About Town: October 2013
Dear Writers: I’ve been mourning the demise of my 40s. But I’m coming out of mourning right now to celebrate turning 50 on Halloween! I’ll be celebrating all through October and hope you join me, as there’s lots to do!
Good-bye 49; Hello 50!
1) Get new reading glasses, cuz damn, the type on this page keeps getting smaller.
2) If you’re in the area, join me tonight for Open Mic at Village Books at 7 p.m., 360-671-2626, http://www.villagebooks.com
Here’s the sweet stuff for October!
Launching Oct 1: Weekly Writing Circle led by area poet Matthew Brouwer. Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. at Allied Arts of Whatcom County, 1418 Cornwall in Bellingham. Drop in, no need to register; fee is what you can afford. Matthew Brouwer is the author of Men Who Walk with Canes and The Gospel According to Matthew. www.MatthewBrouwerpoet.com
Celebrate Troy Davis October 1 @ Village Books
Oct 1: I Am Troy Davis, 7 p.m. at Village Books in Fairhaven. Marking the second anniversary of the execution of Troy Anthony Davis, Amnesty USA, NAACP, Equal Justice USA, and Haymarket Books invite you to join Kimberly Davis (Troy’s sister) and author Jen Marlowe for an evening of reflection on the legacy of Troy Davis and the success that the movement to end the death penalty has achieved.
Oct 3–6: Wordstock Festival in Portland OR, http://www.wordstockfestival.com/festival/
Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 6:30 p.m. at Village Books: Nancy Canyon teaches a four-night workshop for writers: “Place to Place: Writing the Environment.”
Wednesday, 10/16/13 and Saturday 11/16/13: Self-Publishing with Dawn Groves and Susan Colleen Browne @ Whatcom Community College, http://www.whatcom.communityed.com
Wednesday, 10/23/13: Whatcom Writers and Publishers October Dinner and Speaker, http://www.whatcomwritersandpublishers.org
Oct 25–27: Surrey International Writers’ Conference in Surrey, B.C. Canada, http://www.siwc.ca/
Oct 25–27: Whidbey Island Writers Conference in Coupeville WA, http://www.nila.edu/wiwc/
Monday, 10/28/13: Open Mic with Laurel Leigh, Village Books, 7 p.m., 360-671-2626, http://www.villagebooks.com
Thursday, 10/31/13: Happy 50th to me! My favorite thing to do on my birthday is hand out candy to the kids as well as eat some of it myself. My mom and my birth mother loved each other dearly but could not agree on a lot of things, including my birth certificate. I actually have two: the original from 1963 that includes my birth mother and father’s names and lists my race as Negro, which is why I think that’s a beautiful word and always will (he was actually Afro-American and Native American and she’s Caucasian); and the redux made a few years later that lists my mom and dad (who were Germanic and Basque) and changes my race to Caucasian. Yes, there will be a story someday,
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P.S. Thanks to everyone who has asked about my classes:
Saturday, 11/2/13: The Little Novelist Workshop with Laurel Leigh @ Whatcom Community College, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Thursdays starting 2/6/14: Writer’s Workshop, a guided critique group, runs for six weeks @ Whatcom Community College, 6-9 p.m. Registration will open about eight weeks prior to the class.
Clover, A Literary Rag, edited by Mary Gillilan
P.P.S.: Read my story “Darrell, In Milwaukee” (from my Shoeless collection) in the next issue of Clover, A Literary Rag, due December 2013. You can find Clover, published by the Independent Writers’ Studio with its gorgeous letterpress cover, at Village Books and online at http://independentwritersstudio.com/site/?cat=7.
XO Laurel Leigh
Dear Writers 
Sounds like a very busy birthday month! Congrats on another year well lived! 🙂
Thanks, Kourtney! I am starting to have that feeling of being happy to be still standing upright, or nearly upright! It has been a good year, with lots of wonderful small moments to reflect back on.
Dear Laurel,
Happy birthday! If anyone asks you what you are going to be for Halloween, all you have to say is 50! I do think you have a great story there, and I appreciated your sharing some of it with us.
This is a crazy month–hosting storytellers from Australia and NZ for a couple weeks, the Forest Storytelling Festival, and the last week of October is booked with Halloween programs. Some day I would like to attend one of the writing conferences, or make it up to Village Books to catch you on the open mic. Again, happy birthday!
Warmly,
Naomi
Hi Naomi!
Thanks very much for the good wishes. Someone showed me the Sally O’Malley sketch on YouTube, and I laughed my head off. Do you mean the Forest Storytelling Festival in Port Angeles? Or is there one in Seattle? I’ve never heard of it but it sounds like a wonderful event. Are you presenting? If so, good luck! It would be delightful to get together one day soon. I suspect your travel schedule is crazier than mine, but if we can find a date to meet in Seattle that would be great–and if you get up this way I would love to host you. Happy Halloween!
Just celebrated my brother’s 50th two weeks ago. The demise of your 40’s is the birth of another decade of wisdom, an event well worth celebrating. What fun to hand out candy on your birthday!!
Hi Mary!
Thanks for the good wishes. How nice that you celebrate on Peter’s birthday. I think it’s important and wonderful to do that. I just went back and re-read your wonderful post about him. If anyone hasn’t seen it, here’s the link: http://marydpierce.com/2013/04/06/this-ones-for-puck/
Congrats on the birthday, Laurel! Clearly your latest publication announcement is a well-earned early present, although we won’t see hardcopy until December. I’m first in line to get the issue! I’ll be able to say, “I remember when Darrell was just twinkle in Laurel’s eye.” 😮
Have a great birthday month!
Thanks for the good wishes, Jill! And it’s so true that you were there for the first twinkle, and the second, and the third. Many thanks for reading and re-reading this story and all of your great comments along the way!
That’s a funny way to think about it, Harvey. Hope to see Ludger and you tonight!
Hey, happy birthday. Yup, celebrate all month. After a certain point birthdays really are a celebration cuz not everyone is able to reach their next one.
Shannon Hager Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:48:51 +0000 To: tigerhager@hotmail.com
I knew I could count on you for some perspective! You are so hilarious. Hope to see you tonight!
Well Laurel…
My wife Colleen just turned 60 and my daughter-in-law Shannon turns 40 the day before your birthday… so…..you fill in the gap.
ps I will probably be bringing Ludger – from Pottsdam, Germany to the reading tonight (if he wants to join us).
See you then, Harvey
On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Dear Writers