Bonnie Jo Campbell Society presentations and 2nd biannual meeting
May
20
to May 23

Bonnie Jo Campbell Society presentations and 2nd biannual meeting

ALA Annual Conference – The American Literature Association

Thursday, May 21, 2026

2:30-3:50 pm

Session 5-D Bonnie Jo Campbell and the American Midwest (Salon 1)

Chair: Lisa DuRose, Inver Hills Community College

1. “Gender Out of Balance in the Fiction of Bonnie Jo Campbell,” Charles Cunningham, Eastern Michigan University

2. “Bonnie Jo Campbell Comics Volume 5: 13 Ways of Looking at The Waters,” Monica Friedman, Independent Scholar

3. “Nowhere Places and Invisible People: Surfacing Stories of the Overlooked,” Dawn Burns, Michigan State University

Thursday, May 21, 2026

4:00-5:20 pm

Session 6-I Bonnie Jo Campbell’s Influence: A Roundtable Discussion (Madison)

Chair: Sara Kosiba, Northeast Ohio Medical University

1. Lisa DuRose, Inver Hills Community College

2. Caitlin Horrocks, Grand Valley State University

3. Doug Sheldon, University of Illinois Chicago

Thursday, May 21, 2026

5:30-6:15 pm

Session 7-D Business Meeting: Bonnie Jo Campbell Society (Salon 1)

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The Spirits - Book Release
Oct
13
6:30 PM18:30

The Spirits - Book Release

Bookbug/This is a Bookstore

The best-selling author of The Waters (a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick) returns with a tale of love, transgression, and the miraculous healing power of the holiday table.

In this contemporary Christmas Carol, Bonnie Jo Campbell has created a complex, gritty, spooky, and ultimately heartwarming holiday story that unfolds in an isolated farmhouse. It is the night before Christmas in a small town in Michigan, and a young woman is haunted by her father’s death. She has been silently penitent for nine years, but being stuck in the past has embittered her, made her cut herself off emotionally from her community and her family, despite her deep devotion to them. When a surprising guest appears at the (dreaded) Christmas Eve dinner, the family opens up to reveal their secrets. Redemption is never easy or wholesale, but sometimes a family needs a good story as much as they need to face the truth. In this remarkable exploration of crime and punishment, salvation arrives at the darkest hour. The power of familial love and a sense of humor promise a brighter and more joyful new beginning for the whole family.

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Cooper Park Invasive Weed Pull, Comstock Township
May
6
1:00 PM13:00

Cooper Park Invasive Weed Pull, Comstock Township

Cooper Park is located in Comstock Township in Michigan, and the township is working with the Kalamazoo Nature Center to eradicate invasive species. We’ll work to pull garlic mustard, dame’s rocket and many other plants that might interfere with the healthy environment for our native plant and animal species that aid in the beauty and health of our park.

Join us for the pull, and maybe we can have a snack afterward!

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Bridge Culture Club Zoom to discuss The Waters
Apr
15
12:00 PM12:00

Bridge Culture Club Zoom to discuss The Waters

Bridge Culture Club returns from noon to 1 p.m. on April 15 to discuss “The Waters,” a novel by Michigan author Bonnie Jo Campbell that the Washington Post listed as one of the 50 notable works of fiction in 2024.

Sign up here: Bridge Culture Club: The Waters Tickets, Wednesday, Apr 15 from 12 pm to 1 pm EDT | Eventbrite

More info here: Bridge Culture Club returns April 15 with 'The Waters' by Bonnie Jo Campbell - Bridge Michigan

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Kalamazoo Writers Disorganization April 2026 meeting
Apr
7
4:00 PM16:00

Kalamazoo Writers Disorganization April 2026 meeting

BJC will interview author Joseph Heywood.

Kalamazoo Writers Dis-Organization Where Southwest Michigan Writers come together – everyone welcome!

Tuesday April 7, 4-6pm

Kalamazoo Public Library Downtown – VanDeusen Room

A Writing Life: Meet Joe Heywood!

