Browse Wisconsin Books to Prisoners Wishlist
Please consider purchasing books as a donation to the organization Wisconsin Books to Prisoners to be delivered to incarcerated persons.
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners (WBTP) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a love of reading behind bars, encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-empowerment, and to help break the cycle of recidivism.
From WBTP's website: "Incarcerated people face significant barriers to being able to access books and information. Prison libraries are often antiquated and poorly funded, and educational and vocational programs for prisoners are nearly non-existent. WBTP volunteers love to read and want to ensure the same freedom for those living behind bars. We believe that books are tools for learning and can open minds to new ideas and possibilities."
AUGUST EVENTS
Exhibition Reception: Red Shale Island
*IN PERSON*
Co-curated by Milwaukee-based artists and storytellers Lillith Forsythe and Cidney Owen.
Fri. Aug. 15 | 5-8 pm CDT | Open to the public
Community Arts & Funk Festival: Youth Poetry Slam
*IN PERSON at Marcus Performing Arts Center*
Sat. Aug. 16 | 11:30 pm CDT | Open to the public
Poetry Reading: Celebrating the Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Program
*IN PERSON*
Sat. Aug. 16 | 7 pm CDT | $Give What You Can
Reading Group: Readshop
*ONLINE on Zoom*
Wed. Aug. 20 | 6-7:15 pm CDT | Open to the public
Concert: Formations Series for New & Improvised Music featuring Amphibient + Wilhelm Matthies and Mark Mantel
*HYBRID*
Thurs. Aug. 21 | 7 pm CDT | $10
Reading Group: Ping Pong Book Club
*IN PERSON*
Tue. Aug. 26 | 6-7 pm CDT | Open AAPI
Open Mic: resound return
*IN PERSON*
Fri. Aug. 29 | 7 pm CDT | Open to the public
Opportunity: Wisconsin Poet Laureate Project
Wisconsin's 2025-2027 Poet Laureate, Brenda Cárdenas—also a Woodland Pattern board member!—invites you to participate in her Poet Laureate Project, which brings Wisconsin poets and visual artists together in a relay of ekphrastic works. Ekphrastic poems are simply those that are inspired by visual art, and ekphrastic visual art is that which is inspired by a poem.
Brenda encourages all Wisconsin poets and visual artists to submit to this open call, and welcomes those who have already seen their poetry published or their art exhibited, as well as those who are beginning to explore writing poems or creating visual art.
All who wish to participate must register under their regions (the same regions the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets uses) on the project’s website. Once you've registered, you will find all of the materials you will need to guide you—an introduction to the mode of ekphrasis, reading and writing prompts, sample ekphrastic pairings, etcetera.
A note from Brenda: Please email me at wisconsinpoetlaureate [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions you may have. This is a brand new website, and while we've tried to anticipate any kinks in the project, I doubt we have anticipated them all. Finally, I would be most grateful if you would spread the word about the project to any and all of your poet and visual artist friends and acquaintances. And, most importantly, have fun!
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