Wisconsin Writers Connect
Hear From Great Authors–Support Student Writers
Come out to hear Wisconsin authors read from their works during this special evening with renowned authors Chia Gounz Vang and Freesia McKee. We’ll also celebrate the winners of our student writing contest, Write on the Money.
Refreshments provided. No registration is necessary.
When & Where
Tuesday, April 30 • 6:30 p.m.
Stevens Point Campus • Community Engagement Room – Room 635
Student Awards
After reading, the writers will present the student winners of Mid-State's Write on the Money Contest with their awards. The student winners will also have the opportunity to read from their winning entries. Winners and finalists who have agreed to publication of their entries will be showcased in a digital magazine to be shared with the Mid-State student body and used in Mid-State writing classes.
Author Bios
Chia Gounz Vang
Research Paper Category Judge
Chia Gounza Vang is a Hmong American author and teacher. She was born in Laos during the Vietnam War conflict and had limited access to education. Her life changed when she immigrated to America as a teenager, which allowed her to pursue her dreams. She has been a middle school teacher for twenty-two years. She is the author of The Illiterate Daughter, a YA historical fiction centered around the Secret War conflict in Laos, focusing on the challenges faced by a Hmong family as they strive to survive and seek refuge in Thailand, as well as Dreamer’s Dream, both books in the Young Guardian series. Chia is a fan of historical fiction and has found it to be a valuable tool for learning about history. By immersing herself in the world of the characters, she can truly experience their pain, struggles, love, happiness, and overall lives. Through her book series, The Young Guardian, Chia hopes to bring history to life for her readers.
Freesia McKee
Essay Category Judge
Freesia McKee (she/her) writes about gender, genre, history, and place. She works in poetry, creative prose, book reviews, and literary criticism. Freesia is an Assistant Professor of English at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and she is the author of two poetry chapbooks, How Distant the City (Headmistress Press, 2018) and Hummingbird Vows (Bottlecap Press, 2023). Freesia’s writing has been featured in CALYX, Painted Bride Quarterly, Plume, Nimrod International, Fugue, Flyway, The Boiler Journal, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, Essay Daily, Cleaver Magazine, The Slowdown, and many other venues. She’s participated in collaboration with the O, Miami Poetry Festival, Riverwest Radio, and La Prosette. Freesia has presented poetry craft talks and creative writing pedagogy research at a variety of conferences including the Midwest Modern Language Association, the CD Wright Women Writer’s Conference, the Illinois Faculty Summer Institute, and Outwrite DC. Freesia believes poetry is for everyone.
If you have a disability and need accommodations to take part in this activity, please let us know. Contact the event coordinator as soon as possible, ideally 14 days in advance.
