Writers!! How wonderful to see you in August. Let’s talk about September Happy Hour.
Marian Exall graciously hosted us in her yard in August and is more than willing to do it again for vaccinated writers in September, HOWEVER, she is unavailable for Labor Day Weekend and has requested that we do September Happy Hour the SECOND Saturday of the month. So happy hour will be…
When: Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 4pm
Where: Marian’s place
How you find it: Email Marian for her address. marian.exall@gmail.com
OR
Join the Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/96132548447
On another note…
A beloved member of the Whatcom County writing community, a mentor to many of us, Laurel Leigh, is undergoing treatment for advanced-stage lung cancer.
She’s never smoked. Nobody knows exactly when or why she developed lung cancer, but she did.
Laurel is self-employed and has not been able to work full-time since starting treatment several weeks ago. By the time it was discovered, her cancer was inoperable, and part of her right lung is collapsed around the main tumor. She is undergoing simultaneous chemo and radiation therapy. To make matters worse, she cannot tolerate some of the medications used to lessen the treatment side effects. Her health insurance is covering only a part of the treatment costs, and as a freelancer she does not have paid time off or short-term disability coverage.
How can we support her? Sabine Sloley has organized a wonderful opportunity for us to contribute to Laurel AND to grow as writers. She’s invited the esteemed writer and writing teacher (and friend of Laurel), Steve Almond, to offer a course.
Sign up to participate in this special class offered by Steve Almond and all tuition paid will go toward Laurel’s expenses. Here are the deets:
“How to Create an Irresistible Narrator”
Taught by: Steve Almond
When: September 22, 2021, 5-7 p.m. PDT (8-10 p.m. Eastern)
Where: Online via zoom
All Levels
Description: Many a short story, essay, novel, and memoir have gone unpublished because the author fails to create a strong narrator, one who can act as a wise and entertaining guide to the reader. In this class, we’ll examine the work of Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Alicia Erian, Joan Didion, and others in an effort to make sure your next narrator isn’t just strong, but irresistible. We’ll also try an in-class exercise to bring the lesson home.
Cost: A donation of $75 or more to the GoFundMe campaign of the amazing Laurel Leigh to help cover illness-associated expenses. Make sure to add the words “Steve Almond” as a comment.
