November Announcements
From My Writerly World
“Discovered” Exhibit: Opening Reception
Friday, Nov. 22, 5:00-7:00pm
Museum of Sonoma County: 435 7th Street, Santa Rosa
Join me for the opening reception of “Discovered: Emerging Artists of Sonoma
County,” an exhibition that features 10 literary and visual artists—recipients of the 2019 Discovered Awards produced by Creative Sonoma. An excerpt of my essay "Love, Unconditional" is included in the catalog.
The goals of the awards program are to recognize excellence in the visual and literary arts, foster professionalism and increase exposure for emerging visual artists and writers, and to cultivate public awareness and appreciation of the role of creativity in our community.
The exhibit, which runs through Feb. 2, 2020 includes readings, workshops, and panel discussions (see below). A touch-screen display of excerpts was created by Culture Pop Films with an abstract composite including soundbites and graphics playing on a loop.
Going Public with Personal or Political Work: A Panel Discussion
Thursday, Dec. 12, 7:00-8:30pm
Museum of Sonoma County: 435 7th Street, Santa Rosa
Discovered artists Leilani Clark, Ash Hay, Nestor Torres Lupercio, and I will share our experiences and insight on going public:
“Literary and visual artwork can be a natural medium to explore topics that may be controversial, very personal, or just uncomfortable to talk about. Choosing to present this work can be socially alienating, or even dangerous for some. It can also be profoundly rewarding.”
Michael Shapiro (see his book launch below!) will moderate.
Free for museum members/Non-members $10 pre-pay ($15 at the door)
Click HERE to register
At October’s Penngrove Reading Series I read a personal essay titled “Late Bloomer” to a wonderfully receptive audience. It was also a blast reading an excerpt on Australia for Travel Tales at The Sitting Room, a volunteer-run library located near Sonoma State University. Co-founder J.J. Wilson said my piece got “rave reviews”!
In preparation for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and its Young Writers Program, I was invited to the 7th/8th grade Humanities class at The Spring Hill School in Petaluma (where my wife teaches science). I discussed the writing process, read excerpts from my own writing, and shared an exercise on character development using old photographs as prompts.
The Creative Spark: book launch & signing
Saturday, Nov. 9, at 4pm
Book Passage: 51 Tamal Vista Rd., Corte Madera
Celebrate the Bay Area launch for The Creative Spark: How musicians, writers, explorers, and other artists found their inner fire and followed their dreams. Journalist Michael Shapiro, who also wrote A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk about Their Craft, spent more than a decade conducting interviews with luminaries like Barbara Kingsolver, David Sedaris, and Amy Tan. The result: a fine collection of conversations about the creative process.
I met Michael years ago at the bookstore's annual Travel Writers & Photographers Conference, where he serves on the faculty. He helped me to launch my own writing career with manuscript coaching on a travel essay about parading in Rio's Carnival, later published in an Ultimate Guide to the World special issue of the Los Angeles Times.
Shut Up & Write!™
Drop in for an hour of writing on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM at JavAmore Cafe in Penngrove. We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. No one will see what you've written. Instead of just thinking about it, come and get some real writing done.
RSVP at Meetup. It’s free! Please arrive 15 minutes early.
AWA Workshops
I am an AWA Affiliate, certified to facilitate workshops in the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method, which defines a writer simply as "someone who writes." The philosophy: Writing is an art form that belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level. Every writer deserves a safe environment in which to experiment, learn craft, and develop their unique voice.
Stay tuned for announcements on upcoming writing workshops, and let me know if you're interested.
Contact me at https://www.nicolerzimmerman.com/