph taken at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore when a Porcupine presented itself for a photo shoot at sunset on May 13, 2023 at 8:15 pm.

My website for photography and music can be found at donspeziasologuitar.bandzoogle.com or donspezia-friznicmusic.com

Don has been interested in photography since acquiring his first 35mm camera. His photographs usually include nature, wildlife, architecture, moments, motion, and landscapes. His favorite photographs are outdoors, influenced by the elements of nature. Formerly an Architect, Don retired in 2017.

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NOTES FROM WALLOON WRITERS REVIEW…OCTOBER, 2025

It’s been an incredibly exciting several months – the release of our largest collection ever with more than sixty contributors, a total of 186 pages of creativity rushing like a waterfall in the UP! Finally, our Facebook page, with photos, events, information about relevant events in the region, is back up!

This summer, I had a treasured opportunity to meet face to face, explore and enjoy our host libraries and their communities, meet readers, hear first hand reading of selections we chose for you to enjoy along with the passion and joy that flows from these contributors.

Walloon Writers Review also had an opportunity to showcase our photography! A huge thanks to contributors like Tom Barrat and Kate Allore for meeting up in random parking lots to exchange precious framed editions for us to travel across Michigan with on our journey. We even got to include Eighth Edition contributors in our readings and displays.

On a fantastic experience of the Good Hart Residency’s Tunnel of Trees Art Trail event , we caught up with Mixed Media Contributor Elizabeth Fergus-Jean and Second Edition Cover Artist/Photographer Neil Ahrens in their galleries. Then, we headed up to Trillium Woods Coffee on M-119, where cover photographer Kate Allore had her stunning creative art work (including this cover!) on display AND bumped into Eighth Edition returning contributors photography artist Moon Seagren and poet Deda Kavanagh!

(Founder/Editor Jennifer Huder and Neil Ahrens at Ahren’s Studio – photo by Steven Huder)

ON THE SHELVES! Remember as the holidays approach that a copy of Walloon Writers Review makes a great gift, a thank you to a host, an introduction to the magical mystical places of our region, or a lasting souvenir of a great time spent together. Our independent booksellers across the state also offer shipping! We can also be found on goodreads.com (helps our indie booksellers) and barnesandnoble.com (convenient)! Visit “Where to Find Walloon Writers Review” tab for information.

Many thanks to Public Radio90 and Host Kurt Hauswirth at WNMU-Marquette for helping share about Walloon Writers Review AND to Interlochen Public Radio 90.1FM in Harbor Springs/Petoskey and Traverse City for letting their listeners know about Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition.

Great news from many! Please watch for an exciting email soon!

– All the best – Jennifer Huder

Colorful leaves flying in the wind

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With autumn upon us, remember to take a look at some of the incredible details tucked into each poem and short story, leading us on a journey in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The photography and mixed media whisper their own story to us – beckoning a step outside, a walk on a trail, a hike in the sunny wind on the beach. From Traverse City to Marquette, Ishpeming to Iron Mountain and the Keweenaw back down around Pellston and drop into pretty Petoskey, grandly on the hill. Catch a special peak at the Little Traverse Bay and the breakwall – if it’s blustering, grab a coffee from one of our great artists and barristas downtown at Roast & Toast or around the corner at North Perk, catch a grand perspective from the Bayfront Park walk, or ride, connecting to the wheelway that runs along the shore of Lake Michigan – hop down to Charlevoix!

Catch your imagination – give yourself an adventure, you don’t have to go far but if you choose to, don’t forget Tahquamenon Falls, Good Hart, the Tunnel of Trees, swing through TC and head over to Suttons Bay for a fall feel, up and around the Leelanau Peninsula to Grand Traverse Lighthouse, then down M22 through Fishtown in Leland, Empire, Platte River area and Honor then south and west, in to Frankfort in the fall.

Apples, cider, donuts, wine, craft beer, fresh food, cool cocktails, great adventures abound. Search for your magic, swing back around through Interlochen, and keep rolling east. Somewhere along this trip, you’ll suddenly realize that you feel amazing.

