Five BIG Updates to The Priory Writers’ Retreat

B.J. Hollars

Our first summer at The Priory Writers’ Retreat was nothing short of magical.  In no small part, this was due to the perfect combination of committed writers, engaging writers-in-residence, and a comfortable setting.  But in the spirit of perpetual improvement, over the past six months we’ve listened to participant feedback and worked hard to make every suggested adjustment we can to the facility.  Thankfully, most of these fixes were quick and easy!  And they’ll make a world of difference!

We’re pleased to have partnered with UW-Eau Claire’s Camps and Conferences Team to bring these changes to next year’s retreat.   

1.)   A New and Improved Menu.  Food matters!  And because food fuels the work, we want to be sure to offer participants the very best.  This summer, we’ve dramatically overhauled our menu while keeping costs relatively the same.  Participants will now enjoy three hot meals a day. 

• Breakfasts include a variety of the following: croissants, hashbrowns, crispy bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs with cheddar, Garden vegetable quiche, mushroom and spinach quiche, donuts, breakfast breads, and more! 

• The lunch menu includes Chimichurri Flank Steak Sandwich, Buffalo chicken wrap boxed lunch, Spicy Italian Baguette Boxed Lunch, and cookies, chips and fruits. 

• Thursday’s dinner (“Little Italy”) includes Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons, Vegetarian Antipasto Platter, Assorted Rolls and Butter, Sautéed Fresh Zucchini, Pasta Bar with Spaghetti, and Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Pesto Cream Sauce, Home-Style Meatballs in Marinara Sauce, Traditional Chicken Cacciatore, Tiramisu, and more. 

• Friday’s dinner (“Asian Fusion”) features Asian Salad, Sticky Rice, Garlic Lemon Ginger Broccoli, Vegetable Lo Mein, Cilantro Breast of Chicken, Teriyaki Glazed Salmon Filet, Fortune Cookies, Coconut Lemon Almond Gourmet Bar, and more. 

• Saturday’s dinner will be on your own in downtown Eau Claire—with plenty of choices for every palate. 

• Vegetarian options are available.  And do let us know about any allergies!

2.)   Craft Coffee Brought To You Bright and Early. While paper and pen may be the traditional tools of the writer’s trade, let’s never, ever overlook the power of coffee.  Good coffee.  Great coffee.  Strong coffee.  The kind of coffee that will snap your eyelids back and send you soaring to the keys.  This summer, participants can enjoy 6AM freshly-brewed coffee courtesy of Shift Cyclery and Coffee Bar—Eau Claire’s premiere shop.  And enjoy your cup of joe in your very own, brand new Priory mug!  You can even take it with you as our gift to you.

3.)   New and Improved Classroom Space.  While there are no shortage of writing nooks at The Priory, last summer we did struggle to find ideal classroom spaces for all of our courses.  But not anymore!  This summer, a new classroom will be created to ensure that each of our four courses can have its own intimate space.  In addition to contributing to the overall audience, this additional space will also help manage acoustics. 

4.)   Decorous Occasion Social Hour.  Last year we were thrilled to have an evening of live music on Friday night.  This year, we’re excited to have MORE live music.  But rather than a sit-in-your-seats concert, this year it’ll be what we’re calling our “Decorous Occasion Social Hour.”  Following a lovely dinner, we’ll all gather in the main hall for live music, socialization, networking, and a cool drink of your choice (non-alcoholic options available, of course.)

5.)   Upgraded Towels, Sheets and Linens.  Your comfort matters.  This summer, we’re pleased to offer all our participants upgraded towels, bedsheets and linens.  Additionally, extra mattresses are available upon request.  Having said that, our on-site lodging participants should be aware that our rooms are of a dorm room quality.  Each private room has a desk and twin bed.  Participants are encouraged to bring whatever might improve your comfort: books, art, additional bedding, etc. Or, if you prefer, you can stay off-site.  In short, there are many options for your comfort.

This is only the beginning.  Over the next few months we’ll continue to work hard to curate the perfect experience for you.  When you’re at The Priory, your primary responsibility is to give yourself fully to your craft.  Let us ease your mind of the day-to-day tasks.  You’re here as our guest.  You’re here for your work.  Applications open February 1!

CVWG Receives Cultural Arts Grant!

The CVWG is thrilled to announce that we’ve receive a $1000.00 Cultural Arts Grant courtesy of Visit Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Arts Board! This money will be used to ensure that we can bring the best writers-in-residence to our retreat, while also keeping costs low for our participants.

2019 poetry write-in-residence Dasha Kelly

credit: Justin Patchin Photography

“Our retreat participants deserve guidance from the very best,” said CVWG executive director B.J. Hollars. “And thanks to the generous support of Visit Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Arts Board, we can now entice writers-in-residence from throughout the country to work closely with regional writers for three days this summer at The Priory Writers’ Retreat.”

credit: Justin Patchin Photography

The Priory Writers’ Retreat is a vibrant, inclusive, and collaborative writing community in the heart of Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley.  Originally established as a monastery for Benedictine nuns in 1964, today The Priory serves as an ideal location for creativity to flourish.  Situated on 120 wooded acres just miles from downtown Eau Claire, the property features 48 single-occupancy, air-conditioned rooms, several common areas, and no shortage of natural splendor. 

Applications for the summer 2020 retreat open on February 1.

The retreat will be help from June 25-28, 2020.

For more information on Visit Eau Claire, click here.

For ore information on the Wisconsin Arts Board, click here.

For a personal reflection on last summer’s Priory Writers’ Retreat, click here.

If you or your business would like to become a 2020 sponsor, it’s not too late! Drop us a not at chippewavalleywritersguld@gmail.com to learn how you can help!

ANNOUNCING: The Writer Exchange Contest with Write On, Door County!

It’s a new year, and we’ve got a new partnership! The Guild is thrilled to collaborate with Write On, Door County, one of the most active writing communities in the region, to provide an incredible retreat experience for writers across the state.

In summer 2020, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and Write On, Door County will partner to host its first ever “writer exchange.”  One lucky Door County writer will enjoy a free retreat at The Priory Writers’ Retreat in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and in exchange, one lucky Chippewa Valley Writers Guild member will receive a free week-long stay at Write On, Door County’s writers’ residence in Fish Creek, Wisconsin.  (CVWG membership determined by social media following and/or free newsletter subscription.)

The Write On, Door County residence is on 40 acres of woods, orchards, and meadows between the water of Green Bay and Lake Michigan in beautiful Door Country, Wisconsin. For decades, writers have taken inspiration amid the landscape while avoiding the distractions that hound them at home.  Both spaces are committed to creating the conditions that allow writers to thrive.

“The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild has long admired the fantastic literary citizenship work taking place in Door County,” said CVWG executive director B.J. Hollars.  “In many ways, Write On, Door County is a model for what a thriving writing organization can be.  We’re so excited to share writing expertise with one another.” 

Jerod Stanek, artistic director of Write On, Door County added, “Wisconsin has such a rich, vibrant writing community. It's wonderful to develop a program that connects writers from different parts of the state and introduces them to new audiences." 

Each organization will be responsible for selecting the writer who will take part in the exchange.  The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild will host a contest which opens on January 1, 2020.  Applicants will be screened in a blind submission process and selected by a panel of three writers.  The winner will receive a residency in August 2020, though there is some flexibility, depending on availability.

Why should Guild members apply through the Guild? For one, the contest submission fee is half the Write On, Door County application price. And all proceeds help offset the cost of the exchange. Additionally, there’s far less competition. We know for certain that one of our Guild members will win!

To apply, click here.

Please find The Writer Exchange Contest rules below:

Rules:

• Our panel of three judges will read each blind submission to determine, in their opinion, which submission receives the highest ranking in terms of quality. Identifying information will only be visible to the contest organizer and not the judges.

• Submit up to 5 pages of poetry OR 10 double-spaced pages of prose through Submittable (click “Apply Now” above or below) between January 1, 2020 and March 1, 2020. Prose pages can be a selection from a larger work, or several short pieces combined into a single document.

• Do not include your name or any other identifying information on your submitted creative work. 

• Include your name and contact information on the Submittable page prior to uploading your submission. 

• Include a brief cover letter, including the title(s) of your creative work and a brief biographical statement in the provided space.  This will only be visible to the contest organizer and not the judges.

• Applicants must be at least 21 years old and members of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. (Membership is determined by social media following and/or free newsletter subscription.)

• The winner will be announced in mid-March 2020.

• Application Fee: $20.00 (half off Write On, Door County’s usual application fee)

5 Reasons to Give to the Guild This #GivingTuesday

credit: Justin Patchin

B.J. Hollars

Executive Director

 Another #GivingTuesday is upon us, which means—in additional to our humble plea for the financial gifts that will ensure a robust year of programming ahead—it’s time to take a moment to reflect on the work we do and why we do it. 

To my mind, there are dozens of reasons to give to the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild.  But in the interest of time (time is writing, after all!), I’ve narrowed the list to my top five reasons.

5.) People.  First and foremost, the Guild is all about people.  We’re here to connect you, collaborate with you, and build community with you.  We’re here to celebrate with you, commiserate with you, and be a present and positive force all year round.  Thank you for being you.  

Credit: Justin Patchin

4.) Programs.  Our wide array of programming is the best way to build our community.  We’ve got something for everyone: the Sound & Stories series, Writers Anonymous, 6x6: A Reading Series, Barstow & Grand, Oddly Enough, and a multitude of craft talks.  And have we mentioned our Weekend Writers’ Retreat at The Oxbow AND The Priory Writers’ Retreat?  Taken together, this is the most robust literary programming I’ve ever been a part of.  In their own way, each program contributes to our shared goal of improving our collective literary work.  Our testimonials speak for themselves, including this one, which we received on the final day of The Priory Writers’ Retreat: “I have been writing for many years.  I'm a college professor...and direct the writing center on campus. However, it was not until this retreat that I find myself as a writer, not just an academic. A writer! The type of writer I wanted to be when I was ten years old but lost sight of over time..." Welcome home, Writer! 

