Events & Workshops
CURRENT & UPCOMING
The Art of Revision
Thurs, Sept 19 + 26, 6-8pm
with Susan Tacent
Fiction | Nonfiction
Much of our work as writers rests in revision. Careful revision ensures credible characters, enticing language, well-paced plots, and points of view that honor the intent and power of our stories. Through a craft-oriented look at work by Virginia Woolf, Lydia Davis, George Saunders, Morgan Talty, Peter Ho Davies, NK Jemisin, and others, we’ll explore the why and how of revision. Through writing exercises, group discussion, and a spirit of discovery, we’ll revise works-in-progress toward keeping readers invested and engaged. Open to prose writers of all levels and genres with a current work-in-progress. This is a 2-week workshop, with a 2-hour session each week. Please prepare to spend time revising your work between sessions.
www.litartsri.org/writing-workshops
Excited to facilitate another Sept.-May journey into reading with the amazing patrons of the Rogers Free Library in Bristol RI. Hope my selections give us plenty to ponder. rogersfreelibrary.org/adultbookclub/
The Bold Point Literary Society, Tockwotton on the Waterfront, East Providence RI
I am fortunate to faciliate: Ongoing monthly meeting where we discuss carefully curated stories and poems, as well as life on this planet, including our own, and sometimes eat cookies. Eight years strong, this group is kind, lively, and often hilarious!
tockwotton.org
**********************************************************************
PAST
A Conversation with Don Winslow
Rogers Free Library, Noon, July 27, 2024
rogersfreelibrary.libcal.com/calendar/programming/don-winslow
Finding Your Creative Home creatureconserve.com/workshop-schedule
An Afternoon with Geraldine Brooks
Friday, September 29, 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Herreshoff Community RoomAustralian-born Geraldine Brooks is an acclaimed New York Times best-selling author and journalist known for her immersive, character-driven historical novels. She writes impeccably researched historical novels, including The Secret Chord, March, People of the Book, Year of Wonders, and Caleb’s Crossing.
Mrs. Brooks will focus her remarks on her latest novel, Horse. As reviewed by The Washington Post, “Ms. Brooks’ latest book is a sweeping tale that uses the true story of a famous 19th-century racehorse to explore the roots and legacy of enslavement…” Horse is a reminder of the simple, primal power an author can summon by creating characters readers care about and telling a story about them — the same power that so terrifies the people so desperately trying to get Toni Morrison banned from their children’s reading lists.
Local author Susan Tacent will moderate the event and local bookstore Ink Fish will make copies of Horse available to purchase on site.
rogersfreelibrary.org/featured-programs/
WORKSHOP for writers: art and science of animal migration
creatureconserve.com/art-sci-animal-migration-writing-workshop
Sunday, february 26, 2023, via ZOOM1:00 pm - 6:00 PM ETA 5-hr generative workshop for writers interested in exploring the science of animal migration and the disruption to these age-old patterns of movement caused by human activities.
Participants will write based on prompts, exercises, and brief science lectures. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share their work in a welcoming, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
Instructors: Christopher Kondrich + Susan Tacent
Guest Scientist: Lucy Spelman
Details:
re-conservation: Collaborative Workshop for Artists, Scientists, and WRITERS
Instructed by artist Samantha Dempsey and writer Susan Tacent with a lecture by scientist Lucy Spelman.
A generative workshop for artists, scientists, and writers interested in creating new work inspired and/or informed by science relevant to the conservation of animals and their habitats. Samantha and Susan will lead a craft discussion and provide prompts based on a science-filled presentation by Lucy. Participants will generate stories and artwork collaboratively. The workshop will conclude with a brief critique session. We will also hold two live crit sessions (30 min estimated duration) one week later for asynchronous participants and for any who would like additional feedback. This workshop is also intended to serve as inspiration for our upcoming biennial exhibit, Re-Imagining Conservation.
Details:
Author Talk with Adam Braver: Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney
Thursday, November 17, 2022, 6:15-7:30 pm
Local author and Roger Williams University professor and Writer-In-Residence, Adam Braver will hold a reading and Q&A of his newly released book — Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney, introduced and moderated by Susan Tacent.
In the fall of 1969, on Sunset Boulevard, a giant billboard advertised the newly released album, Abbey Road. Shortly after it appeared, Paul McCartney’s head was cut off the display, mysteriously disappearing. Through the ensemble cast of Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney, we see how that act — the desecration of the symbol of an era — affects a web of individual lives over the course of several decades.
Adam Braver is the author of six novels. His books have been selected for the Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers program, Borders Original Voices series, and twice for the Book Sense list. His work has appeared in journals such as Daedalus, Ontario Review, Cimarron Review, Water-Stone Review, Harvard Review, Tin House, West Branch, and Post Road. He teaches at Roger Williams University and at the NY State Summer Writers Institute.
RSVP required. Please register HERE. This is a hybrid program offered in person and virtually. The book will be available to purchase from our local independent bookstore, Ink Fish Books.
adults
Location: Herreshoff Community Room & Zoom
WRITING FOR THE ANIMALS: A METHODOLOGICAL WORKSHOP
Writing for the Animals is for writers interested in creating emotionally charged, solution-oriented work inspired and informed by science and relevant to the healthy existence of all animals —including humans.
