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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T205102Z
CREATED:20260408T205102Z
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UID:10001943-1788285600-1788292800@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in September with Nina B. Lichtenstein
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday September 1st\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Nina B. Lichtenstein\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nNina B. Lichtenstein is a native of Oslo\, Norway. She holds a PhD in French from UCONN and an MFA in CNF from University of Southern Maine. She is the founder and director of Maine Writers Studio\, and the co-founder and co-editor of In a Flash Lit Mag. Her writing has appeared in WaPo\, HuffPo\, Lilith\, Full Grown People\, Tablet Magazine\, Dorothy Parker’s Ashes\, and AARP’s “The Ethel\,” among other places\, and in four anthologies: Ink (Hippocampus Books)\, Stained: Writing About Menstruation (Querencia Press)\, and Awakenings: Stories of Body & Consciousness (ELJ Editions)\, and Manna Songs: Stories of Jewish Culture and Heritage (ELJ Editions). Her book\, Out of North Africa: Sephardic Women’s Voices\, was published in 2017 (Gaon Press) and her memoir\, Body: My Life in Parts\, in 2025 (Vine Leaves Press). She lives in Maine where her husband\, kayak\, bike\, yoga\, and skis keep her (somewhat) sane. \n \n  \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-september-with-nina-b-lichtenstein
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T190000
DTSTAMP:20260826T201731Z
CREATED:20260826T201627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T201731Z
UID:10002087-1788285600-1788289200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Reading for the 2026 Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers-in-Residence
DESCRIPTION:Please join us for a virtual reading featuring the 2026 Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers-in-Residence! Writers will share short excerpts from their work developed while in residence at the Mount this past spring. Following the reading\, there will be a short Q & A with the writers\, who will answer questions about their Residency experience. \nFeaturing: Sharon DuPree\, Ali Goldstein\, Margaret Jameson\, Arya Samuelson\, Nina Michiko Tam\, and Hafsa Zulfiqar. \nRegister for the Reading HERE. \n  \nApplications for the 2027 Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers Guild Writing Residency open September 1! For more information on the Writing Residency program\, visit the Residency webpage. \nhttps://edithwharton.org/edith-wharton-writing-residency/
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/virtual-reading-for-the-2026-edith-wharton-straw-dog-writers-in-residence
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Poetry,Readings,Straw Dog Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T190000
DTSTAMP:20260813T170851Z
CREATED:20260620T204858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T170851Z
UID:10001953-1787160600-1787166000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Three Poets: A Reading and Conversation
DESCRIPTION:Please join Robin Becker\, Jan Freeman\, and Ellen Miller-Mack for a poetry reading and conversation. We’ll take up a range of themes and approaches—to family life\, the natural world\, the challenges of intimacy and loss\, and living in community with others. A lively Q & A will follow\, and we’ll have books to sell and sign. \n \nEllen’s first poetry collection\, WHEN I WAS A GRATEFUL MAMMAL (Headmistress Press) is the 2025 winner of Sappho’s Prize in Poetry. She is the producer and host of “Poet Talk”\, live on Thursdays at 6pm\, on WMUA\, 91.1 FM\, streaming on wmua.org. It is also a podcast on Apple and Spotify. Poet Talk: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/poet-talk-on-wmua/id1844891690 \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nJan Freeman is the author of Hyena (Cleveland State University Poetry Center)\, Simon Says (Paris Press/Wesleyan University Press)\, Blue Structure (Calypso Editions)\, a chapbook\, Autumn Sequence (Paris Press)\, and a new manuscript\, The Odyssey of Yes and No. She is a 2026 recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Individual Artist Grant and many fellowships from MacDowell\, Moulin a Nef\, the Five College Women’s Studies Research Center\, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals\, and recently appeared in Brooklyn Rail\, Crab Orchard Review\, Gargoyle\, North American Review\, The Patterson Review\, Ploughshares\, Poetry\, Salamander\, Tar River\, and other publications. She directs the MASS MoCA Writing Through Art Poetry Retreats. www.janfreeman.net. \n  \n  \nRobin Becker’s ninth collection\, Midsummer Count: New and Selected Poems (University of New Mexico Press\, 2026)\, includes work from her previous eight books as well as over twenty new poems. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Harvard-Radcliffe Institute\, the Massachusetts Cultural Council\, and the NEA\, and she served as long-term Poetry and Contributing Editor for the Women’s Review of Books. Liberal Arts Research Professor Emerita in English and Women’s Studies at Penn State\, she has had recent poems in The American Poetry Review and the New Yorker.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/threepoetsaug19
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Events for Members,Poetry,Readings,Straw Dog Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260804T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260804T200000
DTSTAMP:20260720T130632Z
CREATED:20260324T195856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T130632Z
UID:10001939-1785866400-1785873600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in August with Phyllis St. George
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday August 4th\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Phyllis St. George\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nPhyllis St. George is a poet\, writer\, and filmmaker. Her short story\, “View from the Watchtower\,” is featured in Anthology 5 of Running Wild Press. Her poetry has appeared in the Hiram Poetry Review and Sinister Wisdom. Her villanelle won 3rd Place in the 2019 Palm Beach Poetry Festival Tech Effect Poetry Contest. She produced and directed two short films\, Plastics and The Therapy Killings. Her digital artwork “Monsters in the Deep” is found in the Bonemilk Collective Vol II by Gutslut Press. \nhttps://www.writersspringforth.com/
