Hello to all Members of Amherst Writers and Artists,

My name is guy howard klopp, and yes, I do write it in lower case. That might irritate my parents, but as they have both passed, they can’t say much about it. Mostly, I have an inherent belief I don’t deserve capitalization until I complete some epic and heroic venture.

I want to introduce myself to all of you, Affiliates and Writer Members. I am the incoming Chair of the AWA Board. There are some other amazing folks coming on board as new members of the Executive Committee, and over the next few months, I’m hoping they will introduce themselves, too. But for now, it is my turn. I have been writing in AWA groups for over 10 years and was trained in 2018. My first introduction to the Board was at the Professional Retreat in Las Vegas. It was a relatively small in-person gathering that year, and because it was such a tight-knit group, it turned out to be an amazing time of connection and sharing. I joined the Board shortly thereafter and have served on both the Board and the Executive Committee for the last four years as AWA’s Treasurer.

I have witnessed us weathering the struggles of the pandemic and the dash to get online—where we first needed to understand what going online even meant. And then I saw it stabilize and help to grow our organization. We were so surprised our first online Professional Retreat went off so successfully, and then Write Around the World (WAW) took off. We relished that our training of new affiliates could also work so well in a virtual space.

We have continued expanding our reach ever since. We’ve added a long-overdue Writer’s Membership; WAW participants had been asking for just such a service for some time, and we made it happen. It’s now been in place for almost two years and continues to grow.

We’ve added Monthly Writes and Affinity Groups. Both are avenues for exposure of our affiliates and also provide new opportunities for writers to understand the unique and powerful tool AWA provides—a safe space for writers to discover their voices and develop their skills. We have expanded Launchpads for new Affiliates and added an online Water Cooler – a place for conversation among affiliates, both new and experienced, to exchange questions, thoughts, ideas, and sage advice. We’ve added quarterly “Ask Me Anything AWA” events—a chance to chat with Board Members and learn more about what’s happening for the organization. The Affiliate Forum has just been reintroduced—also a place for questions and answers.

We created Blue Pencil editing sessions with long-time affiliates with major editing experience to help members of both groups hone their writing. In honor of Pat Schneider’s vision for the need for writing groups for marginalized and silenced populations, we’ve added a Power of Story component to our writing and Peregrine publications, including workshops for caregivers and for survivors of sexual violence. The impact of these workshops has been positively evaluated, and the findings have been presented at a number of professional conferences, including the American Psychological Association, the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology, and at the University of Chicago. We published a Peregrine edition highlighting the writings of BIPOC writers and published two amazing anthologies highlighting writers who are survivors of sexual violence. There is so much more coming in 2025, and I am glad you are here as partners.

I grew up as an actor and poor student (ADD and dyslexia), with theatre and language as saving graces in my life. I wrote poetry when young and found my way back to writing through AWA. I love facilitating – I have two in-person groups (one weekly, one monthly with writers working on novels or memoirs). I go into a local prison three times a month and write with inmate writers who are finding their way to storytelling, truth-telling, and a way to find reckoning and forgiveness. The interactions with all these writers make me a better writer and a better human.

I am honored and humbled to take on the role of Chair. I look forward to interacting with you all as we move into our future. Thanks!

I can be reached via guy@amherstwriters.org.