In March of 2020, when words like “masks” and “social distancing” became a part of the daily parlance, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild made a choice: for as long as we could, we wouldn’t charge anyone for anything until we were all back on our feet.
Over the past 19 months, we’ve stayed true to that promise.
Like so many organizations, we pivoted to the virtual format, hosting craft talks with Kimberly Blaeser, Nickolas Butler, Tessa Fontaine, Christina Clancy, David Shih, José Alvergue, Peter Geye, Barrett Swanson, Amanda Skenandore, Larry Watson, Margi Preus, Angie Trudell-Vasquez, Matthew Gavin Frank, Carson Vaughan, Phong Nguyen, Pat Zietlow Miller, among others. On October 14 at 7PM, we’re hosting our next virtual event: Kathryn Nuernberger’s “Spellcraft and Other Thoughts on The Magic Of Writing”. Taken together, these events have benefited thousands of writers the world over. And we’d never have made the pivot to the virtual platform so successfully were it not for the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, our greatest partner throughout the pandemic.
Additionally, we also partnered with the fantastic Pablo Center at the Confluence, who helped us move our popular Sound & Stories series to the virtual stage. Together, we hosted “Joy to the Word, “All Creatures Great and Small,” and “Something Old, Something New” for hundreds of viewers. (And if you missed them, just click the links above!). How wonderful to work with dozens of storytellers, in addition to musicians The Nunnery, Humbird, Peter Phippen, Victoria Shoemaker, Simone Patrie, and more.
Looking forward, we’ve got a mix of virtual and in-person events to share with you: from Barstow & Grand’s issue 5 release on November 17 at Lazy Monk Brewery, to our annual “Joy to the Word” event on December 16 at Pablo.
But beyond all these events, the Guild has also served another vital purpose throughout the covid era. Namely, by serving as the official home for the “Hope Is The Thing” project, which started right here in the Chippewa Valley on March 21, 2020. Over the course of several months, local writers began sending us their “hope” in 500 words or fewer. We gathered them up, published them daily, and tried to share a little light among the darkness. The state took notice, and just weeks ago, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press published Hope Is The Thing: Wisconsinites on Perseverance in a Pandemic, featuring 100 writers from across the state. This Thursday at 7PM, contributors Dan Lyksett, Lopa Basu, Allyson Loomis, Matt Larson, Rebecca Mennecke, Eric Rasmussen, Luong Hunyh, and Katherine Schneider will be sharing their work at The Local Store’s Volume One Gallery.
Finally, The Priory Writers’ Retreat is back! On January 1, 2022, we will open applications for our June 23-26 retreat in beautiful Eau Claire. This is one of our prized programs, and we’re thrilled to return better than ever! This year, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with four writers-in-residence—Nickolas Butler, (fiction) Nicole Kronzer (young adult), Angela Trudell-Vasquez (poetry) and Barrett Swanson (nonfiction)—while also making time for free writing and craft talks and networking and more. How grateful we are to our newest sponsor, the Wisconsin Writers Association.
Of course, none of this is possible without you. Yes, you. As a Guild, we count on everyone to do their part to ensure our mutual success. To that end, we’re urging you to please consider becoming a $5/month sustaining member, which provides you (and others!) free access to most of our events. Or, if you prefer to make a one-time tax-deductible gift, you can do that here.
We’ve done our best over the past 19 months, but now we’re calling upon you to help. Please ensure our success over the next year. Please take a moment to make your tax-deductible gift today.
Be inspired, inspire others,
B.J. Hollars