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-august-4
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T200000
DTSTAMP:20260611T151757Z
CREATED:20260611T151757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T151757Z
UID:10001952-1785349800-1785355200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Inspired Poetry Share
DESCRIPTION:Enjoy an evening of reading and listening to poetry! Bring your newest work\, your favorite work\, or a poem you read from another poet. We come together on a quarterly basis to read our work and/or the work of others and enjoy filling our ears and hearts with poetry. This is a safe space to share your poetry. There is no critiquing\, just appreciation for sharing inspired words. \nAnd for those of you who do appreciate a theme here is this session’s challenge by choice: What blooms from beyond the grave? Create or find poetry on this topic. \nCome read and listen on Wednesday\, July 29 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Belding Memorial Library Meeting Room with poet Arianna Alexsandra Collins of Offerings for Community Building. Tea and treats will be served. \n\nThis program is free and open to the public. Please register by contacting Belding Memorial Library at bmlashfield@gmail.com or 413-628-4414.\n\nThe Library is located at 344 Main St. in Ashfield\, MA.\n\nSponsored by Belding Memorial Library and Straw Dog Writers Guild.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/inspired-poetry-share-3
LOCATION:Belding Memorial Library\, 344 Main Street\, Ashfield\, 01330\, United States
CATEGORIES:Poetry Share,Readings,Straw Dog Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260707T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260707T200000
DTSTAMP:20260520T162601Z
CREATED:20260520T162519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T162601Z
UID:10001947-1783447200-1783454400@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in July
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday July 7th\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Michael Parzymieso\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nMichael Parzymiseso lives in Buffalo\, NY but he grew up in New England and has written for local\, regional\, and national magazines. His debut novel\, The Dale\, has been the subject of newspaper articles\, radio\, and podcasts in New York and Massachusetts as well as featured on Steve Harper\, and NPR’s The Fabulous 413. \nHe is the Queset House Author in Residence in North Easton Mass for July.  \nMichael will be on tour this summer in Detroit\, Toronto\, Hamilton\, Pittsburgh\, Boston\, Buffalo\, and throughout New York and New England. He is also the organizer of Books and Bottles at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield\, MA. \nWhen he is not writing his second novel or on the road touring he teaches English at Lafayette High School in Buffalo\, New York.  \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-july-7
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T203000
DTSTAMP:20260604T194400Z
CREATED:20260604T194400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T194400Z
UID:10001951-1782414000-1782419400@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present author Don Lesser!
DESCRIPTION:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present debut author Don Lesser! \nWestfield on Weekends (WOW) in association with Straw Dog Writers Guild and WhipCity Wordsmiths\, will present debut author Don Lesser as part of the free “Writers Out Loud Guest Author Series.”  The event will take place on Thursday\, June 25th at 7:00 PM at The WOW Center\, 105 Elm Street in Westfield’s Downtown Cultural District. \nDon Lesser received his MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts. His food articles have won awards at the Greenbrier Symposium for Professional Food Writers. He has participated in workshops with the Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop and Straw Dog Writers Guild. Crystal Springs is his first published book. \nThis literary fiction debut celebrates a love of place\, the bonds of found families\, and the lasting connections\, unbroken by secrets\, between friends. BookLife by Publishers Weekly calls it “warm and alive…[an] incisive novel of aging\, compromise\, and Pioneer Valley life.” \nCrystal Springs\, set in western Massachusetts\, follows the life of Steven Bennett\, a historian\, chef\, and programmer. Rejected by his first love\, he marries another woman and lives an ordinary life hosting barbecues and tip-toeing around his affair with the artist wife of his poet friend. After raising a family\, the sudden suspected overdose of a young woman in town upends Steven’s life. He embarks on a quest to discover what really happened only to unearth buried scars and hard truths about old friends. \nCrystal Springs (ISBN: 978-1-57869-222-4) is available for the book trade through Ingram and for the public everywhere books are sold or at www.rootstockpublishing.com\, with autographed copies available from Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley\, Massachusetts. \nThe evening will feature a wide-ranging conversation with the author about her writing and creative process\, along with selected readings from Crystal Springs. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A and meet Don 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-author-don-lesser
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WOW-CENTER-Don-Lesser-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T193000
DTSTAMP:20260407T171135Z
CREATED:20260407T171135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T171135Z
UID:10001942-1781203500-1781206200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in June with Ellen Meeropol
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present author Ellen Meeropol for A Writer’s Night on Thursday\, June 11th from 6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nEllen Meeropol is the author of six novels\, Sometimes an Island\, The Lost Women of Azalea Court\, Her Sister’s Tattoo\, Kinship of Clover\, On Hurricane Island\, and House Arrest\, and guest editor for the anthology Dreams for a Broken World. Essay and story publications include Ms. Magazine\, Lilith\, The Writer Magazine\, The Boston Globe\, Solstice Magazine\, and Guernica. Her work has been a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Prize\, longlisted for a Massachusetts Book Award\, and selected by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Reads. Ellen lives in western Massachusetts\, where she is a founding mother of Straw Dog Writers Guild and on the planning committee for the WriteAngles Writers Conference. \nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.Island
