Howdy, Table Rockers. Here is Table Rock Journal. We publish this BLOG every other month or so. We welcome short poems, flash fiction or essays from Table Rock participants, so send us something!
We are spending these last crisp days of October at our cabin just across the mountain from Wildacres. It is one of the prettiest autumns we can remember, made sweeter by the memories of our time with all of you. Plus no trips to the ER. It seems like time to check in, so we have asked our fearless faculty to offer some news of their reading habits and activities. First, what they are reading:
ABIGAIL DEWITT: "After Patti and Darnell's inspiring Malaprop's event, I started re-reading everything Elizabeth Strout has published. (Just got my copy of Lucy by the Sea.) What I love about Elizabeth Strout is exactly what I love about Table Rock: the profound open-heartedness, the humor, the stunning insights. I hate coming to the last page of any book she's written the way I hate leaving Table Rock."
JUDY GOLDMAN: “My favorite book of the year is Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan. Here’s how good it is: I finished the novel, then immediately turned back to page one and read the whole thing again.”
JOHN BEMIS: “For reading, lately I've been enjoying Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosch and Escape Into Meaning by Evan Puschak.”
DARNELL ARNOULT: “I'm reading manuscripts, so to fit in some additional reading around that, I'm studying a lot of short stories and flash fiction and memoir. This is in preparation for my winter challenge: to write one short thing everyday (rough draft) in the months of November and January, then revise what seems to have legs in the months that follow.”
ROBIN HEMLEY: I'm reading a book that I won at Table Rock: Harry Silvester Bird, by Chinelo Okparanta. Chinelo is a good friend of the family. I first met her when she went on a trip to the Philippines with me through The University of Iowa's study abroad office. At the time, she was a student in the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and she later became my daughter Shoshie's French tutor! This is her third novel, and it's really fascinating. We meet Harry in 2013 while on safari in Tanzania with his racist parents. The book follows him through much of his life but I'm still in his teen years. Still too soon to tell what impact the legacy of his upbringing will have on him, as he tries to be the antithesis of his parents, but it's clear that some kind of reckoning is at the heart of the book -- at least, I think so.
I'll let you know if I'm dead wrong!
DENTON LOVING: “I broke my wrist a little over a week ago and had to have surgery on Thursday. I'm on the mend now, but it's been a difficult couple of weeks, and I am losing time in all manner of new ways. I did not want you to think I was ignoring you though.” Let’s send Denton a card!
PHILLIP SHABAZZ: No news here. He must be so busy writing and presenting his poems, that he is not reading, not even his emails! We love you, Shabazz.
Table Rock Writers at Work in 2022
Workshops and Editing Services
Here are some of the opportunities available to you before the end of 2022 offered by our faculty members.
Memories to Memoir: Writers Workshop led by Judy Goldman
Offered by the Pat Conroy Literary Center Inc. Sun, October 30, 2022,
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ED Online
Judy will tell you everything you need to know to begin writing memoir — or, if you’re already engaged in writing memoir, how to take your work to a deeper level. This will be an all-instruction workshop. You’ll learn about beginnings, scene vs. summary, pacing, determining structure, the importance of reflection, and how to navigate family members' feelings when you write about them. You’ll also hear strategies for keeping going when self-doubt threatens to derail you. For beginners and experienced writers alike.
This is a virtual workshop to be held on Zoom. A link to the video conference call will be provided to all registered participants several days prior to the workshop. Limited to 25 participants; $45/person. Refunds up to 7 days before event. Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.
Learning Online with Darnell Arnoult:
“Mining the Mother Lode” a virtual, generative workshop-all genres and skill levels, Wednesday, November 9, 2022 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM $40.00
“Playing with Form” a virtual poetry workshop, Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 9:30 AM-1:30 PM $40.00
For more info, send an email to darndarn@gmail.com.
Going to Greece with Robin Hemley
I'm organizing along with Xu Xi a retreat in Thessaloniki Greece in January through our editing and writing retreat venture, Authors at Large AAlauthors.com. It's not as cold as it might sound as it's a maritime climate, and hey, it's Greece.
Plot Your Novel: Plot Your Scenes with John Bemis
John Bemis is teaching through Authors Publish and the class is already sold out. The course starts on Monday, November 7th and goes until Friday, December 2nd. Participants will have a full six months to complete the workshop and submit their work for feedback. There is a waiting list. Watch this space for more from John.
When It’s Time for an Editor …
By Laurel Ferejohn
Fellow Table Rock writers! As many of you know, I’m also an editor. When I pivoted from academic editing to the creative side, I didn’t imagine I’d get to edit work by some of you, but those have been the most inspiring and rewarding projects of the past few years.
I’m what’s known as a developmental editor. For me that means beginning with a complete draft of story- to book-length fiction or creative nonfiction that the author has revised as much as they feel they can before deciding it’s time for an editor. I suggest specific additions, deletions, and further revision, addressing such elements as point of view, story, scene, characterization, narrative flow. I also edit for word choice, sentence and paragraph structure, ambiguities, consistency, repetition, and of course grammar and punctuation. You’ll know exactly what I’ve done, as along with the edited manuscript I provide a memo with an overall assessment and explanations where I think they’ll be useful; and all changes and suggestions in the manuscript itself are visible, thanks to Word’s (excellent!) Track Changes.
On my website, laurelferejohn.com, the Home page includes some testimonials by authors whose work I’ve edited. There’s also a Contact Me tab—I’d love to hear from you about your writing, or just to say hi! Also, I teach flash writing, usually once or twice a year. Let me know if you’d like more information on that
I hope you came away from the amazing 2022 real-life, in-person gathering on the mountain as inspired as I was! I’ll leave you with these lovely words from Emerson Whitney: “Writing is a best friend. I meet up with it every day thinking, hi, I love you.”
ABOUT TABLE ROCK WRITERS WORKSHOP
This open-hearted writing program for adults, held at the end of August each year, is an intensive, small-group learning experience designed to stretch participants' creative capacities and knowledge in a supportive and noncompetitive environment. See tablerockwriters.com
Thanks so much for sharing this newsletter. I knew nothing about Table Rock Writers and spent the last 1/2 hour exploring online. Would love to participate some day!