Poetry Night at Blue House Books
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“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” — Robert Frost
Join us for a night to celebrate the art of poetry on Tuesday, August 18th at 6:30 p.m. Five featured poets will share their work, followed by an open mic session.
Our featured poets will be sharing work with a variety of themes including mental health, reflection, grief, relationships, and more.
Southport Tea will be on site serving tea, and other light refreshments will be available. Our five featured authors will also be selling their chapbooks. If you plan to support any of the poets by purchasing their work, we recommend bringing cash.
This event is free, but registration is required. Get all the details and RSVP here: https://withfriends.co/event/28722329
FEATURED POETS
ALICIA BOEMI
is a poet, children's book author, entrepreneur, and speaker based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Her debut poetry chapbook, THE LAKE REMAINS, was published by Kelsay Books in June 2026. She writes poetry under the pen name Antonia Wilde. Alicia is the owner of two businesses in Lake Geneva, Izzy Works Media and Lakeside Books. She is also an MFA candidate in creative writing at UTEP.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"'The Lake Remains' collection is a sacred breath. The deep intake before plunging into memory and the cleansing exhale on the other side of ache. Antonia's writing is evocative and terse; each piece an offering, a tribute, and a farewell." -Dasha Kelly
CHRISTY HOFF
released her first book of poetry "Breath Mark" in 2025. Recently completing the ArtRoot Writer-in-Residence, Hoff leads a local writer’s workshop. Hoff’s work has appeared in several anthologies.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
A breath mark exists in music to instruct a musician to – of course – take a breath. The breath is required at just the right moment. This book has come just so.
Each of the five sections has a theme that serves to enhance the overall message of the title. This work sets the reader up for reflection. Each poem is placed to encourage consideration of their own place in family, their own responsibilities, and their own response to their surroundings.
In essence, the subtext of "Breath Mark" is community. A single breath is a life sustaining event that brings continuity. We are sustained to move forward in time, effort, and hope. A community brought this work to the world. The text is encouragement to acknowledge and sustain a caring, cohesive community.
DEBRA HALL
is a Racine poet whose work explores the intersection of love, loss, and the sacred ordinary. She recently published her debut chapbook, "What the Current Cannot Swallow" by Write Where We Belong Press, Canada.
She serves as the current president of the Kenosha/Racine Poet Laureate program and she was Racine Poet Laureate from 2020-2022. Her poems have appeared in "Bramble Literary Magazine", Wisconsin Poets Calendar(s), Moss Piglet, and A Wreath of Golden Laurels by Local Gems Press.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"What the Current Cannot Swallow" is based on a dream trip in Rome when a medical emergency changed everything. Brain surgery, navigating a foreign healthcare system in a language not their own, and a dire six-month prognosis—the crisis that followed would test their 35-year marriage. In this intimate chapbook, ancient gods and Catholic icons become unexpected companions through illness and loss. Hall traces her journey from crisis through grief to hard-won transcendence, finding that even in the current's pull toward despair, moments of grace remain.
HALEY VALENTA
is a Kenosha poet who writes confessional-style poetry. She has four poetry books out, which mostly cover her experience with mental illness. The thing she loves most about poetry is working with sound and rhythm to create a blanket of sound.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"Final Girl" is a poetic narrative about surviving mental illness and losing a friend.
K. H. MARI
Kenosha native K. H. Mari is a graphic designer, poet, and daydreamer. Ever since her family purchased a Windows 98 when she was a child, she has always felt at home in front of a keyboard, staring at a screen. When she is not poring over her writing, she can be found hanging out with her cat, getting a little treat, or planning a trip to Japan. "The Ghost at My Table" is her first book.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"The Ghost at My Table" is a collection of poetry that recounts the course of an ill-fated relationship. From hopeful first impressions to the what ifs of the aftermath, the narrator laments what it means to fall in love for the first time and to lose oneself in the process. Then, in the wake of distance and healing, there also comes the back and forths of grief, anger, self-loathing, and assigning blame—until finally, peace.
