Local poet and business owner Lauren Carlson will celebrate the release of her latest poetry collection, Steelhead, alongside the one-year anniversary of her clothing boutique and art gallery, The Piping Plover.
The book launch event is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, from 4 to 5 p.m. at The Piping Plover, located at 385 River Street in Manistee. Attendees can expect a book signing, refreshments, and exclusive discounts. Carlson will also be available for signings on Saturday afternoon at the same venue.
Steelhead is a full-length poetry collection that explores how individuals are transformed by hardship and adversity. Carlson, who draws inspiration from daily life and the natural world, says fishing—a significant part of Manistee’s culture—influenced many of the poems.
“The poems in this collection were shaped by my experiences here in Manistee,” Carlson said. “As a poet, I write about the connection between people and their environment.”
Published by Cornerstone Press as part of the Portage Poetry Series from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Steelhead was completed in 2023 during two artist residencies on Black Hawk Island, Wisconsin, and Mackinac Island, Michigan.
“These poems were formed on islands of the Midwest,” Carlson said.
One of her favorite works in the collection is the closing poem, Ripe Artifice. She describes it as a reflection on overcoming hopelessness through resilience.
“That poem speaks to the human capacity to shape how we respond to pain and suffering,” Carlson explained. “While despair is unavoidable, we do have a choice in what comes next.”
Carlson revealed that some poems in Steelhead have been in development for over a decade.
The collection is also available for purchase online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered at local bookstores.
