Hi all,
I went to a Kimberley Literacy meeting today representing our writing group and Kimberley Arts Council/Centre 64. I have a question for fellow Write-on-ers. At the meeting I said that everyone is welcome to our writing group, youth included. I thought afterward that I should run that by the group to make sure that that is OK with everyone. I figure if we have youth keen enough to come to our meeting we would welcome them, but if others would rather keep it adult only, that's fine with me too. I had to put it in writing but have yet to send the final draft, so I can easily change it. Any comments?
I think it should be adult only. I don't want to feel as if I have to censor my writing for young people. I suppose it also depends on their age and maturity.
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought of that too. I think that Selkirk has a writing group anyway, so there is an outlet for interested youth. I don't think that the summary of our group goes anywhere except in a report about what's happening regarding literacy in Kimberley (not sure where that goes - part of CBAL), but I will change it to be adult only.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere's Joanne's comment:
ReplyDeleteI like the idea -- writing is for everyone -- (my son wrote an amazing poem that made me cry when he was in grade 4-- ) and as you say -- if young people show up they are serious about writing-- J
Here's Mike's:
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
I am very keen to see youthful writers encouraged so would not want to exclude them from attendance at Write On meetings. It may change the nature and dynamics of the group a bit but I'm sure we can adjust. We have adjusted so well to each other in such a short time that I think we are capable of anything!
Mike
Oops, removed my comment. Just trying to edit it. Here is the edited version of my former post:
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Joanne's comment came to my email but is not posted here. She is in agreement with welcoming youth; I'll hold off making any changes until I hear more opinions. I don't feel like we need to make any hard/fast rules, but just define ourselves and our mandate.
I think that I'd like to keep the door open to anyone, but not advertise or try to promote our group to youth, keeping it primarily adult.
I am too new to the group to really have an opinion. My druthers would be to be mainly an adult group with some accommodation for younger serious writers.
ReplyDeleteMike W
I still feel the same way as Nicole re taking on really young writers who really shouldn't be subjected to my warped pen or keyboard.
ReplyDeleteHas the group started back up yet or is it still TBA?
ReplyDeleteWell, it must be:) Either that, or my imagination has carried on all by itself in Centre 64. We sponsored the HIGHLY entertaining speaker-performer, Ivan .E. Coyote. We laughed, we cried...in fact, we emoted the entire emotional scale. If you get a chance, you must catach her show.
ReplyDeleteThe Write On meets at Centre 64 on Wednesday May 22nd at 7PM in the upstairs room on the right, but we usually wait outside until someone gets there with the key. The work project is based on writing what we know using our snippets of memories of taste, colours, smells, tactile and inner feelings to add depth to our writing of today. In short (not my longsuit), our senses and inner memory bytes bring up some snippet of our past and we "what if?" that moment in the past into a scenario in the future---which could be now, or yesterday---or into the Middle Ages:) In short, we just summon up what we've got lurking in our hearts, brains and souls and see what happens:) I.e. today, I saw on TV how big lottery has grown and I wonder, "What if I win....?" But I haven't got a ticket, nor a yen to buy one. However, I remember buying one in the drug store years ago, and I remember the cloying scent of cancer coming from the person ahead of me who bought her drugs and a lottery ticket at the same time. I wondered at the time, "What wish would that person fulfill if she'd win? Would she go to Mexico to be cured? Or leave some money to her favourite nurse, friends and family? I imagined her going to Mexico, crossing the border at Tijuana, smelling chili, sand and flowers, seeing the hucksters hawking wildly coloured blankets, flutes shaped like Elvis and "real" silver rings. The smell of chili becomes overwhelmed by the unique smell of gunpowder and creosote emanating from the man behind her. It was a familiar smell. She felt the gun jab her ribs. "Keep on walking, bitch!" he growled. She sighed. "Nice to see you, Jake, too," she said, wondering if there was a future longer than today.