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

Nov
6
Wed
Spoken Word Series @ Bears Place
Nov 6 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Writers Guild Spoken Word Series

Featuring:  poets Roger Pfingston and Tom Hastings, Richard Fish (reading Ernie Pyle) and a Russ McGee ensemble performing scenes from an upcoming Ernie Pyle Podcast.
   Music by Gabriel Hartley
   Open mic
  Suggested Donation $5
Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, ROGER PFINGSTON is a retired teacher of English and photography. He is also the recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and two PEN Syndicated Fiction Awards as well as the author of Something Iridescent, a collection of poetry and fiction. Five chapbooks have appeared since 2003: Nesting, Earthbound, Singing to the Garden, A Day Marked for Telling, and What’s Given, the latter recently published by Kattywompus Press. His poems have appeared in a wide range of publications, including I-70 Review, U.S. 1 Worksheets, Poet Lore, American Journal of Poetry, Innisfree Poetry Journal, and Ted Kooser’s column, American Life in Poetry. About Pfingston’s new chapbook, What’s Given, Sammy Greenspan, editor of Kattywompus Press, writes, “Follow the gaze of poet Roger Pfingston, as he takes in the passage of seemingly ordinary days in apparently unremarkable places, and watch the world quiet down, deepen, and ripple out.”
TOM HASTINGS taught language arts and Jungian psychology at Harmony High School here in Bloomington for 36 years before retiring in 2014. He received a BA in Mythogenics from Antioch in 1973 and has taken graduate classes at the California Institute of Asian Studies, the C. G. Jung Institute in Switzerland, and classes toward a Masters in Counseling at Indiana University. He’s been a Royal Scottish Arts Council Poet in the Schools in Edinburgh, Scotland and for the Indiana Arts Commission in Zionsville and Bloomington. He created the Indianapolis Broadsheet, cofounded the Indiana Writers Center and was poetry editor of its publication, Inprint. His poems have appeared in numerous small press publications and he is the author of a dozen chapbooks. His new and collected poems, Crop Circle Secrets, were published by Muse Rules Press in 2004. He fronted the poetry performance band, Coup Coup Daddy, for over a decade and he was the foreign correspondent for on-line Zoo & Logical Times. Since 2015, he’s been teaching theatrical magic classes for the Ivy Tech Center for Lifelong Learning as well as demonstrating and performing at Rich Hill’s Magic and Fun Emporium in Nashville, Indiana.
RICHARD FISH is an actor, writer, and musician who has worked in audio theatre since 1970, becoming a producer, director, teacher, engineer, Foley artist, journalist, and publisher along the way. Richard has worked with the leading figures in audio theatre from coast to coast, including the legendary American grand master of the art, Norman Corwin. A founder of the National Audio Theatre Festivals organization, and WFHB Community Radio in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, Richard has won awards for radio advertising, broadcast journalism, and acting, including a Mark Time Award for “carrying on the traditions of The Firesign Theatre.” He is heard weekly over WFHB as host of “The Firehouse Theatre,” presenting old and new audio theatre; as writer and presenter of “Better Beware,” a weekly news feature on scams and swindles; and in “The Firehouse Follies,” a live variety show offered four times a year. All these broadcasts are streamed and archived on the station’s website, www.wfhb.org. Richard will be reading from the works of Hoosier war correspondent Ernie Pyle.
In July, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist GABRIEL HARLEY released his fifth full-length album, Beat of a Broken Heart, a collection of personal, acoustic-guitar-driven songs inspired by love, friendship, and life in the wake of his own open-heart surgery in 2013 and the obstacles and complications that lingered for months and even years after. Recorded at Gabriel’s own Perfect Mix Studios, Beat of a Broken Heart’s sound is deeply rooted in the music he grew up on–namely singer-songwriters of the 1970s like Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, and James Taylor.
Nov
9
Sat
The Power of Words Author Event with Margaret MacMullan @ Buskirk Chumley Theater
Nov 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The Power of Words Author Event with Margaret MacMullan

The Monroe County Public Library announces its Power of Words event for the fall:

“An Evening with Margaret MacMullan”

This event is FREE and open to the public, All Ages

MacMullan will be reading from her latest book, Where the Angels Lived: One Family’s Story of Exile, Loss and Return. It is a moving look at the author’s family’s relationship to the Holocaust (Shoah), their exile in Hungary, and the redemptive power of know and writing your own story.

For more information contact: https://mcpl.info/pow

And for an Extra Event:

The Power of Words: Gala Author Reception – This is a ticketed event.