Credit: Justin Patchin

3.) Partnerships. An organization such as ours is only as strong as its partnerships.  As such, we make it our business to foster and grow our relationships with an array of literary-minded and arts-loving groups and businesses.  We are so grateful to our partners, just a few of whom I’ll name below: the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation, Pablo Center at the Confluence, Wisconsin Arts Board, Eau Claire Community Foundation, JAMF Software, Royal Credit Union, Wisconsin Public Radio, Volume One, The Oxbow Hotel, Odd Humyns, Visit Eau Claire, Write On, Door County, Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, Chippewa Valley Book Festival,  Converge Radio 99.9, Brewing Projekt, Modicum Brewing Co, Shift Cyclery and Coffee Bar, Dotters Books, 200 Main, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s English Department, Chippewa Valley Technical College, NOTA, BANFF Film Festival, and more!  In addition, we’ve also been named to the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, which provides us a seat at one of the most vital “literary tables” in the region.  These partnerships create possibilities: we’re better able to do what we do because they do what they do.  Thanks to all!

Credit: Justin Patchin

2.) Projects.  We’re not just in the business of educating, we’re also in the business of creating!  Some of our most rewarding experiences have come by way of community members reaching out and saying, “So I’ve got an idea…”. From there, the idea grows into reality!  Barstow & Grand is a fantastic example.  When B&G editor Eric Rasmussen first approached the Guild with his plan to create a regional literary journal committed to professionalizing our region’s writers (while also providing a great publication opportunity!) we jumped at the chance to join in.  For the past three years, Eric’s overseen every aspect of the journal—from building a team of readers, to providing internship opportunities for students, to creating, promoting, and marketing three beautiful issues.  (Buy yours today!). We couldn’t be prouder of the projects we’ve created together.

Credit: Luong Huynh

1.)   Because this Guild is YOUR Guild.  Without people, there are no programs, no partnerships, and no projects.  Simply put, this Guild is yours, and everything good that comes from it is thanks to you. As such, we are all responsible for its financial stability.  Let today be the day you give to our shared organization.  If everyone reading this became a 5.00/month sustaining member, we would be able to meet our target goals for the coming year.  Which include: creating a summer retreat scholarship for writers of color, enhancing our craft talk series, subsidizing ticket prices for all our paid events, and providing honoraria for our webmaster, editors, series leaders, and interns.  All of this is possible with your help. 

Here at the Guild, every member counts.  And since we refuse to collect dues, we rely on your generosity, instead.  Please prove that we can thrive on this model.  Let’s keep it free by giving today!

In closing, a humble thank you for giving today. Let’s grow the Guild for all.

Be inspired, inspire others,

B.J. Hollars

Riding And Writing: An Interview With Ron Davis

Rebecca Mennecke

In wintertime, some UW-Eau Claire students used to ride down the hill on lunch trays from the campus cafeteria.When Ron Davis was a freshman at UW-Eau Claire, he would ride his first motorcycle down the hill from his apartment by the former Shopko building and park it down by the science building. After class, he said it was “pretty humiliating” to bump start it in front of all the other riders. Years later, he’s still riding with his BMW G310GS – his fifth BMW. In the time between that first motorcycle and his current one, Ron Davis has seen, heard, and experienced a thing or two. Davis recounts these life experiences and his love of riding in his recently published collection of articles and essays, Shiny Side Up: Musings on the Improbable Inclination to Travel on Two Wheels.

I had the chance to catch up with Davis about Shiny Side Up and his love of riding – and writing. 

Rebecca Mennecke: What inspired you to write your book about motorcycle riding — Shiny Side Up?

Ron Davis: About five years ago I had written a number of stories for motorcycle mags and for Wisconsin Public Radio, and the editor of BMW Owners News asked me if I would write a monthly column. I didn’t think I could come up with something every month, but he said, “Just give me one year.” Five years later, I had a bundle of more than 50 essays, and a publisher urged me to compile them into a book. I had thought of that before, but this was the first time I had been offered a book deal. It’s hard to say what inspires me as a writer. All my life, once I get an idea for a story, my brain won’t let me rest until I get it down on paper. It may have something to do with the fact I come from a family of voracious readers, and my father was a newspaper guy. It’s always been, I can’t not write, for some reason. For instance, I recently did a story for Volume One about a tragic circus accident that happened in Eau Claire in 1901. Somebody had mentioned a kernel of the story to me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I did the research and wrote the story.

RM: I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, but I still found your book to be humorous, quite clever, and extremely relatable. How did you balance your writing to appeal to both folks in the motorcycle-riding community as well as folks like me who have never touched a motorcycle before? 

RD: Many of the stories in my columns and in the book have a pretty thin connection to motorcycling. In fact, once, after a story called “The Grand Adventure” was published, a reader sent in a letter to the editor asking, “What the heck does this have to do with motorcycling?” My answer was, “Not very much,” but my editor gives me a lot of rope. I write about personal experiences that somehow, luckily, resonate with readers – riders or not.

 RM: You have quite a bit of humor in your writing! How can a writer learn to incorporate more humor into their work, as you have done in your essays? 

RD: I guess most of the humor in my writing is self-deprecating. I think that’s often the key to being successful with humor. If you watch stand-up comedians like Jim Gaffigan, you’ll see much of their humor is based on confessing to their own imperfections. There’s a connection, maybe a kind of relief to hear, or read, someone else talk, write, about human foibles—pride, impulsiveness, conceit, etc. Your question made me remember a creative writing class I took in high school. We had to turn in journals and the teacher, with whom I was hopelessly infatuated, would read them silently as we worked on something else. I could tell when she was reading mine, and sometimes I would catch her giggling about something I wrote. That forever hooked me on trying to incorporate humor in my work.

RM: You also have a very down-to-earth tone throughout the book. How do you achieve that fun, casual manner of writing?

RD: I try to write like I’m telling a story to a friend. It’s strange how many hours you can spend crafting a story on paper to make it sound “casual!” When I taught writing classes, I used to force university students to tell a partner their stories before they started their first draft, and I think that gave them a little insight into what worked and what didn’t.

RM: In chapter 12, “A Long, Strange Trip” you argue that riders “attach special meaning to the phrase, ‘The journey is the destination,’ but sometimes our destinations can change the way we feel about our journeys.” Did you find this phrase to be true when you were writing the book? 

RD: “A Long, Strange Trip” – about a story of a Nazi work camp survivor and his family – turned out to be one of my favorite stories. I initially wanted to write the story just for the subject’s family since, though really amazing, it had never been put down on paper. But it made me rethink my own life also. I think writing has always been a way of learning about myself, and when you see your writing in print, hear it on the radio, or get a response from a reader, it also changes your self-image.

RM: Riding motorcycles is clearly something you love a lot! What was it like to incorporate your love of riding into your writing?

RD: Truth be told, I’m not a die-hard rider anymore; in fact, the older I get and the more dangers I see for riders, the more it scares me. I guess I’m more what you would call “an enthusiast.” No pun intended, but writing about motorcycling is just a “vehicle” for me to write about the things that make us human.

RM: Let’s talk about your clever titles! “How to Lose Friends and Influence Absolutely No One,” “The Happy Camper,” “We Are What We Speak,” “Welcome to My Nightmare: The Parking Lot,” and so many more! How do you come up with such great titles? 

RD: I’ve never been very good at writing headlines for features and news stories, but you have much more freedom when it comes to columns and essays – it’s okay to be obscure or to turn a hackneyed phrase or basically steal a title from elsewhere. It’s fun to fool around with those. Usually I write a few, wait a while, then settle on one; sometimes I get overruled by an editor.

RM: You also have some pretty fun pictures and graphics throughout the book. How do you use images to work with your writing? 

RD: I guess one thing that has made my columns and essays unique is I usually try to include some sort of image with them that ties in. Just like my need to write, since I was a photography teacher for 30 years, I can’t resist the impulse to include some kind of image. Even for my stories that have been featured on “Wisconsin Life,” I try to offer my own image for the web archive.

RM: Although your book focuses primarily on riding, you also explore other themes! How do relate your other life experiences back to motorcycles?

RD: Sometimes you have to kind of amalgamate experiences, which is permissible in the kind of writing I usually do. Motorcycles have been a part of my life, off and on, for a long time, so it’s usually not too hard to weave in some sort of connection. In my last column I wrote about a rather unfortunate high school experience where a former girlfriend knocked me off my feet in front of half of the school with what I later surmised was a five pound purse. I sort of co-mingled that story with another time I was jealous over seeing a different girlfriend on another guy’s Royal Enfield motorcycle.

RM: In chapter 33, you say “The more I learn, the less I’m sure I know.” How can this also be true of writing, as it is with riding? 

RD: Every time I get something published, for a moment I feel pretty good about myself as a writer, then I read somebody else. Like right now I’m reading a lot of Richard Russo, and I am instantly humbled. Every writing project presents new and unique challenges, just like every road I cover on a bike. Like Heraclitus once one wrote “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” You can never step into the same river, just as you can never ride the same road when you’re on a bike.

In addition to teaching high school and university classes in writing, photography, and publishing, and working as a social media writer for the tourism industry in Northwest Ontario, Davis works as an associate editor and columnist for BMW Owners News and has had writing appear in BMW Owners News, BMW Motorcycle Magazine, Volume One, Our Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life,” and the National Writing Project. 

Poetic Marks & A Modern Day Presence: Insight From Poet Jennifer L. Knox

Jennifer L. Knox

By Lauren Becker

Join us on April 10th at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library for an evening of surprises, as poet Jennifer L. Knox takes us through a reading and discussion on the surprising nature of poetry. 

In preparation for this event, we had a chance to gain Knox’s insight into what we should expect from the evening.

Lauren Becker: So, we’re going to talk about surprises and poetry. This begs the question - are they pleasant surprises? Or unpleasant? 

Jennifer L. Knox: Hopefully the surprises will be somewhat pleasant, but I can’t guarantee they’ll all feel like finding a $20 bill in your jeans pocket kind of surprise. 

Could you give us a bit of a teaser as to what you have planned for the evening? 

I'm going to read some poems from my books (perhaps even some new ones) and talk about how they surprised me— either by the way the ideas for them entered my brain, in the process of writing them or by the way people responded to them.

Some of us who aren’t as familiar with poetry may chalk it up to archaic, melancholy haikus about ponds. You’ve proven time and time again that’s not the case. What are your thoughts on the presence of humor and jarring language in poetry?