This is a hybrid workshop that will take place in person and on Zoom.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHAT CHEER WRITERS CLUB
Instructors: Susan Tacent and Dr. Lucy Spelman
creatureconserve.com/writing-for-the-animals-workshop
Step Into My Parlor: Crafting Strong Beginnings
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1-3pm
Every first page – whether story, novel, memoir, essay, or poetry collection – bears a promise and an invitation: Reader, there's something I need to share with you, something important, that I believe with all my heart you'll want to know. Powerful writing begins with the first word, andd with each subsequent word, hooks readers, making them want to keep going. In this workshop, through writing exercises, discussions, craft presentation, and a look at some amazing beginnings, from authors N.K. Jemisin, Anne Carson, Lydia Davis, Homer, Samanta Schweblin, Bernardine Evaristo, and others, we'll consider the craft of strong beginnings from works in progress; expect to come away with at least one new start to a piece. 18+ Registration required. Visit www.whatcheerclub.org/
reExamining Conservation
Led by Dr. Lucy Spelman, Susan Tacent & Samantha Dempsey
Saturday, April 23 | 9 - 11 am
A generative workshop for writers and visual artists interested in creating new work inspired and/or informed by science relevant to the conservation of animals and their habitats. The workshop will begin with a lecture by scientist Dr. Spelman, Re-Examining Conservation, in which she explores how our biology connects us: how all animals have the same basic needs (air, food, water, shelter, each other, and room to move) and how solving a health problem in one species can benefit another. Artist Samantha Dempsey and writer Susan Tacent will lead a craft discussion and provide prompts based on the science presentation. Participants will generate stories and artwork. The workshop will conclude with a brief critique session. Materials will be provided. Meets on Zoom and In-Person creatureconserve.com/re-examining-conservation
Book Discussion: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Tuesday March 22, 2022, 2:30-4pm or Wednesday March 23, 2022, 6:30-8pm
Mary Shelley began writing a tale of a talented young doctor she named Victor Frankenstein at the age of 18. Is the resulting novel a love story? Science fiction? Horror? Fantasy? Perhaps Shelley, much like her protagonist, created something entirely new. Charged with Shelley's unflinching female voice, the novel, with its exploration of illness, medicine, artificial life, and the nature of power and responsibility, remains provocatively relevant more than 200 years later. Two discussion meetings, RSVP required. Limited to 30 participants. Sponsored by the Bristol Book Fest www.bristolbookfest.com/ and the Rogers Free Library. To register please visit rogersfreelibrary.org
Finding Your Creative Home - virtual
Sunday February 27, 2022, from noon- 2pm EST
The fifth module in Creature Conserve's Professional Development Series co-coached by muralist Sophy Tuttle and me. We will each offer suggestions and tips for finding your art+sci+conservation creative home: places where you can find like-minded people whose art/sci work inspires you to create and share more of your own.
Open to any artist, writer, scientist working in artist/sci conservation, from novice to established. Fees pay what you can $5 to $30.
To register please visit creatureconserve.com/
Erasure Poetry workshop - virtual - for teens and adults
February 24, 2022 5:30-7:30pm
We'll use pages from Carson McCullers' moving 1940 novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, to create erasure poems. To write erasure poetry, the poet uses an existing text and erases, paints over, crosses out, or hides part of that text in order to create a new work from what is left behind. The resulting poem can be seen as a collaboration between the old and new, a conversation, or even a collision that challenges the original work. Participants writing in all genres and at all levels of experience are welcome. Familiarity with the novel is lovely but not required. This virtual program is a collaboration between Roger Williams University's John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program and the Rogers Free Library. Participants will receive workshop materials via email prior to the event. Registration is required. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxqO4o4theJcb08WVqnAe8KlVcDwGmScGcCK9OocOjq3WB9g/viewform
What Cheer Writers Spring workshops preview- virtual - Friday, Feb. 4 at 5pm, we're gathering online to hear from local teaching artists Karen Greco, Nancy Agabian, Rosalynde Vas Dias and Susan Tacent about their passion for a particular aspect of craft. Learn about the Craft Curiosities workshops they'll be leading this spring and share your own passion for the craft of writing. The link to join this Cocktail Chat is posted in the Member* Slack, or reach out for details.
The Art & Science of Migration Writing Workshop
Sun, Mar 14, 2021 7:00 PM Sun, Apr 11, 2021 7:00 PM
The Art & Science of Migration
Instructors: Christopher Kondrich + Susan Tacent
Guest Scientist: Lucy Spelman
Five Class Meetings via Zoom:
March 14, March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11
7:00 - 9:00 PM EST
A 5-week workshop for writers interested in exploring the science of animal migration and the disruption to these age-old patterns of movement caused by human activities. Participants will write based on prompts, exercises, and science lectures. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share their work in a welcoming, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
creatureconserve.com/register-for-a-workshop
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
As the alpha species on a planet in the throes, we share the responsibility to repair the damage done and envision ways to move forward. Creature Conserve Workshops bring artists, creative writers, and scientists together around a theme related to animal extinction and give participants the opportunity to practice making conservation science accessible, meaningful, and relevant.
The theme for this writing workshop is animal migration; we will consider the migratory practices of bison, whooping cranes, monarch butterflies, sea turtles, salmon, trout, eels, and other animals. How do they know where to go? What is the relationship between animals and their migratory environments? How are migratory patterns changing as a result of agriculture, urban development, and climate change? How does our scientific understanding of this problem inform the solution?
