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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Straw Dog Writers Guild
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T190000
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SUMMARY:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present acclaimed author Patricia Lee Lewis!
DESCRIPTION:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present acclaimed author Patricia Lee Lewis! \nWestfield on Weekends (WOW) in association with Straw Dog Writers Guild and WhipCity Wordsmiths\, will present acclaimed poet and author Patricia Lee Lewis as part of the free “Writers Out Loud Guest Author Series.”  The event will take place on Thursday\, May 21st at 7:00 PM at The WOW Center\, 105 Elm Street in Westfield’s Downtown Cultural District. \nPatricia has spent much of her life as an advocate: for women\, for civil rights\, for peace\, for a healthy environment\, for small farms and rural communities\, for the arts. Born and raised in Austin\, Texas\, she moved north years ago with her children. She is a business owner and trail walker\, and has been director of several organizations\, including women’s centers\, community economic development corporations\, district congressional offices\, and served as an elected county commissioner for four years. In 1985\, when she joined Pat Schneider’s Amherst Writers & Artists writing workshop\, she found the courage to write for others to read. \nDona Rose Willis’s life on a vast West Texas ranch in 1938\, is shaped by hard work\, a starkly beautiful landscape\, and a loveless marriage. Everything shifts when her orphaned niece\, Annalou\, arrives\, and Samuel Washington\, a Black man\, seeks refuge from a lynch mob\, thrusting Dona into a dangerous fight against brutal prejudices. \nA powerful and timely tale of historic fiction\, Thorns of the Mesquite paints a stirring portrait of a woman’s awakening—of love and the resilient spirit demanded to fight for what’s right against staggering odds. \nIt is the intention of the author that all profits from this book be shared between organizations that protect the civil rights of all people\, and those that serve and support victims of domestic violence. \nPatricia’s debut historical fiction novel is available now from Levellers Press and Amazon. It is available in person at Broadside Bookshop\, Northampton\, MA. \nThe evening will feature a wide-ranging conversation with the author about her writing and creative process\, along with selected readings from Thornes of the Mesquite. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A and meet Patricia during a book signing immediately following the program. \nThe Writers Out Loud series also hosts monthly Open Mike nights on the second Thursday of each month\, offering writers of all levels a welcoming space to share their work. \nCopies of the book will be available for purchase. \nThis program is funded in part by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Westfield Cultural Council\, supporting accessible literary and cultural programming for the Greater Westfield community. \nWestfield on Weekends\, a nonprofit organization that helps to define the cultural and creative vitality of the Greater Westfield community through accessible programming that celebrates its many neighbors; Straw Dog Writers Guild is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the craft and transformative power of writing and serving writers in Hampden and Hampshire Counties; and WhipCity Wordsmiths is a Westfield based writers’ social and support group committed to fostering connection and creativity among local authors.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/wow-center-and-straw-dog-writers-guild-to-present-acclaimed-author-patricia-lee-lewis
LOCATION:Westfield on Weekends\, 105 Elm Street\, Westfield\, MA\, 01085\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Launch,Book Sale,Discussion,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T180000
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DTSTAMP:20260530T045312
CREATED:20260418T171129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260418T172730Z
UID:10001944-1778349600-1778355000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Poetry Book Launch!
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild members and poets Edward Doyle-Gillespie and Trisha Leigh Shufelt for the virtual book launch of their new books of poetry! \nEach poet will read from their new chapbook followed by conversation and audience questions. \nPlease register for this event HERE. \n \nDoyle-Gillespie is a Baltimore City poet and writer. He holds a BA in History from George Washington University\, and a Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University. His poems are drawn from his world travel\, and his work in education\, and law enforcement. He served as a Baltimore City police officer for 19 years\, working in patrol\, operations\, intelligence\, and instruction. He currently teaches English at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. \nThese poems represent his fascination with history and culture\, and how those forces play roles in the most intimate parts of our lives. He gathers the raw material of the human condition as he travels the globe\, reads\, teaches\, and learns. His books of poetry include Masala Tea and Oranges\, On the Later Addition of Sancho Panza\, Socorro Prophecy\, Gentrifying the Plague House\, Aerial Act\, and Father of the Red Grotto Used Bookstore. His most recent title is The Slow Lament of Dying Ice. \nHe lives in Baltimore\, with his wife\, a wee bairn\, and one rather rotund guinea pig. In his free time\, he enjoys reading\, martial arts\, a hearty primal workout\, and a proper cup of green tea. https://edoylegillespie.com/ \nTrisha Leigh Shufelt is an award-winning confessional/narrative poet and artist. Her books are available online\, in bookshops\, and her work has been featured in several magazines and poetry anthologies. Notably\, her poetry book\, The Ghosts of Nevermore-Poetry\, Prose\, and Short Stories Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe was the winner of a 2023 Saturday Visiter (yes\, it is spelled that way) Award from the Poe House & Museum of Baltimore\, MD. \n  \nHer most recent poetry collection through Kelsay Books\, Thundering on the Pink is now available through their website and online. Trisha’s latest books Inside a Lemon Moon\, and In Pieces\, as well as others published by Art in Soul are available wherever online books are sold. \nShe is also the author and artist behind the Poe Tarot and the Everglow Divination System through Schiffer Publishing. You can find out more about her at thepoetrymoth.com or trishaleighpoetry.com. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/virtual-poetry-book-launch
LOCATION:ZOOM\, MA
CATEGORIES:Book Launch,Discussion,Poetry,Readings
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
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