Poems and poets are as varied as styles of music; we each have a different song in our head. And there are different kinds of humor; I enjoy subverting the expectations of the reader—that's the incongruity theory. It's like hard-wiring surprise into a poem, and one way to accomplish this is to use diction and ideas that people don't ordinarily expect to see in a poem. When most people think poetry, they think of poetic-ness, and beauty and truth and ponds, as you mentioned. They don't necessarily think deep-fried Twinkies or mad cow disease. Using language that surprises helps me create an epiphany for the reader. 

When you’re writing, do you ever stop and think “where the heck did that come from?”

JK: Every day, Lauren! Generative writing comes from the same spot in the brain as lying, so when we're generating words on the page, nothing's off limits. It's like that game where you stand in the glass box and try to catch the dollar bills blowing around—you'd grab anything that blows by. Editing happens in the same part of the brain as accounting; in this phase, we must imagine the readers receiving our words and empathize with them.

Many of us who are just beginning our own long journey of poetic writing may look at your work and ask, what path did you take to get here?

I learned to love poetry by writing it. I believe it creates physical sensations in the brain, like exercising. A poem is a puzzle you make that only you can solve. But what has kept me writing poetry is my community of poets and writers, many of whom I met while earning my MFA, but there are others. My poetry people have been my ace in the hole.

What do you hope folks take away from this upcoming event?

I hope they're excited to write and read more poetry!

If this hasn’t enticed you enough, Kathleen Rooney summarizes why we so desperately need the artistic work and insight of individuals such as Knox, now more than ever.  

“In the face of ecological meltdown, art gains extra urgency and Jennifer L. Knox is one of our most urgent ecological poets. In the face of the Anthropocene—the geological era in which we are living, when human activity has irreparably damaged the earth—Knox laments our losses and celebrates what we have left. Her creativity—with its obsession with extinction—is driven, like much creativity, by death, but is animated with an unmistakable life force. The humor and sadness in each of her poems invites the reader to mourn what can never be regained environmentally, and also to make the most of whatever it is that remains.”

—Kathleen Rooney, O, Democracy!

Check out Knox’s latest book, Days of Shame and Failure, here! 

5 Reasons To Apply To The Priory Writers’ Retreat This Minute

B.J. Hollars 

For the past three summers, I had the great privilege of welcoming writers from across the country to Cirenaica—our wondrous writers’ retreat in the Wisconsin wilderness.  In total, we hosted 16, 3-day sessions, and in doing so, created a nurturing environment where 160 writers could write, workshop, listen, learn, and thrive. 

This summer, we’re thrilled to bring the spirit of Cirenaica to our new location at The Priory. Originally established as a monastery for Benedictine nuns in 1964, today The Priory serves as an ideal location for creativity to flourish.  Situated on 120 wooded acres just miles from downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the property features 48 single-occupancy, air-conditioned rooms, several common areas, and no shortage of natural splendor.  And from July 18-21, it’s all ours.

As the snow begins to melt and I turn my eyes toward summer, nothing makes me more excited than the prospect of joining you and others for three days of creation, collaboration, and celebration.  While there are dozens of reasons why you should apply, I’ve narrowed down my list to the top five.  Read on, and then, apply today!  Your writing deserves it.

1.)   Personal Feedback From Writers-in-Residence.

At some writers’ retreats, you get to brush shoulders with greatness.  But at The Priory, you get a lot more than that.  For our inaugural summer, we’re thrilled to welcome four incredible writers-in-residence: Dasha Kelly Hamilton (poetry), Nickolas Butler (fiction), Mary Mack (comedy/humor writing), and David McGlynn (memoir/nonfiction).  When you apply to work with these writers, you’ll really work with these writers.  By capping each workshop at 12, we guarantee it.  Each day you and your fellow participants will partake in a private workshop led by your writer-in-residence.  Not only will your creative work benefit from this process, but you’ll be playing a vital role in supporting the creative work of others, too.  In doing so, we all improve our writing, and we all learn collectively.

2.)   Learning Beyond Genre.

One way The Priory Writers’ Retreat distinguishes itself is by fostering an environment in which all writers of all levels and genres can learn from one another.  While our individual workshops focus on genre (fiction, poetry, memoir, and comedy writing—interpreted broadly!), participants will have the opportunity to learn from all of our writers-in-residence by way of daily craft talks.  Simply put, our poets can learn from our prose writers and our prose writers can learn from our poets.  In addition to shared learning, this interdisciplinary approach is geared toward encouraging collaborative opportunities.  What happens when you put 48 writers in a room together?  We’re about to find out!   

3.)   Field Trips.

credit: Justin Patchin

Hailed as an “outdoorsy cultural mecca” by Time Magazine, Eau Claire, Wisconsin is, indeed, a city on the rise.  And there’s never been a better time to check us out.  (Want a preview?  Just click here!). While much of our time will be spent on The Priory’s 120 wooded acres, on Saturday night we’ll board our chartered bus to downtown Eau Claire.  The evening will begin with a reading by our writers-in-residence at our brand-new Pablo Center at the Confluence.  Then, our bus will shuttle folks to various downtown locations, including The Brewing Projekt and The Lakely—two of our city’s finest establishments.  Grab a drink, enjoy some live music, and celebrate your work alongside new friends.

4.)   Putting the World on Pause.

As every writer knows, there are always plenty of reasons not to write.  Our house is a mess, the laundry needs folded, the dishes need washed—the list goes on.  At The Priory, we create the conditions for you to create.  Each participant will enjoy a private room, as well as all on-site meals and drinks.  When you’re with us, you don’t waste a minute cleaning, or folding, or placing a single plate on the drying rack.  Your only responsibility is to be a writer and to give every minute to your craft.  Trust us, by the end of our retreat, you’ll leave feeling happy, rejuvenated, accomplished, and inspired.   

5.)   The Best Friend You Haven’t Met.

A successful writers’ retreat depends on many factors: the writers-in-residence, the offerings, the food, the rooms, the property, the list goes on.  Yet it’s the participants who ultimately ensure a retreat’s overall success.  That’s right.  It’s you.  And you.  And you.  By bringing us together in this shared space for three uninterrupted days of writing, reading, learning and relaxing, we’re merely creating the conditions for the magic soon to come.  No one leaves our retreats without a few new writer friends.  Writer friends, I’ll add, that often serve as great editors, too.  There’s nothing we love more than watching these friendships blossom over our shared love of writing.  Join us, and make a friend, and be a friend, too. (Also, refer a friend and, upon acceptance, receive 10.00 off your fee!)

So what are you waiting for?

Click the button below and apply today!

Have a Little Faith: Confronting the Complexities of Writing with Nickolas Butler

Credit: Jeff Rogers

Lauren Becker

If you live in the Chippewa Valley, there’s a good chance you know Nickolas Butler. But even if you don’t live in the Valley, there’s an equally good chance you’ve come to know his intimate storytelling. Following up Shotgun Lovesongs and The Hearts of Men, Butler is set to release his latest novel, Little Faith this March. In anticipation of his March 4 reading at Volume One, Butler agreed to share his time with us, giving fellow writers and readers insight into the process that’s brought us his latest work.

Lauren Becker: Religion can be a difficult subject to navigate, especially when trying to convey the complex relationship community and religion have in rural spaces. What led you to tell this story?

Nick Butler: I’d been thinking about the Kara Neumann case since 2008 when her death came to light.  It was just a horrendous story and something that still resonates with any adult who was alive at that time, but especially those with children. So I knew I wanted to write about something like that, something related to faith and prayer-healing, but that seemed like a very dark rabbit hole indeed. Then, about three years ago, I decided the way into the narrative was to create a grandfather character and to show the really unique and magical relationship between grandparent and grandchild.  The real tension of the book would be drawn between generations in a family – faith, parenting, forgiveness, love, trust, hate… I felt like I had the makings for an incredibly special book.

LB: Can you speak a little on the personal pilgrimage you may have had to go on to write this novel?  

Nick Butler: Every book is a pilgrimage.  Every book you write is a complete leap of faith.  You never know how people are going to interpret things; if they’ll enjoy the narrative or characters.  And it’s a lonely endeavor; it’s thousands of hours of staring at a computer screen conjuring make-believe out of the ether.  And when the book is done, I always feel incredibly bereft, just lost for between six to twelve months before I pick myself back up and go on to the next one. It’s an incredibly strange way to make a living.

LB: Your novel grapples with some of our most intense and intimate journeys we experience in life. Those of death, spirituality, and of course, family. If you could summarize Little Faith in just a few words, how would you convey the ideas that pervade your writing?

Nick Butler: For me, the best novels always confront three key issues: family, place, and something (money, work, love, pride, faith, etc.) worth fighting for; so in everything I write, I’m thinking of those three components.

LB: You note in the preface to your book that this novel was inspired in part by true events. With that in mind, how much of these vivid characters are inspired by the very real folks in your life?  

Nick Butler: More than a few characters in Little Faith are inspired by real people which can be a difficult and emotional consequence of writing a very personal novel.  Look – I don’t know how NOT to be influenced by the people I love, namely my family and friends. I also don’t know how to write about the world I’m struggling to understand, the world I’m trying to celebrate, the world I’m trying to critique, without incorporating my own feelings, perceptions, and history.  So it often seems that my books very much have the fingerprints of real people all over their pages. 

LB: Throughout writing this novel, and perhaps at its conclusion, did you find any ties to current events within your writing?

Nick Butler: I think that much of the political divide in our country can be traced back to organized religion, it’s another way for politicians to stir discord amongst us.  Little Faith isn’t attempting to explain that divide or to place blame. Little Faith is a story with characters, it’s a fiction. But as I was writing the book, I was certainly cognizant of certain national political discourses, certain trends…  I’m also personally very interested in political conversations about quality-of-life issues and end-of-life issues, as well as confronting global climate change, and rural versus urban political dynamics. All of these ideas drip into the art, but it’s important to understand that the art isn’t “about” those ideas.

LB: Your novels are well known for their heart and ability to move us deeply through connection to home and rural spaces. Could you speak about the importance of setting in your writing?

Nick Butler: I like a book with atmosphere; I like being transported somewhere.  Right now, I’m reading Ellie Catton’s The Luminaries which is famously set in New Zealand during a 19th Century gold rush.  It’s incredibly evocative and sets the characters against the landscape.  I like that sort of book. I think of: East of Eden, Sometimes A Great Notion, or The Shipping News.  And writing about rural Wisconsin just comes easily to me because, guess what – it’s right out my front door.

LB: What are you hoping to communicate to readers that didn’t grow up in rural areas?  