Enjoy premium reserved seating to McMullan’s free Power of Words talk, followed by food and champagne, live music, and the Sources of Light Photography Exhibit at the Main Library Gallery.

Reception tickets are $50 and can be purchased online, at the Friends of the Library Bookstore, or from the Friends office at the Main Library (M–F, 10 AM–5 PM). All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library to help support library programming.

All ages
Saturday, November 9
8:30–10 PM
Monroe County Public Library
Main Library Atrium & Gallery

Nov
14
Thu
BLONK/BISHOP/SMITH/WALTER quartet @ iFell Gallery
Nov 14 @ 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm

BLONK/BISHOP/SMITH/WALTER quartet

Doors 7 pm
Performance 8-10:30
$5 suggested donation
This recently formed quartet plays improvised music with an engaging performance aspect.
Jeb Bishop has been a mainstay of the Chicago improv scene and is one of the finest trombone players. He also brings some unique small analog synthesizers.
Jaap Blonk is a world-renowned vocal performer, both in sound poetry and in improvisation, supported by a childlike freedom and a powerful stage presence. His work with live electronics shows the same flexibility.
Damon Smith is an amazing bass virtuoso who has played with many of the greatest players in modern jazz and improvised music.
Weasel Walter is a real powerhouse on the drums, well-known from the Flying Luttenbachers and other improv and extreme rock groups. His style is one of a kind.
In the spring of this year the group started off with a short East Coast tour, including a concert and a recording session at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, of which a CD will be available before long.
Also appearing: ORTET from Urban Deer Records (Marty Belcher, Tony Brewer, Joan Hawkins, Norbert Herber, Chris Rall, Joe MF Stone)
Sponsored by Urban Deer, Writers Guild at Bloomington, and the Indiana Arts Commission
For more information contact Tony Brewer, Kyle Quass or Marty Belcher
Nov
17
Sun
Third Sunday Write! @ Monroe County Public Library room 214
Nov 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Third Second Sunday Write

At this writing group, you can stretch your writing muscles with prompts and exercises.
It’s open to all WG members. Not a member yet?  No problem, just click on JOIN at the top of the website.
This generative workshop is led by local  writers.  They take it in turns and are Shana Ritter, Tonia Matthew and PDVNCH.
Hope to see you!
To register send name and email address to thirdsundaywrite@writersguildbloomington.com
It’s free!

 

Dec
1
Sun
First Sunday Prose Reading & Open Mic @ Bear's Place
Dec 1 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

First Sunday Prose Reading and Open Mic

Presented by the Writers Guild at Bloomington

The featured readers are:  Abegunde and Carolyn Geduld

Come early to sign up for Open Mic!

Abegunde

Abegunde is an ancestral priestess, Healer, and Poet. Her fellowships include Sacatar (Brasil), Ragdale, and Norcroft. Her work has been published in toe good, Nocturnes, Wicked Alice, Warpland, and Beyond the Frontier.  She is the author of four chapbooks, including Wishful Thinking and Contemporary Urban Prayer. She is the director of The Graduate Mentoring Center and also a visiting faculty member in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at IU.

 

Carolyn Geduld

Carolyn Geduld was raised in New York City. She moved to Bloomington to attend Indiana University and wound up becoming a permanent resident. In her 20s, she published three non-fiction books, the first of which ranks over 13 millionth on Amazon. (Her best seller ranks just under 2 millionth.) Then she stopped writing to pursue a career as a mental health professional. She has been a therapist in Bloomington for over 40 years. Just over a year ago, she began writing fiction. In 2019, her short stories appeared in 11 literary journals and 4 anthologies. Her novel-in-stories “Take Me Out the Back” is being published by Black Rose Press in August, 2020.

Dec
4
Wed
First Wednesday Spoken Word Series @ Bears Place
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

First Wednesday Spoken Word Series

Presented by the Writers Guild at Blomington

The featured readers are: George Ella Lyon, Shayne Laughter, J.T. Whitehead

With Music by Mike Notaro

Come early to sign up for Open Mic!

 

George Ella Lyon

George Ella Lyon, Kentucky Poet Laureate (2015-2016), has published in many genres, including poetry, picture books, novels, short stories, and a memoir. Her poem “Where I’m From” has gone around the world as a writing model. Her poetry collections include She Let Herself Go (LSU, 2012) and Many-Storied House (Univ. Press of Kentucky, 2013). Lyon makes her living as a freelance writer and teacher. She and her husband, musician and writer Steve Lyon, have two grown sons. For more information, visit www.georgeellalyon.com

 

Shayne Laughter

Shayne Laughter lives in Bloomington, Indiana. She has lived and traveled in Seattle, New York City, India, and Spain.  She has published stories in Bacopa Literary Review, Matador Review, SAND Journal and RebelleSociety.com. Her novel, Yü: A Ross Lamos Mystery, was published by Open Books Press in 2010. Her voice talent work is heard in productions of the Burroughs Century/Wounded Galaxies audio play events. She is moving to India at the end of the this year, so this is your last opportunity to hear her read live.

