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Member, Wisconsin Writers Association
Member, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets
Lifetime Member, Broom Street Theater
Affiliate, Bookshop.org
LATEST NEWS:
Not a lot of writing has been done lately as Callen recently had surgery to remove his gall bladder and to remove a cancerous tumor on his liver. A few days before the surgery, he fell and broke five ribs, so it's been a bit of a tough month. Chemotherapy will be starting in mid-October. But there is still writing and submitting to do and that will continue as energy permits.
Callen's essay, Is Tucker Carlson a fake straight man, was published online by Our Lives Magazine in September.
Callen delivered the keynote speech at Paths to Healing, a conference for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence held at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha. It was held the last weekend of June.
Navin Nuri, a Winter Solstice Story by Callen was published in the June issue of Creative Wisconsin Magazine, published by the Wisconsin Writers Association.
Callen's newest book, A Survivor's Guide to Living, is now available. It was released on his birthday, May 27. The book uses Callen's several survivor experiences as the backdrop for talking about living life now instead of saving experiences for a retirement that may never come.
Callen's very first book, My Queer Life, is now available as an audio book. It is computer-generated, but mostly sounds good (it fails a little on the poetry pieces). Callen may record it in his own voice later, but for now it makes the book available to those who prefer or need audio books.
On Thinning Ice, an essay Callen wrote about a hike across Lake Superior to view the ice caves, has been accepted by Belt Publishing for an upcoming anthology on the Great Lakes. Publication will be in 2026.
Callen is now on Bluesky.
Callen attended the Wisconsin Writers Association annual convention for the first time the last weekend of October, 2024. It was held in LaCrosse and featured some great workshops and guest speakers.
Callen has signed on as an affiliate with Bookshop.org. This website gives a commission to the author on every book sold and also gives the profits to an independent bookstore selected by the buyer from a list of hundreds of independent bookstores around the country. Visit his Bookshop affiliate page to buy books, while supporting a writer and independent bookstores. Disclosure: Callen is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Callen's newest book A Survivor's Guide to Living is a book about living your life and experiencing it to the fullest no matter what that might mean to you. He uses his own survivor experiences to illustrate how short life can be and to encourage you to live a life that will leave you happier throughout.
Callen's play, Triggered, is a play about the impact of violence on several characters.
Callen's book, Talking Spirits, is work from an annual cemetery tour sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. It features actors portraying some of the people buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison. Callen wrote and directed the monologues and short pieces for the first six years of the event.
Callen's 2023 book, Signs of Pride: Wisconsin Towns and Their Claims to Fame, is a look at the how and why of Wisconsin towns' claims to fame.
Callen's two books of essays are companion volumes on a variety of topics. Bleeding Heart is a collection of political pieces, including general observations and notes, queer issues, open letters, and race issues.
Callen's two books of essays are companion volumes on a variety of topics. A Full Heart, is a collection of pieces on topics ranging from nature to war and peace, from health and well-being to life and death, and more.
Callen's first book of poetry, Compendium, is a collection of about 80 poems covering a variety of subjects and emotions.
"Harty's intensely personal essays were published online at the time, and this collection--coinciding with the uprising's 10-year anniversary--captures the passion behind the history."--Michael Popke, The Isthmus, Dec. 4, 2021.
Callen's play, A Wake, is about an Irish Catholic family that decides to hold an old-fashioned Irish wake for a cousin who was killed when he ran into a cow and the insanity that ensues as a result. The play is an entertaining examination of family, religion, death, and life.
Callen's family history book, The Townsend Brothers of Shullsburg, Wisconsin, is a look at his great-great-grandfather and brothers who were among the earliest settlers in southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois.
Callen's book, The Stronger Pull, is a memoir on his coming out years in the late 1970s in small-town Wisconsin.
Callen's play, Invisible Boy, is an autobiographical play on surviving child sex abuse, finding oneself, and finding forgiveness.
"Written simply and with shattering honesty, Empty Playground is a compelling read, and surprisingly uplifting."--Bill Lueders, The Isthmus, Jan. 21, 2016.
Callen's first book is My Queer Life, a collection of essays, poems, scenes from plays, speeches, and other writings detailing more than thirty years as a queer community activist.
About 850 others are following or have liked Callen's Facebook author page. Visit Callen Harty, Author
On Goodreads you can follow him at Callen's Goodreads author page
Callen is no longer on Twitter/X, but is on Bluesky.
To view/purchase some of Callen's photography, check out his page on FineArtAmerica. 
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
All material on this and other web pages within this website are copyright 2006-25, Callen Harty. For further information, please contact charty@tds.net.
Site last updated 10/4/25