Write Around The World: February 2025

Amherst Writers is offering a monthlong marathon of writing groups in February (previously running throughout the month of May) as a fundraiser for AWA programs. Each session is by donation ($20–$40). I’ve volunteered to lead 4 single workshops on a theme. During each 2-hour session we’ll follow the AWA method, mirroring what’s strong and memorable in one another’s writing. No critiques or suggestions!

My sessions are posted to the AWA calendar: Prompted by Literary Publications: Using submission calls to spark writing Friday, February 7, 10am–12pm Pacific We’ll write to prompts provided by literary journals seeking new pieces. You're introduced to several literary outlets, either as a possible home for your work or simply for your reading pleasure — whether or not you choose to submit any poetry or prose for consideration. Writing As Spiritual Practice (on Super Bowl Sunday) Sunday, February 9, 10am–12pm Pacific Whether or not you catch the game, let’s spend the morning writing in contemplation. Taking inspiration from AWA founder Pat Schneider’s book, How the Light Gets In: Writing as Spiritual Practice, we’ll draw upon wise words from several traditions. LGBTQ+ Community Valentines Day: Practicing “S(h)elf-Love” Friday, February 14, 9am–11am Pacific “I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act.” – Janet Mock, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More Let’s gather with fellow queer/genderqueer folx to celebrate Valentine’s Day by practicing self-love — from the bookshelf. We’ll express ourselves on the page, prompted by writers like Jonathan Van Ness, Alison Bechdel, and Janet Mock. President’s Day: Finding consolation in poetic expression February 17, 3–5pm Pacific “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt War. Climate crisis. Another Trump administration. Rather than commiserate, let’s find consolation in poetic expression. We’ll spend this President’s Day writing, prompted by poems and other forms from literary luminaries like Toni Morrison, Dorianne Laux, Nikki Giovani, and Ellen Bass.

PRIOR EVENTS:

Write Around The World: May 2024

Treasured Objects
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 10am–12pm PDT

Lit Mags & Publication
Friday, May 10, 2024 at 1–3pm PDT

Lit Crawl Sebastopol: a project of Sebastopol Center for the Arts and the Litquake Foundation
Saturday, April 13, 2024, 2–6 pm PT

Lit Crawl Sebastopol featured dozens of authors, drawing hundreds of revelers to "crawl" through downtown to listen to readings from Sonoma County’s spirited and diverse literary community. I curated a dynamic group of 6 local women writers from Writing From Memory or Imagination to read poems and prose from our Zoom workshops, which began in person (pre-pandemic) at The Sitting Room—a community library and reading room of women’s literature, art, and archives. It was an immense joy to showcase their creative talents while sharing the strengths of the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method with our community! See the schedule of events and our listing with author bios!

Illuminations: Writing Toward Winter Solstice 2023

How do we hold the weight of the world’s sorrows while simultaneously embracing its wonders? We’ll explore these contradictions — or anything else that arises — during this 3-week series of writing workshops, gently held between Thanksgiving and Christmas while Hanukkah, aka the Festival of Lights, illuminates our way toward the winter solstice. Using a variety of prompts to spark our creativity and contemplation, let’s discover and delight in whatever shimmers on the page during the month of December.

Thanks, I Guess 2023
Take stock of what you’ve got — or wish for — in this post-Thanksgiving 3-hour workshop. We’ll use its title, borrowed from the Herstry blog’s November issue, as a refrain, a lament, or an ironic twist on gratitude. Invite your writing to the page as we experiment with a variety of prompts to spark creativity and wordplay. We’ll follow the AWA method, using positive and reflective group feedback to support and encourage each writer.

LGBTQ+ Affinity Group Write: Amherst Writers & Artists 2023
Saturday, June 3, 10 am – 12 pm PT ~ P R I D E Kickoff!
This Affinity Group is for members of the LGBTQ+ community, to provide an extra affirming, supportive writing experience. It's an opportunity to experience the AWA Method online, offered by Amherst Writers & Artists. During the two hours, you’ll write on the spot to a few prompts. Then, you’ll break into small, facilitated groups to read your writing aloud if you’d like. Writing that is shared will receive positive, affirmative feedback from the small group. Registration is by donation: $20, $15, $10 or get an AWA Writer membership and receive eight online writes per year for $5/month or $50/year!

Da Salon literary arts incubator: Vibe Gallery
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 6 pm PDT
Hosted by the dynamic duo (friends since middle school) Shannon DeJong and Alia Beeton, with 3 fresh readers/performers each month. Right now in pop-up mode, with each month having a different location and host. Its mission: "to support artists, especially writers with a performance bent, locally, and to foster joy and inspiration after a long period of social crisis (looking at you, Covid-19)."

