New York Writers Coalition

7th Annual NYWC Write-A-Thon! Sunday, June 24

Aaron Zimmerman — Sun, 06 May 2012 17:25:09 +0000

It’s time for the 7th Annual Write-A-Thon!
NYC’S ONLY WRITING MARATHON

Guest Speaker: Ira Glass!

Change what it means to Marathon!
Write your a** off for a great cause!

Check out our Write-A-Thon Facebook page!

*Devote a day to writing
*Meet other writers
*Attend free creative writing workshops
*Inspiring lunch time talk from This American Life’s Ira Glass!
*Help NYWC’s free creative writing programs
for the formerly homeless, at-risk youth, seniors & others
*Prizes for top pledge-getters
*Raise or donate a minimum of just $150!

Sunday, June 24th, 2012 from 10:30am-6:00pm
Free lunch and light breakfast will be served!

Mark Morris Dance Center
3 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn — Map

: One of last year’s Write-A-Thonners

Prizes to top fundraisers!

Reading of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated

deborahclearman — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:11:42 +0000

Join NYWC and the Metro NY Prison Librarians for a reading that will showcase a dynamic and stirring line-up of writers. You’ll hear voices from the inside and from all sides of the criminal justice system. Featured readers include NYWC workshop leaders Deborah Clearman, Rita Hickey, Patrick Mathieu, John Maney, and Rebecca McCray.

Friday, May 11, 7:00
Castle Gardens
625 West 140th Street, 11th Floor

Chapbook Launch Reading

deborahclearman — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:29:08 +0000

Join us to celebrate NYWC’s latest publication, Taking the Prompt, an anthology of poetry and prose by members of NYWC’s workshop at the Creative Center: Arts in Healthcare. This anthology spans human experiences from dealing with trauma to enjoying the small pleasures of everyday life, with strenth, emotional depth, and humor.

A reception will follow the reading.

Monday, April 30, 6:30

University Settlement

184 Eldridge St. (at the corner of Rivington), second floor library

New York, NY

Free!

NYWC’s Carley Moore and Madeleine George Book Launch Party and Reading

Erin Hopkins — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:49:58 +0000

Join us to celebrate the publication of 2 Young Adult books by NYWC workshop member Carley Moore and NYWC Workshop Leader Madeleine George!

Moore’s The Stalker Chronicles tells the story of high school sophomore Cammie Bliss who has long been labeled a stalker by her peers. But when a cute new boy named Toby arrives at her small town high school, Cammie has a chance to be “normal.”

George’s The Difference Between You and Me is the story of school outsider Jesse, a lesbian, who is having secret trysts with Emily, the popular student council vice president. When they find themselves on opposite sides of a major issue and Jesse becomes more involved with a student activist, they are forced to make a difficult decision.

A wine and cheese reception celebrating these two publications will be held after the readings.

Greenlight Bookstore

Wednesday, April 11

7:30 p.m.

686 Fulton Street

Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Write Makes Might Draws a Crowd!

deborahclearman — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:05:38 +0000

On a recent Saturday afternoon more than seventy people gathered in the Andrew Heiskell Library on West 20th Street in Manhattan to listen with rapt attention to poetry and prose written in NYWC workshops. Nearly forty members of workshops for the formerly incarcerated, survivors of serious illness and disabilities, seniors, LGBT elders and homeless youth, Latino immigrants, among others, read their work. The audience, which ranged in age from five months to ninety-nine years, laughed, clapped, wept at times, sometimes gurgled (the baby). This annual event never fails to move us with the variety and power of the voices we hear.

Celebrate 10 years of NYWC by taking a free creative writing workshop! NYWC Day, May 18!

Aaron Zimmerman — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:21:48 +0000

[[Show as slideshow]]Join us for NYWC Day on Friday, May 18, 2012: a day of free workshops in all 5 boroughs of New York City! Workshops will take place day and night! NYWC creates writing communities where no one ever thought they could exist, so on May 18 we will spin that idea in a fun new direction, and hold workshops in surprising and iconic NYC spots. Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz will also issue a proclamation officially declaring May 18 as NY Writers Coalition Day!

Admission: Free for all.

Please RSVP below to let us know you are planning to attend.

Workshop locations and times below. Look for our workshop leaders carrying the NYWC Day banners!

1:00 to 2:30 PM. Prospect Park, Lefferts Historic House: Meet at 12:45 at Lefferts House to sign up. Presented in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance. Click here for a map and more information.

1:00 to 2:30 PM. Immigrant Movement International bilingual (English and/or Spanish) workshop in Corona, Queens. Meet at 12:45 to sign up. Click here for more information about Immigrant Movement International and here for directions.

1:30 until approx. 3:00 PM. NYC Subway Flash Mob Workshop: Meet at the very front of the Queens Bound Number 7 Train platform at the 42nd Street/Times Square at 1:30 PM. We will board at 1:45 and ride the train to the end of the line and back.