Join us for a night to celebrate the art of poetry on Tuesday, August 18th at 6:30 p.m. Five featured poets will share their work, followed by an open mic session.
Our featured poets will be sharing work with a variety of themes including mental health, reflection, grief, relationships, and more.
Southport Tea will be on site serving tea, and other light refreshments will be available. Our five featured authors will also be selling their chapbooks. If you plan to support any of the poets by purchasing their work, we recommend bringing cash.
This event is free, but registration is required. Get all the details and RSVP here: https://withfriends.co/event/28722329
FEATURED POETS
ALICIA BOEMI
is a poet, children's book author, entrepreneur, and speaker based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Her debut poetry chapbook, THE LAKE REMAINS, was published by Kelsay Books in June 2026. She writes poetry under the pen name Antonia Wilde. Alicia is the owner of two businesses in Lake Geneva, Izzy Works Media and Lakeside Books. She is also an MFA candidate in creative writing at UTEP.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"'The Lake Remains' collection is a sacred breath. The deep intake before plunging into memory and the cleansing exhale on the other side of ache. Antonia's writing is evocative and terse; each piece an offering, a tribute, and a farewell." -Dasha Kelly
CHRISTY HOFF
released her first book of poetry "Breath Mark" in 2025. Recently completing the ArtRoot Writer-in-Residence, Hoff leads a local writer’s workshop. Hoff’s work has appeared in several anthologies.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
A breath mark exists in music to instruct a musician to – of course – take a breath. The breath is required at just the right moment. This book has come just so.
Each of the five sections has a theme that serves to enhance the overall message of the title. This work sets the reader up for reflection. Each poem is placed to encourage consideration of their own place in family, their own responsibilities, and their own response to their surroundings.
In essence, the subtext of "Breath Mark" is community. A single breath is a life sustaining event that brings continuity. We are sustained to move forward in time, effort, and hope. A community brought this work to the world. The text is encouragement to acknowledge and sustain a caring, cohesive community.
DEBRA HALL
is a Racine poet whose work explores the intersection of love, loss, and the sacred ordinary. She recently published her debut chapbook, "What the Current Cannot Swallow" by Write Where We Belong Press, Canada.
She serves as the current president of the Kenosha/Racine Poet Laureate program and she was Racine Poet Laureate from 2020-2022. Her poems have appeared in "Bramble Literary Magazine", Wisconsin Poets Calendar(s), Moss Piglet, and A Wreath of Golden Laurels by Local Gems Press.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"What the Current Cannot Swallow" is based on a dream trip in Rome when a medical emergency changed everything. Brain surgery, navigating a foreign healthcare system in a language not their own, and a dire six-month prognosis—the crisis that followed would test their 35-year marriage. In this intimate chapbook, ancient gods and Catholic icons become unexpected companions through illness and loss. Hall traces her journey from crisis through grief to hard-won transcendence, finding that even in the current's pull toward despair, moments of grace remain.
HALEY VALENTA
is a Kenosha poet who writes confessional-style poetry. She has four poetry books out, which mostly cover her experience with mental illness. The thing she loves most about poetry is working with sound and rhythm to create a blanket of sound.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"Final Girl" is a poetic narrative about surviving mental illness and losing a friend.
K. H. MARI
Kenosha native K. H. Mari is a graphic designer, poet, and daydreamer. Ever since her family purchased a Windows 98 when she was a child, she has always felt at home in front of a keyboard, staring at a screen. When she is not poring over her writing, she can be found hanging out with her cat, getting a little treat, or planning a trip to Japan. "The Ghost at My Table" is her first book.
FEATURED POETRY CHAPBOOK
"The Ghost at My Table" is a collection of poetry that recounts the course of an ill-fated relationship. From hopeful first impressions to the what ifs of the aftermath, the narrator laments what it means to fall in love for the first time and to lose oneself in the process. Then, in the wake of distance and healing, there also comes the back and forths of grief, anger, self-loathing, and assigning blame—until finally, peace.
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Where is it happening?
5915 6th Ave A, Kenosha, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53140
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherBlue House Books