Participants will read and discuss a selection of contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as selected scientific articles, that engage the theme of migration. Class meetings will also include presentations by Dr. Lucy Spelman, scientist and founder of Creature Conserve, who will discuss the pertinent animal behaviors, ecosystems, and environmental issues. Workshop instructors will lead participants in synthesizing materials and in generating new work inspired by a more holistic, inclusive (scientific, artistic) understanding of the topic.
Over the course of five weeks, we will experiment with bringing the science of migration to life through creative writing. Participants will be encouraged to work toward at least one finished piece based on prompts, exercises, and assignments that frame the writing process as an act of migration, and the creative piece itself as leading readers on a migratory journey. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share the work written from these prompts and exercises with the class, which will be a welcoming, collaborative, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
Readings will include work by Aimee Bender, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Sara Dykman, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Barbara Kingsolver, Charlotte McConaghy, Dani McClain, W. S. Merwin, Richard Powers, Brenda Shaughnessy, Tom Whitecloud, Joy Williams, Jeffrey Yang, and others.
Make it Come Alive!
Ernest J. Gaines, Miss Jane Pittman, and the Power of Storytelling
A One-Evening Flash Writing Workshop
Date: Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021, Zoom Meeting
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Registration Required! https://tinyurl.com/y6yw3dkp
All writers write about the past, and I try to make it come alive so you can see what happened.
– Ernest J. Gaines
*******************************
We live our lives in time and space, influencing and influenced by what we read, what we hear, and what we do. In this workshop, we’ll draw on Ernest J. Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman for inspiration and example. Gaines’s novel makes the connection between history and storytelling, thus revealing how writers, by our choice of characters, conflicts, and powerful details, can speak the important truths that might otherwise be buried.
This is a generative workshop; as our template for creating new work, we’ll use flash fiction/flash nonfiction, defined by the journal Flash Fiction Online “as a complete story of 500-1000 words…that has a character, some sort of problem or conflict, and a satisfying resolution, which finds the character(s) somehow changed.”
The workshop is open to writers at all levels. Prior reading of the novel is not necessary; an excerpt from the novel will be provided. Registration is required (link above)
Related events: Roger Williams University Creative Writing Department’s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman includes the RFL Book Discussion (Feb. 24, 2021) and RWU Keynote Presentation (March 15, 2021 at 7pm). https://www.rwu.edu/library/about-us/cultural-programs-events/john-howard-birss-jr-memorial-program
*This workshop is funded by the generous support of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library.* Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI 02809, (401) 253-6948
"My Pencils Outlast My Erasers": The Art of Revision in Writing
Dates: Tuesdays, 2020 November 10, 17, 24, December 1, 8
Time: 7-8:30
Place: Zoom Online Webinar
Most of us have moved away from the pencils and erasers Vladimir Nabokov references in the title quote, but the fact remains that much of the work of writing rests in revision. A first draft is a great start, but the writer must find ways to ensure that the characters are lively and believable, the language entices and clarifies, plot and pacing satisfy, and point of view works for the voice and structure. Through select readings, group critiques, and craft lessons, participants will work on revising their works in progress to bring their writing to its strongest self. ***Registration is required at bit.ly/3dr2we0. You'll receive email confirmation of your registration. If the workshop fills, a wait list option will be added to this form.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
“True, Not False, Lively, Not Dull”: A Writing Workshop
Dates: Mondays, 2020 September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: 6:30-7:45
Place: Zoom Online Webinar
E.B. White urges writers to aim for writing that is “good, not lousy: true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error.” In this workshop, we’ll consider strategies for drafting, revising, and making words sing in ways that are good, true, lively, and accurate. With an eye toward understanding craft, we’ll practice creating character-driven stories that function on several levels, including carrying plot, conveying ideas, and asking the essential questions that drive the best writing. This workshop is designed to be overtly generative, so that participants will come away with a body of new work, and ideas for more. Along with our weekly meetings, there will be in-class writing exercises, short lessons, and discussions of reading and writing assignments. There will be homework! The workshop is free and open to all. ***Registration is required at bit.ly/3fadd45. “True, Not False, Lively, Not Dull”: A Writing Workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO COEXIST, Co-taught by Lucy Spelman and Susan Tacent
September 12 to October 3
Cleaver Magazine Writers Workshops
This workshop is designed for writers of all genres who wish to express their love and concern for all creatures through writing that is both informed by science and emotionally charged. This is a hybrid workshop, with meetings on Zoom and written work via Canvas, a text-only platform for drafts to be shared in a supportive and practical environment. There will be weekly science presentations, craft discussions, readings, writing assignments, and group critiques. Writers interested in a particular animal will be able to tailor their research accordingly.
SIX WEEKS/SIX STORIES: A Writing Workshop
Dates: Mondays, 2020 February 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 6:30-7:45
Location: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, Bristol RI 02809
Every one of us has unique experiences, interests, fears, and dreams, all of which can be shaped into stories.
In this workshop, we’ll consider strategies for drafting, revising, and making words sing in real time. With an eye toward understanding craft, participants will practice creating character-driven stories that function on several levels, including carrying plot, conveying ideas, and asking the essential questions that drive the best writing. This workshop is designed to be overtly generative, so that participants will come away with a body of new work, and ideas for more! Along with our weekly meetings, there will be in-class writing exercises, short lessons, and discussions of reading and writing assignments. There will be homework!
