Next Conference
Date: Thursday-Sunday, June 12-15, 2025
Place: Madison Concourse Hotel, 1 W Dayton St, Madison, WI
Keynote: Ross Gay, Poet & Essayist
Theme: 75th Anniversary
Please join us as we celebrate 75 years of WFOP. Our full agenda and registration will be available soon.
About Ross Gay
Ross Gay
Ross Gay is interested in joy.
Ross Gay wants to understand joy.
Ross Gay is curious about joy.
Ross Gay studies joy.
Something like that.
Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023.
Three Days of Programming
Thursday Evening, June 12
Kick Off at Arts + Literature Laboratory with Poetry Games
Friday Afternoon & Evening Sessions, June 13
Emerging Poets Readings & Generative Workshops with Matti Powers, Chris Chambers, and Charles Payne
Root Song Yoga Studio: Tapping the Creative Spring
Reception & Reading with Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cardenas, Madison Poet Laureate Steven Espada Dawson, and Madison Youth Poet Laureate Justin Russell
Open Mic
Saturday Day Sessions, June 14
Poets’ Pickup Basketball (including Ross Gay)
Publishing Panel
Celebrating WFOP & 75 Years of Fellowship with Awards & History, and a reading of Community Poems and WFOP/Brain Mill Chapbooks\
Write with Ross Gay
Up Your Poetry Game to Get Loud!, Get Social!, and Get Published! With Jenna Cornell, Arsenio Sorrel, and Jeannie Roberts.
We’ll celebrate through the evening with a Diamond Anniversary Gala with Dinner
Notes from the Garden: A reading of essays and poems by Ross Gay, music by DB Octet–The DB Orchestra, dancing and revelry
Sunday Morning, June 15
Sunday completes the weekend with continuing fellowship and a book fair and a poetry-to-go bag full of goodies and inspiration
Book Your Hotel Room
Rooms available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at $189. Call 800-356-8293 to book and ask for the WFOP room block. Or you may use the custom link:
The WFOP holds a conference once a year, with locations rotating around the state. Fifty to a hundred of the state's most passionate poets gather to engage in workshops, readings, open mics and book fairs. Distinguished poets are frequent guest speakers. Please check back here for more information, and consult our opportunities and resources pages for news of other activities.
Buy Our Swag
Show your support for WFOP with a hat, long-sleeved T-shirt or field bag. Lots of other items, too! Go to our swag site. If you have other ideas for swag items please email Colleen at layersofmoments@yahoo.com.
