writerly world: news & tidbits

August 2024

In this issue: small town vibes; masters’ series writing courses; writing in solidarity; writing conference sessions; caregivers; lit submissions; artist/writing residency; and more!

Late father-in-law’s rolltop desk + farm pastel by John Pascoe (pascoestudio.com)

all about town

I’m writing as window-rattling helicopters fly overhead to extinguish nearby grassfires, which veil summer-yellow Sonoma hills in haze. This week I offered these writing prompts in my AWA workshop:

1. What if …

2. What to put in your “go-bag” for an uncertain future? (offered by Rabbi Margaret Holub at our Jewish women’s retreat)

3. Go outside. Listen. Visualize.

That was before smoke choked the air. I’m fortunate to have written about fire seasons hosting evacuees rather than evacuating. I have yet to fill a go-bag. My only packing (to move or to travel) is by choice, not by force of nature or war.

Recently I wrote about renting a Heritage Home after selling the family farm where Kristen and I spent our first 15 years together—depicted in the painting by John Pascoe, whose home and artist studio burned down in 2017. Her father’s rolltop desk is one of multiple photos I took on request for interior pics that feature furniture and decor, but ultimately wasn’t included in this Aug. 7 piece for Apartment Therapy:

I Was Priced Out of Buying in My Hometown, But I Decided to Stay as a Renter

After it was published, my wife’s brother in Colorado texted that he’d read it via a friend in Japan whose colleague shared the link. Local author and journalist, Joy Lanzendorfer, told me it popped up in her feed with this mention from Sonoma Magazine: Petaluma Was Listed as One of the Vibiest Towns in America!

What exactly makes a town “vibey”? The word isn’t (yet) in the dictionary, but Merriam-Webster defines vibe as “a distinctive feeling or quality capable of being sensed.” According to Apartment Therapy’s Vibiest Towns list and quiz:

“Cool, artsy, active, community-centered — so many things can mean ‘vibey,’ but ultimately it's all about how you feel when you're there.”

I’m not sure about that criteria for those other 14, but I pitched my story in response to a call for how local areas outside of major cities impact one’s home and style. Since I noted Petaluma’s (lack of) affordability, my editor emphasized that angle. I agreed, even if the final draft mentioned our dilemma more than I might have.

As a freelance editor for Viator, I’m familiar with reshaping sentences in an article to suit a company’s style and voice. So it was interesting to find myself on the flip side with insertions like “Making a rental feel like your own can be tough.” As someone who feels at home fairly quickly (my aunt calls it “getting nesty”), that phrasing seemed more like brand-speak. But, on our back-and-forth revisions my editor was careful to get my approval. Ultimately, I released my grip on each line being mine:

“Personal touches make any house a home, but I love how our home’s decor tells the story of Petaluma, our family, and our history as a couple.”

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off assignment

Last month I mentioned an excellent class I took online called “Writing the Modern Love Essay,” a Masters’ Series Course from Off Assignment. Upcoming classes include Writing About Family with Priscilla Gilman (September 3 -24), Writing Trauma with Margo Steines (October 1-22), Navigating Literary Publicity with Lauren Cerand (October 2-23), and Writing This Warming World with Meera Subramanian (November 3-24). Each course features several top-notch guest authors (Maggie Smith! Safiya Sinclair! Dani Shapiro! Athena Dixon! Lacy Johnson! And more.)

Cost: $400 per 4-week course. A limited number of scholarships may be available.

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writing in solidarity

Emily Stoddard’s Poetry Bulletin lists writing resources in support of or in solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide in the war on Gaza, including Workshops for Gaza—a network of autonomous writers, artists, and educators organizing online classes:

• Beyond the Braided Essay with Tajja Isen, Sept. 8

• Who’s This: Writing the Profile Piece with E. Alex Jung, Sept. 10

• Aesthetics of Resistance with Bela Shayevich, starts Sept. 22

• Comix for a New World with Leila Abdelrazaq, Sept. 29

Donated proceeds help individual Palestinian families, such as Hamza Salha, a 22-year-old English literature student and aspiring journalist wounded in Gaza.

