The Longmeadow Adult Center and Straw Dog Writers Guild present writer, linguist, and humorist Alexis Johnson. Co-founder of the much acclaimed International Language Institute, for over forty years Lexi has taught Spanish, Italian, Esperanto, Catalan as well as Arabic and Chinese. Her first book, Playing With a Full Deck, is a (mostly) humorous look at
Straw Dog Writers Guild
Writers Night Out in May
Join us on Tuesday, May 2, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Simon Hunt 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
Viking Runestone Literary Magazine Launch
You are invited to join us for a celebration of artists and writers from Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School. We are excited to announce the launch of The Viking Runestone, Spring 2023 Volume 5 at Forbes Library, Thursday, April 27 at 6 pm. Straw Dog Writers Guild is proud to collaborate with the staff
Author Showcase at Word Fest
Join Straw Dog Writers Guild for our 9-1/2th Annual Author Showcase at Word Fest* on April 2, 2023 1:00-2:00pm at the Gateway City Arts, 92 Race Street, Holyoke, MA. Featured authors are: Lindsay Rockwell, D. Dina Friedman, Michael Favala Goldman. Kelsey Socha. Grant Carrington, and Ellen Meeropol. * The Entire Word Fest event runs from
Uneven Characters: Filling in the Cracks
Writing characters can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! In this workshop, we will go over what makes a character three-dimensional, using inspiration from ourselves and the people around us to create realistic characters (positive and negative traits, dynamic vs. static characters, etc.), and dialogue vs. action and how to utilize both to
Writers Night Out April
Join us on Tuesday, April 4, 6:00-8:00pm for Writers Night Out with featured writer Joshua Michael Stewart at our NEW HOME: 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
Small Publishing in a Big Universe
Join Straw Dog Writers Guild for our May craft workshop “Small Publishing in a Big Universe” with writer Steven Radecki on Sunday, May 21, 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom. Between traditional publishing and self-publishing there is small publishing. We discuss the place that independent publishers play in the publishing ecosystem, comparing and contrasting the submissions processes, benefits,
March Madness Poetry Share
March Madness Poetry Share Wednesday, March 29, 6:30-8pm Hares are getting frisky. Owls are hooting up a storm. Humans are getting stuck in the mud. Meanwhile there is poetry to be shared! Join writer and poet Arianna Alexsandra Collins of Offerings for Community Building for an evening of speaking your truth through poetry. The goblet
WriteAngles Writers Conference Tea with Edith at the Mount
WriteAngles Writers Conference needs your suggestions and ideas! Straw Dog Writers Guild is bringing back the WriteAngles Writers Conference (April 6, 2024). The planning committee has been meeting for six months and we’re now ready for your program suggestions. We hope to elicit comments and ideas from writers all across western Massachusetts. Ways to share
Historical Research: Fact and Fiction
Historical Research: Fact and Fiction will review methods of historical research, with emphasis on first-person, or primary, sources. The presenters will be at the Swift River Valley Historical Society and will have access to their archive room. The presentation will include on-line research and problems and obstacles with historical records. The presenters will also discuss