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-june-with-ellen-meeropol
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T200000
DTSTAMP:20260307T222126Z
CREATED:20260307T222126Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260307T222126Z
UID:10001929-1780423200-1780430400@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in June
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday June 2nd\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Ellen Meeropol\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nEllen Meeropol is the author of six novels\, Sometimes an Island\, The Lost Women of Azalea Court\, Her Sister’s Tattoo\, Kinship of Clover\, On Hurricane Island\, and House Arrest\, and guest editor for the anthology Dreams for a Broken World. Essay and story publications include Ms. Magazine\, Lilith\, The Writer Magazine\, The Boston Globe\, Solstice Magazine\, and Guernica. Her work has been a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Prize\, longlisted for a Massachusetts Book Award\, and selected by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Reads. Ellen lives in western Massachusetts\, where she is a founding mother of Straw Dog Writers Guild and on the planning committee for the WriteAngles Writers Conference.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-june-5
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26.6.2-WNO-at-Forbes-with-Ellen-Meeropol.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T203000
DTSTAMP:20260816T205951Z
CREATED:20260810T203745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260816T205951Z
UID:10002019-1779390000-1779395400@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present author Stephen Billias!
DESCRIPTION:WOW Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild to present author Stephen Billias! \nWestfield on Weekends (WOW) in association with Straw Dog Writers Guild and WhipCity Wordsmiths\, will present poet and author Stephen Billias as part of the free “Writers Out Loud Guest Author Series.”  The event will take place on Thursday\, September 24th at 7:00 PM at The WOW Center\, 105 Elm Street in Westfield’s Downtown Cultural District. \nStephen Billias is the published author of seven fantasy novels\, one collection of short stories\, and a literary novel\, Pilgrim Maya\, that he wrote with his wife Bela Breslau. He is a MacDowell Fellow. Stephen has worked as a professional actor\, street-performing juggler\, dishwasher\, New York City taxi driver\, technical writer\, and project manager. \nWith The Zen Time Traveler\, Stephen is returning to the Buddhist themes he explored in his first fantasy novel\, The American Book of the Dead\, a black comedy about World War III issued by Time Warner under the Questar imprint. \nThe Zen Time Traveler: A Pilgrim’s Journey Through the Koans \n \nStephen Maine is a middle-aged project manager navigating the collapse of his marriage and the quiet despair of modern burnout. But his weekly Zen meditation class in a Massachusetts church basement offers an unexpected escape. By reciting a mysterious haiku\, Stephen finds his consciousness hurtled across the space-time continuum\, landing squarely in the body of Wùk?ng\, a Japanese monk traveling through Song Dynasty China in the year 1225. \nIn this vibrant\, dangerous ancient world\, Zen koans are not abstract intellectual riddles—they are visceral\, life-or-death encounters with legendary Chan masters. As Stephen navigates this dual existence\, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the past\, captivated by a fierce\, magical sword maker named Yabaku\, and the thrilling asceticism of his host’s spiritual quest. \n“A sweeping saga… at once a journey\, a spiritual exploration\, and a meditation on the ways time\, perception\, and devotion intersect. With immersive prose that paints vivid scenes of Song Dynasty monasteries\, Billias delivers a seamless exploration of presence\, awareness\, and human longing.” —Publishers Weekly (? Editor’s Pick) \nSTEPHEN AND BELA \n \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-author-stephen-billias
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/WOW-CENTER-Stephen-Billias-2026.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T203000
DTSTAMP:20260427T165039Z
CREATED:20260426T161436Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T165039Z
UID:10001945-1779390000-1779395400@strawdogwriters.org
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Clark-Book-Launch-5-21-OPTZ.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T193000
DTSTAMP:20260407T164131Z
CREATED:20260312T150204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T164131Z
UID:10001936-1778784300-1778787000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in May with Joy Deva Baglio
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers’ Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present Joy Deva Baglio for A Writer’s Night on Thursday\, May 14th from  6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nJoy Deva Baglio is a writer of speculative-literary fiction and the founder of the literary arts organization Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop\, based in Northampton MA (and virtually). Her short stories appear widely in journals such as One Story\, Ploughshares\, The Missouri Review\, The Iowa Review\, American Short Fiction\, Conjunctions\, Tin House\, The Fairy Tale Review\, and elsewhere. Two stories have been optioned for film/TV. Her writing has been supported by fellowships\, grants\, and residencies from Yaddo\, The Elizabeth George Foundation\, Ragdale\, Vermont Studio Center\, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference\, Sewanee Writers’ Conference\, The Speculative Literature Foundation\, and The Kerouac Project\, where she was the spring 2023 Writer-in-Residence living and writing in Jack Kerouac’s Orlando bungalow. Joy holds an MFA from The New School and is currently at work on multiple novels and a short story collection. She’s represented by Peter Steinberg\, at United Talent Agency\, and Sean Daily at Hotchkiss\, Daily & Associates\, for film/ TV. Joy lives in Northampton\, MA\, where she can also be found playing the bagpipes\, running\, and scheming up adventures. She writes a semi-regular Substack—Alone in a Room—on the craft of writing. Visit her online at www.JoyBaglio.com. \nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-may-joy-deva-baglio
