Writing In The Dark Starts in October
Originally Published September 15th, 2020
Sitting here on Tuesday afternoon, thinking that this has got to be the most beautiful September day of this year so far (here in Minneapolis, that is). The amber light, the filtered sun, the way the wind moves the branches, catches in the leaves. I wish this moment could stretch on into infinity. Except then we wouldn’t have the election, and my god we need the election, we need the change it will bring (has to bring). So, I guess I will just have to appreciate the this light for what it is, which is liquid, fleeting, and not mine to keep.
That’s not unlike what it means to negotiate with my writing life: the language is there, the story is there, it emerges in bits and pieces, but it’s not always mine to hold, mine to control or keep. That’s what has been so amazing about Writing in the Dark, the workshop I started in March, when the pandemic first shut everything down. I wanted to make a space where creative thinking, creative observing, and creative process could thrive, even during these disturbingly unstable times. I wanted to make a space where language could be front and center, and where techniques for engaging with language—its power, its magic—could be fully explored and where the risk it takes to create something new, say something new, could be encouraged. That’s Writing in the Dark, and we start our fourth session on October 7/8. Participants in past sessions of Writing in the Dark have gone on to publish work generated in the course in a variety of literary journals, and several writers have continued through all three sections! We have a few spots left in both the Wednesday section and the Thursday section and I would love for you to join us. Otherwise, I am excited to say that the Manuscript Clinic is sold out but you can absolutely get on the wait list for next year’s clinic, which will likely take place in late winter.
Finally, my book cover is currently in design (!!) and I should get my first peek at it in the coming month. Oh my gosh, I cannot wait! Blurbs have been coming in from writers whom I adore and respect and it’s such an honor and a thrill to have writers whose work I love take the time to read my work and share their enthusiasm for it. Life is not easy right now and I’m constantly worrying about so many things, but I am also feeling very, very lucky for the many gifts that make me feel grateful right now: my kids and my grandkids, my husband, my pets, my writing life, my writing community, and this gorgeous, enveloping light. Even if it cannot last, it leaves its mark.
With love,
Jeannine