With so many amazing places to explore, you’ll recall a line from one of our incredible contributors, you’ll see from their eyes the magic that inspires them to share their story, their perspectives, you’ll take your own photographs to catch the moment. Hope you enjoy this amazing season.

Falling Into Autumn

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Trillium Woods Coffee low building set in tall pine trees
Trillium Woods Coffee – M119 Tunnel of Trees

As one of our four favorite seasons in northern Michigan gets ready to explode in color, crisp air, an urge to get outside and hike, putter, paddle, cast, explore and breathe in the fresh air washes over us. Aside from the endless vistas along our highways and roads, northern Michigan makes room for imagination. A settling in begins.

This photo was a quick grab from our newest fabulous place to find Walloon Writers Review, Trillium Woods Coffee along the Tunnel of Trees between Harbor Springs and Good Hart. You’ll have to go inside, grab a fall beverage of your choice, and see for yourself. What an exciting addition to our trail of great places to stop in and pick up a copy of the latest edition!

Walloon Writers Review contributors are a very special group of people. This year, as well documented on this site, we were invited to offer readings across the state, in Saginaw, Walloon Lake, and Ishpeming, as well as hearing readings at our launch party in Petoskey. I had more time to visit face to face with contributors than ever before. I’m honored that you are a part of this publication and the circle of friends you included in this journey. Thank you to everyone who helped with set up, read with the passion and clarity that only you, the original author, can bring to a reading, and serve as ambassadors as we expand our reach to writers and readers around Michigan and beyond.

In this season of sunshine, cool mornings, pumpkins, wineries, ciders, delicious apples and food that just tastes so much better, enjoy the glow, get out, and explore someplace new. There are so many adventures to be had here. Fall is a favorite for many of us writers and readers, as the sweater or hoodie comes out and you settle into your walk, reflecting on all of the great memories of a smoky but satisfactory summer. Take note of all of the colors and sounds and smells around you as you explore.

Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition is available at several independent bookstores and many libraries across the state! If you are looking for that collection that brings the feel of northern Michigan home with you, pick up a copy as you explore northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Here are a few places to find us: Between The Covers – Harbor Springs; McLean & Eakin – Petoskey, Horizon Books – Traverse City, Snowbound Books – Marquette, The Bookman – Grand Haven, Parallel 45 Books and Gifts – Alpena, Canterbury Bookstore – Escanaba, Bay Books – Suttons Bay, Brilliant Books – Traverse City, Poetess & Stranger – Petoskey, Jordan River Art Center Gift Shop – East Jordan, and many more.

In the coming posts, we will introduce contributors so that you can learn more about who makes this collection of short stories, poetry, and nature photography so exciting!

*Footnote: Our Facebook and Instagram pages are down due to hacking. The process to reopen them is cumbersome. For now, we will be only using our email and website for social media.

EXCITING PLACES TO EXPLORE IN THE REGION

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First – News….So sorry – our Facebook page and Instagram accounts have been viciously hacked and it looks like its going to take a long time to get them back. Stay tuned to our website for updates and fun photos.

This Saturday, August 23rd from 10am-5pm, check out the Tunnel of Trees Art Trail presented by Good Hart Residency! Along the way, don’t forget to stop in to Trillium Woods and Coffee on M-119! Need a copy of Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition? They’ve got ’em! For more information, visit goodhartartistresidency.org!

Stop in Between The Covers Bookstore in downtown Harbor Springs while you’re in the area!

Find some time to stroll downtown Petoskey! From McLean & Eakin and Poetess & Stranger to the waterfront – you’ll have a great day!

Stop in Jordan River Art Center in East Jordan on your exploration of northern Michigan featuring local and Michigan artists! Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition is available in the gift shop!

Spending time along the Grand Traverse Bay? Stop in the beautiful downtown Suttons Bay and see our friends at Bay Books! We promise you will love this bookstore!

There are many more places to see – have a great weekend!

