Emerging writers often find it challenging to transition in and out of memory, "flashback," or narrative backstory. Given that most of our consciousness is memory (who we are, who we're married to, how we got here, what we're supposed to be doing today), it would seem to be an easier proposition to approach memory on the page — and it is! But writers tend to overthink things and either mimic unhelpful techniques or neglect memory altogether. Let's talk about how to avoid the pitfalls of transitioning into and out of memory, flashback, or narrative backstory; learn how to represent memory accurately, and how not to write yourself into a flashback corner. Date and time: Tuesday, July 22, 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. Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You as well as four other works of fiction. Her last novel, The Great Believers, one of the New York Times’ Best Books of the 21st Century, was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award, and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize among other honors. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago. |
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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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August classes are coming soon, so stay tuned for updates! 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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- 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)
- Wednesday, 6/25, 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)
- Thursday, 6/26, 5:00 – 7:00 pm ET: Happy Hour — NEW VENUE! Join us at The Post for a casual meetup with Blue Stoop community members and friends. Yes, there will be air-conditioning. RSVP to learn more. (FREE/IN-PERSON)
- Thursday, 7/3, 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET: Miracle Workers & Porch Prophets — Myth in Poetry with MJ Ivory Jr. Thursdays on the Stoop is back! In this free hour-long workshop, we'll use poetry to explore how myths continue to shape the modern world — from the personal to the social to the political. (FREE/VIRTUAL)
- Thursday, 7/10, 6:00 – 8:00 pm ET: First Impressions — The Power of Opening Pages with Isle McElroy. What makes a novel impossible to put down? In this this craft seminar, students will study opening passages from authors like Gabe Habash and Raven Leilani to learn how novel beginnings convey the arc of the book to follow. ($30–50/VIRTUAL)
- Saturday, 7/26, 6:30 – 8:00 pm ET: Give Them Flowers. Join Blue Stoop 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 Mac Crane presents A Sharp Endless Need in Conversation with Kayleb Rae Candrilli Start time 6/26/2025 7:00pm Location The Head & The Hand Bookstore Description H&H Books is thrilled to host Marisa (Mac) Crane to celebrate their sophomore novel, A Sharp Endless Need. They'll be in conversation with Philly-based poet Kayleb Rae Candrilli. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow their reading and discussion. Attendance is free, but registration on Eventbrite is highly encouraged. Copies of A Sharp Endless Need (Dial Press) and Candrilli's poetry collection Winter of Worship (Copper Canyon Press) are available in-store at H&H Books and on our ecommerce site. Email events@theheadandthehand.com with any questions and follow us @theheadandthehand on Instagram Link Contact info events@theheadandthehand.com Cost Free ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Capability Pink Designs a Pleasure Garden With You Start time 6/27/2025 6:00pm Location GALLERY Land Collective - 57 North 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Description For the second year in a row, GALLERY Land Collective is proud to present our Pride Month exhibition: Capability Pink Designs A Pleasure Garden With You! by Jeff Joseph Katz, a drag performance turned landscape architecture lecture. Every Friday in June, performances will take place opposite David Rubin's Antique Garden Tool Collection, with implements spanning the 18th through the 20th centuries. Performances are free, but due to location capacity registration is required. Link Contact info swilliams@land-collective.com Cost Free with registration ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Salon & Support Sunday Start time 6/29/2025 1:30pm Location Zoom Description Bring and read your work, up to 500-words. We'll chat. You'll hear what other folks want to know more about, what questions we have, and we'll try to answer any questions you have about what you're working on. This is a friendly space, which traditionally attracts some super-smart, funny, kind, generous writers. Most importantly, we are not "critiquing," (i.e. ripping apart) anyone's work. No one will tell you what you "should" do, or how you can "fix" your writing—because it's not broken! We'll talk about stuff, offer our input, and you'll leave with some new ideas to keep going. Depending on how long the Show & Tell takes, the facilitator will offer a writing exercise and/or prompt(s) to round out the session. Link Contact info www.igniteyourwrite.com Cost $29 ~~~~~~~~~ |
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1315 Walnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States |
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