INTERTWINED INSPIRATION. Lorine Niedecker left a significant legacy as a Wisconsin poet, though she lived a 'quiet, anonymous life' in southeastern Wisconsin's Fort Atkinson. PBS Wisconsin is set to explore Niedecker's life and legacy with Eau Claire native Nicholas Gulig in "Welcome Poets." (Submitted photos)

PBS Wisconsin invites viewers to explore the state from a different lens in its forthcoming series, “Welcome Poets.” With Eau Claire native and former Wisconsin State Poet Laureate Nicholas Gulig leading the way, the series’ six episodes will traverse the life and work of late 20th century Wisconsin poet Lorine Niedecker.

“Welcome Poets” is slated to premiere on Friday, Sept. 12, with two episodes released at 8am. Following the premiere, viewers can expect one new episode each Friday at 8:30am, through Oct. 10.

As shared by PBS Wisconsin, while Wisconsin’s contributions to American poetry are often overlooked, Niedecker’s works are some of the most significant among them.

“Welcome Poets” will examine the impact both Niedecker and Gulig have had on the history of Wisconsin literature through a combination of contemporary documentary footage, historical reenactments, video collage, and archival materials.

“We each stand on ground that’s given and prepared for us by others,” Gulig said in a recent media release. “This is especially true for writers. Moving to Lorine Niedecker’s hometown taught me how to write again and gave me back my state.”

“(The series) illustrates how Niedecker and her poems made Fort Atkinson a beacon for poets like Gulig, who went on to win the Wisconsin People & Ideas poetry contest twice (in 2017 and 2023), publish three poetry collections (including the award-winning books Orient and The Other Altar), and become Wisconsin’s first Asian American Poet Laureate,” the media release states.

PBS Wisconsin’s Colin Crowley calls “Welcome Poets” a unique multimedia project utilizing a novel approach to bring the words of Niedecker and Gulig to life. “Our hope for this web series is that it will inspire our audience to gain a greater appreciation of the role that poetry can play in defining the meaning we give to our lives and to the places we call home,” Crowley said.

“Welcome Poets” will be streamed at pbswisconsin.org/welcomepoets and on the free PBS app available on all streaming devices and smart TVs.

2023-24 Wisconsin State Poet Laureate Nicholas Gulig, pictured.

Previews of each "Welcome Poets" episode, shared by PBS Wisconsin:

• Fort Atkinson – Premieres 8am Friday, Sept. 12
  • Upon returning to his home state of Wisconsin after living overseas, a chance encounter with a surprising sign leads Gulig to reflect on how Niedecker’s legacy makes Fort Atkinson a special place in the history of American poetry.
• Lorine Niedecker – Premieres 8am Friday, Sept. 12
  • While Niedecker lived a quiet, anonymous life in the early 20th century, the groundbreaking poetry she wrote in her small cabin on the Rock River has made an impact in faraway places more than 50 years later.
• Eau Claire – Premieres 8:30am Friday, Sept. 19
  • Gulig grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with a collection of friends who were part of a unique art, music and literary scene during the 1990s and early 2000s that combined the aesthetics of rural Wisconsin with the “do-it-yourself” ethics of punk rock.
• Lorine the Artist – Premiers 8:30am Friday, Sept. 26
  • Niedecker’s intense work continues from the middle of the 20th century through the 1960s, crafting “gems of poetry from Wisconsin” through a life of quiet inspiration in a cabin on the Rock River, until a life change enables her to take trips to places that inspire a new direction in her poetry. 
• Poet Laureate – Premieres 8:30am Friday, Oct. 3
  • Having dedicated his life to poetry as a professor and published poet, Gulig reflects on how Niedecker’s legacy has impacted his life and achievements while he brings poetry to the public as the 2023-24 Wisconsin State Poet Laureate.
• Lake Superior – Premieres 8:30am Friday, Oct. 10
  • Gulig dives deeper into Niedecker’s legacy by setting off on the road to retrace her 1966 trip that inspired the first poem of hers that he ever read, “Lake Superior.”

"Welcome Poets" – which highlights famed 20th century Wisconsin poet Lorine Niedecker (1903-1970) – can be viewed at pbswisconsin.org/welcomepoets and on PBS Wisconsin's YouTube channel. The series will debut at 8am on Friday, Sept. 12, with subsequent episodes released each Friday thereafter at 8:30am, through Oct. 10.