SDWG members, submit a free listing on our bulletin board for a reading, workshop, or service you’re offering.
REQUESTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Perk for SDWG Members! Straw Dog Writers Guild is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. If you are a current SDWG member and you have published a book, we can include your book on our members list on our Bookshop.org profile. Important instructions for inclusion: To be included, first, check to see if your book is available at: https://bookshop.org/ THEN, if it is, send your name and book title to admin@strawdogwriters.org. This platform will give greater exposure to your book. “Bookshop.org is an online book marketplace launched in January 2020. Its stated mission is “to financially support local, independent bookstores.” Bookshop, Inc., a privately held company, has been certified as a B Corporation.” NOTE: Some books may not be available on this site.
Perk for SDWG Members! Use the coupon code “StrawDogMember” to receive a 20% discount on purchases from Perugia Press in our online bookshop.
Missed an online SDWG event? Check out our YouTube channel for workshop and event recordings.
MEET UPS
Forbes Library Writing Room Wednesdays at 9:00am-12:30pm
This is a free, structured, facilitated drop in community writing group. We check in at 9:30, then write together for two hours, followed by the opportunity to read what you wrote (5 minutes). Follow the link for ZOOM meeting
Valley Society Black Writing Group
Valley Society, a SDWG committee, is open to new writers for our AWA writing group. We meet Sundays from 2-5 virtually. Visit valleysociety.org/about/writing-group/ to sign up.
Zooming Poetry Workshop
Monthly poetry workshop on the 4th Monday of the month from 4-5pm. “We send each other a poem or two before the workshop, and we give constructive, positive feedback during the workshop.” Interested poets please email Phyllis at phystgeorge@gmail.com
BOOK LAUNCHES/CONCERTS/READINGS/OPPORTUNITIES
8-Week Generative Prose Writing Group – at Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop – Virtual / Live on Zoom • Limited to 10 writers
PVWW’s spring generative Prose Writing Group, led by Leonora Desar kicks off on Monday, May 11 (6 – 8pm ET) and meets for eight Mondays! Whether you’re writing short stories, novels, essays, memoirs, or any kind of prose, this group is a space for creative support, craft/process development, and most of all to make time for actual writing! It’s fully generative, though writers will have opportunities to share work aloud for encouraging verbal feedback. Learn More / Register Here
May 12th, 2026 Author Reading and Book Signing Janet Crosier
Janet Crosier will be presenting slides and pictures to share the inspiration behind her two novels: Shadows on the Heath and Weymouth House. There will be time for questions and book signing. Both books will be available for purchase at a reduced price.
When: Tuesday May 12, 7 pm – Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown
May 9th, 2026 Gallery of Readers Presents Jonathan Wright & Eileen Kennedy
Free and open to the public. Please come join us, all are welcome!
- Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 4 PM
- Forbes Library, Coolidge Room (2nd floor)
20 West Street, Northampton, Massachusetts
For those who can’t or prefer not to attend in person, Forbes Library will livestream the reading from their website events page and will also archive it for later viewing. Click here to livestream.
Author Reading for Patricia Lee Lewis’ first novel Thorns of the Mesquite!
Patricia Lee Lewis launched Thorns of the Mesquite, her debut novel, on her 88th birthday in November, to an overflow, rowdy crowd of readers & writers. Following up, with the intention of sharing all profits that come to her from the book — to support survivors of domestic violence and promote civil rights and social justice — she is motivated! She asks everyone to buy the book– as a paperback, as an e-book, as a gift, and (eventually) as an audiobook. Available at Levellers Press; Broadside Bookshop; Amazon. And she hopes you will invite her to speak with your book club, at your library, your classroom, your house party, your great-aunt’s 100th….
May 22, 7 pm – WOW in Westfield
Submission Opportunity: Lore & Rime
Lore & Rime is an upcoming literary magazine, run by members and friends of Common Folk Artist Collective. We are looking for short stories, flash fiction, and short graphic novels to publish in our Lore imprint! Pieces should be submitted by April 30, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. EST to be considered for publication. Please visit us at https://commonfolk.org/literary-journal or reach out to us at literary@commonfolk.org for more information.