The workshop is free, and open to all. Please bring a pen, pencil or laptop, and something to write on.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program. Registration is required. Sign-up sheet is at the circulation desk or contact the library at (401)-253-6948
[email protected]
Venue: rogersfreelibrary.org
FINDING POETRY, FINDING CRANE: A One-Evening Found Poetry Writing Workshop
Date & Time: Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 4pm - 6pm
Location:: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, 3rd floor Meeting Room, Bristol RI 02809
Finding Poetry, Finding Crane uses the stunning language of Stephen Crane’s classic novel The Red Badge of Courage to create found poetry, a form that can be thought of as the literary equivalent of collage. The workshop is designed for people interested in exploring an interesting poetic form, developing poetry writing skills, and simply enjoying a fun, thought-provoking evening of creativity via the written word.
This workshop is one of a series of events for the 20th annual John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program at Roger Williams University celebrating the 125th anniversary of Crane’s novel. Events include an exhibition and keynote event at the University, as well as book club discussions at the Rogers Free Library on February 26th.
The workshop is free, and open to all. Please bring a pen, pencil or laptop, and something to write on. Familiarity with the novel is not required. Crane’s text will be provided.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
To register: rogersfreelibrary.org
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO CO+EXIST
Date & Time: Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 10:00am - 4:00pm*
Location: What Cheer Writers Club
160 Westminster Street, Floor 2 Providence, RI 02903
This workshop is for writers interested in creating new work relevant to their community and the creatures living there. Writers will find inspiration for characters and storylines from among the myriad scientific facts about the lives of wild animals in urban areas. Through a combination of science presentation, craft discussion, writing exercises, and group critiques, writers will have the opportunity to weave the science of urban wildlife into their writing to create new work.
The invited scientist is the founder of Creature Conserve, Dr. Lucy Spelman. Open to writers of both poetry and prose, beginners and those with more experience. Workshop is limited to 14 participants. Scholarship funds available.
*light refreshments + lunch break
To register: www.creatureconserve.com
Venue: www.whatcheerclub.org
LISTENING TO KURT: A One-Evening Writing Workshop
Date & Time: Thursday, March 7, 2019 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Location:: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, Herreshoff Community Room, Bristol RI 02809
Listening to Kurt will be an evening of hilarity, humility, and everything in between. We'll review Vonnegut's useful and often humorous insights into the art and craft of writing. Through guided exercises we'll do some writing of our own. The workshop is free, and open to writers at all levels interested in all genres. Please come armed with something to write on. Familiarity with the novel is not required.
This workshop is one of a series of events for the 20th annual John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program at Roger Williams University celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vonnegut's novel. Events include an exhibition and keynote event at the University, as well as book club discussions at the Rogers Free Library on February 20, 2019.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
To register: rogersfreelibrary.org
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO CO+EXIST - A Frequency Writers Workshop
Dates & Times: Spring 2018
Around the clock and in every season, wild animals - invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and nonhuman mammals - share urban space with people. Creature Conserve’s working definition of urban wildlife is “any species of animal that is native or introduced, but not domesticated or feral, living freely in close proximity to people (villages, towns, cities) anywhere in the world.” This workshop will consider key factors in science’s understanding of urban wildlife as well as examples in poetry and prose to generate new writing.
Dr. Lucy Spelman, founder of Creature Conserve, will meet with us for the first part of the workshop to provide an overview of species-specific information, the current state of conservation, and the challenges in a world where human-led expansion creates new homes for some animals, even as it displaces others. In the second half of the workshop, we will consider examples of poetry and prose that address these issues, and, through writing exercises, work on our own creative responses to the realities of urban wildlife. This workshop is open to writers interested in all genres.All participants will be invited to read work from this workshop at a public reading to be scheduled during Urban Wildlife: Learning to Co-Exist, an exhibit sponsored by Creature Conserve and Rhode Island School of Design. (Exhibit dates July 25-Aug 22, 2018 at the RISD ISB Gallery, 55 Canal Walk, Providence RI) To register: www.creatureconserve.com
The Art of Revision
Thurs, Sept 19 + 26, 6-8pm
with Susan Tacent
Fiction | Nonfiction
Much of our work as writers rests in revision. Careful revision ensures credible characters, enticing language, well-paced plots, and points of view that honor the intent and power of our stories. Through a craft-oriented look at work by Virginia Woolf, Lydia Davis, George Saunders, Morgan Talty, Peter Ho Davies, NK Jemisin, and others, we’ll explore the why and how of revision. Through writing exercises, group discussion, and a spirit of discovery, we’ll revise works-in-progress toward keeping readers invested and engaged. Open to prose writers of all levels and genres with a current work-in-progress. This is a 2-week workshop, with a 2-hour session each week. Please prepare to spend time revising your work between sessions.
www.litartsri.org/writing-workshops
Excited to facilitate another Sept.-May journey into reading with the amazing patrons of the Rogers Free Library in Bristol RI. Hope my selections give us plenty to ponder. rogersfreelibrary.org/adultbookclub/
The Bold Point Literary Society, Tockwotton on the Waterfront, East Providence RI
I am fortunate to faciliate: Ongoing monthly meeting where we discuss carefully curated stories and poems, as well as life on this planet, including our own, and sometimes eat cookies. Eight years strong, this group is kind, lively, and often hilarious!
tockwotton.org
**********************************************************************
PAST
A Conversation with Don Winslow
Rogers Free Library, Noon, July 27, 2024
rogersfreelibrary.libcal.com/calendar/programming/don-winslow
Finding Your Creative Home creatureconserve.com/workshop-schedule
- This workshop will help you find your art+sci+conservation creative home. The instructors will share their experiences, including tips for how to effectively pitch your work (e.g., gallery proposals, writing submissions) and, with input from the session participants, generate a list of conferences, exhibitions, festivals, newsletters, online forums, teaching opportunities, residencies and workshops that encourage art/sci exploration related to conservation.
