Remington Roundup: #Listen, #Write, #Revise
Snow, snow, and more snow means time indoors curled up with your next story. This month’s roundup features links to a local event where you can hear great authors read theirs, information on an upcoming online writing course so you can write yours, and details on in-person writing critique groups in order to revise.
#LISTEN. The Stories Behind the Stories
The Stories Behind the Stories is a panel of authors moderated by Kim Suhr (Nothing To Lose) at NO Studios, a new creative hub near downtown Milwaukee. The panel includes authors Jennifer Trethewey (Tying the Scot) and Jessie Garcia (My Life with the Green and Gold), and more.
From the Event Page: “Share an afternoon with some of Milwaukee’s literary illuminati…. Laugh, ask questions, listen to excerpts, and find out more about their different paths to publication.”
When: Sunday, April 14th, 3-6pm. Where: NO Studios, 1037 W. McKinley Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NO Studios members attend for free; nonmembers pay $10. Proceeds from the event will help provide financial aid for youth of the Creative Writing Camps and for writers of Red Oak Writing. RSVP online.
#WRITE. Flash Nonfiction II: Write, critique. Rinse, repeat.
The next session of Flash Nonfiction II: Write, critique. Rinse, repeat is open for registration!
This 6-week writing-intensive course dives deeper into elements of flash nonfiction, such as voice and details, and specific elements of critique. We move through lessons and prompts quickly, so there’s no time to listen to that pesky inner editor.
If you love writing short and are looking for inspiration, community, and critique, join us! Information on the course and registration can be found HERE.
When: April 7-May 18th. Where: online. Registration closes on April 4th. Seats are filling up. Sign up soon!
#REVISE. Writers’ Roundtables at Red Oak Writing
You’ve listened to stories, you’ve signed up to write your own stories, you’re looking for a place to polish those stories for submissions. Red Oak Writing has a new batch of Roundtables perfect for gathering feedback from peers.
From Red Oak’s website: “Our experienced leaders are published writers who are also actively pursuing their own writing goals. They are committed to helping you reach your writing dreams — big project or small — fiction, nonfiction, plays or poetry.”
You can participate in-person or online. In person sessions run from March to April and May to June, Online schedule varies. Seats are limited here as well, so sign up soon!
When: Begins March 3rd. Where: In person at 11709 W. Cleveland Avenue, West Allis, Wisconsin or ONLINE. Sign up for two in-person sessions at once for a discounted fee!
Now, no excuses….
A New Year and New Possibilities
Okay, so we’re two months into the new year, but my announcement today, quietly in the works since November, can finally be shared.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I love bringing stories, books, debut authors, and great collections into the spotlight. And you know I’ve said more than once that stories matter. Meaning, most of my posts on books or authors don’t focus only on great reading but on seeing the world in a different way, on making connections, on moving us through challenging times with the work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Now I have an opportunity to go beyond simply blogging about books and authors.
A few years ago, a conversation over coffee, about my desire to bring the children’s story and artwork of Betty Sydow and Carolou Lennon Nelsen to print, grew into the first publishing project of Lisa Rivero at Hidden Timber Books.
After The Adventures of a Sparrow Named Stanley, my work with Lisa continued, as we collaborated on an anthology and I edited a collection of short stories. I could not be more proud and honored to have worked on all of these projects with Lisa.
She sought out the work of authors from quiet corners of the world and gave them a platform; she made space for stories, essays, and poems that speak to character, place, time, and the emotional connection of all three. She proved that a tiny press can do great, meaningful work that benefits writers and readers and the larger community.
A few months ago, I sat down with Lisa again to talk about the future of Hidden Timber Books.
After thoughtful and personal reflection, she has decided to step back from publishing to pursue other creative endeavors. Together, we brainstormed possibilities and found a way to carry on the spirit of the press.
(There’s a cool story, about the woman who inspired the name of the press; I can’t wait to share with you!)
As Lisa steps back, I am stepping in to continue the work she began.
I write to you today as not only an author, teacher, and editor but Publisher as well.
I know, right?
You’ll still find me here, crafting weekly blog posts, posting author interviews, all the things I love to do. But you’ll also find me at Hidden Timber Books.
Many thanks to Lisa for being a wonderful role model (then and now), a true confidant, and a wise sounding board–in publishing and writing alike. I am grateful and honored to build on what she founded.
Stop by Lisa’s website to read about one of my favorites of her personal projects.
And stop by Hidden Timber Books to sign up for the newsletter, so you’ll receive early updates on events, giveaways, calls for submissions, and new releases.
I’m truly excited, nervous of course, but what I love most about taking on this new venture is that I don’t have to rush into or through anything. As in most things life and writing, I get to focus on the journey, the next project; I can delight in the work, as I discover your next story.