Jon Arfstrom is best know to our eclectic community as one of the artists for Weird Tales. But his career encompassed so much more than that.

Later this year the Anoka County Historical Society will be hosting a grand exhibit of many of Jon’s original paintings, as well as recreating the working corner of his studio.

On October 11th they will have a reception to kick off the exhibit, and it will be a great chance to see Jon Arfstrom’s work up close, and meet up with some of his many other enthusiasts.

Please join us Thursday, October 20th, 2016 at 6:30 PM for a reading with Kathe Koja, author of the Bram Stoker and Locus Award-winning first novel The Cypher; the adult novels Bad Brains, Skin, Strange Angels (a Deathrealm Award winner), Kink, the Under the Poppy trilogy (which includes Under the Poppy, The Mercury Waltz, and The Bastards’ Paradise), young adult novels: Straydog, Buddha Boy, The Blue Mirror, Talk, Going Under, Kissing the Bee, and Headlong; the story collection Extremities; and many uncollected stories.

Her novels and stories often concern characters who have been marginalized by society, and the transcendence and/or disintegration that follows their social isolation.

Due to an unexpected development, Rez will be rescheduling his reading for later in November. We will keep you posted when we have more information.

On Wednesday, October 26, JOHN CALVIN REZMERSKI reads his poetry.

Mr. Rezmerski was born in Pennsylvania, and again in Ohio, then again in Kansas, and three times more in Minnesota. By some accounts he has three lives left, but he is not taking any bets because he doesn’t believe in cats. He is a member of Lady Poetesses from Hell by virtue of the fact that he channels Grace Lord Stoke (via email), from whom he has learned a great deal. He has published 20 books, chapbooks, and anthologies, including _The Frederick Manfred Reader_, a screenplay, and three plays. He has performed his work for schools, libraries, bookstores, science fiction conventions, clubs, professional organizations, senior centers, museums, festivals, fairs, coffee houses, bars, and on television, and on radio, including National Public Radio’s Wha’d Ya Know?, and collaborated with painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, dancers, theatrical troupes, and scientists. Over 35 years, he taught creative writing, journalism, linguistics, science fiction, and storytelling at Gustavus Adolphus College. His poetry includes 22 from TOTU and Breaking the Rules: Starting with Ghazals.

He will be reading a single long poem–the complete text of his recently published chapbook, “Cataloging the Flow: Elegy” published by Red Dragonfly Press.

You can learn more about him at his website.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 25th edition of which will be held July 21-23, 2017, in the Twin Cities, with Guests of Honor ELEANOR ARNASON and  MELISSA SCOTT.

Please join us

Wednesday, November 16th, 2016 at 6:30 PM

for a reading with

Jason D. Wittman.

Bibliography from his SFFnet page:

“Femme Fatale” in the e-zine Baen’s Universe.

Aftergame in the e-zine Aberrant Dreams.

On Bookstores, Burners, and Origami, my first major publication, found on SCIFI.COM.

The Artist, my first paid publication, a 100-word story found on the-phone-book.com.

“Flame of Intellect”, in Issue #1 of The Drabbler, published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.

On Wednesday, December 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., there will be a special Speculations memorial edition celebrating the life and work of JOHN CALVIN REZMERSKI (1942-2016).

Also known as Rez. Mr. Rezmerski was born in Pennsylvania, and again in Ohio, then again in Kansas, and at least three times more in Minnesota. He was a member of Lady Poetesses from Hell by virtue of the fact that he channeled Grace Lord Stoke (via email), from whom he learned a great deal. He published over 20 books, chapbooks, and anthologies, including _The Frederick Manfred Reader_, a screenplay, and three plays. He performed his work for schools, libraries, bookstores, science fiction conventions, clubs, professional organizations, senior centers, museums, festivals, fairs, coffee houses, bars, and on television, and on radio, including National Public Radio’s _Wha’d Ya Know?_, and collaborated with painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, dancers, theatrical troupes, and scientists. Over 35 years, he taught creative writing, journalism, linguistics, science fiction, and storytelling at Gustavus Adolphus College. His poetry includes _22 from TOTU_ and _Breaking the Rules: Starting with Ghazals_. He had been planning to do a Speculations Reading this fall, consisting of a single long poem–the complete text of his recently published chapbook, “Cataloging the Flow: Elegy” published by Red Dragonfly Press.

For the December 7 memorial, people are invited to bring a favorite poem or poems by Rez to read, and/or an anecdote about him to share.