Transcend Genre Boundaries and Be Inspired in Freesia McKee’s Workshop

Date:

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Freesia McKee’s workshop “Spinnerbaits, Jigs, and Spoons: Writing Haibun and Zuihitsu Poetry” introduces writers to two genre-bending forms that spark surprising associations through juxtaposition. Participants will consider classic and contemporary examples of these capacious, lightweight forms, and then cast their lines to write their own. This workshop is suitable for writers of poetry, writers of prose, and the genre-curious. Register early for this limited-enrollment generative workshop that will inform and inspire all writers.

Genre-bending Writer Freesia McKee Reads from Her Work Followed by an Open Mic

Date:

Friday, March 26, 2021

The Driftless Writing Center is delighted to sponsor a public reading by Freesia McKee, which will be followed by an open mic. Participants who want to read during the open mic should bring a maximum of five minutes of writing to share.

Freesia McKee writes poetry, prose, and the genres in-between. She’s the author of How Distant the City, the essays editor at South Florida Poetry Journal, and a book reviewer at large. Freesia’s work has appeared in Flyway, Bone Bouquet, So to Speak, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, Painted Bride Quarterly, CALYX, About Place Journal, and the Ms. Magazine Blog. Originally from Milwaukee, she’s been teaching hybrid forms, micro-memoir, and poetry classes remotely from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Freesia welcomes you to connect with her online at freesiamckee.com or through Twitter at @freesiamckee.

Celebrate NaNoWriMo with the DWC!

Date:

Wednesdays and Saturdays through November; Sunday, November 29

Want a challenge to take your mind off the world? Want to take a deep dive into a writing project with friends? Join Driftless Writing Center board members Lisa Henner and Jennifer Morales for National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo, which takes place from November 1 through November 30, is an international community of writers striving to write 50,000 words in one month—essentially a draft of a short novel. DWC will be providing drop-in writing sessions online twice each week and a bonus “Homestretch Sunday” session at the end of the month.

On Wednesdays, Jennifer will lead participants through two 25-minute writing blocks with a 30-minute Q&A at the end for your writing craft questions. On Saturdays, Lisa will lead two 25-minute writing blocks followed by a 30-minute conversation about “tips and tricks” to help you develop skills that will keep you motivated.

The DWC will also offer a “Come Write In” community on the NaNoWriMo site.

Online Reading Featuring Angie Trudell Vasquez, Madison’s Poet Laureate, and an Open Mic

Date:

Friday, October 9, 2020

Angie will read from her new book, In Light, Always Light (Finishing Line Press, 2020), followed by an open mic. Bring five minutes of writing to share.

Angela Trudell Vasquez received her MFA in creative writing with a concentration in poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was a Ruth Lilly fellow as a Drake University undergraduate. Her work has been published in the Taos Journal of Poetry, Yellow Medicine Review, Raven Chronicles, Return to the Gathering Place of the Waters, and Cloudthroat, and appears on the Poetry Foundation’s website. She has new work forthcoming in RED INK: International Journal of Indigenous Literature, Arts & Humanities.

Poetry for the People Workshop

Date:

Saturday, October 10, 2020

We need a new language for these times. Poets and poems are central to the global movement towards peace and justice. We will examine poems that resist and renew, that give us hope and joy. We will explore various poets from all over the globe. Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez will share her work and poetic influences including Carolyn Forché, Joy Harjo, Simon Ortiz, Eduardo Galeano, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Arthur Sze, among others, and the craft techniques they employed in their work. We will write our own poems of witness and share.

“If you look back over the past 100 years, you can see how vital poetry has been in the movement for peace and social justice.”

— from “The Poetry of Protest,” a speech delivered by Matthew Rothschild on November 3, 2012, to the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild precious life?”

— Mary Oliver from her poem “The Summer Day”

Launch Party and Readings from Contours

Date:

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Join the Driftless Writing Center in toasting the recent publication of Contours: A Literary Landscape and hear more than twenty contributors read from their work in the collection. Cash bar and complementary appetizers. No registration is necessary, but go to our Facebook page and reserve a free ticket—space is limited.

Getting Words on the Page

Date:

Wednesday evenings starting November 6 and running through December 18 (excluding November 27)

Join us for Getting Words on the Page: A Writing Workshop for All. Lisa Henner and Robin Hosemann will use their 30 years of combined teaching experience to guide you through simple, open-ended, stress-free, fun exercises to get you started and expose you to techniques that make writing easier.

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NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED. Class size is strictly limited, adults only. Please register by October 31.

Instructors: Lisa Henner and Robin Hosemann

More Getting Words on a Page Coming Soon

Date:

Late spring/summer 2019

In response to a community member asking for help with writing, the DWC’s Lisa Henner and Robin Hosemann led the multisession Getting Words on a Page workshop in the fall of 2019. This class gave writers of all levels, experiences, and backgrounds the opportunity to gain confidence in moving their ideas to paper. Packed with energizing prompts, unique tips for working past common stumbling blocks, and the camaraderie of time spent with others who share an interest in developing their writing lives, Getting Words on a Page proved wildly popular and sold out quickly, and the DWC plans to offer it again in late spring. Keep an eye out for more details.

Poet Angela Trudell Vasquez to Visit Viroqua

Date:

Postponed

Angela will read from her new book, In Light, Always Light (Finishing Line Press, 2020), followed by an open mic on Friday, March 13. Bring 5 minutes of writing to share.

The Poetry as a Visual Art Form workshop on Saturday, March 14, will explore how white space, caesuras, the em dash, and elliptical poetry is used effectively by other poets, including C. D. Wright, Simon Ortiz, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Adrienne Rich, Jean Valentine, Claudia Rankine, Joan Naviyuk Kane, and Layli Long Soldier. Please bring one poem on any subject to edit during our time together.

Angela Trudell Vasquez received her MFA in creative writing with a concentration in poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was a Ruth Lilly fellow as a Drake University undergraduate. Her work has been published in the Taos Journal of Poetry, Yellow Medicine Review, Raven Chronicles, Return to the Gathering Place of the Waters, and Cloudthroat, and appears on the Poetry Foundation’s website. She has new work forthcoming in RED INK: International Journal of Indigenous Literature, Arts & Humanities.

Draft and Craft

Date:

Postponed

Draft & Craft is an informal and fun workshop that provides challenging prompts on a variety of topics and gives participants time to think and write. Led by a rotating cast of DWC instructors, the sessions for spring 2020 include instigating and heightening drama in your writing, making new work from found materials, crafting an attention-getting pitch letter, and writing great dialogue.

No registration is necessary. Just bring pen and paper and be ready to enjoy excellent company and intriguing discussions.

Writing the Artist Statement

Date:

Saturday, February 22, 2020

A well-crafted artist statement is essential to reach the audiences you desire for your writing or artwork, whether you’re applying to a residency, participating in a show, or seeking a teaching job.

Winding Roads Art Tour and the Driftless Writing Center are teaming up to offer a 4-hour workshop to help you draft a compelling artist statement that gets to the heart of what you do and why you do it. Artists participating in the Winding Roads Art Tour get half-price registration ($25), courtesy of the art tour board!

Writing instructors Jennifer Morales and Franciszka Voeltz will lead writers and artists through a series of exercises designed to draw out key insights about what drives you to create. You will leave the workshop with an artist statement that will help potential customers, curators, reviewers, and other audiences grasp the meaning and purpose of your work.