- Two sessions, different focus.
- For writers interested in connecting with others working in art/sci conservation and opportunities for publication, taught by writer Susan Tacent.
- Saturday, January 13, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- Saturday, January 13, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
- For artists interested in connecting with others working in art/sci conservation and opportunities for exhibition, taught by artist Sophy Tuttle.
- Sunday, January 14, 2024, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
- For writers interested in connecting with others working in art/sci conservation and opportunities for publication, taught by writer Susan Tacent.
An Afternoon with Geraldine Brooks
Friday, September 29, 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Herreshoff Community RoomAustralian-born Geraldine Brooks is an acclaimed New York Times best-selling author and journalist known for her immersive, character-driven historical novels. She writes impeccably researched historical novels, including The Secret Chord, March, People of the Book, Year of Wonders, and Caleb’s Crossing.
Mrs. Brooks will focus her remarks on her latest novel, Horse. As reviewed by The Washington Post, “Ms. Brooks’ latest book is a sweeping tale that uses the true story of a famous 19th-century racehorse to explore the roots and legacy of enslavement…” Horse is a reminder of the simple, primal power an author can summon by creating characters readers care about and telling a story about them — the same power that so terrifies the people so desperately trying to get Toni Morrison banned from their children’s reading lists.
Local author Susan Tacent will moderate the event and local bookstore Ink Fish will make copies of Horse available to purchase on site.
rogersfreelibrary.org/featured-programs/
WORKSHOP for writers: art and science of animal migration
creatureconserve.com/art-sci-animal-migration-writing-workshop
Sunday, february 26, 2023, via ZOOM1:00 pm - 6:00 PM ETA 5-hr generative workshop for writers interested in exploring the science of animal migration and the disruption to these age-old patterns of movement caused by human activities.
Participants will write based on prompts, exercises, and brief science lectures. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share their work in a welcoming, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
Instructors: Christopher Kondrich + Susan Tacent
Guest Scientist: Lucy Spelman
Details:
- Formats: Synchronous - 5 hr online “live” Zoom session. (Note: we are not offering an asynchronous version of this workshop)
- Workshop Date: February 26, 2023
- Time: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM EST (1800 - 2300 UTC)
- Participants: Open to writers of all genres & skill level
re-conservation: Collaborative Workshop for Artists, Scientists, and WRITERS
Instructed by artist Samantha Dempsey and writer Susan Tacent with a lecture by scientist Lucy Spelman.
A generative workshop for artists, scientists, and writers interested in creating new work inspired and/or informed by science relevant to the conservation of animals and their habitats. Samantha and Susan will lead a craft discussion and provide prompts based on a science-filled presentation by Lucy. Participants will generate stories and artwork collaboratively. The workshop will conclude with a brief critique session. We will also hold two live crit sessions (30 min estimated duration) one week later for asynchronous participants and for any who would like additional feedback. This workshop is also intended to serve as inspiration for our upcoming biennial exhibit, Re-Imagining Conservation.
Details:
- Formats: Synchronous - 2 hr online Zoom session. Asynchronous - recording sent via email with optional live online critique 1 week later (also open to synchronous participants.)
- Workshop Date: December 10, 2022
- Time: 11:00 - 1:00 pm EST (1600 - 1800 UTC)
- Cost: Pay What You Can ($15 - $50)* See the link below or mail a check to Creature Conserve Inc, 12 Rosedale Ave, Barrington RI, 02806
- Participants: Open to visual artists and writers. All levels of experience are welcome.
- Optional “Live” Crit Sessions Date and Times: December 17 2022 @5 am EST/1100 UTC and @9 pm EST/0200 UTC.
- Zoom Link: Please look for the meeting link in the confirmation message. It will also be sent in a reminder email to all registered participants the day prior to the workshop. Please email [email protected] if you have difficulties registering or need technical assistance.
*FREE for ALL PAST AND CURRENT Creature Conserve program participants (exhibiting artists, mentors, scholars, theme week hosts, and workshop Instructors).
Author Talk with Adam Braver: Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney
Thursday, November 17, 2022, 6:15-7:30 pm
Local author and Roger Williams University professor and Writer-In-Residence, Adam Braver will hold a reading and Q&A of his newly released book — Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney, introduced and moderated by Susan Tacent.
In the fall of 1969, on Sunset Boulevard, a giant billboard advertised the newly released album, Abbey Road. Shortly after it appeared, Paul McCartney’s head was cut off the display, mysteriously disappearing. Through the ensemble cast of Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney, we see how that act — the desecration of the symbol of an era — affects a web of individual lives over the course of several decades.