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26.05.14-A-Writers-Night-with-Joy-Baglio-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260509T193000
DTSTAMP:20260418T172730Z
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Poetry-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260505T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260505T200000
DTSTAMP:20260307T231055Z
CREATED:20260307T225947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260307T231055Z
UID:10001934-1778004000-1778011200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in May with Eileen P. Kennedy
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday May 5th\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Eileen P. Kennedy\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nEileen P. Kennedy’s Banshees (Flutter Press\, 2015) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and won Second Prize in Poetry from the Wordwrite Book Awards.  Her second book\, Touch My Head Softly (Finishing Line Press\, 2021) was nominated for the General Poetry Award from the International Book Awards. Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth was just published by Shanti Arts Press. More at EileenPKennedy.com \n \n  \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-may-with-eileen-p-kennedy
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26.5.5-WNO-at-Forbes-with-Eileen-P.-Kennedy.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260409T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260409T193000
DTSTAMP:20260325T201708Z
CREATED:20260312T145358Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T201708Z
UID:10001935-1775760300-1775763000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in April with Janet Aalfs
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present poet Janet Aalfs for A Writer’s Night on Thursday\, April 9th from  6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nJanet E. Aalfs\, former poet laureate of Northampton\, MA\, is a Jian Mei Tai Chi/ Qigong chief instructor\, an 8th degree black belt\, and the founder and director of Lotus Peace Arts at Heron’s Bridge/Valley Women’s Martial Arts\, a non-profit community school since 1977. Janet enjoys performing a combination of spoken word and martial arts based dance that she calls Poemotion©. Her writing has been published widely\, and her most recent full-length collection of poems is What the Dead Want Me to Know (Human Error Publishing). \nVersion 1.0.0\nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-april-janet-aalfs
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26.04.9-A-Writers-Night-with-Janet-Aalfs.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T200000
DTSTAMP:20260325T201158Z
CREATED:20251230T154943Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T201158Z
UID:10001795-1775584800-1775592000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in April
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday April 7th\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer James K. Zimmerman\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nBIO: James K. Zimmerman’s work appears in Chicago Quarterly Review\, december\, Folio\, Lumina\, Nimrod\, Pleiades\, Rattle\, Reed\, and elsewhere. His poetry is also featured on websites such as The Poetry Foundation and American Life in Poetry. Author of four books of poetry – most recently “The Further Adventures of Zen Patriarch D?gen” and “Unbroken Circle\, Unending Thread” – he values his neurodivergence as an essential wellspring of his creative inspiration. 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-april-3
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/26.4.07-WNO-at-Forbes-with-James-K.-Zimmerman.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T193000
DTSTAMP:20260211T201152Z
CREATED:20260103T124609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T201152Z
UID:10001800-1773341100-1773343800@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in March with Peter J. Newland
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers’ Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present Peter J. Newland for A Writer’s Night on Thursday\, March 12 from  6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \n  \nSinger/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter J Newland formed the Springfield\, MA rock band FAT in 1969. FAT released albums on RCA and their own Dream Merchant Records and were signed to Atlantic Records by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler in 1979. Peter wrote all the material on the FAT albums\, collaborating with other bandmembers on several songs. \nIn 1985\, Peter moved to Nashville and worked as a staff writer for Paul Overstreet and Fitzgerald/Hartley. He has had songs cut by Hank Williams Jr.\, Collin Raye\, Tracy Lawrence\, Alan Jackson\, and others. He moved back to Springfield in 2002. He appears locally and regionally with with FAT. He also performs with his rock quintet RadioX\, and The Peter J. Newland Trio. \nPeter began work on his first novel (working title: The Meteorite and the Runaway Horse) in the fall of 2022. It is an autobiographical work of creative non-fiction\, and his intent is for it to be the first of a three-book series. Each book will incorporate several of Peter’s original songs that are relevant to various aspects of the story. He has recently finished writing the first volume and\, along with his editor David Sokol\, is entering the final editing and revision phase. \nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-march-4
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26.03.12-A-Writers-Night-with-Peter-J.-Newland.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T200000
DTSTAMP:20260303T181525Z
CREATED:20251230T151026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T181525Z
UID:10001794-1772560800-1772568000@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in March - Cancelled!
