2021 Season
Our 2021 series was made possible by funds provided by River Valley Arts (formerly the Spring Green Area Arts Coalition) & the Wisconsin Arts Board and by donations from you!
Mandy Morrill — The Power of Our Sibling Relationships Throughout Life
August 16, 2021
Mandy is the Program Director for Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Valparaiso University. She is also the sister of Joshua Morrill, whom these lectures are named for.
From Mandy: “This talk will explore how our sibling relationships (though largely minimized in importance) play a significant role in our emotional development and who we become. Personal experiences and reflections will be shared of how my brother, Joshua Morrill, played a significant role in who I am today, and how our relationship evolved into one of my strongest connections and supports as an adult.”
Read more….
Susan Futrell — A Democracy of Apples
September 20, 2021
Sue is an essayist and the author of Good Apples: Behind Every Bite.
The lecture is an exploration of the relationship between fostering resilient local food and farming, fostering a vibrant, healthy democracy, and the ways they are woven together in our history and culture. Apples are Susan’s touchstone for connecting these ideas, drawing on her work with apple growers here in the US, visits with apple growers in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and a lifelong love of orchards, apple trees, apples, and words. We hope listeners will find new reasons to love both apples and democracy and new determination to cherish and protect them both.
Read more….
Nickolas Butler — GODSPEED: The Practice & Ethic of Craft
October 4, 2021
Nick is the author of Shotgun Lovesongs, Beneath the Bonfire, Hearts of Men, Little Faith, and, most recently, Godspeed.
He discussed the frenzied writing of his newest novel GODSPEED, the process of selling the book, and the lessons learned from these events in the days preceding the Covid-19 pandemic, along with sharing some writings from the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram