One surprise from a week of writing festival only two weeks ago (feels longer) is how “place” kept coming up in personal comments to the group. Having noticed it over the years in workshop descriptions, even MFA programs, suddenly it becomes personal: a “place” of one’s own within the writing sphere.
Another surprise: “Program Era” material (McGurl and responses) popped up in research about memoir topic, perhaps curiously connecting to Key West—and, in periphery, also father-in-law.
Third surprise: Heard, perhaps imagined, women in religious leadership theme, especially among five of us more aligned with Boomer generation. [Guessing four other participants are younger by ten years or more, and two are solidly 1930s generation.] Once again, Cynthia Grant Tucker’s book about the “Iowa Sisterhood” of liberal ministers (1880-1930) seemed to fit, especially with at least three active UU participants among us living in or visiting Iowa. Also Orthodox convert Brandi Willis Schreiber’s memoir—which segues so beautifully to women writing in a supportive bond (place: Texas)—addresses a question brought up. Plus, Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald’s book on women deacons in the early church from the Orthodox perspective is on point to one participant in particular.
Favorite 10-minute free write: Instructor calls out shifters throughout, e.g., “Now add ‘not to mention,’” “Now ‘perhaps,’” “or maybe…” “and yet strangely enough,” “what if…?”
Worshop began, Monday, July 17th:
New Moon 24° 56′ Cancer 13:32 CDT
Waxing Quarter, Tuesday, July 25th:
Moon 2° 43′ Scorpio
Tuesday, August 1st:
Full Moon 9° 16′ Aquarius 13:32 CDT
Waning Quarter, Tuesday, August 8th:
Moon 15° 39′ Taurus
Image: The phases of the Moon for August 2023. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech