Dearest readers, The first of our summer masterclasses is now open for registration. We'll share a few more classes in the coming weeks, but for now, check out “First Impressions — The Power of Opening Pages” with Isle McElroy. |
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What makes a novel impossible to put down? How does a novelist create momentum from the opening page? In her essay, “That Crafty Feeling,” Zadie Smith posits “two breeds of novelist: The Macro Planner and the Micro Manager.” Defining herself as a Micro Manager, Smith details her success rewriting the opening 20 pages of her novel On Beauty before drafting the rest of the book. She chisels sentences, changes perspective and tense, and shifts setting, all in the service of creating the appropriate tone for her novel. After perfecting the first 20 pages, she concludes, the rest of the book was written over the course of five months. In this this craft seminar, students will study opening passages from authors like Gabe Habash, Raven Leilani, Sarah Thankam Mathews, Imogen Binnie, Charles Yu, and others to learn how novel beginnings convey the arc of the book to follow. As readers, we will focus on tone, setting, characterization, and plot to get a sense of what the writer has done to draw the reader into the world of the novel. Topics covered will include world-building, character development, shifting points-of-view, nontraditional form, unreliable narration, and dialogue. The attention to both introductory and advanced craft elements will make this course suitable for writers at every level. Date and time: Thursday, July 10, from 6–8PM ET. Asynchronous option available.
Location: Online, via Zoom. All registrants will receive 30 days of access to the recording. Tuition: $50 general admission, $30 with financial aid. Isle McElroy is the author of The Atmospherians and People Collide, named a best book of 2023 by Vulture, NPR, Them, and the New York Times Critics. Their essays appear in The New York Times, The Cut, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. In 2025, they will serve as a Shearing Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute. They currently teach in the MFA Program at Sarah Lawrence College. |
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A quick note on financial aid: Aid is reserved for low-income writers living in the greater Philadelphia area. Check out the financial aid page to learn more and apply. Requesting aid is quick and painless. Just fill out the survey and after you hit “submit,” you'll immediately see the results. If you're eligible, the survey's final page will include a link to complete registration. Do not wait for us to email you with a verdict; this is an instantaneous self-serve system! As a bonus, everyone who is eligible for aid will be entered into a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to Milk Jawn, a local small-batch ice cream shop. Additional raffle tickets are available for purchase (by anyone, regardless of income) for just $2 each in our web store. Proceeds will help sustain and replenish our financial aid fund. Big thanks to Milk Jawn for supporting Philly writers! |
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In solidarity, Julian Shendelman
Co-Director P.S. Looking for more local literary connections? Check out our community calendar and resource pages. |
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- Wednesday, 6/18, 3:30 – 5:30 pm ET: Creative Coworking. Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. Write, edit, read, daydream, or do whatever best serves your literary life. (FREE/VIRTUAL)
- Tuesday, 6/24, 6:30 – 7:30 pm ET: Poetry Club. A peer-led poetry reading & discussion group, powered by Blue Stoop volunteers. Poems will be emailed out a few days before each meeting. Sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 sessions! (FREE/VIRTUAL)
- Thursday, 6/26, 5:00 – 7:00 pm ET: Happy Hour. Join us at Sunset Social (a.k.a. Cira Green) for a casual meetup with Blue Stoop community members and friends. RSVP to learn more. (FREE/IN-PERSON)
- Saturday, 7/26, 6:30 – 8:00 pm ET: Give Them Flowers. Next month, join us for a reading and celebration of the Jennifer Weiner fellows at Head House Books. We'll hear from the cohort — Reema Rao, Tori Lee, Colette Walker, Alexandra Naughton, Liz Moorhead, and Larissa Pahomov — and Jennifer Weiner herself. (FREE/IN-PERSON)
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Got an event, organization, business, or book to promote? |
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~~~~~~~~~ Event title "Queer Love is Resilience" Poetry Open Mic + Q&A ft. Alison Lubar Start time 6/17/2025 6:30pm Location Flashpoint Gallery, in the upstairs of Nutmeg Bar and Market 1835 East Passyunk Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19148 Description What to expect for the night: - Event held in partnership with Flashpoint Gallery and Community Space - Located on the 2nd floor of Nutmeg Bar and Market (enter through Nutmeg)
- Doors and open mic sign-ups at 6:30 PM; show begins at 7 PM
- The open mic will run first-come, first-served, with limited spaces. 5 minutes per slot!
- Pride month, so bring your gayest poetry!
- Hear from our featured poet, Alison Lubar (they/themme)
- End the night with a Q&A with the aspiring queer elder themself - learn how us queer folk can become successful through our passions.
- Books, art, and zines for sale! Portion of the proceeds for the night will be donated in support of The Trans Lifeline.
Link Contact info gro.project.ro@gmail.com Cost Donation-based, NOTAFLOF ~~~~~~~~~ Event title 5-3-5 Poetry Salon featuring Tamiko Beyer, Patrycja Humienik, and Mia Kang Start time 6/17/2025 6:35pm Location Description Our next 5-3-5 poetry salon will take place on Tuesday, June 17, with incredible featured readers Tamiko Beyer, Patrycja Humienik, and Mia Kang. 5-3-5 is a dynamic night that includes featured readers, poems we love, and a generative poetry game. There will be an opportunity for folks to read poems by others (i.e., bring a copy of your favorite Tracy K. Smith piece, your top Dickinson, your Diane Seuss sonnet, etc.), and also a chance to generate new work through a creative, light-hearted poetry game. So, bring a notebook and pen, and if you feel so inclined, a drink or snack to share. At this salon we will also be raising funds for an organization that supports people and families in crisis in Gaza. Link Contact info monicagomery@gmail.com Cost free ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Lee Cole presents FULFILLMENT in conversation with Scott Gloden Start time 6/17/2025 7:00pm Location The Head & The Hand Bookstore Description We’re delighted to welcome Lee Cole to H&H Books on Tuesday, June 17 to celebrate his sophomore novel, FULFILLMENT, on its release day! Author Scott Gloden (THE GREAT AMERICAN EVERYTHING: STORIES) will be in conversation with Lee. A Q&A and signing will follow their conversation. Attendance is free, but registration via Eventbrite is highly encouraged. Link Contact info events@theheadandthehand.com Cost Free ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Cooper Street Workshop: Writing the Past Start time 6/18/2025 12:00pm Location Zoom Description If you’re writing or thinking about writing a story set in the past – maybe looking at an under-appreciated figure at an important historical moment, or maybe writing about a grandparent’s story, or maybe you just want to explore the exciting possibilities of historical romance or adventure – you probably have some questions about how to make the past seem real. How did people talk back then? Where do you go to find information about your historical setting and characters? How do you balance research and story? In this Cooper Street Workshop, we’ll look at extracts from stories set in the past, focusing on how writers use their research in describing scene and setting; we’ll practice writing dialogue using real historical materials; and we’ll play with some Camden-area historical resources to get you brainstorming about story ideas. Link Contact info writers@camden.rutgers.edu Cost $5 for Camden city residents & Rutgers-Camden students; $20 general ~~~~~~~~~ Event title NarraScope Interactive Fiction & Narrative Games Conference @ Drexel University Start time 6/20/2025 12:00pm Location Drexel University, URBN Center + Discord (Ticketed, but inexpensive) Description NarraScope is an event that supports interactive narrative, adventure games, and interactive fiction by bringing together writers, developers, and players. This conference and the interactive work that presenters will be covering are very queer-friendly, with large number of interactive formats from a talk about experimental web art by the HTML Review team, to very niche indie visual novels and Game Poems on Itch.io, to narrative games like Her Story or Adventure games like Excavation of Hobb's Barrow or Old Skies that you might pick up on Steam or for a Nintendo Switch. It is a writer-centered conference, with a book signing event, some cutting edge TTRPGs and interactive theater, and these writers both create and are curious about a lot of work that might inspire you. In-person tickets might be sold out, but this is a hybrid conference with an inexpensive one-time membership for all 65+ talks and 10 workshops. Link Contact info Cost $45 (online) - $140 (in-person) ~~~~~~~~~ |
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1315 Walnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States |
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