Kaitlyn Bolyard

This month is busy, wrapping up the summer and preparing for school. Let’s have one last hoorah before it’s over! This month, I have a busy weekend, August 15-16, with two opportunities to see me and check out my books. I look forward to seeing you soon!

The Book Gymboree August 15th Event by Bloodmane Books Pleasant Prairie RecPlex Duration: 6 hr Public  · Anyone on or off Facebook Calling all Readers! Looking for your next book? Come spend the day with dozens of talented local authors at The Book Gymboree at the RecPlex! When: Saturday August 15th 10:00am- 4:00pm Where: Pleasant Prairie RecPlex 9900 Terwall Terrace, Pleasant Prairie, WI Located inside the Athletic Fieldhouse at the RecPlex ( Basketball Courts ) What: Meet local authors, shop their books, and support Wisconsin’s incredible writing community! Who: Readers, Book Lovers, Authors, and more! Admission to the event is free, and books will be available for purchase directly from the authors. Bonus – It will be inside in a gymnasium, so no worrying if it’s going to rain or be too hot, we shall be shielded from the elements! The Kenosha Book Festival August 16th Books! Books! Books! The Kenosha Book Festival is back at Studio Moonfall for our fifth chapter of 2026! Save the date for Sunday, August 16th, from 10am to 3pm, at Wisconsin’s indie-est of indie bookstores, Studio Moonfall, located at 5031 7th Avenue. Featured Authors • R.E. Bunch • M.P. McDonald • Huckleberry Rahr • Kaitlyn Bolyard • Michael J. Adams • Debra Oas • Jason R. Davis • Eleanor Wells • Kristen N. Winiarski • A.R. Grimes But wait! There are even more authors! • Erica P. Christie • Amy McNulty • Molly Weinfurter • Ben Sanders • Hannah Lawson • Lorisa D. Wiedenheft • Randi Moxi • Leigh Hellman • Amy Leigh Sazama • Catherine Butzen Special Guests Deliciosos – Pizza Cones and more! 10am-Noon – Princess Story Time with tales from Wonderland Noon-2pm – Grandpa Story Time Tropetails with guest author M.C. Beeler – We’ve got something to mix up to go with reading time! Chicago Steampunk Exposition with free books for kids! Tell all your friends and family and let’s get reading!

Given that we were snowed out on my original date at Harbor Market, I will be at the indoor market on December 20th this month. At least this gives me time to order new bookmarks, and I will be completely done with grading student portfolios and essays by then. Here are the details!

• Women’s Club of Kenosha – 6028 8th Ave. Kenosha, WI
• Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• www.kenoshaharbormarket.com

Migration of Bluesky Poetry As you may know, I have historically used Facebook social media posts as fodder for my (found) poetry. Lately, my Facebook feed has been quite lackluster, with more ads than actual content. As a result, I have started using Bluesky more frequently. If you’d like to see what I’ve been making, or at least get a glimpse, I recommend following me on this new platform at @kaybolya.bsky.social. In the meantime, here is one of my recent poetry/image combos (I should come up with a name for these). Note, as you can likely tell, these are also more politically minded.

Happy Holidays & Gift-Giving I hope you all have a great holiday, regardless of what you do (or don’t) celebrate. If you’re giving gifts this season, I hope you’ll consider my books as a possible option. Come to the Harbor Market on the 20th to see me in person and get a signed copy! If you’re unable to attend, you can visit my website and purchase books online. Either way, I always appreciate your support : )

Dear readers,

I sincerely apologize for getting my dates mixed up! While I would love to see you all today, I will unfortunately not be at the Winter Harbor Market until next week. I will be at the Studio Moonfall booth on Nov. 29th from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. I apologize for any trouble this may have caused you, but if you visit today, you’ll have the opportunity to meet my wonderful author friend, Jessie Rose, and her books are just as amazing as mine. Until next time….

Kaitlyn Bolyard

This month, I am moving indoors for my first Winter Harbor Market event! I will be selling my books at the Studio Moonfall table on Saturday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Who knows, I might even be wearing a weird costume or a hat! 

Women’s Club of Kenosha
6028-8th Ave

Hope to see you there!
For more info: https://www.kenoshaharbormarket.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12134483171&gbraid=0AAAAABovbjK0QuUXEyUfweCr2WvGcx5Kt&gclid=CjwKCAiAlMHIBhAcEiwAZhZBUtjUQXgBr-LJRQhHxcAq1_lwNygGK5Y49aIw6v6-kxs4ej-j-qZ8QhoCE0oQAvD_BwE

Busy. Busy. Busy. 

I’ve been incredibly busy over the last few months, but a much-needed break is finally on the way. What does that mean for you, dear reader?

• More writing, less grading (I’m a professor and Winter Break is just around the corner)
• Updated website, more frequent posts, ways to interact with me.
• More poetry (for sure), more work on the next novel (I know you’ve been waiting!)

I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey. Reminder: If you haven’t read all of my books yet, more information is available here under Publications!

A thousand graffiti penises

Addicted me to phallic shapes.

Even lost in the woods, I can find

Perfectly circumcised mushroom tips.

The “average” American curses 80-90

Times per day, but my niece will call me

Out on saying words like “idiot” and “dumb”

While driving because those words, too,

Are impolite, just like hen o’ the woods

Crawling up the Western side.

Hot girl shit (I mean “stuff”, Arlo) sounds exhausting,

Useful but unethical, glorious in the right

To feel right at home in your body,

To incorporate trans dinosaurs

Into the very fabric of your clothing.

I’ve been trying to decide if today is worth

Exploring, tossing aside iPad ideologies

To learn a door blows open in your mind

Anytime you take the train to Phoenix.

Miracle balm is truly a miracle,

Removing all the lines of traffic

Running from the corners of my eyes.

I avoid mixing my metaphors,

Leaning into the history of rock, walking

On thin ice in the desert where Arlo’s

Grandparents live, my parents.

Surrounded by cacti that can survive the heat

You realize how tiny you and your problems are

And that a glass of water is really all you need.

An Italian soprano, not the mobster kind,

But the singing, introduces this new, amazing child

To juggling, to AI tailored to her individual needs.

Eventually, my job will just be teaching students

To write better prompts, not to compose their own ideas,

But rather embrace our robot overlords,

The corporations that will own our souls.

I’ve always been so afraid of losing people,

But I think they’ve already been lost in this mad parade.

Image: https://unsplash.com/@hialexxlarioss

Coffee upgraded my motivation at the art market.

General relativity trimmed away

The withered parts weighing me down,

But now “authentic” takes weeks to witness.

Even the center of a cinnamon roll

Doesn’t allow me to avoid my emotions.

This absolutely hilarious rise in life drags down weight loss.

Teachers only know five things about history:

1. The free soul is a rare thing.
2. When we strive to become better, we are.
3. Miracle balms truly are a miracle.
4. What is, is never for any reason.
5. We wait for elderly ladies.

Develop your author career by reading more and

Realizing two people in love is not a sin.

An amazing illusion is meant to be insulted,

To serve as a resource for dog training.

One day, I will learn to rest,

To finally just be done with this.

Photo by https://unsplash.com/@claybanks