Public reading honors Norton Stillman's 90th birthday

Even if you've never met Norton Stillman, if you are a reader, he has almost certainly touched your life.

At present, he's the publisher of Nodin Press, a small Twin Cities press that publishes poetry, essays, biographies, Minnesota books and all kinds of others — everyone from the Strib's former columnist Jim Klobuchar to poets Cary Waterman, Sharon Chmielarz and Freya Manfred, to memoirist Mary Moore Easter.

Before that, the man of a million careers (all literary) owned Micawber's Books in St. Paul for many years, and before that he was The Bookman — that is, co-founder of The Bookmen distributor back in 1962. He was honored with the Kay Sexton Award from the Minnesota Book Awards in 1995.

This month's Readings by Writers at the University Club in St. Paul will focus on writers Stillman has published, with brief readings from 16 authors, including former State Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen, reading series moderator Tim Nolan, Chmielarz, Easter, Manfred, Waterman and others.

And — there will be birthday cake (of course).

Laurie Hertzel is senior editor for books at the Star Tribune.

Birthday reading for Norton Stillman

When: 7 p.m. April 18.

Where: University Club, 420 Summit Av., St. Paul.