Keynote Speaker

A Poet’s Journey: A Daughter Forgives Her Mother; A Mother Nurtures Her Daughter

Linda Nemec Foster’s first collection, A History of the Body, was published in 1987. Since then, she has published over ten collections of poetry including The Lake Michigan Mermaid (2019 Michigan Notable Book). Her work appears in magazines and journals such as The Georgia Review, Nimrod, New American Writing, 2022 Best Small Fictions Anthology, and Best Spiritual Literature 2023 among others. She has received over 30 nominations for the Pushcart Prize and awards from the Arts Foundation of Michigan, National Writer’s Voice, Dyer-Ives Foundation, The Poetry Center (New Jersey), Fish Anthology (Ireland), and the Academy of American Poets. In 2023, she won first prize in the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Contest. A new collection of prose poetry, Bone Country, was published in 2023 and has also been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The inaugural Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, Michigan (2003-05), Foster is the founder of the Contemporary Writers Series at Aquinas College.

www.rachelklingercain.com

Lipstick Ladies

Rachel Cain is a storyteller, writer, and creator whose candid tales of religious deconstruction have captivated over 500,000 followers on TikTok (@iblamebill). With an engaging mix of vulnerability and humor (and occasional ADHD tangents), this Grand Rapids native brings an authentic, out-of-the-box voice to the stage. Rachel is a three-time winner of The Moth StorySLAM, has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour, authored two books, and hosts the "Millstone Collector" podcast. When she's not doom scrolling on Tiktok or stuffing her face with Oreos, you can find her turning trauma into stories for her Substack newsletter.

Co-Director

A Beehive Hairdo and a Faux Leopard Coat

Lisa McNeilley is an educator, editor, and writer who believes in the transformative power of storytelling. She has spent the last few years helping others tell their stories, including What I Can Do, a memoir of Mary K. Hoodhood, and DB Cooper and Me, which purports to solve the only unsolved hijacking in FBI history. She has recently started a podcast, It’s About Writing which will air on WYCE if she and her cohost can figure out how to edit it. She spends the rest of her free time trying to convince her kids she is hilarious and fun so they will want to spend time with her, enjoying time with her husband, and organizing fun events.

Co-Director

Mama Altijd Zegt

Ingrid Hekman Fournier loves to tell stories. In 2006, she began writing “Mom and Dad-isms” sharing brief memories of her parents after they had both passed away. They are simple snapshots. Selfishly, she started this process to keep their memories alive but then began publishing them on her blog and social media. Since then, the stories continue. Ingrid is a wife, mother, and newly retired teacher turned public library manager in Scottville, MI. Her writing mentors are Anne Lamott for her frank and honest voice, Mary Oliver for her passion for nature, and Erma Bombeck because laughter is what will get us all through this journey called life.

Out of this World

Penni Luber Weninger is a proud native Jersey Girl who came to West Michigan in 2004 after a long career in the casino industry in Atlantic City. Since retiring from Grand Rapids Community College in 2017, she volunteers for Women’s Resource Center, Temple Emanuel Food Bank and GRCC Retirees. She is active with Peninsula Writers, as well as efforts to preserve our public education and getting out the vote.

Lessons Learned

Kerrie DeBoer practices yoga and enjoys canoeing, often combining both activities as she balances a glass of wine amid the lapping waves. She is a 2nd Grade teacher trying not to say anything unfiltered to students between now and the end of the school year. Kerrie is a mother that loves her two children, Conner and Lindsay, not just because they don’t live with her, but also because they are remarkable humans. Kerrie is also a wife in a partnership that allows her to shine. Escaping in their 1989 Volkswagen camper van to read and write is her favorite getaway. Lessons Learned is a story about messy parenting tips and mostly a testament to how much she’s learned from her two kids.

Generational Gifts

Justine is a 34 year old Broker/Owner and Mentor of a real estate company she founded in 2022 called Amplified Real Estate.

She has been married for almost 15 years and has a four year old son.

She has gone through a healing journey with her own mother and has watched as her siblings have all dealt with their own journeys and is excited to see what the future holds for all of them.

My Momma Could Be Your Friend

Sean Duffie is a career educator and poet, dedicated to building enthusiasm for language, culture, and literature among his students. He currently serves as president of the Board of Directors for the Diatribe, a community arts activism organization that elevates youth and community members of West Michigan. A Fulbright scholar and director of ROAM Language Experiences study abroad programs, Sean is a globally minded traveler and storyteller. He has performed poetry in the United States and abroad, and brings his passion for writing to his student as advisor to his school’s poetry slam and writing team. Sean holds an Education Specialist degree in administration and a Master’s in Spanish literature and culture education from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico. He is a resident of Kentwood, Michigan.