Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas marks two decades since meeting spouse at Milwaukee’s Woodland Pattern

A literary hub central to Milwaukee’s poetry community

Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas, a Milwaukee native, traces a defining personal milestone to Woodland Pattern, the poet- and artist-run book center and performance space long anchored in the city’s Riverwest neighborhood. Cárdenas and Milwaukee poet Roberto Harrison met there about 20 years ago during a poetry gathering, beginning a relationship that has remained intertwined with the venue’s cultural life.

Cárdenas was appointed Wisconsin’s poet laureate for a term running from Jan. 15, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027, a role that positions her as a statewide ambassador for poetry. She also serves as secretary of Woodland Pattern’s board of directors.

Poetry Marathon returns Jan. 24–25 with hybrid format

Woodland Pattern’s 32nd annual Poetry Marathon and Benefit is scheduled for Jan. 24–25, 2026, at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. The event is planned as a hybrid program, combining in-person readings with a livestream option.

Organizers describe the marathon as a two-day, 24-hour fundraising and performance event designed to support the nonprofit’s year-round programming. Participants typically read in short sets, and the weekend includes additional artistic elements beyond poetry, such as music and moving-image work.

• Date and venue: Jan. 24–25, 2026, at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel
• Format: in-person and livestreamed programming
• Purpose: fundraiser supporting Woodland Pattern’s operations and literary arts programming

Latine Hour programmed by Cárdenas and Harrison

Cárdenas and Harrison are among the curators for the 2026 marathon, including an evening segment titled Latine Hour scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 24. The program is slated to feature 11 poets, including Puerto Rican poet and translator Roque Raquel Salas Rivera and poet and educator Farid Matuk.

Woodland Pattern plans a move from Riverwest to Bay View

Woodland Pattern has announced plans to relocate later in 2026, moving from Riverwest to a building in the Bay View neighborhood that previously housed The Bindery, a bookbinding and printing business that closed in 2025. The organization has said the new site is expected to expand usable space substantially, allowing it to host more than one event at a time and accommodate larger programs.

Woodland Pattern has operated in Milwaukee since 1979 and has built a schedule of hundreds of public activities annually, including readings and interdisciplinary arts events.

What the moment reflects for Milwaukee’s arts ecosystem

The intersecting milestones—a statewide poet laureate role, a long-running community fundraiser, and an impending relocation—highlight how a small-press book center can function simultaneously as performance venue, gathering place, and nonprofit institution. For Cárdenas and Harrison, the upcoming marathon connects personal history with the continuing work of sustaining a space that has helped shape Milwaukee’s contemporary poetry community for decades.