Adam Braver is the author of six novels. His books have been selected for the Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers program, Borders Original Voices series, and twice for the Book Sense list. His work has appeared in journals such as Daedalus, Ontario Review, Cimarron Review, Water-Stone Review, Harvard Review, Tin House, West Branch, and Post Road. He teaches at Roger Williams University and at the NY State Summer Writers Institute.
RSVP required. Please register HERE. This is a hybrid program offered in person and virtually. The book will be available to purchase from our local independent bookstore, Ink Fish Books.
adults
Location: Herreshoff Community Room & Zoom
WRITING FOR THE ANIMALS: A METHODOLOGICAL WORKSHOP
Writing for the Animals is for writers interested in creating emotionally charged, solution-oriented work inspired and informed by science and relevant to the healthy existence of all animals —including humans.
This is a hybrid workshop that will take place in person and on Zoom.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHAT CHEER WRITERS CLUB
Instructors: Susan Tacent and Dr. Lucy Spelman
- Participants: Open to writers of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction at all levels of experience
- Format: Hybrid
- One session: Date: September 24, 2022
- Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
- Limit: 10 in-person, 15 virtual
- Cost: Pay-what-you-can ($5 - $50)*
REGISTRATION CLOSES when full
creatureconserve.com/writing-for-the-animals-workshop
Step Into My Parlor: Crafting Strong Beginnings
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1-3pm
Every first page – whether story, novel, memoir, essay, or poetry collection – bears a promise and an invitation: Reader, there's something I need to share with you, something important, that I believe with all my heart you'll want to know. Powerful writing begins with the first word, andd with each subsequent word, hooks readers, making them want to keep going. In this workshop, through writing exercises, discussions, craft presentation, and a look at some amazing beginnings, from authors N.K. Jemisin, Anne Carson, Lydia Davis, Homer, Samanta Schweblin, Bernardine Evaristo, and others, we'll consider the craft of strong beginnings from works in progress; expect to come away with at least one new start to a piece. 18+ Registration required. Visit www.whatcheerclub.org/
reExamining Conservation
Led by Dr. Lucy Spelman, Susan Tacent & Samantha Dempsey
Saturday, April 23 | 9 - 11 am
A generative workshop for writers and visual artists interested in creating new work inspired and/or informed by science relevant to the conservation of animals and their habitats. The workshop will begin with a lecture by scientist Dr. Spelman, Re-Examining Conservation, in which she explores how our biology connects us: how all animals have the same basic needs (air, food, water, shelter, each other, and room to move) and how solving a health problem in one species can benefit another. Artist Samantha Dempsey and writer Susan Tacent will lead a craft discussion and provide prompts based on the science presentation. Participants will generate stories and artwork. The workshop will conclude with a brief critique session. Materials will be provided. Meets on Zoom and In-Person creatureconserve.com/re-examining-conservation
Book Discussion: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Tuesday March 22, 2022, 2:30-4pm or Wednesday March 23, 2022, 6:30-8pm
Mary Shelley began writing a tale of a talented young doctor she named Victor Frankenstein at the age of 18. Is the resulting novel a love story? Science fiction? Horror? Fantasy? Perhaps Shelley, much like her protagonist, created something entirely new. Charged with Shelley's unflinching female voice, the novel, with its exploration of illness, medicine, artificial life, and the nature of power and responsibility, remains provocatively relevant more than 200 years later. Two discussion meetings, RSVP required. Limited to 30 participants. Sponsored by the Bristol Book Fest www.bristolbookfest.com/ and the Rogers Free Library. To register please visit rogersfreelibrary.org
Finding Your Creative Home - virtual
Sunday February 27, 2022, from noon- 2pm EST
The fifth module in Creature Conserve's Professional Development Series co-coached by muralist Sophy Tuttle and me. We will each offer suggestions and tips for finding your art+sci+conservation creative home: places where you can find like-minded people whose art/sci work inspires you to create and share more of your own.
Open to any artist, writer, scientist working in artist/sci conservation, from novice to established. Fees pay what you can $5 to $30.
To register please visit creatureconserve.com/
Erasure Poetry workshop - virtual - for teens and adults
February 24, 2022 5:30-7:30pm
We'll use pages from Carson McCullers' moving 1940 novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, to create erasure poems. To write erasure poetry, the poet uses an existing text and erases, paints over, crosses out, or hides part of that text in order to create a new work from what is left behind. The resulting poem can be seen as a collaboration between the old and new, a conversation, or even a collision that challenges the original work. Participants writing in all genres and at all levels of experience are welcome. Familiarity with the novel is lovely but not required. This virtual program is a collaboration between Roger Williams University's John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program and the Rogers Free Library. Participants will receive workshop materials via email prior to the event. Registration is required. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxqO4o4theJcb08WVqnAe8KlVcDwGmScGcCK9OocOjq3WB9g/viewform
What Cheer Writers Spring workshops preview- virtual - Friday, Feb. 4 at 5pm, we're gathering online to hear from local teaching artists Karen Greco, Nancy Agabian, Rosalynde Vas Dias and Susan Tacent about their passion for a particular aspect of craft. Learn about the Craft Curiosities workshops they'll be leading this spring and share your own passion for the craft of writing. The link to join this Cocktail Chat is posted in the Member* Slack, or reach out for details.
