Artist Bio
Cole W. Williams is the author of Hear the River Dammed: Poems from the Edge of the Mississippi (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2017) as well as several books for children. Her poems have appeared in Martin Lake Journal, Indolent Books online, Waxing & Waning, Harpy Hybrid Review, WINK, and other journals, as well as in a number of anthologies. Williams is a student in the MFA program at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.
Author Engagements
Augsburg University MFA in Creative Writing 2019-2021
The Loft Literary Center teacher Summer 2020 in creative nonfiction
Coffee House Press Internship Spring 2020
Howling Bird Press Volunteer Reading Manuscripts
Bakken Museum guest author readings and presentation
Poetry and book club teacher, Creators Space summer 2018, Writing Ambassador position summer 2018
Taught Write and Stay Writing and Exploring Poetry at WOW Writing Conference September 2018
Taught Working with a Publicist at Rosemount Literary Festival, 2018.
Five books published and available online
Recipient of multiple book awards including two Nautilus Awards
Member of LOMP: League of Minnesota Poets
Member of WOW: Women of Words
Member of The Loft Literary Center
NaNoWriMo 2017
Attended Iowa Writing Festival 2018
HEP Annual Meeting Keynote speaker
FOP2 guest speaker
Err Artists event at Honey, Mpls live poetry reading
Water & Environment Advocacy Engagements
Board Member South Washington Watershed District Elected 2021-
Board member, FOP2 Friends of Pool2 2017-2018
Member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for South Washington Watershed District
Minnesota Water Steward graduate from the 2017-2018 program, ongoing
Recipient of multiple grants including Clean Water Fund, Washington County Conservation District, South Washington Watershed District with MWS program
Installation of a plug prairie (5,500 sq. ft.) shoreline buffer along the Mississippi River
Installation of a broad seed prairie (quarter acres) along Mississippi River
Community organizer of Mississippi River clean-ups including coordinating sponsorship through TerraCycle and Bridgstone
Aquatic Invasive Species certified Detector
Wrote and secured a 1Mississippi grant for FOP2 and organized the 2018 annual Reach the River meeting and Letter Writing Party for members
FMR Friends of the Mississippi River volunteer
LPLA Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance Member
FOP2 supporter
HEP, Hastings Environmental Protectors member
Organized Night for the River in St. Louis with Dean Klinkenberg and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment
Avid volunteer for Great River Greening, The Xerxes Society, Mississippi Park Connection and more