The Writers Guild at Bloomington is an association of writers committed to mutual support and the professional development of their craft. Its mission is to foster interaction among writers as well as other artists, educators, and the Monroe County public, thereby enhancing the vibrancy of the arts and the writing community in the greater Bloomington area.
Events Calendar
The Writers Guild at Bloomington is offering:
The Ryser Scholarship to Writers Guild members to attend a writing workshop or conference in 2025!
The scholarship will cover costs up to $500.
Workshops and conferences may cover any literary pursuit, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and memoir. Possible in-person workshops include, but are not limited to, the IU Writers Conference in Bloomington, A Gathering of Writers at Indiana Writers Center, Indianapolis. Virtual workshops such as those offered by Odyssey Writing and out-of-state conferences such as those offered by the Highlights Foundation are also eligible.
If you have any questions, or to receive an application form, please contact Wendy Teller at ryseraward@writersguildbloomington.com
Deadline to apply is December 31, 2024
About the Ryser Scholarship
The Ryser Scholarship is named for Joan Ryser, an English teacher who taught at Bloomington High School South for many years. Before she passed away, she instructed her children to direct memorial contributions to a local program to encourage writers. The Writers Guild was honored to be the recipient, and created an ongoing scholarship to help writers attend a workshop or conference. Each year we offer this award to one of the following: an English teacher, a junior or high school student, a member of the Writers Guild at Bloomington.
The Writers Guild at Bloomington presents
Last Sunday Poetry
& Open Mic
featuring Kerry Trautman and Shannon K. Winston
Ohio born and raised, KERRY TRAUTMAN is a co-founder of ToledoPoet.com and the “Toledo Poetry Museum” page on Facebook which promote Northwest Ohio poetry events. She has served as judge for the Northwest region of Ohio’s “Poetry Out Loud” competition annually since 2016. Kerry is a Pushcart and Best of the Net nominee, and her poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous international journals and anthologies. She is the author of 7 books of poetry, and her most recent book is a novella titled Irregulars.
SHANNON K. WINSTON is the author of The Worry Dolls (Glass Lyre Press, forthcoming) and The Girl Who Talked to Paintings (Glass Lyre Press, 2021). Her individual poems have appeared in Bracken, Cider Press Review, Los Angeles Review, RHINO Poetry, SWWIM Every Day, West Trestle Review, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers and a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She’s currently at work on a poetry collection based on the history of photography. In addition to writing poetry, she’s also a dedicated educator and has taught for numerous institutions, including the University of Michigan, Princeton University, and Indiana University. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her partner and dog.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24
7-8:30 PM (EST)
Morgenstern’s Bookstore & Café
849 S Auto Mall Rd
Bloomington IN 47401
Join the Writers Guild for an exciting afternoon with our special guest, Angela Jackson-Brown. Open mic to follow.
Angela Jackson-Brown is an award-winning writer, poet and playwright who is an Associate Professor in the creative writing program at Indiana University in Bloomington. She also teaches in the graduate program at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. She is a graduate of Troy University, Auburn University and the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University. She has published her short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry in journals like The Louisville Journal and the Appalachian Review. She is the author of Drinking From a Bitter Cup, House Repairs, When Stars Rain Down and The Light Always Breaks. Her novels have received starred reviews from the Library Journal and glowing reviews from Alabama Public Library, Buzzfeed, Parade Magazine, and Women’s Weekly, just to name a few. When Stars Rain Down was named a finalist for the 2021 David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction, longlisted for the Granum Foundation Award, and shortlisted for the 2022 Indiana Authors Award. In October of 2023, Angela’s novel, Homeward, a follow-up to When Stars Rain Down, was published by Harper Muse.