The Art & Science of Migration Writing Workshop
Sun, Mar 14, 2021 7:00 PM Sun, Apr 11, 2021 7:00 PM
The Art & Science of Migration
Instructors: Christopher Kondrich + Susan Tacent
Guest Scientist: Lucy Spelman
Five Class Meetings via Zoom:
March 14, March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11
7:00 - 9:00 PM EST
A 5-week workshop for writers interested in exploring the science of animal migration and the disruption to these age-old patterns of movement caused by human activities. Participants will write based on prompts, exercises, and science lectures. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share their work in a welcoming, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
creatureconserve.com/register-for-a-workshop
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
As the alpha species on a planet in the throes, we share the responsibility to repair the damage done and envision ways to move forward. Creature Conserve Workshops bring artists, creative writers, and scientists together around a theme related to animal extinction and give participants the opportunity to practice making conservation science accessible, meaningful, and relevant.
The theme for this writing workshop is animal migration; we will consider the migratory practices of bison, whooping cranes, monarch butterflies, sea turtles, salmon, trout, eels, and other animals. How do they know where to go? What is the relationship between animals and their migratory environments? How are migratory patterns changing as a result of agriculture, urban development, and climate change? How does our scientific understanding of this problem inform the solution?
Participants will read and discuss a selection of contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as selected scientific articles, that engage the theme of migration. Class meetings will also include presentations by Dr. Lucy Spelman, scientist and founder of Creature Conserve, who will discuss the pertinent animal behaviors, ecosystems, and environmental issues. Workshop instructors will lead participants in synthesizing materials and in generating new work inspired by a more holistic, inclusive (scientific, artistic) understanding of the topic.
Over the course of five weeks, we will experiment with bringing the science of migration to life through creative writing. Participants will be encouraged to work toward at least one finished piece based on prompts, exercises, and assignments that frame the writing process as an act of migration, and the creative piece itself as leading readers on a migratory journey. Everyone will have multiple opportunities to share the work written from these prompts and exercises with the class, which will be a welcoming, collaborative, curious, inclusive, and exploratory environment accessible to all.
Readings will include work by Aimee Bender, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Sara Dykman, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Barbara Kingsolver, Charlotte McConaghy, Dani McClain, W. S. Merwin, Richard Powers, Brenda Shaughnessy, Tom Whitecloud, Joy Williams, Jeffrey Yang, and others.
Make it Come Alive!
Ernest J. Gaines, Miss Jane Pittman, and the Power of Storytelling
A One-Evening Flash Writing Workshop
Date: Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021, Zoom Meeting
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Registration Required! https://tinyurl.com/y6yw3dkp
All writers write about the past, and I try to make it come alive so you can see what happened.
– Ernest J. Gaines
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We live our lives in time and space, influencing and influenced by what we read, what we hear, and what we do. In this workshop, we’ll draw on Ernest J. Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman for inspiration and example. Gaines’s novel makes the connection between history and storytelling, thus revealing how writers, by our choice of characters, conflicts, and powerful details, can speak the important truths that might otherwise be buried.
This is a generative workshop; as our template for creating new work, we’ll use flash fiction/flash nonfiction, defined by the journal Flash Fiction Online “as a complete story of 500-1000 words…that has a character, some sort of problem or conflict, and a satisfying resolution, which finds the character(s) somehow changed.”
The workshop is open to writers at all levels. Prior reading of the novel is not necessary; an excerpt from the novel will be provided. Registration is required (link above)
Related events: Roger Williams University Creative Writing Department’s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman includes the RFL Book Discussion (Feb. 24, 2021) and RWU Keynote Presentation (March 15, 2021 at 7pm). https://www.rwu.edu/library/about-us/cultural-programs-events/john-howard-birss-jr-memorial-program
*This workshop is funded by the generous support of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library.* Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI 02809, (401) 253-6948
"My Pencils Outlast My Erasers": The Art of Revision in Writing
Dates: Tuesdays, 2020 November 10, 17, 24, December 1, 8
Time: 7-8:30
Place: Zoom Online Webinar
Most of us have moved away from the pencils and erasers Vladimir Nabokov references in the title quote, but the fact remains that much of the work of writing rests in revision. A first draft is a great start, but the writer must find ways to ensure that the characters are lively and believable, the language entices and clarifies, plot and pacing satisfy, and point of view works for the voice and structure. Through select readings, group critiques, and craft lessons, participants will work on revising their works in progress to bring their writing to its strongest self. ***Registration is required at bit.ly/3dr2we0. You'll receive email confirmation of your registration. If the workshop fills, a wait list option will be added to this form.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
“True, Not False, Lively, Not Dull”: A Writing Workshop
Dates: Mondays, 2020 September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: 6:30-7:45
Place: Zoom Online Webinar
E.B. White urges writers to aim for writing that is “good, not lousy: true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error.” In this workshop, we’ll consider strategies for drafting, revising, and making words sing in ways that are good, true, lively, and accurate. With an eye toward understanding craft, we’ll practice creating character-driven stories that function on several levels, including carrying plot, conveying ideas, and asking the essential questions that drive the best writing. This workshop is designed to be overtly generative, so that participants will come away with a body of new work, and ideas for more. Along with our weekly meetings, there will be in-class writing exercises, short lessons, and discussions of reading and writing assignments. There will be homework! The workshop is free and open to all. ***Registration is required at bit.ly/3fadd45. “True, Not False, Lively, Not Dull”: A Writing Workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO COEXIST, Co-taught by Lucy Spelman and Susan Tacent
September 12 to October 3
Cleaver Magazine Writers Workshops
This workshop is designed for writers of all genres who wish to express their love and concern for all creatures through writing that is both informed by science and emotionally charged. This is a hybrid workshop, with meetings on Zoom and written work via Canvas, a text-only platform for drafts to be shared in a supportive and practical environment. There will be weekly science presentations, craft discussions, readings, writing assignments, and group critiques. Writers interested in a particular animal will be able to tailor their research accordingly.
