WAUKESHA – Margaret Rozga, a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, has won a 2009 Independent Publishers’ national bronze medal award for her book, 200 Nights and One Day. The book of poetry recalls and re-tells the personal stories behind the open-housing marches in Milwaukee in the late 1960’s. It was published by Benu Press, Hopkins, Minn., and released in February.

More than 4,000 books were entered in the competition, and of those, 3,380 competed for national awards in 65 categories. There were 710 regional entries as well.

Although her poetry has been published widely, this is Rozga’s first book.

“I am, of course, delighted, even thrilled to have this recognition for 200 Nights and One Day,” Rozga said.  “The IPPY award, being national in scope, affirms the fact that while the poems in the book feature events that took place in Milwaukee, this Milwaukee story has much wider appeal.  It is also gratifying to me as a poet to have this recognition as a poet, given the high quality of other books in the competition.”

Le Roy Chappell, owner of Benu Press which published the book and submitted the award entry, commented: “We are a new press, so we are happy that the award raises our profile. However, we are more pleased with the conversations that this book has inspired. This collection reminds us how far we have come in a short period of time. Sometimes we forget that the battle for equal rights wasn’t black people against white people – this collection highlights how many interest groups worked together for meaningful change. Sometimes I get discouraged about the intolerance proudly displayed as patriotic – the collection teaches the rewards of perseverance in the fight for freedom.  As a black man in higher education, I had my own dues to pay, yet Peggy’s words remind me that the down-payment was made in 200 installments.”

Rozga, who has taught at UW-Waukesha since 1982, was widowed in 1984. She had been married to the leader of the marches, James Groppi.

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