Nick Butler: I’m not sure I’m trying to communicate anything. My philosophy has always been to write a narrative that compels a reader to turn pages and a narrative populated by characters that a reader can at least somewhat identify with, even if they don’t necessarily like that character.  I try to write round characters, and I try to push myself – to move past easy impulses and to complicate the writing in hopefully new and authentic ways. Basically, I don’t worry about my readers. There was a time in my life when I had NO readers and back then, I was writing for myself, for my own enjoyment.  I try to remain in that space.

LB: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?  

Nick Butler: Read a book.  Any book. But hopefully one of mine.  Thanks.

The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild is thrilled to host Nickolas Butler as our fiction writer-in-residence for this summer’s all-new Priory Writing Retreat. When asked to comment on our upcoming retreat, Butler had this to share:

“Every year I sincerely look forward to the summer CVWG Writing Retreat.  It’s a weekend that I always enjoy for so many reasons. Greeting writer-friends that I’ve worked with in the past and certainly meeting new writers as well.  I like that sense of discovery, of potentially working with a great new voice in American literature. And too, the food, camaraderie, bonfires, and beer aren’t bad either.”

Inspired? Wonderful. Click here to sign up to secure your spot at this summer’s writing retreat!

Huge Changes: All-New Summer Writers Retreat for 2019

We’ve got big, huge, exciting news to share for 2019! Check out our latest press release …

Chippewa Valley Writers Guild To Host New Writers’ Retreat in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

EAU CLAIRE, WIS. – From July 18-21, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild will host its inaugural summer writers’ retreat at a new location in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Situated on 120 wooded acres just miles from downtown Eau Claire, The Priory Writers’ Retreat seeks to provide a vibrant, inclusive, and collaborative experience for writers of all genres.  

This summer, The Priory Writers’ Retreat is thrilled to welcome four writers-in-residence: Dasha Kelly Hamilton (“Power Lines: Crafting Poems with Punch”), Nickolas Butler (“Stepping into Story: The Theory and Practice of Fiction”), Mary Mack (“Finding the Funny: Make Millions with Humor (Just Kidding)”), and David McGlynn (“Flirting with Disaster: Turning Personal Obsession into Memoir”). Additionally, the keynote speaker, former Wisconsin poet laureate Max Garland, will present “What I Learned on My First Day of Writing or Don’t Quit Your Job.”

Clockwise: Dasha Kelly Hamilton, Nickolas Butler, Mary Mack, and David McGlynn

For the past three summers, the CVWG has hosted writers’ retreats at Cirenaica, an intimate, cabin setting in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.  This summer, they’re excited to bring the spirit of Cirenaica to their new location in order to create additional opportunities for writers to create and collaborate alongside one another in a shared space.  “When writers come together for three days of intensive, yet rejuvenating, writing and fellowship, there’s no limit to the magic that can occur,” says CVWG director B.J. Hollars.

The 450.00 cost includes three-nights lodging, on-site meals and drinks, personalized instruction and critique, field notebook, craft talks and keynote address, bus transport to and from the Pablo Center at the Confluence, complimentary ticket to the Writer-in-Residence Reading, and all other on-site events.

➤ FOR MORE INFORMATION on The Priory Writers’ Retreat (including daily schedule, available workshops, and applications), go here: www.cvwritersguild.org/2019retreat

➤ Contact CV Writers Guild Director B.J. Hollars at chipperavalleywritersguild@gmail.com

The Priory Writers’ Retreat grounds

Talking about Academic Opportunities, Family History, and Motivation with Mary Shaw

by Chloe Ackerman

Mary Shaw reflects on time that she spent with her family in Ukraine in her collection, Plum Season: A collection of poetry, prose, photography, and conversations. It was released on December 8th at Dotters Books; she read her book to a warm room full of love and eager ears. Shaw is majoring in critical studies in literature, culture, and film at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In this interview, she recounts her writing process, academic opportunities, how she kept motivation, and what it was like to show her family what she created. 

CHLOE ACKERMAN: Can you tell me about how you got the opportunity to create and publish this book?

MARY SHAW: I got this opportunity through a grant from the school through ORSP, so that means that I will be presenting in the spring at CERCA as well. Dr. Theresa Kemp, who is an English professor here, actually told me about it and convinced me to apply.

CA: What was it like writing everything in this and putting together this book? 

MS: Putting it all together and writing it was fun, obviously. This is something that I had wanted to do for a very long time, but I am very bad with deadlines, so it was stressful in a way. Also, my self-consciousness would come in sometimes and be like, “this is not good enough,” so I learned a lot about moving forward and pushing even when I felt like it was difficult to keep writing.

CA: Did you write a lot of Plum Season before you knew you had the grant to write the collection? 

MS: Yes, I did. Most of the poems I had written either in Ukraine or immediately once I returned from Ukraine. There are a few things that I wrote extra for this specific collection. Especially the conversations, I went through old interviews I had on my phone and transcribed them, but all the photography was taken in Ukraine.

CA: Did you have any kind of process for this while you were writing? 

MS: I had a very loose process. Again, I’m not good at self-regulating, or keeping myself from going out, and actually staying home and doing it. My process was to sit down for fifteen minutes, and, whether I wrote something and ended up writing longer than 15 minutes or I wrote nothing, at least I sat down for fifteen minutes and tried. Most of the time when I did that, I ended up writing longer, so it was just getting myself into the seat every day for fifteen minutes to do that.

CA: Was there anything you learned about yourself while you were there while you were putting this collection together? 

MS: I learned that I can indeed write okay after a little bit. I learned that I need to push myself if I want to get results, and the outcome is only on me and nobody else. I learned that even once I do write, and I feel that it’s poor, if I keep writing and keep working on it, it does improve.

CA: Did it make you look at the time you spent in Ukraine differently? 

MS: Definitely, I heard some saying a while ago that if you want to write about yourself, don’t write the day after. You need time to process what had gone on and look at it objectively. Looking back after two years and thinking about how I wanted to write this, I definitely thought of my time in a different way. Whatever I was writing, these were the memories that I was going to keep, and these were the memories that would live on. Now that I wrote it down, it would only ever be like that on paper. If I go back to Ukraine tomorrow, it’s not going to be anything like what I wrote. Memories, they keep things alive. 

CA: What was it like for your family to see the finished product of the book?

MS: My dad’s usually a pretty silent guy, but he was very proud. My sister was really giddy. My mom’s funny. I would show her it, and the first thing she would do is be like, “okay I found a mistake”, or she’d be like, “I don’t like this picture, use a different one”, or “I think you used the incorrect grammar there”. But when all was said and done, she was crying at the release, and she cried each time she read it and she was very proud of me. I think they’re all very proud and happy that there is something on paper of our family history.

CA: Did you show Plum Season to your mom as you wrote it? 

MS: Yeah, I showed her my first draft, and then she saw the one at the release party. I didn’t really keep her up-to-date regularly, it was more like I wanted to do it on my own and then show her because I knew she would want to insert herself. I let myself do some things and then let her see it after I already finished.

CA: Is there anything else you wanted to share about your book or about this opportunity? 

MS: I think, just a plug, I didn’t think this would be possible for me to do at my age, and I really encourage any students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to ask their faculty advisors about grant work and CERCA. Honestly, while you’re here, you might as well go for all of the possibilities that you have at hand.

Writing, Wine, Women, and Collaborative Community: A Conversation with Jo Ellen Burke of 200 Main Gallery

200 Main Gallery, 200 Main St, Eau Claire

By Chloe Ackerman

I met with Jo Ellen Burke of 200 Main Gallery, and she told me about her hopes of bringing together Eau Claire’s creative community with their future events. The gallery’s latest attraction is Eau Claire’s first wine dispenser. Gallery patrons can buy wine and hang out before local events, read, write, or meet with friends. 

As Burke gave me a tour of the gallery, she explained how Eau Claire’s diverse art scene has seen much of its success because of constant collaboration and support from local artists and venues.  We also talked about the history of the 200 Main Gallery’s building (200 Main St., Eau Claire), how Eau Claire’s art culture has developed over time and the gallery’s new series of literary events focusing on local women writers. Join us on our virtual tour!

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JO ELLEN BURKE: Often people will just come in and work. They’ll work on their computer or read at the bar. During the week we are open Wednesday through Saturday noon to ten or eleven depending on what’s going on. As I show you around, you can see, we have a lounge area with some merchandise for sale, but it’s also a meeting room for book groups or writer’s groups. It can fit about eight or ten people. We really like the privacy of this room; it’s kind of a cozier spot. 

You might like the idea that the whole place used to be a book bindery, so as a book bindery they kept their paperwork in a vault instead of a bank. Paper was precious; there was no way to back books up in terms of a computer, so they treated it as a very valuable source. Now the book bindery’s vault is where we keep our wine.

CHLOE ACKERMAN: Is a lot of the art throughout the gallery by local artists? 

JB: It’s pretty much local artists except for just a few. There’s a sculptor from Wausau, and we have a ceramic art teacher from Sturgeon Bay, and then we have another ceramic artist from Lake Geneva, and the rest are pretty much from Eau Claire.

I do a lot of textile work, so I do the mirrors and napkins, and I like painting on textiles, so that’s a lot of what I do along with some painting. A lot of the work around here is from Terry, who’s my partner and is a sculptor and a painter. Terry sculpts a lot of horses; you’ve probably seen them at the Oxbow. He did the big tall steel horses that were downtown for a while, they called it Tres Caballos. 

Could you tell me what types of events you hold that bring together different facets of the local art scene, and about the upcoming events? 

JB: We will have writers and authors. We are also going to have demonstrations. For example, Terry does live painting, and we auction off what he’s painted. So you can come and watch him; he’s very comfortable painting in front of people. 

We’ve had two musicians here. We like to have live music and collaborate with the area musicians. We had Robin Mink on guitar, and we had Julie Majkowski on flute. We really like the ambiance that that’s created for the arts through music as well.

Our only restriction is space, but it’s a cozy atmosphere; people feel comfortable here. In January or February, we are going to launch what we’re calling 200 Main Mobile, and that’s a means of getting artwork out to the public and to public businesses and nonprofits.

Why did you choose to host events highlighting local women writers?

JB: One of the big things that we believe in is an array of art.  We believe in music, theater, writers, and others, and we know we have so many great authors in town. As we talked about writers, we saw many events that were highlighting the great writers in our area, but we didn’t see too many that focused on women. 

