Reading Series: Saint Paul Almanac – Illumination

Saint Paul Almanac Reading Series: Illumination

We Welcome:
Louis DiSanto
Donna Isaac
David Mendez
DeAnne Parks
Gordon Shumaker
Susan Spindler
Jenna Carlson

Saint Paul Almanac Volume 14: Illumination is an anthology of prose and poetry from Minnesotan writers that illuminate the tenacity, grit, pleasure, and grace of the human experience. This singular volume, the twentieth anniversary edition of the Almanac, is filled with thought-provoking and moving works by memoirists Sherry Quan Lee and Hedy Tripp; poets Stephani Booker, Donna Isaac, John Medeiros, and Debra Stone; and community activists Dr. LaVonne Moore and Clarence White. There are nearly 100 contributors, including winners of the 2023 Sidewalk Poetry Contest.

Illumination also highlights the voices we seldom hear. You’ll find incarcerated writers, those who experience health challenges, those who grieve and heal, and those who cope with marginalization. It also includes stories and poems from young writers who are elementary and high school students. There are reflections about longing to connect, the search for truth, the joy of abundance from nature, and a magical parable of possibility. Within these pages are testimonies to mentors and unexpected encounters with strangers.

“Illumination is as beautiful and moving an anthology as I have ever encountered. In poems and prose, in paintings and photos, it contains the stories, testimonies and images of what actually makes America great—our diversity of voices, our love for our families, our neighbors and our communities, the ways we overcome prejudice and hate. In these troubled times, this essential anthology will give you hope and courage.”  – David Mura, author of The Last Incantations and The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives