Last year, with its debut literary festival, the group known as Cracked Walnut promised a reading a day for a full month. This year they're doing almost as well: The second literary series debuts on Wednesday, April 2, and will run through May 7 with readings if not every single day, at least several times a week.

Cracked Walnut is the brainchild of Hamline University MFA candidate Satish P. Jayaraj, who found himself surrounded by writers (no surprise, in an MFA program) and was looking for a way to establish a venue for reading.

This year's 25 readings will take place in coffee shops, galleries, libraries, museums, a hospital, and other offbeat places--mainly in the Twin Cities, but also in Duluth and Rochester--and will include more than 100 writers. Each reading carries a different theme.

The lineup includes poets Tim Nolan, Ethna McKiernan, Adrienne Miller, Ryan Vine, Margaret Hasse and Matt Mauch. (Full disclosure: I am reading, too.) The list is still being firmed up and you can check back at www.crackedwalnut.com for updates.

Here's the whole list, current as of today:

Wednesday April 2nd 7:00 pm (Mirror Mirror on the Wall)

Underground music Café 'Coffee Grounds' (1579 Hamline Ave N, St Paul, MN 55108)

featuring: Laurie Hertzel, Kelly Hansen Maher, Maya Washington, Nick Metcalf,

Chilli Lor, Hawona Sullivan Janzen

Thursday April 3rd 7:00 pm (Richfield CW Festival Reading)

Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave S Minneapolis, Minnesota 55423)

featuring: Vanessa Ramos, Anika Fajardo, Philip Simondet, Ted King,

Lorissa Gottschalk, Maggie Ryan Sandford,

Friday April 4th 20th 7:00 pm (Hooked)

The Coffee Shop Ne (2852a Johnson St. NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418)

featuring: Creating community in average spaces through the magic of spoken literature, Evan Kingston, Laura Theobald
Patrick Werle, Mary Harold, Sharkhooks

Saturday April 5th 7:00pm (What Does Your Fox Say)

Blackdog Coffee and Wine Bar (308 Prince Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101)

featuring: Wendy Skinner, Mona Susan Power, Ardie Medina,

Brian Baumgart, Marjorie Hakala, George J Farrah

Sunday April 6th 11:00 am (Fitting In)

Black Sheep Coffee Cafe (705 Southview Boulevard, South Saint Paul, Minnesota 55075)

featuring: Pam Schmid, Andrea Jenkins, Lisa Ann Pierce, Kimberly Eridon
Chris Vaughan, Jennifer Bowen Hicks, Andrew Cleary

Wednesday April 9th10:20am (Amplatz Children's Hospital CW Festival Reading)

U of M Amplatz Children's Hospital (2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454)

featuring: Rebecca Ramsden, Bruce Peck, Satish Jayaraj, Anne Sawyer-Aitch

Thursday April 10th 7:00 pm (It's a Wonderful Life)

J. Arthur's Coffee (2441 Rice Street, Roseville, Minnesota 55113)

featuring: Paula Cisewski, Sarah Turner, Margaret Hasse
River Urke, Jamie Hagg, Kevin Hershey, Mindy Mejia

Friday April 11th 7:00 pm (Legacy and Heritage)

Royal Grounds (4161 Grand Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409)

featuring: Sandra Evans, Chay Douangphouxay, Kris Bigalk

Saturday April 12th 7:00 pm (St Thomas Academy CW Festival Reading)

St Thomas Academy (949, Mendota Heights, MN 55120)

featuring: Donna Isaac, Satish Jayaraj, Michael Kiesow Moore, Tom Ferderer

Sunday April 13th 7:00 pm (Rochester CW Festival Reading)

C4 Creative Salon (324 1st St SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55902)

featuring: Daniel Solis, Emily Urness, Steven Vogel, Josh Fischer, Katrina Wollet, Matt Dahl

Monday April 14th 7:00 pm (Be a Lady)

Diamonds Coffee Shoppe (1618 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413)

Featuring: Patricia Francisco, IBé, Matt Mauch, Rebecca Song
David Stein, Krisanne Dattir, Jenny McDougal

Thursday April 17th 7:00 pm (Divinity and Humor)

Angry Catfish Bicycle and Coffee Bar (Angry Catfish Bicycle and Coffee Bar)

featuring: Linda White, Kate Lynn Hibbard, Kristin Laurel, Benjamin Kowalsky,

Bryan Mazo, Lennon Sundance


Friday April 18th 7:00 pm (Home and Away)

Cahoots Coffee Bar (1562 Selby Ave Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104)

featuring: Jen March, Michael Dean, Ka Zoua Vang,

Louis Murphy, Darci Schummer

Saturday April 19th 7:00 pm (Duluth CW Festival Reading)

Prøve Gallery (21 N Lake Ave, 21 N Lake Ave, Duluth, MN 55802)

featuring: Ryan Vine, Satish Jayaraj, Felicia Schneiderhan

Monday April 21st 7:00 pm (Be a Man)

Hamline Midway Library (1558 W Minnehaha Ave, St Paul, MN 55104)

featuring: Andrew Blissenbach, Colin Mcdonald, Kate Shuknecht,

Ariane Sandford, Thomas Rohde, Moheb Soliman

Friday April 25th 7:00 pm (#phobia)

Hillside Chapel (2610 19th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418)

featuring: Leslie Adrienne Miller, Paul Canada,

Karen Youso, Sarah Hayes, Lisa Brimmer

Saturday April 26th 1:00 pm (Urbanization)

Mill City Museum (704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401)

Featuring: Saymoukda Vongsay, Tim Nolan, Carla Hagen,

Tracy Harris, Amy Salloway

Sunday April 27th 4:00pm (War and Strife)

Boneshaker Books (2002 23rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404)

featuring: Ethna Mckiernan, Khary Jackson, Dain Ingebretson,

Wednesday April 30th 7:00 pm (Beware the Elements)

Fireroast Café (3800 37th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406)

Thursday May 1st 7:00 PM (The Final Frontier)

Solar Arts Building ( 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413)

Paula Cisewski, Alison Morse, Chris Title,

Paige Riehl, Peter Stein, Lynne Kuechle,

Friday May 2nd 7:00 PM (Year of the Horse)

Solomon's Porch(100 W 46th St, Minneapolis, MN 55419)

Featuring: Victoria Peterson Hilleque, (more to come)

Saturday May 3rd 1:00 PM (Masks of Power)

Books and Tea(325 West 7th Street, St Paul, MN 55102)

Sunday May 4th 7:00 PM (Good and Evil)

Café Bene(53 Cleveland Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105)

featuring: Josh Wodarz (more to come)

Tuesday May 6th 7:00 PM (The Witching Hour)

Claddagh Coffee (459 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55102)

Wednesday May 7th 6:00 PM (Transmutation)

Peace Coffee shop Wonderland Park(3262 Minnehaha Ave. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406)