I felt it was timely, and it is a nice opportunity to focus on women writers. We decided that, on the first Wednesday of every month, we’d host something called Women Writers on Wednesday. Now, we’re thinking we should probably do it more than once a month because there are so many great writers, but we’ll just start with every month for now. 

The first natural choice was Cathy Sultan. She is so knowledgeable and articulate. She writes beautifully, and she has this expertise in the Middle East that is really instructive. She was here on the 5th of December. We ended up selling out the first day; we filled thirty seats with free tickets.

In January, we’ll have Patti See. Then in February, we will have Molly Patterson, and we are eager to have her and get to know her a little better. In March, we are going to have Jan Carroll, and we have others that we are reaching out to.

There is such a great writers community in this town. People really support each other, people like BJ Hollars, he’s a wonderful person and I think he’s done a great job collaborating with writers and bringing some light to the talents that we have here. The Pablo Center has done wonderful things for writers, too. We want to really support and continue that kind of momentum. There’s this wave in the creative economy here. I think it’s less of a wave, and it’s embedded in our culture now in a way that is very positive and strong. 

CA: I grew up in Eau Claire, and I can tell that the art scene has definitely grown since I was younger. 

JB: Yeah, it’s such a different city. You might remember just five to eight years ago, you’d go downtown and there was nothing going on. Now, thanks to Volume One and other investors like Zach Halmstad, it’s really made a difference.

Not to get too philosophical, but our community has embraced the arts so well, and I think the momentum for the arts has just really carried on. The factors in the creative economy are somewhat like silos. I think that theater is a silo, music is a silo, the fine arts are a silo, and writing is a silo. I think if we can do a little more collaboration and meshing of those, it creates a better and more fluid art scene. I am hoping that we can be a part of that and show the respect that we all want for the other disciplines of the other types of art, so it’s a win-win.

"Nobody Cares What You Think": A Q&A with this Month's Craft Talk Presenter, Mike Paulus

On January 17 at 7:00PM at the Pablo Center at the Confluence, Mike Paulus—writer, editor, and True North co-producer—will present the much anticipated craft talk “Nobody Cares What You Think (And Other Lessons Learned From Over a Decade of Column Writing.”  Snag your FREE ticket here.  (Note: To keep our costs low, please only snag a ticket if you intend to come!).

Mike began his column writing career in July of 2004 when he agreed to fill the back page of every issue of Volume One. (Two years later, he would accept an editorial position at the Eau Claire-based magazine.) Over the years he’s crafted over 350 columns for the publication, clocking in a quarter million words worth of columns (give or take 30,000 words).  His work has also been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Wisconsin Life and Central Time. During his craft talk, he’ll chat about how his style, skills, and attitude have evolved over the years, as well as offer practical tips for the most important writerly lesson of all: how to start with a blank page and deliver something week after week.  We recently chatted with Mike, who provided insight on a range of issues—everything from how to keep the writing fresh to the column he’s most proud of!

 Read on!  And see you on January 17!

 BJ Hollars: How do you keep a column fresh?  At some point, does it become difficult to crank out an original column every two weeks?

Mike Paulus: Yeah, over the years, looking back, I can see long dry spells where it was really hard to come up with ideas I was excited about. But I think that has everything to do with where your head's at and how you're doing emotionally. There are always ideas to be found, mostly by digging into the small parts of your life, the parts you don't analyze very often. But at the end of the day, I don't have a choice – I have to produce something, whether it's "fresh" or not. And I think that's where the best writing lessons have come from. I don't have a choice not to learn about writing. I have to write. And when you write you learn. 

I've never thought to myself, "how can I keep this thing new and exciting." Maybe I should. But for me it's always come down to each idea, one at a time. And I always remind myself that a dumb idea can be a good column if you write about it well enough. At that point, you're just putting writing skills to the test.

BH: Without giving too much away, do columns follow a general format?

MP: Yes, a lot of my columns have a basic formula, or basic formulas. There's an order to things that fits my voice. If everything goes well – you find an idea you're excited about, your head's in the right place, etc. – you can go from zero to a finished column in a few hours or less. And part of that speed is having these basic structures to fall back on. They develop over years. Don't get me wrong, my columns are ALWAYS better when written over the course of a few days, multiple drafts, all that. But in reality, I don't always have time for that any more. 

BH: Has your column voice changed over the years?  If so, how?

MP: Oh, yeah. That'll be a big part of my upcoming Craft Talk. I developed a certain writing voice years and years ago writing these reminder emails for the poetry slam I ran with my wife. We had an email list and a Hotmail account and a few times a month I'd try to be funny with this little audience, through these emails. I tried to be funny and entertaining when I hosted the poetry slams, live on stage, but these emails let us say things that don't work when spoken out loud. I guess that's where my writing voice started. Then I started the column, and for a bunch of years I kept developing that voice. Eventually I got pretty bored with the whole thing and my columns became a real chore. And that was all about the voice, not the topics I was writing about. So I shifted things. And I'll be talking about that shift at the Craft Talk. 

 BH: Has your column changed in subject matter as your own interests have evolved?

MP: Oh, big time. I used to work in a lot of commentary on specific local happenings. Cultural stuff. City stuff. But that was never my real forte. Hopefully, as you grow older, you keep finding new things to get excited about, and that informs what you write about, of course. But the biggest changes stemmed from a growing confidence in what I'm actually good at writing about – a confidence in turning inward. 

 BH: What's the most unexpected column you've ever written?  

MP: All the best columns, my very favorite ones, just showed up out of nowhere. Writers talk about how "it all just poured out of my head." Well, that really happens – and it's the best feeling. If you have some writing skills in place and a solid voice so you're ready to capture a gush of ideas ... well, it's like nailing your target from 5 miles away. It still takes some hard work, but it's just different, more exciting. The problem is, we intentionally try to repeat that magic. And the harder you try, the bigger mess of it you make, and you end up feeling like crap. So it's a numbers game. The more you write, the more it happens. That's it.

 But you didn't ask about that. One time I started writing about pajama pants and ended up writing about our tiny place in this cold, black, vast, unfeeling universe. That was unexpected. I promise I'll talk about that column at the Craft Talk.

BH: What's the column you're most proud of?

MP: I wrote a column about the weird light you see at night in the wintertime, here in the city. Staring out your windows at night. I feel like that was a culmination of where I was at, at the time. Emotionally. And I was exploring things people like my wife had taught me to see over the years, realizing this is a shared experience, this weird light. Shared by the people of the Midwest. And I didn't feel the pressure to be funny or make jokes about it. 

And like most of my columns, as soon as it was published, I found a hundred things to change about it. 

BH: Spoken like a true writer!

Click here to listen to the most recent version of “Dark Winter Light” which appeared on Wisconsin Life in January 2017.

Poetry, Pizza, and Politics with Eau Claire City Council Member Emily Anderson

Dr. Emily Anderson

by Chloe Ackerman

Under the pen name, Max Howard, City Council member Dr. Emily Anderson wrote her novel Fifteen and Change. This book follows a boy named Zeke, who works at a pizzeria and chooses to join the fight to raise the minimum wage.  I had the opportunity to sit down with Anderson and talk to her about her new book. Anderson described how the topic of having a living wage is significant to her life and experiences, how she wrote the book in several forms, including villanelles, and how it is difficult to identify genre while creating literature. 

To celebrate her book, on December 19th, Emily Anderson will be having a book reading, with pizza, at The Plus on Barstow Street in Downtown Eau Claire.

CHLOE ACKERMAN: What made you want to write the book Fifteen and Change?

EMILY ANDERSON: It’s directly personal to me because I’m a writer and also an academic. Right now, I have a Ph.D., I can get a job, it just won’t be a living wage job. I was involved with a fight for living wages for graduate students and adjunct professors while I was in Buffalo, New York getting my Ph.D., so that was a personal fight. One of the advantages of that fight, or one of the things that I drew strength from, was that we were also coordinated with a Fight for 15 Movement. We were protesting in solidarity with fast food workers and others in the service industry, and that was really great to be a part of that broader labor struggle, so I was kind of carrying that in my mind. The second thing is the knowledge that 43% of kids in Eau Claire schools now are in the ALICE statistics, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Basically, low income affects 43% of Eau Claire residences, and that’s so many children in our schools. Many kids are in a position much like the character Zeke in my novel who are really struggling with all the problems that economic inequality can create. I wanted to write something that reflected what is a really common experience that gets treated as a very unusual or special experience. The overarching structure of the series that the book is a part of is on social issues, and that is the one I felt I had the most personal connection to. 

In addition to other forms, This book makes use of the villanelle, which are 19-line poems. How did you go about writing this book within such confines?

For me, writing is easier when there are some limits or some constraints. Each little poem is about 50 words, and I had to do exactly 192. I kind of had a sense of what should happen every 20 poems or so to add a movement or pace to the narrative. I mapped that out and then went in and put those smaller pieces together, so it made structuring the narrative really easy, which was great. I write prose fiction as well, and I feel like I learned a lot about saving myself some time by knowing how many words something should be. I normally work more organically so having an imposed structure helped a lot.

Do you see any crossover between your work as a council member and your writing?

So much. I am motivated by the same concerns of wanting to make the world a fairer place and wanting to do my best to amplify the voices of people that are fighting for equality. So that’s definitely a motivation that I share, but I also think that the work of writing is actually really similar to politics. One thing I think of a lot is, the poet, Percy Shelley, who called poets, “the unacknowledged legislators of the world” because it’s creativity that breathes life into an idea and once an idea has life, or momentum, or energy, it captures people’s imaginations that’s what it takes to change the world. I think you see that a lot in politics, for good or ill, that people use language in imaginative ways, and it captures people’s hearts. This stuff happens whether it’s good or it’s bad. It’s a real power.

Is there a person or something that has influenced you a lot in your writing or in your work?

I think I wouldn’t have been able to continue being a writer if I didn’t have amazing teachers, friends, and family members that are always encouraging me and supporting me. I think I have been really lucky with the kinds of relationships I have in my life, and I don’t think that I would be able to persist in a rejection heavy career if I didn’t have people that have my back. 

What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?

