MAY EVENTS
Woodland Pattern will open at 4 PM on Saturday, May 10. We will be off-site for our Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Finals event until then.
Poetry Reading: Oscar Mireles, Carmen Murguia, Roberto Rivera, and Richard Vargas
*IN PERSON*
Thurs. May 8 | 7 pm CDT | $Give What You Can
Special Event: Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Finals
*IN PERSON at MPL Central*
Sat. May 10 | 2 pm CDT | Open to the public
Poetry Reading: Steven Espada Dawson
*IN PERSON at Boswell*
Tue. May 13 | 7 pm CDT | Free with registration
Community Group: Readshop
*ONLINE on Zoom*
Wed. May 14 & 28 | 6-7:15 pm CDT | Open to the public
Concert: Formations Series for New & Improvised Music
Set 1—Nicholas Elert & Jay Mollerskov (electronic music duo)
Set 2—Steve Nelson-Raney (solo tenor saxophone)
*HYBRID*
Thurs. May 15 | 7 pm CDT | $10
Poetry Reading: Hannah Brooks-Motl, David Seung, and Alan Felsenthal
*HYBRID*
Sat. May 17 | 7 pm CDT | $Give What You Can
Poetry Reading: Lauren Russell and Cynthia Marie Hoffman
*HYBRID*
Thurs. May 22 | 7 pm CDT | $Give What You Can
Workshop: Poetics of Relation: Oracle & Guide, with Liat Tzvi Mayer
*IN PERSON*
Sat. May 24, 31 & June 7 | 3-4:30 pm CDT | $100 General $90 Members (Scholarships Available)
Open Mic: resound return
*IN PERSON*
Fri. May 30 | 7 pm CDT | Open to the public
Exhibition: This Rhythm That's Mine
*On view through June 29*
Work by Intisar Abioto, Willemijn Bolks, Aaaalexandra Martins, Wendy Ronaldson, Olivia Simmons (plus JJJJJerome Ellis). Co-curated by JJJJJerome Ellis, and Julia Leone and Aidan Sank from SPACE.
Visit our unique collection of small-press poetry
Did you know Woodland Pattern is home to a nationally recognized collection of over 25,000 small-press poetry titles? To the largest selection of haiku in North America? To the biggest selection of books by Native American authors in Wisconsin? To broadsides, zines, chapbooks, pamphlets, and other hand-made items?
The dissemination of independent literature—particularly poetry, unconventional texts, works that honor bookmaking as a visual art, books by small- and micro-press publishers, and literature by writers from historically marginalized backgrounds—has been central to our purpose since our founding. Our inventory decisions are mission-driven, allowing us to support writers and publishers in ways that are inconceivable for a commercial bookseller.
Come in and discover. We encourage visitors to read and study at their leisure, and to use our space to learn more about poetry, book arts, and small-press publishing. You can also visit our online book center to browse selections from our inventory, or give us a call at (414) 263-5001 to see if we have a title in stock. As always, we will gladly place special orders, ship books to your home, and offer contactless pick-up at your request.
We acknowledge that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.
We further acknowledge the grave evil colonialism introduced to these lands through genocide as well as slavery, and also via racist and xenophobic beliefs, laws, and practices that continue to inflict harm upon Black, brown, and Indigenous lives. We honor those who have lived—and do live, now—at these intersections of identity and experience, and are committed to the active dismantling of white supremacy.
720 E. Locust Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 263 5001
Hours: Tues–Sun | 12-7 pm
Closed Mon
Building Accessibility: Despite the age of our physical location, and attendant limitations to access, Woodland Pattern is committed to making its programs and facilities available for as many as possible. Please call for more information.
Events Accessibility: Woodland Pattern is able to offer captioning services for its online events and with advanced notice can provide ASL interpretation for live events. Please contact us with accommodation requests and questions.
© Woodland Pattern 2025