Summer with Walloon Writers Review

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Walloon Lake Library – July, 2025

The above photos were taken during the wonderful reading at Walloon Lake Branch of Crooked Tree District Library. Our most sincere thanks to Walloon Lake Branch for inviting local and regional contributors to share their creative writing and photography! We were honored to be in such a beautiful location and to meet Sacha Webborn the new Branch Manager at Walloon Lake Branch of Crooked Tree District Library who facilitated a wonderful discussion following the readings. Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition is available at the library for patrons to enjoy.

Seen here: Monique Bova, Kristin Bartley Lenz, Kirk Small, Ellen Lord, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, John Lennon, David James “DJ” Savarese, Skip Renker, and Gary Schils. All Rights Reserved.

Ishpeming Carnegie Library August, 2025

You sense the change in the land as you travel west out of Marquette to Ishpeming. Now, you’re in mining country. We were in awe of the gracious Branch Librarian Nicole Johnson at Ishpeming Carnegie Library and honored to be a part of the popular Summer Series. Writers and photographers read and introduced their work to a packed out. No event like this can go without a shout out to Kurt Hauswirth Public Radio 90 WNMU-FM for helping get the word out! Many thanks to the above shown contributors, of which several either live, grew up, or have ties in and around Ishpeming. What an honor!

Thank you, Susan Boback, Stephen Hooper, Ellen Lord, Katherine Roth, Patty Durell, Lisa Fosmo, Elizabeth J. Bates, and Milton Bates. We were excited to share Tom Baratt’s photography as well. All rights reserved.

Thanks especially to Ellen Lord and Edd Tury for helping with set up at Walloon Lake Library and Ellen again! at Ishpeming Carnegie Library, along with Steve Huder.

Enjoy the rest of summer!

JOIN US at the ISHPEMING CARNEGIE LIBRARY!

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Join us for a fun afternoon at the Ishpeming Carnegie Library! Come and experience the original contributors reading their selections from Walloon Writers Review Ninth Edition and more. We are pleased to announce that Traverse City poet Katherine Roth will be reading with us. Meet the contributors, founder Jennifer Huder and enjoy a display of nature photography from Elizabeth J. Bates, Tom Barrat, and Kate Allore, as well as a few artifacts that accompany Susan Phare Boback’s short story.

A few copies will be available for sale and signing or you can purchase a copy at Snowbound Books in Marquette or Canterbury Book Store in Escanaba.

See you in Ishpeming!

*Program note: Due to unforeseen conflicts of schedule, Glen Young and Edd Tury send their regrets and will not be able to attend.

CELEBRATING NORTHERN MICHIGAN AND THE UPPER PENINSULA ON EVERY PAGE

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NATURE, ADVENTURE, WILDLIFE, FISH, WATERFALLS, A DRAGONFLY, A LOVE STORY, A CROW, A COTTAGE TALE, PETOSKEY STONES, PICTURED ROCKS.

STORIES, POETRY & NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRED BY IT ALL

What is Walloon Writers Review? It is an annual collection of short stories, poetry, and nature photography inspired by all of the above and more. In this edition, we nudged contributors to explore further and the results are incredible. There is something for everyone, no issues-no soapboxes just pleasant reminders of this incredible place and, if you haven’t been out hiking or paddling or driving your way through up here, the vivid details offer an excellent armchair experience.

You can find Walloon Writers Review at Between the Covers in Harbor Springs, at Mclean & Eakin in Petoskey, Poetess and Stranger, Walloon Lake Winery. Trillium Woods and Coffee (M-119), Jordan River Arts Center Gift Shop – East Jordan, Snowbound Books, Marquette, Canterbury Booksellers – Escanaba, Horizon Books – Traverse City, Brilliant Books – Traverse City, Bay Books in Suttons Bay, The Bookseller in Grand Haven, Reader’s World in Holland, and 45th Parallel Books and Gifts in Alpena!

You can also find Walloon Writers Review at the library including Hoyt Library in Saginaw, Alanson Public Library, Petoskey Public LIbrary, Charlevoix Public Library, Walloon Lake Library, Peter White Library, and Ishpeming Carnegie Library!