One of the things that I try to emphasize in the book is that when Zeke becomes more directly active politically, it’s because he loves the people around him. It’s something that he does with a spirit of both love and also playfulness, and it’s this idea that getting involved and making change happen can be something that is playful and happy. It has to do with love and good feelings and not just like some abstract principle, and it can be a baby step and not necessarily a big step to make a difference. 

What question would you like to be asked that gets at the core of you as a writer and/or your writing?

One thing I’m thinking about a lot as a writer these days is the question of form or genre. I never know when I start a project what the form or genre is going to be. That’s something I learn as the ideas form and come together. I feel like people ask, “What do you write? Do you write fiction? Or do you write poetry?” And I always have a hard time answering that question, because I don’t know what something is until I am done making it, and even then sometimes I don’t really know exactly what it is. I think form communicates with content in a way that makes the genre a challenging thing to pin down. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Yes! I have a book party on the 19th of December, and anyone can come. It is going to be at The Plus at 7:00pm, and there is going to be pizza because my book is about pizza. 

Traveling 34 Years through UW-Eau Claire Summer Theater History with Wil Denson

by Chloe Ackerman

Dr. Wil Denson is a professor emeritus of theater arts at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and in his new book “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”: Director’s Cut he recounts the summers that he spent working with the Summer Theater in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He describes the plays, the good times, and past traditions, as well as all of the people he worked with over the years. 

Denson’s book allows those who were once a part of Summer Theater, or those who were in the audience of a Summer Theater production, to relive the time that was shared. It is also an excellent record of some of Eau Claire’s art history. In this interview, Denson talks about his process writing this book, how writing books differs from writing plays, and what it was like to relive his experience with Summer Theater while writing his book. “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”: Director’s Cut, can be found at The Local Store, or it can be bought directly from Wil Denson by mailing $15 to Wil Denson, P.O. Box 1828, Eau Claire, WI.

CHLOE ACKERMAN: What made you want to write your book “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”: Director’s Cut?

WIL DENSON: Over the years, a number of people have suggested that someone should write an account of Summer Theater here in Eau Claire. Since I was the person most closely associated with it, the writing seemed to fall, logically, to me.

Also, University Summer Theater closed in 1998, twenty years ago last summer; the time seemed right.

I wanted to ensure that the memory of our work was not lost. I worked with Summer Theater for over twenty-five summers, and it formed a large and important part of my life. For many seasons, Summer Theater WAS MY LIFE. I didn’t want it forgotten.

Finally, hundreds of UWEC students were involved and deserved to be recognized.

This book is nonfiction about the history of the UW-Eau Claire Summer Theater. Although you were with the program for much of the time that it was running, was there any research that you had to do to write this book? Did you learn anything or rediscover anything that surprised you in the process of writing this book?

I joined the company in 1966 during its second summer. And, although I knew and worked with personnel from the first summer and with people from every year thereafter, my memory was not sufficient for everything I hoped to include. 

Therefore, I spent about five months reading old newspaper reviews and articles, interviewing former personnel and examining production programs and photographs.

My greatest surprise in researching came in discovering the sheer number of people who had gone on to success on the national professional stage as well as in Hollywood film and television. I hadn’t actually forgotten these past people, I’d been in contact with many of them over the years, but I didn’t realize how many there were.

In the book, you mentioned plays that you wrote, Company 10 Musical, Life Upon the Wicked Stage, Remembering the Valley, and many others for the Summer Theater to perform. What is your process for writing a play? Does this process differ from writing other types of literature, like this book for example?

It’s difficult to describe the playwriting process in a short space, plus I suspect each writer works differently. I began with an idea that I hoped was viable, a story that would sell tickets. (In choosing stories for Summer Theater, the very specific EAU CLAIRE AUDIENCE was taken into consideration. What were they most likely to be drawn to?) Then I roughed out “an action” – what happens in the piece, the plotting, the setting, characters, etc. For our situation here in Eau Claire, my next step was determining if the idea was possible: could we financially afford the scenery, costumes, etc., and could we find actors, designers, director and technicians who were able to successfully bring the work to our stage. (Some ideas are simply too hard or too expensive to produce.) 

Next, I tried to put the ideas and characters on paper, actually writing the dialogue, describing the characters and scenery, presenting the action, etc. 

Finally, of course came the proofreading, edits, an infinity of re-writes, etc. (A huge advantage in writing for our own theater was the possibility of doing re-writes with the piece already on stage in rehearsal; if we found that something didn’t work as anticipated, I could re-do an act or a scene on the spot and make it more suitable).

The chief differences separating playwriting from other writing forms are its reliance on dialogue, its dependence on visuals and its immediacy. A playwright has to continually show the story to the audience; they cannot tell the plot the way a fiction writer does, the action must be seen. The playwright must ‘place the characters in action, doing something.’ A character is revealed best by what they do. 

Too, the ‘live audience factor’ features in prominently. In a film or novel nothing can be altered; what is written on the page or seen on the screen is set in stone and cannot be changed. But in a play, audience reaction is possible and hugely important; a production changes from night-to-night. A playwright is able to take advantage of this.

Since this book covers a lot of your life and you experienced and saw a lot of what was in this book, what was it like to write “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”: Director’s Cut?

What struck me most in doing the book was how much the writing took me back in time. Every day when I sat down for my three or four-hour sessions of work, I was transported back in time, back to summer mornings thirty-five or forty years ago. I vividly remembered people and places and shows I hadn’t thought about for seemingly a lifetime. Writing the book became an exotic time-travel-like experience for me. (When former actors and technicians heard I was working on the book, many of them contacted me, and we rekindled old friendships and shared old memories, thereby furthering my feelings of time travel).

What do you hope that readers will take from this book?

I hope the book brings back memories of our thirty-four years of productions, of opening nights and strikes and rehearsals. I want readers to recall the hundreds and hundreds of people involved in Summer Theater and the thousands of performances we gave. I hope it brings back a smile and a memory.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Given the changes in economics and audience tastes, it seems unlikely Summer Theater as we knew it can ever return to Eau Claire. Everything has become too expensive, too difficult, too complex. Audience tastes have changed; people have moved on with their careers; the competition has become too intimidating. TV offerings, film, sports, local music festivals, etc. all are greatly expanded and have become too difficult to compete with.

But Summer Theater accomplished what we set out to do. Over fifty of our people now work professionally on Broadway, in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Hundreds of our student actors, designers, directors, and technicians were able to learn more about their craft. Thousands of Chippewa Valley residents came to enjoy and appreciate the art of theater more due to our work. The number of then-young children who saw our work and decided to launch their own careers in theater has been tremendously gratifying.  

Looking back, our thirty-four summers became golden to me and, I hope, to the community – but can never return. 

(If you read the letters in the back of the book, you will gain a better appreciation of audience reactions.)

The theaters of the Chippewa Valley were all influenced by our work. For example, the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild, the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre, Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre, etc. were all conceived and initiated by former UWEC-Summer Theater performers, directors and technicians. Summer Theater at the University was in large part the start of theater in the Valley. I’m very proud of that.

Finally, during the several readings/book signings I’ve done throughout the area, it’s been extremely gratifying to meet former performers and technicians and to hear about their families, lives, and successes.

Dear Writer - November 2018

Dear Writer, 

I keep hearing people talking about a writer’s “voice.” What exactly does that mean? And how do I know if my writer’s voice is any good? And if it isn’t good, how do I find my voice?

Sincerely,
Lip Syncing to my Own Words

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Dear Syncing,

I, too, have wondered what the hell people were talking about when they talked about finding one’s own “voice.”  When I was starting out as a writer, it seemed to me to be the kind of thing teachers said when they couldn’t think of anything else to say about my work.  I mean, how could I not write in my own voice?  Whose voice was I writing in, if not my own?  The mailman’s?  Some roving phrenologist’s?  Did I somehow inadvertently sound like that guy sitting alone at the end of the bar, drinking Jack and Cokes and shouting out wrong answers to Jeopardy?  Should I write the way I talk, I wondered—should my work be full of sentence fragments and mild stuttering and swear words?  Or should I write the way I sound to myself when I’m thinking?  What an incoherent and obscene jumble that would be!  

But then I started thinking about voice as I read the work of other writers, and of course, I noticed a few things.  First, some writers are capable of doing all sorts of voices—they’re regular impressionists, now writing from one character’s point of view, now another, then again in a kind of neutral, authorial tone, two books later in a completely different voice again.  Other writers seem to have a distinct style that they use in story after story, book after book.  Think of the great stylists of the early-to-mid 20th century—Hemingway, Faulkner, Joyce and Woolf, for starters—you’d know their work anywhere.  But is voice the same as style?  Is that what we’re talking about?  

Well, yes and no, to my way of thinking.  I think ultimately voice is made up of a few things: diction, which is to say the words you use, the size and scope of your writer’s vocabulary.  Do you use simple, common words, or big, fancy Latinate words?  Or some mix of the two?  There’s also syntax—how you string a sentence together.  We all do it a little differently, it seems to me—we fall into syntactical patterns that become, over time, stylistic markers for our work.  I like multi-clause sentences, as you can probably tell, with lots of punctuation (and even the occasional parenthetical statement).  But I also like to mix in some short sentences.  Fragments, even.  Good writers pay attention to rhythms, too—where the natural, spoken emphases come in a phrase or a sentence.  And then there’s tone, of course—some writers manage to keep a very neutral tone, while others may sound angry or sardonic or urgent or conspiratorial, and so on.  

Ultimately, though, I think I was right to begin with.  For better or worse, whatever you write, you write in your voice.  Even if you’re trying to imitate or parody someone else, unless you’re an unusually brilliant mimic, it will still probably sound like you trying to sound like someone else. That voice may change over time—you may find ways of doing things that work better and seem more natural or more compelling—but no matter what, you’re going to sound like yourself, and, with a little luck, a better, smarter, more entertaining version of yourself.  

And maybe that’s how you know if it’s any good: would you, as a reader, want to spend an hour with that voice?  A day?  A week?  Could you be naked with that voice?  Would you want to hear it when you’re eating, or in bed, or sitting next to a crackling log fire with a nice scotch on the rocks?  Or would you find it tedious, annoying, full of clichés and lifeless dialogue?  Does it natter on with too many big words and extraneous commas, perhaps?  Is it, as Dorothy Parker is supposed to have said, not a book to be set aside lightly, but one to be thrown with great force?  If even you can’t stand the sound of your own voice, it may be time to re-think your career as a writer.  But if it seems okay to your ear—mostly in tune and on key, as it were—then maybe it’s time to get feedback from your smart friends (don’t bother showing it to your dumb friends; they won’t get it), from other writers, and from teachers and agents and editors, too, if those opportunities arise.  With time and work and constructive feedback and lots and lots of reading and thinking about how other writers do things, that voice will develop of its own accord, like a bodybuilder’s biceps develop with weight training.

All of which is a long way of saying, just write the story.  Or the poem.  Or the essay.  Don’t try to sound like someone you’re not.  Don’t try to sound a particular way, even.  Just be you, telling a story.  That’s your voice.  If people like it, it’s good.  If they don’t, then maybe try to sound like someone else, and see how that goes. 

Best of luck,
Jon Loomis

Winter Is Coming...And So Is The Winter Writers Retreat!

Update: SOLD OUT!

by Emma O’Shea 

As the winter weather rolls in, freezing leaves off the trees and blowing fog out of our mouths, so comes the Winter Writer’s Retreat. With it, the creative minds of published authors and ambitious writers looking to hone their talents and discover new insight into the world of writing. As a way of exploring our own writing and writing in different genres, the retreat gives an opportunity to nestle into the winsome Oxbow Hotel and center our attention on our passion of pen to paper. The weekend allows writers of all genres to spend time away from the day-to-day tasks and tap into our creative reservoirs. 

The retreat embraces advanced writers and those who are just beginning to explore their own writing. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, all are welcome. With an agenda that is purely focused on writing and soaking up the atmosphere of The Oxbow (and delicious food of The Lakely), it is the perfect haven for anyone who has an inkling towards writing. 

Each year the Guild weekend retreat, hosted by BJ Hollars, invites different authors from around the region to be featured. They’ll discuss writing techniques during craft talks and work with fellow retreaters in workshop. This year, we’re excited to offer plenty of different perspectives and published authors from a variety of genres. A. Rafael Johnson, author of The Through, is one of our writers-in-residence. Johnson comes with a fresh perspective on our ideas of writers, challenging the stereotypes we sometimes intimidate ourselves with when contemplating who we are as writers, both beginners and seasoned alike. Johnson says, “In America, the arts - particularly writing - is too often thought of as a solitary pursuit. We've romanticized the lone wolf writer, alone in a garret with a typewriter who produces a work of singular genius. But I ask, when did isolation outweigh conversation? I'd like to reconsider the role of artists and writers in society, as people who put their gifts of imagination in service of their communities. We are the ones who can imagine something different, something better than what we have now. If we don't, no one will." Expect new ideas on how to approach writing and how to hone skills throughout the retreat nestled in The Oxbow. 

Whether this is your first retreat or it’s a tradition dedicated to the love of writing, please join us at the perfect retreat as we approach the winter season! 

Details

EARLY BIRD RATE: $215.95 Flats / $240.95 Main House

Cost includes Saturday night lodging, breakfast, lunch, fruit, cookies, muffins, coffee, drink ticket, live jazz, and mini-group workshop (capped at 5), as well as all craft talks and instruction. Room upgrades available; ask, too, about special writers' rate for Friday night lodging as well.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: December 31, 2018

RATE STARTING JANUARY 1, 2019: $235.95 Flats / $260.95 Main House

RETREAT DATES: February 2-3, 2019

Space is limited!  Reserve your spot today!

Exploring Children’s Literature, Writing Processes, and Libraries with Rob Reid

Image: Volume One

by Chloe Ackerman

Librarians open doors and create portals to thousands of possible worlds. Rob Reid has worked much of his life to show to young kids that libraries are fun places. When he worked as a librarian he toured libraries and performed raps that he wrote using the names of children’s books. Now he’s a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he teaches how to use children’s literature to future educators.

Rob Reid explains his process and motivation for writing the songs, activities, and musical activities for his new book, 200+ Original and Adapted Story Program Activities, in this interview.

CHLOE ACKERMAN: What has had the most influence on you as a writer?

ROB REID: I have always been a writer but not always a published writer, and I found that my published niche was writing for my peers. Before I came to the university where I teach children’s literature, I was a children’s librarian in public libraries both here in Eau Claire and in Pueblo, Colorado. I came up with a lot of original ideas to kind of encourage kids to come to the library and hopefully make them lifelong book lovers. Then I found out that my peers were really interested in what I was doing. Then I made a connection with the American Library Association. They have a publishing arm called ALA Editions and they bought my book Children’s Jukebox which was a subject index of children’s recorded music. So if a daycare worker came in and said they want a song about friendship or frogs there wasn’t any research tool like that out there. I listened to about 200 children’s recordings and divided up the subject headings. I found the publisher then when that book was published they said, “what do you want to do next?” Which is something you want to hear an editor say. Then I was doing multigenerational story programs for grandma and grandpa or mom and dad and the kids and we called it family story time. That was the second one. I was lucky to find that publisher because then they kept saying what’s your next idea and so I have published 13 books with the ALA. This is my 20th book overall and 13th with them. The marketing editor and I are calling it the lucky thirteen. 

What is your writing process?

I basically pitch an idea to an editor, they say let’s go with it, then we set up a deadline that looms over my head for a year. I don’t write well without a deadline, and sometimes I do other kinds of writings too, so I do my own little deadlines. I find that kind of crucial for me, and it helps to be in a teaching environment as well because you have deadlines all the time. It helped my writing to quit the library field and come over here to UWEC because I used to work a nine to five job. I had four kids at home, they are all grown up now, and once everybody was done eating and in bed, I would try to write at night and I was exhausted. Over here at the university, I can have an early morning class, a mid-afternoon class, and in between grading and meeting with students I’m still fresh, and I have an hour or two to write. So that is helpful. 

What is your process for writing the songs, dances, story programs, and activities that go into your books?

I sit in a chair and a lot of the material comes because I want to match an activity with a particular children’s book. This is what librarians do with story programs and then follow it up with a finger play, musical activity, or a movement activity. You probably grew up knowing “The Wheels on the Bus” and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” and I got tired going on a bus or going on a bear hunt over and over, so I started “We’re Going on an Elephant Hunt” and it created that new version of that old thing or instead of the wheels on the bus it’s “The Wheels on the Sports Car”. 

It’s not all just adaptation, it’s a lot of original stuff too. I’ll have a picture book in mind, and I’ll think back and I go “what would be a fun activity to do with it?” I like to fill up a legal pad with just broad ideas, then put them together, go to the computer, and take different verses that work well together then read or sing them aloud. It takes several passes before I finally have something. Then I like to test it on somebody besides myself. When my kids were little they were around so I could test it out on them. My wife is, unfortunately, the person now. 

As I say, in one of my books I get as much satisfaction coming up with a little four-line poem as I do with a 50,000-word book. A lot of it is poetry, it’s almost all poetry if you boil it down. I get a lot of inspiration from camp songs and things like that. I do a lot of audience participation stories where the kids make sound effects to an original story. A lot of it is just sitting back in a chair and just having a pen and a paper and just starting to scrawl stuff. 

Are there any lessons that you hope the teachers, librarians, parents, and kids who use your programs and activities will take away from this book? 

The main thing is that the library is a fun place to go. I did a lot of outreach as a librarian with these activities and stories. I would get in front of groups of kids, and if nothing else if they see me and say, “hey, there’s that guy from the library,” and tell their parents, “let’s go down to the library.” You try to make lifelong library users, and, I’ve written about this in Volume One, libraries are as relevant today as they have ever been despite everybody thinking the internet’s here, we don’t need it. You know the L. E. Phillips Memorial Library had 400,000 people go through their doors last year. Almost half a million people, so don’t tell me the library is not relevant. 

Why do you want to write this book specifically?

I used to have a contract with Library Sparks Magazine where in every issue I would have an article, like a lesson plan for Story Time, and I would always like to have original stuff in there. Then the magazine went out of business, and I’m kind of at the age now where I don’t write like this as much anymore; I have other writing projects that I am putting my energy into. So I realized that some of the older books that are 25 years old or so, they’re not necessarily out of print, but people aren’t buying them as much now. This would be kind of fun to pull all that material that people might not have access to anymore and put it in one place, kind of like a one-stop shop 200+ ideas for mostly a children’s librarian, or it could be a parent or a teacher to use with kids. We collected them all together. Like here I have a bunch of “Hello” activities divided up into different themes “animal”, “my world”, and “the literary world”, that’s where I put the library raps. We have some spoonerism stories, that’s where you take parts of words and flip them around so I have some original ones of those. Instead of telling the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”, I tell it as “Little Rude Riding Head” and throughout the story, it’s “Once a time upon there was a gritty little pearl named Little Rude Riding Head…” then the kids try to decipher it. Then there are some “Goodbye” activities too, and I have a picture book called Wave Goodbye that’s based on a poem, “Wave high, wave low, I think it’s time, we gotta go. Wave your elbows, wave your toes, wave your arms, wave your nose…” That kind of stuff. We reprinted the lyrics of that in here, too. The idea was that rock star’s have greatest hits albums, so that’s like my greatest hits album. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

People will probably gawk at the price a little bit. It’s a pricey book because ALA Editions is a publisher geared towards institutions versus individuals. So schools buy it, libraries buy it, you can get it right now through ALA Editions Publisher, I just checked Amazon they don’t have a price listed yet, but they will have it up there soon. If you gawk at the price, then that’s understandable, it’s $50, but it’s a lifetime’s worth of material especially if you are working with young children. 

An Interview With Amanda

by Emma O’Shea 

This past week, I got to chat with Amanda Zieba; a young adult novel author, professor and avid writer. We talked about what she has in the works for her new publishing venture, her opportunities for writers on her website and the content of her blog. 

Emma O’Shea: Can you delve into the phrase "word nerd" and how it correlates to your style of writing and teaching?

Amanda Zieba: I love everything about words. I love their power, their precision, their diversity. I love the entertainment and joy they bring into my life. I love consuming words and using them to create. Words are amazing. When it came time to write my author bio and set up my website, these themes emerged again and again. I decided to call myself the “word nerd” because it satisfyingly encompassed all the ways I love words, and succinctly defined me.

Can you tell me a little bit about your venture with KWiL publishing and what you're working on now?