First Sunday Prose Reading Series
Sunday, December 1, 2024
The Juniper Art Gallery and Cafe
Writers Guild Spoken Word Series
featuring spoken word artists
PDVNCH and Joan Hawkins
music by ORTET
open mic to follow
BEER & WINE available for purchase
Thu Dec 12 6pm Backspace Gallery, inside Bonne Fête
112 West 6th Street, on the square in Bloomington IN
Sponsored in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, Bloomington Arts Commission, and the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association
PDVNCH [pee-dove-inch] is a spoken wordsmith and dramatic prophetic poetic storyteller who uses rainbows, and painting pictures to create vivid images with words, from multiple perspectives, giving voice to the unheard, with vocal tones that are rhythmic. As an inventor/originator, he is best known globally for his original iconic hair designs “Beads by DVNCH,” fabulous frames, and his phenomenal passion for fashion. A Bloomingtonian, he is Director of Creative-Arts Productions for !ℵṧ℘!Իḙ-!ℵṧ℘!Իᾰт!✺ℵ-!ℵ!т!ᾰт!ṽḙ @ !3 studios. Through collaboration, his desire is to Inspire inspiration, and “Always be on Purpose!”
JOAN HAWKINS is Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at IU Bloomington. Her creative work and poetry have appeared in Sand, The Ryder, Avalanches of Poetry, Fevers of the Mind, Plath Profiles, n+1, and the Performing Arts Journal. Her book of short memoir pieces, School and Suicide, was published by Alien Buddha Press in 2022. With jazz-collage artist Kyle Quass, she released a spoken word and sound collage CD, Pragis. A chapbook of poetry, The Burroughs Hour, was published in 2023 by Grind Stone Press.
ORTET – “the wizards of Bloomington’s underground improvised music scene” – Ron Kadish, Ryder Magazine
Marty Belcher, Tony Brewer, Norbert Herber, Chris Rall, Joe MF Stone. ortet.bandcamp.com
This holiday season, Constellation Stage & Screen presents
The Wizard of Oz
on stage December 12 – 29 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
We’re off to see the Wizard! Step into the magical world of The Wizard of Oz, one of the most beloved films all time, in this bewitching family holiday musical! Travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and Toto in a whimsical journey filled with iconic songs, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Only Had a Brain.”
An absolute delight for audiences of all ages, The Wizard of Oz invites you to discover the magical power of home!
Fun for all ages! Featuring a Pay What You Will performance on Thursday, December 12.
For showtimes, tickets, and more information, visit https://seeconstellation.org/kids/wizard-of-oz/
Writers Guild at Bloomington Annual Business Meeting, Potluck, Open Mic and Election!!
December 14, 2024 1-4 pm
Fellowship Room in rear of University Baptist Church (parking in back) 3740 E 3rd St, Bloomington, IN
Bring a favorite dish to share, a favorite drink (beer and wine are an option!), a poem to read at the open mic, and come to participate in our annual election, and vote!!
Nominations are open for the board positions. You may nominate yourself or someone else.
The current Board members: April Ridge, Hiromi Yoshida and Erin Strole are eligible to run and
serve again. (The By-Laws stipulate that Board members may serve up to 5 consecutive
terms) The only way to vote is to come in person to this meeting!
Board position descriptions:
a) The Board of Directors of the Writers Guild consists of three members elected
annually. They are the Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Their responsibilities are:
b) Chair: Calls and presides over board meetings, business meetings, membership
meetings, and elections. Coordinates the committees and calendar for Writers Guild
produced events and co-produced events. Leads any fundraising efforts. Has signatory
power on checks. The Chair may make temporary appointments for an assistant for
specific tasks and projects.
c) Treasurer: Collects and banks income, keeps books, prepares annual financial
report, and submits tax reports. Has signatory power on checks.
d) Secretary: Keeps minutes of board meetings and makes them available to the
membership. Keeps administrative, meeting, and membership records.
e) Terms & Limits: Board Members will serve until the end of December of the year
they were voted into their position. Board members will serve one-year terms, and may
serve five (5) consecutive terms. Additional terms in the same position may be served
after a one-year absence from the Board position.
f) Board members are required to attend at least sixty percent of all business meetings.
Any board member who cannot make this commitment will not be eligible for election
the following year.