DESCRIPTION:Oh no! Forbes Library is closing for the day. That means Writers Night Out is canceled for March 3rd. \n  \nJoin Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday March 3rd\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Patricia Lee Lewis\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. \nA native Texan\, Patricia Lee Lewis is an award-winning poet who led creative writing and yoga retreats at her little mountainside retreat in Westhampton MA and internationally for 30 years. An advocate for women\, civil rights\, peace and democracy\, and co-founder of Straw Dog Writers Guild\, Thorns of the Mesquite is her first novel. \nhttps://writingretreats.org/  \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-march-3
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/26.03.03-WNO-Cancelled.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T193000
DTSTAMP:20260103T123229Z
CREATED:20260103T122850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260103T123229Z
UID:10001798-1770921900-1770924600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in February
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers’ Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present author Jovonna Van Pelt on Thursday\, February 12 from  6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nJovonna Van Pelt has stories to share: funny stories\, difficult stories\, personal revelations\, and casual observations of life. She has been a featured reader for Straw Dog Writers Guild\, Poets at Large\, Gateway City Arts\, Great Falls Word Festival\, and a multiple finalist in the Poet’s Seat competition. Jo’s debut poetry collection\, Unrelated Questions (Human Error Publishing\, 2019) was serendipity after a Garlic & Arts Festival appearance. She lives happily with her rescue cat in Greenfield\, MA. \nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-february-12
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26.02.12-A-Writers-Night-with-Jovonna-Van-Pelt.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260203T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260203T200000
DTSTAMP:20251230T155133Z
CREATED:20251210T213238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251230T155133Z
UID:10001792-1770141600-1770148800@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in February
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday February 3rd\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Sara Eddy\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson. Sara Eddy’s second full-length poetry collection\, How to Wash a Rabbit\, is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press.  She is also author of Ordinary Fissures (2024)\, and two chapbooks: Full Mouth (2020) and Tell the Bees (2019).  Her poems have appeared in many online and print journals\, including Threepenny Review\, Raleigh Review\, Sky Island\, and Baltimore Review\, among others. She lives in Amherst\, Massachusetts\, in a house built by Emily Dickinson’s cousin.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-february-3-2
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Straw Dog Event,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/26.2.3-WNO-at-Forbes-with-Sara-Eddy.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260131T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260131T173000
DTSTAMP:20260115T163852Z
CREATED:20251110T191045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260115T163852Z
UID:10001456-1769875200-1769880600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:12th Annual Author Showcase: A Celebration of Members’ Books
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a celebration of Straw Dog Writers Guild authors at the 12th Annual Author showcase! \nAuthors will have five minutes each to read from their work and author Andrea Hairston will MC the event. Books will be available for purchase at this in-person event.  \n  \n  \n  \nAndrea Hairston\, MC \nMeet Our Authors\n \n  \nSteven D. Brewer (he/him) is the author of A Familiar Problem. Diverse obsessions underlie his writing: deep interests in natural history; an abiding passion for languages; a fascination with Japanese culture; and a mania for information technology and the Internet. Brewer lives in Amherst with his extended family. \n  \n \n  \nLinda Cardillo is an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance who writes about the old country and the new\, the tangle and embrace of family\, and finding courage in the midst of loss. Her fifteenth book\, Paint the Wind\, was released in September 2025.  \n  \n \n  \nLJ Cohen is a novelist\, poet\, fiber artist\, potter\, and relentless optimist. After 25 years as a physical therapist\, LJ uses real clinical skills to injure fictional characters in her science fiction and fantasy novels. Her 9th novel LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD is available now. http://www.ljcohen.net \n  \n \n  \nJanet Crosier: Janet has a PhD from Capella University. She has presented research on Emily Bronte for Oxford University and at several academic conferences. She is English professor in Western Massachusetts. Her first book\, Shadows on the Heath\, was published in 2023 and her second novel\, Weymouth House\, in August 2025. \n  \n \n  \nCandace R. Curran was raised alongside Wachusett Mountain in rural Princeton\, MA by a coyote and Ford mechanic doing the best they could. Publications include\, Bone Cages and Playing in Wrecks\, by Haleys Press;  and the Elyse Wolf prize winner The Sound of Her Good Name\, Slate Roof Press\, 2025. