SPRING

Events, news, and a thought about the equation art + commodity = ____________

MacDowell Library and main house, December 2021¹

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Hi.

I want to stay connected with you, and I want you to stay connected with me, and I want us all to stay connected with each other.

I’m glad you’re here.

News & Upcoming Events:

On March 31, one of my long-time clients has her debut book launch at Powell’s Books. Emma Pattee’s highly-anticipated novel TILT just dropped from Marysue Rucci Books. I’ll be in conversation with Emma Pattee at the Downtown Powell’s store to help her celebrate her big Portland launch. Come on out and join us. 7:00 pm at the downtown store. More information can be found here.

I have a new story titled “Early the Other Morning” that was written in a terrifyingly short timespan (as part of the project’s intention) out on Picture Frame Press. It’s a bifold chapbook with two stories in one. Here’s how it works: Two writers are asked to write a 2,500 word story in 30 days or less with the same title (it changes month to month). Neither writer can be in touch with the other during the writing process. After the 30 days, the stories are turned into the editor Scott (lovely, kind, wise human) who edits them with care and only as necessary, and then a book launch is scheduled at Up Up Books (thanks, Michelle, for hosting these events). The result is a beautifully made limited-run fits in the palm of your hand chapbook with one writer’s story on one side, and the other writer’s story (flip if over) on the other. Both stories with the same title. You can buy a copy in person while they last at Up Up Books, or order through their website. Thanks to the project creators Matthew Dickman and Scott Cannon for this heart-stopping opportunity and all the care they give to writers and their words.

Another long-time client Alex Behr just finished producing a film based on her poetry chapbook Grief Stick about the shockingly fast death of her fiancé Chris. The film project, also called GRIEF STICK, was directed and edited by Brian Padian using hundreds of pieces of material (audio, visual, songs, voicemails, photographs, and more) and opens a lens onto the very short time Alex and Chris had together when they reunited briefly after decades apart. You can watch a trailer at the link above.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP

Literary Arts

- The Finish Line

May 1 - June 18, 2025: I’m gathering writers for an 8-week class focused on the goal of pushing one story, essay, or poem through the drafting and revision stages on over the finish line. We’ll meet weekly to share accountability updates, read some work-in-progress as a group (without feedback, just to hear each other’s voices), set and/or revise goals for the weekly writing practice, and share successes and challenges with our fellow writers. We’ll also discuss strategies for keeping focused and staying on track.

If this might be helpful to a current writing project, check it out here for more info.

Real Deal Thoughts:

I’ve been a little burnt out on the long-road of novel-writing the past few months. It’s been five years of near-daily work on this one. Multiple times I’ve lost my way, my drive, my mind as I tried to find a way to keep going. Today, I came across this sentence in Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act:

“ If you’re looking for the work to support you, you may be asking too much of it.”

It hit me like a ton of (slow-motion, long-falling) bricks.

I had been. I was. It’s true. Despite all my years of doing this work, and mentoring others through similar terrain, I was in fact looking for this novel I’d spent 5 years writing to be “worth it” by making me money, as much as possible, so I could live off it, and then write another book. Clear as day. And, Rick was right: I was asking too much of this novel, too much of these characters, these women I’d sat with for hundreds and hundreds of hours, thousands of words. I was asking too much.

That led to my thought below as this month’s unsolicited advice below.

Creative Advice You Didn’t Ask For:

Consider if you may be asking for too much from your poem/book/story/project/essay/memoir, if you’re looking for it to…

SAVE YOU

DEFINE YOU

ANOINT YOU

ALLOW FOR YOU

EXPLAIN YOU

I firmly believe a work needs the space to be itself or it will never find its way. I had needed this novel to be everything (financial support, creative meaning, allowance to continue to prioritize writing). Nothing can be everything. Revise that. Nothing can be everything, except the Big Bang.

For this month, it might be worth asking yourself a similar question (adapt as necessary): what are you needing/hoping/wanting your work to be for you? Are you thinking it will solve a problem you have? Or fill a vacancy? Poke around in there and see what you find.

Other Things:

Thanks for being here. I appreciate you and your work.

If You Want to Work With Me:

I have only one spot open right now. Get on my waitlist for future availability.

Google form link here if you want more information.

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