local authors – Just East Of Crazy Land

Hi Everyone,

I’m so excited to announce the inaugural Words on Fire Open Mic and Social for writers starting this Thursday, January 30th from 6-7:30 pm! I’ll be hosting this event on behalf of the Delta Literary Arts Society, at the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre in Ladner.

My friend Rosemary and I were brainstorming about ways we could make more community-building events for writers, we we could all feel more connected and encouraged in our creative work. We thought a spoken word open mic would be perfect! All forms of writing are welcome, from poetry and fiction to memoir and essay—the mic is yours for five minutes!

This event is free for anyone to share their writing and connect with other local writers. Speakers can register at the door. Listeners are also most welcome! We will have time for snacks and socializing after the performances so we can have a chance to chat.

I’ve been reading poetry at the North Delta Centre for the Arts Open Mic for about two years and it’s been such a wonderful and confidence-building experience. I’m so happy to now be able to encourage others to share their creative writing! The world is a more beautiful place with all our voices in it!

Who would think that a poster could change someone’s life? Aren’t posters simply antiquated in today’s multimedia world? Not at all! You never know how someone will be affected by what they see…and how a simple poster can be the catalyst for all sorts of adventures.

Just over a year ago, when I moved to Delta, I happened to see a poster for a local poetry contest at the coffee shop near my house. I was so excited and decided to submit a poem. Since submissions were cheaper for members, I decided to join the Delta Literary Arts Society .

I didn’t win the poetry contest, but I won the lottery of literary friends and opportunities. I met Angela Rebrec, the president of the DLAS, at an InkwellTold event of local authors being interviewed. We got along well and since that time I’ve gotten increasingly involved in various DLAS events. Besides attending more InkwellTolds, I have:

~read my poetry at the local monthly open mic at the North Delta Centre for the Arts, where we also host our annual writing festival

~attended last year’s poetry festival, where I took lovely poetry workshops by Jude Neale and Taslim Jaffer, and got amazingly helpful free editing advice by Tara Avery. The poem she helped me edit, “Kootenay Glacier Crush,” was featured on Jonathon Roger’s podcast, The Habit, and is now one is the poems in DLAS’s new poetry anthology, Composed. It will be for sale as a fundraiser at our literary festival next weekend, to help us continue to offer free events in our community.

~been a guest at one and done my own poetry reading with Angela Rebrec and Kedrick James. It was so fun—they are both amazing.

~hosted an InkwellTold and interviewed two local authors, Taslim Jaffer and Natalie Virginia Lang

~started leading a free, monthly writer’s circle at the George Mackie Library.

So much fun from one poster!! Here’s a poster with the breakdown of events this coming Saturday, April 20th:

You can register for any of the workshops online at Eventbrite. I’ll be teaching a children’s poetry workshop at noon. Hope to see you there!

For those who want to just drop in and wander around, there will be live music, poetry readings, food trucks, literary art installations, and various vendors such as local bookstores and authors with their work for sale.