Bonnie Jo Campbell talks with the extra ordinary Michigan writer: literary craftsman, UP adventurer, and author of 24 books, including his popular Woods Cop Mysteries.

 

We’ll discuss how writing and life come together in his writing (and yours!) and how reading, writing, and publishing can bring us joy or beat the crap out of us. (This could happen to you!). Bring questions.

 

All welcome to listen and share thoughts with fellow writers! As always, we invite local writers to meet up, share news, stories, information, and struggles. Let’s dream together—we need each other more than ever in 2026! Bring snacks for yourself or to share if you like. Contact us at KalamazooWriters@gmail.com


 

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Kalamazoo Writers January 2026 meeting featuring Leeanne Seaver
Jan
6
4:00 PM16:00

Kalamazoo Writers January 2026 meeting featuring Leeanne Seaver

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Kalamazoo Writers Dis-Organization

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Where Southwest Michigan Writers come together – everyone welcome!

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Tuesday January 6, 4-6pm

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Kalamazoo Public Library Downtown – VanDeusen Room

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Ghostwriting: When your writing might not have your name on it.

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From “Write What You Know” to “Write What They Know” OR “This Part Can’t Go in the Book” & Other Things that Must Be on Your Radar as a Ghostwriter

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After a 25-year career in broadcasting, journalist and author Leeanne Seaver, MA, shifted serendipitously to writing full-time in 2012. Seaver’s book commissions have ranged from medical to memoir; she also covers travel and special interest genres. See www.SeaverCreative.com

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All welcome to listen and share thoughts with fellow writers!

‍ ‍

As always, we invite local writers to meet up, share news, stories, information, and struggles. Let’s dream together—we need each other more than ever in 2025! Bring snacks for yourself or to share if you like. Contact us at KalamazooWriters@gmail.com

‍ ‍
 Kalamazoo Writers Dis-Organization

Where Southwest Michigan Writers come together – everyone welcome!

Tuesday January 6, 4-6pm

Kalamazoo Public Library Downtown – VanDeusen Room

Ghostwriting: When your writing might not have your name on it.

From “Write What You Know” to “Write What They Know” OR “This Part Can’t Go in the Book” & Other Things that Must Be on Your Radar as a Ghostwriter

After a 25-year career in broadcasting, journalist and author Leeanne Seaver, MA, shifted serendipitously to writing full-time in 2012. Seaver’s book commissions have ranged from medical to memoir; she also covers travel and special interest genres. See www.SeaverCreative.com

All welcome to listen and share thoughts with fellow writers!

As always, we invite local writers to meet up, share news, stories, information, and struggles. Let’s dream together—we need each other more than ever in 2025! Bring snacks for yourself or to share if you like. Contact us at KalamazooWriters@gmail.com

 

 

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Creaky Floor Bookstore in Galesburg, Michigan
Jul
19
3:00 PM15:00

Creaky Floor Bookstore in Galesburg, Michigan

We had to reschedule because of the bruising storms, but we’re on again!

We are proud to present a visit with Bonnie Jo Campbell. Bonnie takes us on a wonderful adventure throughout the life of
Donkey and her family, community, and life within The Waters.
She incorporates the beautiful Michigan landscape, the strength of women, and the happenings within the small town of White Heart in this dynamic novel.
Bonnie has been featured on Hoda and Jenna book club and is one of Michigan's renowned authors, residing in Southwest Michigan.

Order your copy of The Waters TODAY and join us for an in person visit with Bonnie Jo!

33 W. Battle Creek Street, Galesburg, MI 49053, Galesburg, MI, United States, Michigan 49053

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Grand Rapids Public Library
Jul
12
7:00 PM19:00

Grand Rapids Public Library

Looking forward to visiting Grand Rapids Public Library to share work and words!

LOCATION: St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI DATE: Saturday, July 12, 2025

7:00-9:30 PM Moderated Conversation, Book Signing

TOPIC: Writing about Michigan and the Midwest.

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