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n \n  \nMary Warren Foulk has been published in The Hollins Critic\, Palette Poetry\, Clockhouse\, The Gay & Lesbian Review\, and North American Review. Her newest collection\, The Show Must Go On (Fernwood Press)\, was a finalist for the 2021 Gival Press Poetry Award and the Inlandia Institute’s 2022 Hillary Gravendyk Prize. \n  \n \n  \nKathryn Good-Schiff is the author of Love Letters to Ghosts (Meat for Tea) and has poems in various journals including California Quarterly\, Naugatuck River Review\, and PANK. A former gardener\, ice cream maker\, and editor\, Kat now works as an academic librarian and lives with her wife in Easthampton\, Massachusetts. \n  \n \n  \nChaya Grossberg: Life long poet\, non fiction writer and advocate for those harmed by psychiatry\, Chaya has been writing and sharing poetry for 3.5 decades\, and is currently writing her first novel.. She recently published poetry books\, “Reborn: Poetic Codes For Psychiatric Survivors” and “Daylillies Wild as Night.” \n  \n \n  \nMadlynn Haber’s first collection of poetry\, Seasons of Sorrow and Joy\, was published in June. She grew up in Brooklyn and worked as a Child and Family Therapist for over forty years. Her writing has been published in numerous anthologies and literary journals. She lives in a cohousing community in Northampton. You can view her work at www.madlynnwrites.com. \n\n\n\n  \n \n  \nNative Texan and award-winning poet Patricia Lee Lewis led creative writing & yoga retreats at her mountainside retreat in Westhampton MA and internationally for 30 years. An advocate for women\, civil rights\, peace and democracy\, and co-founder of Straw Dog Writers Guild\, Thorns of the Mesquite is her first novel. \n  \n \n  \nLinda Summersea is the author of the coming-of-age memoir\, The Girl with the Black and Blue Doll. She enjoyed a long career teaching Youth-at-Risk without realizing she too was “At-Risk”. At 67\, Summersea discovered her passion for expedition hiking by walking 50 miles with Berber nomads in the Moroccan desert. \n  \n \n  \nLisken Van Pelt Dus’s newest collection of poems\, How Many Hands to Home (Mayapple Press 2025)\, joins What We’re Made Of and two chapbooks\, Everywhere at Once and Letters to My Dead. Raised in England\, the US\, and Mexico\, she now teaches writing\, languages\, and martial arts in Pittsfield. (LVPDPoetry.com)   \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/12th-annual-author-showcase-a-celebration-of-members-books
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025-Annual-Author-Showcase-1-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260106T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260106T200000
DTSTAMP:20260106T180336Z
CREATED:20251206T132323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T180336Z
UID:10001731-1767722400-1767729600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Writers Night Out in January - Still Happening!
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday January 6th\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out at Forbes Library. \nCorinne Demas will not be able to attend\, but the Open Mic must go on. Today at Writers Night Out everyone reads! \nEach reader will have five minutes. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-january-6
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/26.1.6-WNO-at-Forbes.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T200000
DTSTAMP:20251130T195029Z
CREATED:20251009T194344Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251130T195029Z
UID:10001444-1765391400-1765396800@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Cosmic Poetry Share
DESCRIPTION:Groovy! Whether you’ve got poems about stars\, planets\, cosmic adventures\, out of this world encounters\, or out of body experiences\, we want to hear them! (And you don’t have any of your own\, find and read someone else’s poetry.) Come read and listen on Wednesday\, December 10 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Belding Memorial Library Meeting Room with poet Arianna Alexsandra Collins of Offerings for Community Building. Treats will be served.\n\nThis program is free and open to the public. Please register by contacting Belding Memorial Library at bmlashfield@gmail.com or 413-628-4414.\nThe Library is located at 344 Main St. in Ashfield\, MA.\nSponsored by Belding Memorial Library and Straw Dog Writers Guild\n\n\nArianna Alexsandra Collins ~ Naturalist. Writer. Poet. ~ has over 30 years experience in teaching\, community engagement\, and public ritual. She facilitates quarterly poetry shares at her local library in Ashfield MA and poetry workshops throughout the Hoosic River Watershed. She has a bi-monthly column “Into the Outside” in The Ashfield News and featured articles on wild edible and medicinal flora in MassWildlife\, Ecological Landscape Alliance\, and Northern Woodlands. Arianna is a contributing author in Nature Portals: Animate Earth Practices and is the author of historical fantasy novel Hearken to Avalon. Read samples of Arianna’s prose and poetry at: https://hearkentoavalon.com
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-cosmic-poetry-share
LOCATION:Belding Memorial Library\, 344 Main Street\, Ashfield\, 01330\, United States