Book Launch for Ellen Meeropol’s newest novel, Sometimes an Island!
SDWG member Ellen Meeropol invites you to celebrate her new novel, Sometimes an Island, at upcoming local events:
- Featured reader at Writers Night Out, Tuesday, June 2 (Forbes Library)
- (details and more events here)
Set in western Massachusetts and Maine and told through a constellation of interwoven voices and timelines, Sometimes an Island traces the echoes of one family’s flight from their burning shtetl to a remote island, seeking refuge and a new beginning. More than a century later, their descendants are uprooted once again—this time by rising seas and a collapsing environmental, political and social landscape. With friends, they build a new community: off-grid, interdependent, and bound by the fragile threads of memory. With a bit of magic, this mosaic novel explores how we might navigate an uncertain future armed with determination, memories, resilience and hope, and the communities that connect us.
Jennifer Cognard-Black’s one-week Food Writing: The Edible Essay June 21 – 27, 2026
Join Jennifer Cognard-Black for her one-week Food Writing: The Edible Essay workshop that will be part of this summer’s Chesapeake Writers’ Conference in Maryland from June 21 – 27, 2026. https://www.smcm.edu/annual-events/chesapeake-writers-conference/
Sunday July 12th, 2-4pm – Book Launch for Stephen Billias’ novel, The Zen Time Traveler: A Pilgrim’s Journey Through the Koans!
SDWG member Stephen Billias would like to invite everyone to a reading and celebration of his latest novel, The Zen Time Traveler.
- Sunday July 12th, 2-4pm
- At the Engaged Mindfulness Institute, 595B River Road in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The Zen Time Traveler takes place in Northampton, Massachusetts and ancient China. It’s a spiritual fantasy introducing the Koans that has been described as a “wild joyful joyride through the temples of ancient China. . .” It tells a fun, engaging story that will appeal to those who love fiction and to readers of spiritual/mindfulness titles.
Week long Retreat Offer
Week long writing retreat offer: Annabelle is looking for individuals or couples (romantic or otherwise) to stay at her cozy, rustic farmhouse (with excellent WiFi) in Vermont free of charge for a minimum of one week (or longer if you choose) between late August and the end of October. She’d love to have writers and artists both as guests, and perhaps eventually as co-founders of an artists’ retreat she hopes to build there. Guests are asked to honor the vegan kitchen and provide some light help in the household or garden for a few hours/week.
More information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XST0mJ296J7hORbmkQ0ZExJIPWsUc-0U/view?usp=sharing
Writing Workshops and Writing Groups
The Straw Dog Non-Fiction Writers Feedback Group: Saturdays 2-4 Northampton
The Straw Dog Non-Fiction Writers Feedback Group is looking for a few new members. The group meets in person every other Saturday from 2-4pm in downtown Northampton. Meetings are structured around brief individual check-ins, the sharing of four-page, double-spaced selections, and providing feedback guided specifically by the author’s expressed needs. The group is open to all kinds of non-fiction, from essays, to memoir, letters to the editor, didactic, or submission pitches. Our members, likewise, have had diverse experience in writing, from those who have never published to full-time writing professionals. The group is kept relatively small, from 4 to 7 members, so everyone has a chance to share. The group is hosted by Straw Dog member Peter Pruyn. To learn more about the group and see if it would be a good fit for you, please reach out to Peter at pwp04 [at] icloud [dot] com.
Dreaming on the Page Writing Circle with Tzivia Gover, Author and Certified Dreamwork Professional
First Tuesday of each month, 11 am-2 pm US Eastern Time, on Zoom.
Combining dreams and writing helps to increase self-awareness, reinvigorate your creativity, and supercharge your writing. Each workshop includes information and inspiration for combining dreams and the imagination, plus writing prompts and time to write and share your work.
