Culture

Literary Corner Authors

Get to know more about the authors appearing at Milwaukee Irish Fest's Literary Corner!

Malinda Andrews

Malinda Andrews is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over a dozen published works and holds a BA in Creative Writing from UW-Milwaukee. She balances her day job and writing and publishing, all while caring for her three young children.

Greg Rappleye

Greg Rappleye’s poems have previously appeared in POETRY, The Southern Review, The North American Review, Arts & Letters, Shenandoah, Virginia Quarterly Review, Water-Stone Review, and many other journals. His second collection, A Path Between Houses (University of Wisconsin Press, 2000), won the Brittingham Prize. His third book, Figured Dark (University of Arkansas Press, 2007), was published in the Miller Williams Poetry Series. His fourth collection,

Tropical Landscape with Ten Hummingbirds (Dos Madres Press, 2018) won the Arts & Letters Prize for Poetry. His fifth collection, Barley Child (University Arkansas Press, 2025), concerning his Irish Catholic family’s experiences in America, won the 2025 Miller Williams.

Valerie Biel

Valerie Biel writes books for middle-grade to adult audiences—stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her award-winning young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by Celtic mythology, Irish legend, and the magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. As a frequent traveler to Ireland, she incorporates as many real locations in her stories as possible.

She’s also the author of other award-winning novels: Haven (contemporary middle grade) and Beyond the Cemetery Gate (mystery/suspense). She helps fellow authors with their book promotion and marketing and frequently teaches writing workshops to students of all ages.

When Valerie’s away from the computer, you might find her wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world—often for The World Orphan Fund charity she runs with her husband. Once upon a time, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. She lives with her husband on a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old farm in rural Dodge County, Wisconsin, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write. You can follow along with her adventures at ValerieBiel.com.

Leora O'Carroll

Leora O'Carroll is an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer of documentaries and news programming. She co-authored with her mother, Maureen O'Carroll, A Musical Memoir of an Irish Immigrant Childhood. Selected for IrishCentral's "Ultimate Irish Reading List," the memoir recounts Maureen's experiences growing up in a large Irish immigrant family during the Depression and World War Two in Sydney, Australia. A graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory, Leora is also a musician and currently serves on the Cultural Affairs Commission in Culver City, CA.

Keith Corcoran

Keith Corcoran is a seanchaí, following in the ancient Irish tradition of storytelling. His wise and engaging voice is the voice of millennia of oral storytelling. He is the teller who preserves the myths and legends of his people and passes them on to succeeding generations. With his books, Keith has researched, preserved, and passed on a range of wondrous, mystifying, and sometimes frightening tales from County Donegal—located on Ireland’s remote Wild Atlantic edge.

He has strange stories of ship-sinking witches, haunted islands, banshees, and phantom hitchhikers, as well as enchanting Celtic legends. Keith has collected fascinating insights from five years of field research for his new book investigating historically related fairy folklore, as well as enduring beliefs and customs. He reveals how this ancient belief system may yet prove relevant in developing a deeper sense of connection to our world.