 

J.T. Whitehead

J.T. Whitehead earned a law degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. He received a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Purdue, where he studied Existentialism, social and political philosophy, and Eastern Philosophy. He spent time between, during, and after schools on a grounds crew, as a pub cook, a writing tutor, a teacher’s assistant, a delivery man, a book shop clerk, and a liquor store clerk, inspiring four years as a labor lawyer on the workers’ side. Whitehead was Editor in Chief of So It Goes: The Literary Journal of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, briefly, for issues 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. He is a one-time Pushcart Prize-nominated short story author, a five-time Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, and was winner of the Margaret Randall Poetry Prize in 2015. Whitehead’s work has appeared in over 100 publications, most notably The Lilliput Review, Slipstream, Left Curve, The Broadkill Review, The Iconoclast, Gargoyle, and Wabash Magazine. His book The Table of the Elements was nominated for the National Book Award in 2015. Whitehead lives in Indianapolis with his two sons, Daniel and Joseph.

 

 

Dec
14
Sat
Writers Guild Annual Meeting and Potluck @ University Baptist Church
Dec 14 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Writers Guild Annual Meeting and Potluck @ University Baptist Church

Writers Guild Annual Meeting and Potluck

We’ll be having elections for officers and reports for 2019.

Plus an open mic and reading.

Please bring a dish to share, ideas and something to read

 

Parking around the back.

For more info, contact Joan at   –  contact@writersguildbloomington.com

 

 

Dec
15
Sun
Third Sunday Write! @ Monroe County Public Library room 214
Dec 15 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Third Sunday Write

At this writing group, you can stretch your writing muscles with prompts and exercises.
It’s open to all WG members. Not a member yet?  No problem, just click on JOIN at the top of the website.
This generative workshop is led by local  writers.  They take it in turns and are Shana Ritter, Tonia Matthew and PDVNCH.
Hope to see you!
To register send name and email address to thirdsundaywrite@writersguildbloomington.com
It’s free!

 

Jan
5
Sun
First Sunday Prose Reading & Open Mic @ Bear's Place
Jan 5 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

 

First Sunday Prose Reading and Open Mic

Presented by the Writers Guild at Bloomington

The featured readers are:  Darrell Stone and Eric Rensberger

Come early to sign up for Open Mic!

Darrell Stone grew up in Greater Boston, with an artistic passion for storytelling.   She holds a masters degree in social work from Indiana University and a bachelors degree in theatre from Northeastern University.  In addition to her love for writing, Darrell is a free lance photographer, actor and director.  Writing complements her love for being an observer of human behavior and our environment.  Her pieces are additionally rooted and expressed from the foundations of her professional careers in social work and theatre.  ​ Darrell’s essays are known for simply pausing on a moment which can be stunning, hopeful, or meaningful to the human experience. Writing prose, snapping pictures, capturing moments, telling stories: each reveals the relationship between design, nature, people and place.​ Every moment has a story and Darrell calls us to bear witness and share that truth.​  Ultimately, Darrell Stone hopes her writing provides the reader or listener with a keen eye into the soul of the world around us. ​She is currently working on a collection of essays for publication.​

 

Eric Rensberger is a local poet who has been performing his work around Bloomington for about 40 years. The same 3 poems, over and over. He never tires of them. While it is true that he has read many other poem-like items, none of them are really finished. Only the 3. And he won’t tell you which ones they are. A large selection of his work is available on his website, ericrensbergerpoetry.net. In addition to his poetry, he also writes the occasional essay, story, or lengthy lie. And sometimes he just talks to you, which he believes qualifies as spontaneous prose work.

Jan
19
Sun
Third Sunday Write! @ Monroe County Public Library room 214
Jan 19 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Third Sunday Write

At this writing group, you can stretch your writing muscles with prompts and exercises.
It’s open to all WG members. Not a member yet?  No problem, just click on JOIN at the top of the website.
This generative workshop is led by local  writers.  They take it in turns and are Shana Ritter, Tonia Matthew and PDVNCH.
Hope to see you!
To register send name and email address to thirdsundaywrite@writersguildbloomington.com
It’s free!

 

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