Newsletter: July Off-Road

High summer in the northern hemisphere brings road-trip fantasies. The idea of heading out onto open roads pulls at us. I suggest we all go! It’s ok to have a map, but it’s freeing to veer down an unknown bi-way. Follow your pen, let one image take you to the next, one character’s voice to the next plot development. Not knowing exactly where you’re going is the way to discover not only surprising and new places, but where you actually needed to go in the first place. Be a little random. Or a lot. Let the scenery and the folks you encounter surprise you. Fill your pen, pack a metaphor or two, be willing to stop at a roadside stand that offers local dialogue. Don’t be afraid of getting lost. There is no lost with a poem or a story beneath the wheels.

This summer AWA is starting its marathon engines. We are calling all AWA-trained leaders to join us in a new adventure! Write Around the World promises to connect writers everywhere. On October 22 through October 23, workshops will be in session around the globe. This fundraising event includes every voice that AWA has touched. Please see below for more details and send us your YES!!

Peregrine 2016 is available at Amazon! You can purchase a copy of the latest edition of the AWA journal, which is dedicated to Patricia Bender, the founder of the Pat Schneider Poetry Contest. The journal contains incredible poems and short stories, which include the 2014 & 2015 poetry winners. This is a collection not to be missed.

Registration is still open for the Training Sessions scheduled for Chicago in September and Albuquerque in November. The five-day instruction is thorough, supportive, professional and profound. The curriculum is structured to prepare people to be confident workshop leaders. Details are below and on the AWA website. We would love to hear from you!

With gratitude and respect,
Maureen Buchanan Jones
Executive Director