On Tuesday December 12th, Lit Cleveland members, staff, and board members gathered at CLE Urban Winery to celebrate a successful year for Lit CLE and Northeast Ohio’s literary arts community. Read the full post and check out photos from the event on our blog.
Lit Cleveland Podcast Vol. 4: Imad Rahman, author of I Dream of Microwaves
Imad Rahman, Director of Creative Writing Programming at CSU and author of I Dream of Microwaves, recently sat down with Lit Cleveland intern Rob Daniels to chat about creating characters, his approach to teaching creative writing, which authors he’d invite to his private dinner party, and more. Click here to listen to the podcast in full.
Call for Submissions: Writing on the theme of “health” for Humanities Festival staged reading
Last year, Lit Cleveland produced a staged reading featuring original writing by Cleveland writers on the theme of immigration during the Cleveland Humanities Festival. These powerful personal stories went on to be staged at Gordon Square, Public Square, Maltz Museum and more! This year, we’re seeking work on the theme of “health” for a reading during the 2018 fest! Read more.
Events & Readings!
Lit Cleveland Winter Mixer (Free for members; Non-members, purchase a membership in advance or at the door)
Saturday, February 10th, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Visible Voice Books, 2258 Professor Ave, Cleveland
At our next Lit Cleveland mixer, enjoy appetizers, a cash bar, and networking with Lit Cleveland members and fellow writers! While you’re there, browse the beautiful stacks at Visible Voice, one of Northeast Ohio’s finest independent bookstores, and also check out Crust Pizza downstairs. Featured readers TBA.
New! Upcoming Classes
Organizing Your Writing Life w/ Stacie Williams ($40/$30 for members)
Saturday, January 6th and January 20th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Gordon Square Arcade Conference Room, 6516 Detroit Ave, Cleveland
Bits of paper with ideas or research notes everywhere? Hard drives clogged with digital detritus? This two-part workshop is for writers interested in ways to manage information, from organizing research to archiving and preserving those materials when you’ve finished a project.
Beginning Memoir Writing w/Lee Chilcote (Free!)
Saturday, January 6th, January 13th, January 27th and February 3rd, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Cleveland Public Library Carnegie West Branch, 1900 Fulton Road, Cleveland
Learn how to write about your life and the fundamentals of memoir writing. Using writing samples and prompts as a jumping off point, you’ll generate new writing and revise it before receiving feedback from the instructor and your peers. For beginning and intermediate writers.
Developing a Writing Habit w/Darlene Montonaro ($60/$45 for members)
Wednesday, January 10th, January 17th, January 24th and January 31st, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 198 Crocker Park Blvd, Westlake
This class will help you develop writing habits that will boost your confidence and keep your writing process in motion. We’ll investigate ways to expand the imagination and increase creative output as well as work with prompts that will help inspire specific writing projects, and generate new work.
Getting the Words Right w/Kevin Keating ($80/$60 for members)
Wednesday, January 10th, January 17th, January 24th and January 31st, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Gordon Square Arcade Conference Room, 6516 Detroit Ave, Cleveland
This fiction writing workshop explores the basic craft elements of fiction writing, as well as some crucial habits necessary to grow as a writer. Over the course of four sessions, you’ll have a chance to receive feedback on your own work. For intermediate and advanced writers.
Public Poetry workshop w/Kisha Nicole Foster (Free!)
Saturday, January 13th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Cleveland Public Library Main Branch, 2nd Floor Literature Dept, 325 Superior Ave, Cleveland
Sharpen your writing craft, read and comment on others’ work, and receive suggestions for improvement. Please bring 10-15 copies of a poem. Led by poet and educator Kisha Nicole Foster. For writers of all levels.
Writing Out Loud w/Dana Norris($80/$60 for members)
Thursday, January 25th, February 1st, February 8th and February 15, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland
Ever seen someone on stage, captivating the crowd, and thought “I want to do that”? This class will show you how to create, edit, and perform your own stories, and will conclude with a public show (date TBD) where students will join the storytelling community in full.
Making the Leap into Writing Persona Poems w/Mimi Plevin-Foust ($40/$30 for members)
Wednesday, January 31st and February 7th, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Mac’s Backs Books on Coventry, 1820 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Hts
In this fun, interactive workshop, we’ll practice the underused but highly effective strategy of persona poems. You’ll also learn how to perform these poems aloud, with the chance to share them at a public reading soon after. Beginners to experienced poets are all welcome.
Writing About Nature and the Environment w/Mary Quade ($30/$25 for members)
Saturday, February 10th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center, 3675 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula
In this workshop, we’ll learn skills to gather vivid material from the world in order to build essays or poems. Participants will spend time outdoors during the workshop practicing the art of observation. Next, we’ll construct writing that engages with imagery, knowledge, precision, science, memory, experience, and even research.
