Great River Writes: From Fact to Fiction with Dean Klinkenberg

Join us for the kickoff to this year's Great River Writes.  We'll be joined by author Dean Klinkenberg for a talk about his writing process, his approach to writing fiction and nonfiction, and his recent book Rock Island Lines.

Rock Island Lines is a mystery that plays with the idea of genealogy as destiny. The plot centers around a long-dead gangster, John Looney, and his legacy of violence and corruption. Klinkenberg spent hours researching Looney’s life, the era, and his conspirators and enemies. He came to the story, though, long before he was thinking about fiction—he was researching a travel guide for the Quad Cities. Learn about his approach to writing fiction and nonfiction, how they are inextricably linked and how it is all made possible by the local archives where he spends much of his research time. What stories are hiding in your archives?

About Great River Writes

Great River Writes is a partnership between the La Crosse Public Library, Women Writers Ink,  the Winona Public Library, the River Arts Alliance, the UW-La Crosse English Department, the La Crosse Area Writer's Group, and National Novel Writing Month.

Great River Writes announces the 2nd annual writing series to inspire writers of all levels. In conjunction with National Novel Writing Month, public libraries and literary organizations in La Crosse and Winona will host writing workshops and author chats every Saturday, October 27 through December 9. Community write-ins, craft talks, and expert tips support both published and yet-to-be-published writers of novels, poems, short stories, and more.