CATEGORIES:Poetry Share,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025.12.10-Poetry-Share-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T200000
DTSTAMP:20251201T170446Z
CREATED:20251104T211345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T170446Z
UID:10001450-1764698400-1764705600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:CANCELLED - Writers Night Out in December
DESCRIPTION:Writers Night Out on Tuesday December 2nd has been cancelled. \nJoin Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday December 2nd\, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer and Straw Dog Writers Guild Emerging Writer Fellow Darlene Elias\, at Forbes Library. No registration required. If you want to participate in Open Mic and read\, please sign up by 5:50pm. Ten names will be randomly selected. Each reader will have five minutes. The second half of the evening showcases our Featured Reader. \nHosted by Jacqueline Sheehan\, Rick Paar and Beth Filson.\nSponsored by Valley Home Improvement. \nDarlene Elias (memoir\, creative nonfiction) is Straw Dog Writers Guild 2025 Emerging Writer Fellow. Darlene Elias is an emerging writer and poet from Western Mass. She is a Hawaiian Boricua Anti Colonial Feminist who uses literature\, poetry\, and spoken word to elevate and validate her own experience as a woman who is part of the diaspora in the U.S. Darlene co-founded the Writing Sisters\, a community of women who identify as BIPOC and LGBTQ\, grown to 15 members in the past year. The group meets twice a month and provides a safe space where members can write freely\, share with one another\, build\, and cultivate relationships not only with one another but in the community.  As part of her fellowship\, Darlene was a 2025 Edith Wharton-Straw Dog Writers Guild resident. \n 
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writers-night-out-in-december-3
LOCATION:Forbes Library\, Coolidge Museum\, 20 West Street\, Northampton\, 01060
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Writers Night Out
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ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T193000
DTSTAMP:20251012T121847Z
CREATED:20250813T203215Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251012T121847Z
UID:10001167-1763059500-1763062200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in November
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers’ Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present writer Linda Cardillo on Thursday\, September 11th\, from 6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nLINDA CARDILLO is an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance who writes about the old country and the new\, the tangle and embrace of family\, and finding courage in the midst of loss. Her debut novel\, Dancing on Sunday Afternoons\, which launched Harlequin’s Everlasting Love series\, was published in 2007. Her fifteenth book\, Paint the Wind\, was released in September 2025. \n\n\nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-november-13
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25.11.13-A-Writers-Night-with-Linda-Cardillo.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251101T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251101T163000
DTSTAMP:20251027T160921Z
CREATED:20250728T190119Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T160921Z
UID:10001165-1762009200-1762014600@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Voices for Resistance presents: Celebrating One’s Roots\, a reading and conversation with Theresa Okokon
DESCRIPTION:Voices for Resistance presents: Celebrating [Being True to] One’s Roots\, a reading and conversation with Theresa Okokon\, storyteller\, co-host of Stories from the Stage\, and Pushcart Prize nominated essayist. Theresa will read selections from her writings and share stories of grief\, identity\, and courage. Nicole Young-Martin\, founder and host of Black Writers Read\, will shepherd the conversation with Theresa\, inviting questions from the audience. \nCo-hosted by Straw Dog Writers Guild and Black Writers Read \nLocation: The LAVA Center\, 324 Main Street\, Greenfield\, MA \nDate/Time:  Saturday\, November 1\, 2025 @ 3-4:30 p.m. \nTheresa Okokon is an award-winning writer\, storyteller\, and teacher. A Wisconsinite living in New England\, she is the co-host of Stories From The Stage who—in addition to writing and performing her own stories—also teaches storytelling and writing\, coaches other tellers\, hosts storytelling events\, collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events. An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet\, Theresa’s memoir of essays about memory\, family stories\, and the death of her father — titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS — was published by Atria Books at Simon & Schuster in 2025.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/voices-for-resistance-presents-celebrating-ones-roots-a-reading-and-conversation-with-theresa-okokon
LOCATION:The LAVA Center\, 324 Main Street\, Greenfield\, 10301\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event,Voices for Resistance
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/25.11.1-Voices-for-Resistance-graphic-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251018T170000
DTSTAMP:20250719T105436Z
CREATED:20250418T174127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250719T105436Z
UID:10000877-1760774400-1760806800@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:WriteAngles Conference!