$55 with accessible pay-what-you-can options for those with low/limited incomes. Learn more and register at: thirdhousemoon.com/event/dreaming-on-the-page-writing-circle/
Western Mass Writing Workshops
Arya Samuelson is a writer, educator, editor, and creative coach who regularly leads writing workshops online and in-person. Her cross-genre classes dedicated to the intersection of process-meets-craft and have included the following topics in recent years: “Pleasure, Illness and Memory: The Craft of Embodied Writing,” “Threading Paradox: The Art of Braided Essays,” “Keeping the Channel Open: A 21-Day Daily Writing Class,” “Writing Towards Wildness: A Non-Linear Memoir Class,” and “Metaphors as Allies: Finding the Core Themes of Our Lives.” She offers monthly one-day classes online as well as multi-week deep dive intensives, and works as a developmental editor and creative coach to support writers through the labyrinth of the creative process.
Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop
Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop (PVWW) is a literary arts organization based in Northampton MA (and virtually), founded by writer Joy Deva Baglio in 2016, offering a constantly-changing schedule of (live, virtual) writing workshops, craft classes, ongoing groups, and on-demand self-paced workshops for writers of all genres and levels, led by our team of celebrated local and national authors. Browse our current workshop schedule here! PVWW also hosts frequent literary Events, including author readings, panels, day-long writing retreats, as well as our monthly (virtual) Community Writing, a free-to-attend generative gathering happening on the first Friday of every month, for writers of all levels and genres who want to write together in supportive community (live on Zoom). For those seeking one-on-one coaching, editing, and/or manuscript consultations, you can browse our Editing page to learn about the different editorial specialties and interests of the PVWW instructors who also work one-on-one with writers. And for writers seeking support and community while working on longer projects: Every fall, applications open for our 10-Month Manuscript Program, our most intensive workshop offering for writers in all genres working on book-length manuscripts looking to be part of a structured, supportive, longer-term workshop. The Manuscript Program has workshop sections focusing on first draft novel-writing, novel revision (for writers with a completed novel draft), memoir, poetry, and most recently, a generative writing section. If you’re interested in learning more and/or receiving reminders about important deadlines, we encourage you to visit the Manuscript Program page and read about the program as well as fill out the very-short “interest” form. If you have any questions about anything PVWW offers, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com. We began PVWW with a focus on craft and technique, which is still a big part of what we do, but our mission is also rooted in helping writers develop and nurture their writing processes, and to create many opportunities for writers of all genres, levels, and backgrounds to take part in a inspiring, creative community. Visit us online at www.PioneerValleyWriters.org!
Writers in Progress
Writers in Progress, the Valley’s Literary Arts Studio, is excited to re-open our gorgeous physical space this September, launching our Fall Session with a huge variety of weekly, half day and one-day generative and craft workshops. We will also continue to offer many workshops online. Some of our many offerings this fall include: Morning Jumpstarts, with Dori Ostermiller, Writing From Life with Emily Lackey, the Craft of Memoir with Cathy Luna, the Blueprint Your Book Series, with Susanne Dunlap, Fiction Essentials with Jacqueline Sheehan, Poetry Workshop with Sarah Browning, Word for Writers, Tarot for Writers, and many more. We also host a monthly community writing workshop, the first Sunday of each month, open to all. Founded in 1992 by author Dori Ostermiller, WIP has been supporting writers and creating community for three decades and has ‘midwifed’ dozens of published books. Our workshops are limited to 8 participants and emphasize writing time, community and craft development, nurturing voice, giving and receiving constructive, encouraging feedback. We believe that the writing process calls for both rigor and playfulness, both craft and inspiration. We also offer our legendary year-long manuscript intensive for writers working on book-length manuscripts, a six month revision intensive, as well as one-on-one coaching, editing and consulting. Our published alums include Ellen Meeropol, Steve Bernstein, JoAnne Jones, Dusty Miller, Ruth Lehrer, Dinah Mack, Kris Holloway, David Lovelace and many, many more. We host a seasonal Live Literature reading series in our studio and online. Check out our amazing lineup of fall workshops and events at www.writersinprogress.com. Hope to see you soon!