KWiL is a new traditional publishing company in Milwaukee. I met Abby Nies Janowiec, the founder and president, at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) event last year, and we hit it off right away. Throughout the past year, we have been working on taking the exciting concepts of geocaching and regional/state facts and molding them into a “read it again” worthy early chapter book. The first book in this series is in the nearly-finalized manuscript stage (illustrations soon to come!) and has a planned release date in spring 2020.

What book(s) have fortified you as a writer?

My answer for this question isn’t going to quite match up with the project I mentioned above, but the overall lesson is something that has deeply impacted me as a writer. Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley wrote the Newbery Honor Award-winning novel, The War that Saved My Life and its sequel, The War I Finally Won. These novels have been very instrumental in my thinking as a writer. In them, Kimberly tackles very tough topics. Neglect, war, alcoholism, reactive attachment disorder, self-worth, physical disabilities. This woman is fearless on the page and does not back away from anything. And yet, she is gentle. At no point in time do her stories feel inappropriate or inaccessible for young readers. And THAT skill truly amazes me. Holly Black is another children’s writer who tells honest stories about hard things in a way that does not “dumb it down” for kids. Kate DiCamillo is yet another. It is their stories of real life, told honestly for children, that fortifies me not only as a person but as a writer who aspires to do the same.

Could you tell me a bit about your blog and what got you started?

I love my blog. I am proud of my blog. I probably spend more time writing my blog than anything else. Every Wednesday I post a piece of writing wisdom. It may be a tip or technique, or about a helpful resource I found, or an inspiring book I read. Sometimes I share writing prompts or pieces of a workshop that I have taught. Occasionally I share a short story. I post a lot of different things, but the intention and purpose are always the same. TO HELP WRITERS. When I first started taking my writing seriously (about seven years ago) I was hungry for writing wisdom. But everywhere I looked, help seemed inaccessible due to distance, price or exclusivity. It was so frustrating (not to mention demoralizing). Now that I have some knowledge, I want to share it. Not only that, I want to make it as easy as possible for people who are interested to get it. So, I give it away, one piece at a time, one Wednesday at a time, on my blog.

What does literary citizenship mean?

Being a good literary citizen means contributing to the literary world in any positive way possible. Not sure what I mean? Look at the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. The Guild is a role model literary citizen. Through planning events, lifting up writers, sharing literary news and resources, offering residencies and so much more, they are making the literary world a better place. THANK YOU CVWG! Being a literary citizen is awesome because, in addition to helping others, you are also able to grow and learn and experience writing in new ways.

Are there any new opportunities for writers in the works?

One opportunity I am really excited to share is Story Seedlings. Writing a story is hard work and knowing how to start can sometimes feel like the biggest part of the battle... especially when you’ve never written a story before. Story Seedlings is a digital download product that features 24 prompts that will help you construct your story, one scene at a time. Specific story elements that are covered include characterization, world-building, conflict (internal/external) and resolution. In addition to the prompts, I offer tips and resources to enhance your story. Story Seedlings is also an excellent way to build a daily writing habit.

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If you want to know more about Amanda’s work and her opportunities such as Story Seedlings, check the links below! 

• http://amandazieba.com/products/storyseedlingsindependent

• www.amandazieba.com

Barstow & Grand Issue 2 Sneak Preview!

by Erin Stevens

The second issue of Barstow & Grand will soon be released into the world, and we’re getting ready to celebrate. Consider this your formal invitation to the issue two release party on Tuesday, October 16th!

At this year’s release party, you’ll have the chance to purchase issues one and two of Barstow & Grand, as well as any other books or publications by the contributors of issue two. The editors of the journal will be our hosts for the evening, so you’ll have the opportunity to get to know them, say hi, and ask them any questions you may have about submitting to the journal.

Then, of course, there’s the main attraction of the evening: a reading. You’ll be able to sit back and listen as the issue’s 14 contributors read from the work they submitted to the journal.

“The mix of contributors will show off the range of writers we were able to publish,” says Eric Rasmussen, Editor of Barstow & Grand. “People who live in town and who are traveling over to participate, young, old, folks who have published widely, and others for whom this will be the first publication.”

One of those contributors who submitted her work from outside Eau Claire city limits is Rebekah Morrisson. Morrisson, who graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 2014, currently lives in Maine where she works as a Trail Specialist at Baxter State Park. She drew from her trail building work for the short story that’s featured in issue two.

“Having my first published short story featured in Barstow & Grand's second issue is more than an honor,” says Rebekah.

Since graduating from UWEC, she’s lived in parts of California and Maine for months at a time, making it difficult to find writing communities. That’s why she’s so grateful that Barstow & Grand exists so that she can stay connected to a community she loves so much.

“While I can't attend the release party, I can share in the excitement of another issue by reading it and experiencing the stories there which ground me in a community that I always want to be a part of,” says Rebekah. (Click here to hear a recent piece written by Rebekah).

Something else for attendees to look forward to 一 a chance to check out Eau Claire’s brand new arts center. Yes, you read that right! This year’s release party will be hosted at the Pablo Center at the Confluence. Come for the reading, mingle with members of your favorite local writing community, and also see what this new venue has to offer.

When asked what he’s most excited for, Eric’s answer came without hesitation.

“My favorite part is handing issues to the contributors and everyone who helped with the issue,” he says. “Producing the journal is a lot of work, and that moment when people see it and flip to their names or pieces - that’s a pretty cool moment.”

You, too, can be part of this moment! Make sure to come to the Pablo on Tuesday, October 16th at 7 p.m. to grab your copy of issue two and support our talented community! In advance, please snag your FREE ticket here!

Telling the Truth about the Middle East through Cathy Sultan’s New Novel Damascus Street

Cathy Sultan

By Chloe Ackerman

Writer Cathy Sultan grew up in Washington D.C. where she yearned to know more of the world. In 1969 her wish came true when she met her Lebanese husband and moved with him to Beirut, Lebanon. She quickly fell in love with the city. When the Lebanese Civil War broke out blocks away from their home in 1975, they continued to raise their family in Beirut until it was no longer manageable.

Cathy Sultan uses her experience and unique knowledge of the civil war in Lebanon to write her latest book Damascus Street, the sequel to The Syrian. Sandy Tolan, author of Children of the Stone, which was a 2015 L.A. TimesBook of the Year finalist, wrote "Her insights into the region's history and politics go far deeper than your average thriller, exploring U.S. imperial meddling, the heartbreak of Palestinian refugee camps, and the complex and fragile construction of Lebanese society. Damascus Street will stay with you."  Damascus Street recounts the story of American physician Andrew Sullivan, whose fiancée is kidnapped by an important Lebanese ex-political figure. This book follows Sullivan’s thrilling mission to get her back. The following is an interview with Cathy Sultan about her latest book.

CHLOE ACKERMAN: Your book Damascus Street tells the story of a man whose fiancée was kidnapped in Syria by a former intelligence chief after a civil war in Lebanon. What is your writing process for such a serious topic 

CATHY SULTAN: I think it is my ability to imagine the impossible. After all, I am writing about the Middle East, and particularly Lebanon, which I know intimately, and where skullduggery is an everyday occurrence.

This book includes many specific dates and historical events that took place in the Middle East; what kind of research was involved while writing this book?

I am a news junkie and so I read extensively about events as they unfold across the Middle East. Most of the research in the book is first-hand knowledge and other than fact-checking on some events and dates, I needed little research. Some of the events in the book, like the explosion that took the life of an important intelligence chief, happened a block from my apartment. Our building shook and I was there to cover it first-hand as the aftermath was reported. He was such a colorful, shady, and important figure with four different passports, and once the rumors began flying about who he actually was and what he did, I began collecting any and all articles I could get my hands on, assuming I would get to use it in some future work. When I got to that part of Damascus Street, I knew it was the right moment to get out my notes and reconstruct his assassination, the details of which, without much invention on my part, were true. 

Are there any challenges you face as both a fiction and a nonfiction writer?

Other than accepting the challenge from my editor to take on fiction, I have not faced many challenges. Writing fiction is actually more fun. No footnotes, no intense fact-checking and I get to use my imagination, which works overtime, due, no doubt, to the exciting life I have had the privilege of living. I don't rule out returning to nonfiction, particularly if Lebanon is attacked, but in the meantime, I feel that fiction gives me the vehicle to tell what I perceive as the truth, only through fiction I get to hook into fast-paced thrillers which makes it easier for the reader to learn something while enjoying a good read.

According to your website, you wrote the memoir A Beirut Heart: A Woman’s War as a project for your children. What made you want to write the novels Damascus Street and the first book The Syrian?

Yes, I began writing A Beirut Heart for my children, but I soon discovered that it was also a way to mourn my loss of a city I loved. Although I didn't know it at the time, I was also discovering a way to combat what came to be called PTSD. For a very long time, I could not even read sections of A Beirut Heart without crying. Over the years I have gotten better but the trauma of war never disappears. On the upside, the experience of war has not only defined my life, it has driven my motivation to better understand the destructive forces of conflict across the Middle East and to place blame where I know it belongs.

The trilogy which includes, to date, The Syrian and Damascus Street, centers on regime change in Syria. The characters involved in carrying out the West's agenda, and those willing to risk their lives to stop such an atrocity, are the people I want to see rule our world. I know for a fact that our mass media has distorted the news coming out of Syria, and I took it as a challenge to refute those reports and incorporate more accurately what is really going on in the region.   

On your website, you explain how it was frustrating before you wrote your memoir that when you wanted to tell stories about your time living in Beirut during civil war, no one seemed to want to listen. Have people approached you since you started writing your books to share any of their stories relating to the Lebanon Civil War? 

I did find it frustrating and at times hurtful when no one initially wanted to hear me talk about my life in Beirut during the war. Once A Beirut Heart was published attitudes changed. People's aversion to things they can't comprehend is part of human nature. I also attribute that attitude to the fact that we as a country have never had to face the challenges of a war. A conflict far from home enables us to "turn it off" and pay it scant attention. When we are confronted with someone who actually lived through one of those wars, it disrupts our complacent lives and makes us uncomfortable. State-side, no one has approached me about their own Beirut stories, but in Beirut, among my friends, we often reminisce about the years we shared together and that forever changed our lives.

What do you hope the readers will take from this book?

I hope my readers will better understand the West's intervention in Syria and the motivations behind such destruction and upheaval. I also hope readers will realize mass media oftentimes, with its close affiliation with the military, industrial complex, has a political agenda in promoting war. Remember Iraq and the weapons of mass destruction lies!

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