Breakout Session 1 — Women's Center

Poetry Panel

Don’t miss the Kentucky Women’s Book Festival poetry panelfeaturingKristi Maxwell and Robert Schultz as they share their work, creative process, and the stories behind their verses.

Bigham Poetry Room

Kristi Maxwell Kristi Maxwell is the author of nine books of poems, including Wide Ass of Night (Saturnalia Books, forthcoming 2025), Goners (Green Linden Press, 2023), winner of the Wishing Jewel Prize; Realm Sixty-four (Ahsahta Press, 2008), editor’s choice for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize and finalist for the National Poetry Series; and Hush Sessions (Saturnalia, 2009), editor’s choice for the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. She’s the Director of Creative Writing and an associate professor of English at the University of Louisville. Kristi holds a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Arizona.
Roberta Schultz Roberta Schultz of Wilder, KY is the author of six poetry volumes. Three of her chapbooks were published by Finishing Line Press while her latest chapbook, Asking Price, was chosen by Workhorse Writers for their 2022 series. Underscore, her first full-length collection, was published by Dos Madres Press in 2022. Deep Ends, another full-length collection, is slated for a January 2025 release from Finishing Line Press. Both song writer and poet, Schultz’s work appears in Women Speak, Vol.7 and 8, Persimmon Tree, Sheila-Na-Gig, Panoplyzine, Riparian, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Kakalak, Let Me Say This (a poetry anthology with Dolly Parton as the main theme) and other anthologies. She leads drum circles and serves as an Arts in Healing musician.

Kristi Maxwell

Kristi Maxwell is the author of nine books of poems, including Wide Ass of Night (Saturnalia Books, forthcoming 2025), Goners (Green Linden Press, 2023), winner of the Wishing Jewel Prize; Realm Sixty-four (Ahsahta Press, 2008), editor’s choice for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize and finalist for the National Poetry Series; and Hush Sessions (Saturnalia, 2009), editor’s choice for the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. She’s the Director of Creative Writing and an associate professor of English at the University of Louisville. Kristi holds a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Arizona.

Roberta Schultz

Roberta Schultz of Wilder, KY is the author of six poetry volumes. Three of her chapbooks were published by Finishing Line Press while her latest chapbook, Asking Price, was chosen by Workhorse Writers for their 2022 series. Underscore, her first full-length collection, was published by Dos Madres Press in 2022. Deep Ends, another full-length collection, is slated for a January 2025 release from Finishing Line Press. Both song writer and poet, Schultz’s work appears in Women Speak, Vol.7 and 8, Persimmon Tree, Sheila-Na-Gig, Panoplyzine, Riparian, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Kakalak, Let Me Say This (a poetry anthology with Dolly Parton as the main theme) and other anthologies. She leads drum circles and serves as an Arts in Healing musician.

First Time Novelists

Every great author starts with a debut. Join us at the Kentucky Women's Book Festival for an inspiring panel featuring Kelly Hill and Sarah Landenwich discussing their research for writing historical fiction, writing query letters, the process of working with a publisher, working constructively with criticism, and the lessons of failure.

Chao Auditorium

Dr. Kelly Hill Kelly Hill holds an MFA in Fiction from Spalding University and a PhD in Humanities from UofL. A HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN is her first novel, published with Penguin Random House in March 2024.
Sarah Ladenwich Sarah Landenwichis a writer and writing educator. Also a classically trained pianist, her debut novel The Fire Concerto was inspired by her love of music of the Romantic period. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and daughter.

Dr. Kelly Hill

Kelly Hill holds an MFA in Fiction from Spalding University and a PhD in Humanities from UofL. A HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN is her first novel, published with Penguin Random House in March 2024.

Sarah Ladenwich

Sarah Landenwichis a writer and writing educator. Also a classically trained pianist, her debut novel The Fire Concerto was inspired by her love of music of the Romantic period. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and daughter.

Fantasy & World Building

From magical realms to futuristic adventures, authors Bobbie Falin and Fallon Anne Willoughby will dive deep into the art of world-buildingand reveal how they craft immersive, believable worlds that captivate readers.

E117A

Bobbie Falin Bobbie Falin began to write novels on cocktail napkins as a waitress while earning a BA in art education from Western KY University. Now she spends her time complicating the lives of her characters in science fiction and fantasy stories. She reads voraciously, dabbles in 3D art, gardens and collects beautiful images of all sorts in her pictures files. If there were a space program to explore the stars, she’d be first in line.
Fallon Anne Willoughby Fallon Anne Willoughby. Quirky, creative, and always weird - Fallon strives to be authentically her and help others to do their best. She's a college professor by day, and a writer and crafter by night. Born & Still in southern Kentucky, she loves the countryside and hills, and enjoys spending days with her husband and son.

Bobbie Falin

Bobbie Falin began to write novels on cocktail napkins as a waitress while earning a BA in art education from Western KY University. Now she spends her time complicating the lives of her characters in science fiction and fantasy stories. She reads voraciously, dabbles in 3D art, gardens and collects beautiful images of all sorts in her pictures files. If there were a space program to explore the stars, she’d be first in line.

Fallon Anne Willoughby

Fallon Anne Willoughby. Quirky, creative, and always weird - Fallon strives to be authentically her and help others to do their best. She's a college professor by day, and a writer and crafter by night. Born & Still in southern Kentucky, she loves the countryside and hills, and enjoys spending days with her husband and son.

Riot Grrls & 90s Music

“Grrrls, Grrrls, Grrrls: The Women and Music of Third Wave Feminism” looks at how women used music in the 1990s as a vehicle to bring the principles of Third Wave Feminism out of the halls of academia and to girls and young women, nationwide. From the Riot Girl Movement of the early 90s, to the Spice Girls of the mid 90s, to the Lilith Fair Festivals of the late 90s, this session highlights how punk shows, sold out arena concerts, and music festivals served as women's studies classrooms throughout the decade. This session is based on a chapter of my upcoming book 90s Man: A Societal Study of the Freshest Decade Ever.

W104

James Wilkerson

James Wilkerson holds his Bachelors degree from the University of Louisville, Masters Degree in communication from Bellarmine University, and Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville. At UofL, he teaches classes on sex offenses and Title IX at the Brandeis School of Law. He is a three-time TEDx Speaker, giving lessons on masculinity and the #MeToo Movement. Both his books The Title IX Guy: Several Short Essays on Rape Culture, Masculinity, and Other Things We Should Be Talking About and Consent Is ____: The Things They Don't Teach in Sex Ed, have spent time on the Amazon Best Seller list and are regularly used as textbooks today. Wilkerson has been named Best Local Writer in the LEO Readers Choice Poll in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2024, he was named Best Community Role Model in the poll.