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writer incubation

Literary Cleveland's Inkubator Writing Conference is one of the largest free writing conferences in the country, providing workshops, craft talks, panel discussions, readings, and more to empower writers, celebrate literary excellence, and amplify diverse voices. The theme of the 10th annual conference is “Create Dangerously,” taken from the work of keynote speaker Edwidge Danticat:

In times of national and global conflict when silence can sometimes seem like the safer choice, writers lead with courage by addressing difficult topics or speaking truth to power. In this spirit we will be holding panels on book bans, trans writing, Black masculinity, war, and more.

The Inkubator kicks off September 16-18 with three VIRTUAL panels featuring Hanif Abdurraqib and Christina Sharpe on attention and accumulation in nonfiction, Stephen Graham Jones with Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. on Indigenous dark fiction, and Ruth Awad with Maggie Smith on poetry and possibility.

Register on Eventbrite. I did! (Thanks to J.J. Wilson for this resource.)

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caregiver project

Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) is offering two 4-week series of online writing sessions for caregivers this fall. The Caregiver Project is for those who, in taking on the care of another, may have lost much of their former lifestyle and the social activities and supports that were in it. Whether you're caregiving personally, professionally, or have previously been in a caregiving role, these groups are a place to find community and to process experience, all while exploring creativity.

Wednesdays, 10am–12pm Pacific, September 18 to October 9 and/or October 16 to November 6. $80 for 4 sessions. Financial assistance is available.

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paid sub opps

Griffith Review:
Currently accepting non-fiction pitches for GR Online, an online publishing platform showcasing short (1,000-1,500 words) pieces of commentary and critique that engage with contemporary culture, literature, politics and more.

Submissions close on Sept. 8; accepted writers notified by Oct.
PAY: $500 per article

Electric Literature:
Personal Narrative is looking for personal essays between 2,000 and 6,500 words. No restrictions on form or subject matter; submissions should center narrative and consider what it means to essay; in other words, write to interrogate, investigate, adventure, and introspect.

Submissions open Sept. 3–17 (capped at 750 submissions).
PAY: $100 per essay

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in cahoots

In Cahoots Residency, located in pastoral Petaluma, welcomes printmakers, book artists, letterpress printers and writers to apply for its next residency period. Individuals or collaborative teams or groups of up to 5 are encouraged to apply:

A portfolio of 8–10 images of artwork (or 1–3 writing samples; totaling 10 pages or less) is required along with a CV and answers to application questions:

• Introduction, description of creative process, project proposal, specific equipment needs, and prior experience with this equipment.

Residency director, Macy Chadwick, is a professional artist with 25 years of experience in printmaking, letterpress and book arts. And she’s delightful!!

Deadline: October 1 for residencies between June & December, 2025.
$25 application fee. Full and partial grant awards are available.

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power of story

Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) is offering another online professional development retreat this October 5–6 for workshop facilitators. However, both the Keynote Address and the Masterclass—by poet, teacher, speaker, and writing facilitator Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer—are open to the public. The retreat theme is The Power of Story: Reclaiming Our Voices, Together.

Registration is open:

Keynote Address, 11-12pm Eastern / 8-9am Pacific: $10
The Art of Not Being Good: Creating Space for Authenticity

Master Class, 1-3:30pm Eastern / 10am-12:30pm Pacific: $20
Sorrom: How Writing Helps Us Show Up in Difficult Times

Sign up for a Writer Membership and both are included at registration!

AWA Writer members get to join eight AWA-sponsored online writing sessions for free annually! They also get a discount on the newly-launched Blue Pencil sessions.

I’m facilitating this panel discussion on lit subs right after the Masterclass:

Publication in Literary Magazines: Finding Readers for Your Writing
With so many lit mags and journals publishing short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and mixed-genre work, finding the right fit for your genre, style, and voice can feel daunting. Learn about a few literary venues—including submission strategies and tracking tools—during this panel Q&A with Barbara Krasner, Suzanne Rancourt, Alexis Collazo, and Tina Egnoski. Facilitated by Nicole R. Zimmerman.