"U.P. Book Tour" at Finlandia University Saturday, July 23, 2 to 4 p.m.

HANCOCK, MI - Hosted by North Wind Books, the "U.P. Book Tour" will make a stop in Hancock this Saturday, July 23, with multiple author readings and book signings from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Finlandia University's Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Billed as "60 Writers, 50+ Events, 30+ Days, and 20+ U.P. Cities," the "U.P. Book Tour" is organized by Ron Riekki, author of the novel "U.P." Many of the featured authors are U.P.-based or have roots in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The authors scheduled to appear July 23 are:

Poet Marty Achatz, author of "The Mysteries of the Rosary" and a graduate of Northern Michigan University's Creative Writing program, in Marquette, Mich.

Lauri Anderson, who has published four short-story collections and a novel, including "Mosquito Conversations," "Misery Bay," "Mosquito Conversations," and "Hunting Hemingway's Trout." Anderson is a professor of English and literature at Finlandia University.

Poet Lisa Coutley is author of "Back-Talk" and "In the Carnival of Breathing," a winner of the Black River Chapbook Competition. She has an M.F.A. from Northern Michigan University, where she was poetry editor for the literary journal Passages North. She is currently a doctoral fellow and poetry editor for Quarterly West at the University of Utah. Her work has appeared in numerous publications.

Matthew Gavin Frank is a professor at Northern Michigan University and the author of "Barolo," a food memoir based on his work in the Italian wine industry. He has an M.F.A. in poetry and creative non-fiction from Arizona State University.

Beverly Matherne recently published her fifth bilingual book of poetry, "Lamothe-Cadillac." Her poetry and translations have appeared in numerous publications. Matherne is a professor of English at Northern Michigan University.

Ron Riekki is the author of the novel "U.P.," a play, and several poetry chapbooks. He has been a Henry Hoyns Fellow, held a Ragdale Foundation residency, and was a Tennessee Williams Scholar at the University of the South's Sewanee Writers' Conference. His novel "U.P." is in film development with Two Eyes Productions.

JodiAnn Stevenson is the author of "Bowl of Milk," which she describes as a one-woman gallery of visual poetry and other writing experiments. She completed an M.F.A. in creative writing at Goddard College, Plainfield, Vt.

The featured authors' publications will be available for purchase at the event. For additional information, contact North Wind Books at 906-487-7217.

The Finnish American Heritage Center is at 435 Quincy St. in downtown Hancock.

Photo cutline: Author Ron Riekki