I walk through the door to Downtown’s beloved Dotters Books for what might reasonably be the hundredth or so time.

My belly is full from the fat bowl of ramen I pounded after my three-and-a-half-hour drive south, and the bitter breeze is the only one who follows me in. I’m characteristically early, the only soul in the store besides one of the headliners & a lone employee, so I lend a hand with set up. After we arrange the chairs just so, I feel a chill cut through the room & glance to see who’s joining us. Walking through the door, warmth radiating from his easy grin, is one of my favorite people in this town: Dan Lyksett. I’m certain I’m not the only one who holds him in such high esteem.

When I finally left the Twin Cities & landed a little closer to home on a farm in Colfax, I received a message that felt as good, if not better, than a warm hug in the dead of winter. Along with well wishes for my well-worth-the-wait return, he proclaimed “we will cross paths again soon, but in the meantime, remember to wiggle your toes and smile whenever you find yourself standing on solid ground.”

I carried this sentiment with me like a talisman through that time of transition, & it grounded me in a summer full of change, both joyous & uncomfortable. Now, a season or so later, as predicted, our paths finally crossed. I haven’t seen Dan in more than a handful of years, but when we embrace in the entrance of a place brimming with our mutual love, literature, it’s like no time has passed. We catch up amongst the shelves, and celebrate each other’s wins, both writing related & otherwise. In a time that’s been tumultuous at the least, and downright dismal at worst, seeing him is a bright spot I so desperately needed.

I met Dan almost a decade ago at Cirenaica, a bygone writing retreat created & facilitated by the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. In the forests of Fall Creek, me, 10 other artists, and our writer-in-residence, Nickolas Butler, honed our craft, shared our stories, both fictional & from the heart, and, most fruitfully, formed friendships that have lasted through space and time.

" 'we will cross paths again soon, but in the meantime, remember to wiggle your toes and smile whenever you find yourself standing on solid ground.' "

KD HACKWORTHY

That first year, I was one of the youngest writers there by decades, save one other fellow UW-Eau Claire student I’d never met before. I was nervous, having rarely shared my writing with others, and was acutely aware I possessed little formal workshop experience. Dan, with his sweetly straightforward nature, made me feel instantly at ease. I’d always flocked towards friendships with older folks, even when I was a kid, and this was no different. Along with Dan, I chatted about books with Marty, a retired lit professor from the university, and sipped beer after beer around the fire until even the stars were begging for some shut eye. 

One of the grounding forces of the residency, Dan brought his own cases of Leinenkugel's to share around the campfire, and his sense of calm seemed to cover the group in a kind of lived-in coziness that permeated our long weekend. You never know what you’re gonna get when you toss a random group of artists together, and we were more than lucky with the folks we ended up creating a community with. There was a special sauce amidst that flock of fiction writers – the kind that’s outlived the very residency it was concocted in – and Dan was no small part of making it taste pretty damn delicious.

At Cirenaica, I created connections I’ve coveted through the years, including with one of the first Queer folks I encountered outside of my childhood friend group, and with our fearless leader, Nick. When we reminisce about the memories made there, though, one name undoubtedly rises to the top, and that’s Dan Lyksett. His presence is infinitely palpable in our lives, even when we haven’t crossed paths in years, and that’s a testament to the immense care he brings to his cherished community. We are all so damn delighted to be a part of it.