UntitledTown looks to support Green Bay authors and cement national reputation

GREEN BAY - UntitledTown 2018 is showing no signs of writer’s block.

The Green Bay’s book and author festival’s phenomenal first year included appearances by Margaret Atwood and Sherman Alexie. But if last year’s event was shock and awe, this year’s event is about depth, detail and diversity, UntitledTown board President Alex Galt said.

“If you’re interested in books, writing, reading, poetry, you will find something here that will really surprise you,” Galt said.

That’s not to say UntitledTown hasn’t delivered a page-turning lineup. Participants in this year's edition include  R.L. Stine, cultural critic Roxane Gay, technology author Nicholas Carr, Pulitzer Prize winner Jacqui Banaszynski and Wisconsin political commentator and author Charlie Sykes.

UntitledTown begins Thursday night and runs through Sunday evening.

Galt said the festival’s sophomore effort has garnered attention well beyond northeastern Wisconsin. He’s hoping it earns the event national attention from the literary scene.

“I’m hearing about people flying in for this,” Galt said. “What it comes down to is there are two major literary events in April. One of them is the L.A. Times Festival of Books and the other one is UntitledTown.”

The festival has expanded to 13 venues this year. Keynote events like R.L. Stine's Friday appearance will be held at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus. Christopher Moore's festival-closing event is at Green Bay West High School. 

The majority of the festival's readings, signings, workshops and discussions will be in downtown Green Bay.

UntitledTown board member Brian Simons, the Brown County Library executive director, said the organization added a second, free trolley this year to speed up transportation between venues. 

Events remain free this year thanks to support from UntitledTown sponsors, although organizers ask you to register for tickets ahead of time for eight events. Some events do have priority author access tickets that cost money, but only one event, Sunday brunch with Wisconsin author Michael Perry at Gather on Broadway, has a fee.  

Simons also said you will have to register at locations like the Brown County Library or Old Fort Square, on Broadway, to use the trolley. 

Keynote event tickets are still available for the events that require them at the UntitledTown website. The events include keynotes with Gay, Stine, Sykes, Moore and fellow headliners Nicholas Carr, Hillary Jordan and Danez Smith. 

But don’t think UntitledTown is just about the national authors, though. Galt said the board filled out the schedule with local authors like Green Bay native Kristen Radke, Mike Duplaise, Mike Eserkaln and Ashwaubenon-based cycling safety experts Peter and Tracy Flucke. There are also a lot of events for to help build support for aspiring writers in the Green Bay area.  

“There’s such a depth of talent in this community and UntitledTown is about surfacing that talent and making it visible to other people and to themselves,” Galt said. “The core of the event is about this community.”

UntitledTown 2018 Keynote Schedule

An Evening with Nicholas Carr, 7 p.m. Thursday at KI Convention Center, 333 Main St.

An Evening with R.L. Stine, 7 p.m. Friday, Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, 2420 Nicolet Drive

Charlie Sykes reading, noon, Saturday, KI Convention Center, 333 Main St.

Hillary Jordan reading, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, KI Convention Center, 333 Main St. 

An Evening with Roxane Gay, 7 p.m. Saturday, KI Convention Center, 333 Main St.

Brunch with Michael Perry, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Gather on Broadway, 139 N. Broadway

An Evening with Christopher Moore, 6 p.m. Sunday, Green Bay West High School, 966 Shawano Ave.

An Evening with Danez Smith, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St.