DESCRIPTION:Join Straw Dog Writers Guild for WriteAngles\, the only writers conference in Western Massachusetts. Choose from 20 different workshop and panels to attend during this full day conference\, held at Greenfield Community College. Sign up to have an individual meeting with an agent. But most importantly\, spend time with other writers in your community who care about writing as much as you do. \nThe year’s conference theme\, inspired by Tiffany Yates Martin’s quote from The Thicket of Thorns: Stories Grow\, suggests exploring writing as a tool for resilience\, justice\, and forging connections in our polarized era. WriteAngles brings together writers for workshops\, roundtable conversations\, networking\, and inspiration. \nA keynote speaker of national note\, Franny Choi\, whose work supports the theme\, will launch the day’s activities\, which includes programming for writers at all levels of development and appointments with literary agents. \nWriteAngles is by writers for writers in the vibrant literary region of western Massachusetts. In line with Straw Dog Writers Guild’s mission\, presenters represent a diversity of age\, race/ethnicity\, and gender identity. Presenters will receive an honorarium\, and a generous scholarship program will welcome lower-income participants.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/writeangles-conference-2
LOCATION:Greenfield Community College\, 1 College Drive\, Greenfield\, MA\, 01301\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Open Mic,Readings,Straw Dog Event,Workshops,Writing Conference
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Revised-2025-WA-Poster-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251012T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251012T171500
DTSTAMP:20250923T165142Z
CREATED:20250914T120507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T165142Z
UID:10001440-1760284800-1760289300@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:2025 Writers-in-Residence Virtual Reading!
DESCRIPTION:Please join us for 2025 Writers-in-Residence Virtual Reading October 12\, 2025\n4:00 – 5:15 pm on Zoom \nBrief readings from 8 of the 9 2025 Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers Guild Writers-in-Residence\, plus the 2025 Straw Dog’s Emerging Writer Fellow \nReaders: \n\nBrenton Sizwe Zola\nIrene Jiang\nMichael Jerome Plunkett\nMelenie Freedom Flynn\nThaddeus Haas\nZite Ezeh\nLizzy Beck\nDarlene Elias\nMason Wray\n\nRegister for this event HERE.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/2025-writers-in-residence-virtual-reading
LOCATION:ZOOM\, MA
CATEGORIES:Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Virtual-W-I-R-reading-10-12-25-Revised.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T184500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T193000
DTSTAMP:20250813T210115Z
CREATED:20250813T202554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T210115Z
UID:10001166-1760035500-1760038200@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:A Writer's Night in October
DESCRIPTION:Straw Dog Writers’ Guild and Longmeadow Adult Center present writer Morgan Sheehan on Thursday\, September 11th\, from 6:45-7:30pm at the Longmeadow Adult Center. \nMorgan Sheehan is a writer\, teacher and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner. She’s a published poet\, essayist and produced playwright. You can find her working on her new YA novel\, scrawling anecdotes about her time in the Peace Corps in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia\, practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu\, or dealing with her flock of ducks and two onery geese. \n\n\n\nYou may register by calling 413-565-4150\, option 1. Or you can just show up. The Longmeadow Adult Center is located at 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/a-writers-night-in-october-9
LOCATION:The Longmeadow Adult Center\, 211 Maple Road\, Longmeadow\, MA\, United States
CATEGORIES:A Writer's Night,Events for Members,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25.10.9-A-Writers-Night-with-Morgan-Sheehan.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Straw Dog Writers Guild":MAILTO:admin@strawdogwriters.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250922T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250922T193000
DTSTAMP:20250817T130455Z
CREATED:20250817T130455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250817T130455Z
UID:10001169-1758564000-1758569400@strawdogwriters.org
SUMMARY:Equinox Potluck & Poetry Share
DESCRIPTION:Bring poetry (your work or work by others) and a dish to celebrate summer’s harvest.\n\nWhat do you bring to the table? Whether food or skill\, speak to what you bring to the banquet of life. Come share your poems about community and activities you enjoy doing in a group or anything else that speaks to your heart – this is a potluck after all. (And you don’t have any of your own\, find and read someone else’s poetry.) Come read and listen on the Autumn Equinox\, Monday September 22 from 6:00-7:30pm in the Belding Memorial Library Meeting Room with poet Arianna Alexsandra Collins of Offerings for Community Building.\n\nThis program is free and open to the public. Please register by contacting Belding Memorial Library at bmlashfield@gmail.com or 413-628-4414.\nThe Library is located at 344 Main St. in Ashfield\, MA.\n\nSponsored by Belding Memorial Library and Straw Dog Writers Guild\nPlease list ingredients on your potluck dish. Thank you.
URL:https://strawdogwriters.org/event/equinox-potluck-poetry-share
LOCATION:Belding Memorial Library\, 344 Main Street\, Ashfield\, 01330\, United States
CATEGORIES:Poetry Share,Readings,Straw Dog Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://strawdogwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Potluck-Poetry-Share-FB-cover-2.png
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