SERVICES
Manuscript Consultations and Editing Services with Jan Freeman
With 40 years of editorial experience, I am available to review works of prose and poetry, including full-length manuscripts, chapbooks, and selected collections. Through multiple readings, I evaluate literal and emotional narratives and a manuscript’s organization, texture, shape, tension, and emotional flow. I am author of 3 books of poetry and co-editor of Sisters: An Anthology; from 1995–2018, I directed Paris Press (now an imprint of Wesleyan University Press), which published critically acclaimed books by Emily Dickinson, NBCC award winning Ruth Stone, Virginia Woolf, and many others. Jan Freeman, janfreemanpoetry@gmail.com
Mentoring and Editing Services with
Michael Favala Goldman
I know how difficult it is to be objective about one’s own writing. Having skilled readers and mentors helped me gain the skills to publish16 books of prose translations, poetry translations and original poetry. I have been leading poetry critique groups since 2018. I give direct, compassionate feedback, to help clarify and magnify the author’s voice. I am happy to look at a few short pieces or an entire manuscript. hammerandhorn@gmail.com.
Dreaming on the Page Writing Consultations with Tzivia Gover
This one-on-one consultation is appropriate for writers at all stages of the journey, from journalers to published authors and anyone in between.
More of a coaching session than a critique, our time together will be spent setting goals and intentions for your writing in general, or specific projects. Sessions may include:
* Reviewing your goals, habits, and rituals as a writer, and exploring ways to tap into dreams, imagination, and the subconscious to support and sustain your creativity.
* Identifying the big dream for your project and setting intentions and next steps to help you get there.
* Implementing Dreaming on the Page techniques, tips, and prompts as appropriate.
* Receiving guidance on up to 500 words of your writing or a project summary submitted in advance of the session.
Mentoring Services with Lesléa Newman
Lesléa Newman has created 75 books for readers of all ages and mentored hundreds of writers including Newbery Award-winner Kwame Alexander (The Crossover), novelist, Leah Henderson (One Shadow on the Wall) and poet Floyd Cheung (Jazz at Manzanar). If you are working on a manuscript, I’d love to take a peek and see how I can help you make your book the best it can be. Whether you write for kids, teens or adults, whether you write poetry or prose, whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you name it, I can critique it. I will mark up your manuscript in purple ink, write you a long, editorial letter, read one revision, and if appropriate, offer publishing suggestions.
Writing Coach Arya Samuelson
I’m a writer, educator, editor, and creative coach who is passionate about helping you to realize the fullest vision of your project. As a developmental editor, I offer holistic feedback on full manuscripts, manuscripts-in-progress, as well as individual stories and essays, help you draw out the “story beneath the story” – the story emerging from your text that is usually much richer, deeper, and more compelling than what you may have thought you were writing. I will help you find the underlying coherence in the chaos, the most riveting moments in the rubble, and to re-envision your narrative and its possibilities. As a creative coach, I support students over a series of sessions around varied topics — i.e. integrating editorial revisions, working with specific creative goals and challenges, refining application materials (i.e. artist statement, MFA applications), regulating the nervous system through creative practice , etc. — all the while offering personalized support, seasoned guidance and compassionate accountability.
Consultation w/ Gail Thomas
I am available for individual consultation on your poetry submissions, manuscripts and residency applications. With more than 40 years of publishing and teaching experience, I offer feedback that not only focuses on your writing goals, but also strengthens your craft. If you are assembling a chapbook or full-length manuscript, I will work with you to organize and present your best work for publication. Gail Thomas, gailthomaspoet@gmail.com
Straw Dog Writers Guild YouTube Channel
Having your events and other writing notes on this Bulletin Board is one of the many benefits of SDWG membership.
- We ask that events be in or within driving distance of the Western MA area.
- Text of up to 100 words
- Link to website or email where further information is available.
- Please send at least six weeks before the event to be placed in our newsletter.
Click here to Submit to the Bulletin Board