Write Around The World: Discovering Your Inner Child
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 10am–12 pm PDT

The Imaginists' Guest House: Uncommon Ground
Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3–5pm PT 
The Imaginists presented an afternoon of readings, visual art, and live music. Featured writers included Avotcja, Lorraine Bonner, C.K. Itamura, Shizue Seigel, and Kimi Sugioka (Uncommon Ground: BIPOC Journeys to Creative Activism contributors in collaboration with Write Now! SF Bay, a project to support writing and art by people of color). Special guests included Creative Sonoma’s Discovered Literary Award recipients, Ernesto Garay and Nicole R. Zimmerman. Live music performed by acclaimed singer/songwriter Sachiko Kanenobu. 

Da Salon: An outdoor literary arts salon
Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 2pm PDT
"New & original written work that longs to live beyond the page."
Alia Beeton & Shannon DeJong MC and read new material along with Nicole Zimmerman, Scott Schafer, andTony Vigorito. Shannon and Alia are Da Salon's co-founders: "co-conspirators since their tweens, and still dishing up mischief and malarkey in middle-age."

GATHERING: A Women Who Submit Anthology
Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022 at 4pm PDT on Zoom
I was a featured reader as a contributor in GATHERING: A Women Who Submit Anthology. WWS empowers women and non-binary writers to submit their work for publication. This virtual event, hosted by Roar Shack, is on Zoom.

Write Around the World with AWA
Monday, May 24, 2021 from 3–5pm PDT on Zoom
I again joined 60+ AWA workshop leaders offering donation-based writing sessions. This year's fundraiser raised $10,700 for scholarships offered to a quarter of AWA leadership training participants. 

Hypertext Review virtual launch
Thursday, August 27, 4–5:30 PDT
Zoom
At this virtual launch party for Hypertext Review Spring/Summer 2020, I read a 5-minute excerpt from “Politeness Will Not Protect You,” an essay contest finalist and nomination for The Best American Essays. You can read the piece online at Hypertext Magazine. Purchase $15 print copies at the HMS shop. Register online.

Redwood Writers Salon
Saturday, August 22, 1–2pm PST
Zoom
Enjoy 4-minute readings from published pieces or works in progress by twelve members of Redwood Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club. The month's theme is ‘Sheltering: Turning inward. Reaching out with words. Staying connected.’ The salon provides a warm, welcoming, and supportive setting. No critique, just respectful listening. For the Zoom link, register at the Salon RSVP.

Writing for Literary Journals: Demystifying the Publication Process
This event has been CANCELLED due to shelter-in-place
May 21
Writers Forum
Copperfield's Books, Petaluma, CA
What are literary magazines and how do writers get published by them? Come learn about how to submit your short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and flash/hybrid texts to journals like Memoir Magazine, Zyzzyva, and The Missouri Review (samples will be available). We’ll cover topics such as: online vs. print publication; calls for submissions and where to find them; writing contests and themed issues; word counts and other guidelines; cover letters, copyright, and contracts; rejections (boilerplate vs. personalized); tracking tools like Duotrope and Submittable; and more. Come with your questions!

Write Around the World with Amherst Writers & Artists
May 2020
virtual workshops
Throughout the month of May, AWA workshop facilitators across the globe volunteered to offer donation-based writing sessions, with proceeds to benefit AWA and its mission. Check out the blog post on my session!

Online Reading: Creative Sonoma's Emerging Writers
May 11, 2020
Zoom & YouTube
This online reading featured several award-winning writers of poetry and prose: the inaugural recipients of Creative Sonoma’s 2019 Discovered Award for Emerging Literary Artists plus judges Elizabeth Stark and Ellen Sussman. I read an excerpt from my essay "Late Bloomer," which was published at Halfway Down the Stairs.

Going Public with Personal or Political Work: Artist Discussion
December 12, 2019
Museum of Sonoma County
A selection of "Discovered" artists shared our experiences and insight on going public with literary and visual art work on topics that may be controversial, very personal, or just uncomfortable to talk about.

Discovered Exhibition
November 22, 2019–Feb. 2, 2020
Museum of Sonoma County
I read at the VIP opening reception for Discovered: Emerging Artists of Sonoma County. 

In Cahoots Residency
November 16, 2019 
As a day-use resident in the writing studio, I read at an artist reception at The Hatchery Gallery.

Travel Tales
October 24, 2019
I read travel tales from Australia at the Sitting Room in Penngrove.

Penngrove Reading Series 
October 13, 2019
I was a featured reader for Litquake 20 in 20: the 20th anniversary of Litquake, San Francisco's literary festival.

Tantalizing Travel Tales 
October 10, 2015
I participated in this reading series at the Mill Valley Public Library hosted by Lisa Alpine.

Book Launch
September 27, 2009
The Bay Area book tour for The Best Women's Travel Writing anthology, published by Travelers' Tales, launched with a reading at Book Passage—home to the annual Travel Writers and Photographers Conference.