SIX WEEKS/SIX STORIES: A Writing Workshop
Dates: Mondays, 2020 February 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 6:30-7:45
Location: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, Bristol RI 02809
Every one of us has unique experiences, interests, fears, and dreams, all of which can be shaped into stories.
In this workshop, we’ll consider strategies for drafting, revising, and making words sing in real time. With an eye toward understanding craft, participants will practice creating character-driven stories that function on several levels, including carrying plot, conveying ideas, and asking the essential questions that drive the best writing. This workshop is designed to be overtly generative, so that participants will come away with a body of new work, and ideas for more! Along with our weekly meetings, there will be in-class writing exercises, short lessons, and discussions of reading and writing assignments. There will be homework!
The workshop is free, and open to all. Please bring a pen, pencil or laptop, and something to write on.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program. Registration is required. Sign-up sheet is at the circulation desk or contact the library at (401)-253-6948
[email protected]
Venue: rogersfreelibrary.org
FINDING POETRY, FINDING CRANE: A One-Evening Found Poetry Writing Workshop
Date & Time: Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 4pm - 6pm
Location:: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, 3rd floor Meeting Room, Bristol RI 02809
Finding Poetry, Finding Crane uses the stunning language of Stephen Crane’s classic novel The Red Badge of Courage to create found poetry, a form that can be thought of as the literary equivalent of collage. The workshop is designed for people interested in exploring an interesting poetic form, developing poetry writing skills, and simply enjoying a fun, thought-provoking evening of creativity via the written word.
This workshop is one of a series of events for the 20th annual John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program at Roger Williams University celebrating the 125th anniversary of Crane’s novel. Events include an exhibition and keynote event at the University, as well as book club discussions at the Rogers Free Library on February 26th.
The workshop is free, and open to all. Please bring a pen, pencil or laptop, and something to write on. Familiarity with the novel is not required. Crane’s text will be provided.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
To register: rogersfreelibrary.org
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO CO+EXIST
Date & Time: Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 10:00am - 4:00pm*
Location: What Cheer Writers Club
160 Westminster Street, Floor 2 Providence, RI 02903
This workshop is for writers interested in creating new work relevant to their community and the creatures living there. Writers will find inspiration for characters and storylines from among the myriad scientific facts about the lives of wild animals in urban areas. Through a combination of science presentation, craft discussion, writing exercises, and group critiques, writers will have the opportunity to weave the science of urban wildlife into their writing to create new work.
The invited scientist is the founder of Creature Conserve, Dr. Lucy Spelman. Open to writers of both poetry and prose, beginners and those with more experience. Workshop is limited to 14 participants. Scholarship funds available.
*light refreshments + lunch break
To register: www.creatureconserve.com
Venue: www.whatcheerclub.org
LISTENING TO KURT: A One-Evening Writing Workshop
Date & Time: Thursday, March 7, 2019 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Location:: Rogers Free Library,
525 Hope Street, Herreshoff Community Room, Bristol RI 02809
Listening to Kurt will be an evening of hilarity, humility, and everything in between. We'll review Vonnegut's useful and often humorous insights into the art and craft of writing. Through guided exercises we'll do some writing of our own. The workshop is free, and open to writers at all levels interested in all genres. Please come armed with something to write on. Familiarity with the novel is not required.
This workshop is one of a series of events for the 20th annual John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program at Roger Williams University celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vonnegut's novel. Events include an exhibition and keynote event at the University, as well as book club discussions at the Rogers Free Library on February 20, 2019.
This workshop is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Rogers Free Library Community Grant Program.
To register: rogersfreelibrary.org
URBAN WILDLIFE: WRITING TO CO+EXIST - A Frequency Writers Workshop
Dates & Times: Spring 2018
Around the clock and in every season, wild animals - invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and nonhuman mammals - share urban space with people. Creature Conserve’s working definition of urban wildlife is “any species of animal that is native or introduced, but not domesticated or feral, living freely in close proximity to people (villages, towns, cities) anywhere in the world.” This workshop will consider key factors in science’s understanding of urban wildlife as well as examples in poetry and prose to generate new writing.
Dr. Lucy Spelman, founder of Creature Conserve, will meet with us for the first part of the workshop to provide an overview of species-specific information, the current state of conservation, and the challenges in a world where human-led expansion creates new homes for some animals, even as it displaces others. In the second half of the workshop, we will consider examples of poetry and prose that address these issues, and, through writing exercises, work on our own creative responses to the realities of urban wildlife. This workshop is open to writers interested in all genres.All participants will be invited to read work from this workshop at a public reading to be scheduled during Urban Wildlife: Learning to Co-Exist, an exhibit sponsored by Creature Conserve and Rhode Island School of Design. (Exhibit dates July 25-Aug 22, 2018 at the RISD ISB Gallery, 55 Canal Walk, Providence RI) To register: www.creatureconserve.com