2:00 to 4:00 PM. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Granite Prospect: Meet at 1:45 PM to sign up. Presented in partnership with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. Click here for directions to Pier 1.

3:00 to 4:30 PM. Brooklyn Borough Hall: Meet at 2:45 in the Community Room to sign-up. Presented in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and the Brooklyn Book Festival. Click here for a map to Borough Hall.

4 to 6 PM. Central Park: Meet in Strawberry Fields at 3:45 PM to sign up. Strawberry Fields is on the West Side of the park between 71st and 74th Streets. Click here for info about Strawberry Fields and here for a map.

4:15 to 5:30 PM. Kensington Brooklyn Library: Meet at the library at 4:00 to sign up. This will be a youth friendly workshop, so kids and teens, this is the one for you! Presented in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library. Click here for for info and directions.

5:30 to 7:00 PM. Villalobos House, Marble Hill, Bronx bilingual (English and/or Spanish) workshop: Meet at Villalobo House at 5:15 PM to sign up. Click here to read about Villalobos House and here for directions/map.

6:00 to 7:30. Coney Island Museum/Sideshow: Meet in front of the Sideshow at 5:45 to sign up. We will then go to the Boardwalk to write and return to the Museum/Sideshow for the rest of the workshop. Click here for more information about the Coney Island Museum and Sideshow.

7;45 PM until approximately 9;15 PM. Staten Island Ferry Flash Mob Workshop: Meet at the Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan at 7:45 PM. We will board the 8:00 Ferry, ride it to Staten Island, continue the workshop in the terminal and then return to Manhattan. Click here for a map.

NYWC Day will be followed by an open mic reading the next day, Saturday, May 19 when everyone who attended a NYWC Day workshop will be eligible to read as part of this year’s Brooklyn Lit Crawl! 7 PM at the Micro Museum, 123 Smith Street, Brooklyn. Due to time constraints, space will be limited to 7 readers (5 minutes maximum) and sign up will be first-come, first serve.

NYWC Podcast Episode 2: Insight Out

Erin Hopkins — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:06:47 +0000

Episode 2: Insight Out (Click to listen/download.)
Subscribe via RSS. Subscribe via iTunes.

This episode showcases the variegated voices of the CIDNY community, in the live reading of their book “Insight Out“; there’s comedy, there’s absurdity, there’s straight up real-talk… And a couple original songs by James Power, based on poetry from the book.

–Laura Solomon, NYWC Podcast Producer

Featured in this episode:

Leslie Yasner – The Stain Will Not Come Out

Harris Alpert – Dr. Marigold

Maryam Ayazi – The Child I Came From

Samaris Ayala – Bagels (read by Maryam Ayazi)

Nick Bochinis – The Exhibition

Jacinta Lawson – My Decision (read by Avra Wing)

Maria Zulig – A Rainbow (read by Audrey Israele)

Audrey Israele – Teacher Tales

Joe Rosenbaum – The Sound of One Voice Talking

Peter Shamel – Girl Journal

Avra Wing – Tako the Octopus Retrieves Our Dreams

Eun Jung Lee – Wrong Destination Love Boat (read by Maryam Ayazi)

Marlene Glasser – Embrace of Spring

Songs:

“Faces” Lyrics by Samaris Ayala and music by James Power

“Embrace of Spring” Lyrics by Marlene Glasser and music by James Power

Pro bono legal assistance provided by members of the BNY Mellon Legal Department, in cooperation with the Lawyers Alliance for New York.

Copyright 2012 NY Writers Coalition Inc., All Rights Reserved. This copyrighted work is intended solely for the private, non-commercial use of our audience. Unauthorized performance, copying or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Write Makes Might Saturday March 24!

deborahclearman — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:38:20 +0000

Join us as participants from NYWC’s workshops read their original poetry and prose. The writers in our annual Write Makes Might Reading describe streets we’ve never walked, faces we’ve never seen, words we never get to hear–reflecting the rich diversity of NYC. This powerful event features a myriad of writers from our workshops with previously untapped talent: among them recent immigrants, at-risk teens, retired adults, the formerly incarcerated, the homeless, the disabled, survivors of serious illness, and many others.

Saturday, March 24, at 1:00 at the Andrew Heiskell Branch of the NY Public Library, located at 40 West 20th Street between Fifth and Sixth Ave. Free!

Drop-in weekly workshop! NYWC Creative Writing @ 80 Arts

deborahclearman — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:46:58 +0000

Join us for writing and sharing work in a supportive and respectful environment. Writers of all genres and levels of experience are welcome. Led by NY Writers Coalition workshop leaders Kimberly Shelby-Szyszko and Patrick Mathieu.

Starting January 18, workshop meets Wednesdays 12:30-2:30 at 80 Hanson Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in the 4th Floor Conference Room. Easily accessible by most major train lines, including 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street, C to Lafayette Avenue and G to Fulton Street. Minutes from lower Manhattan. See the map below and click it for directions.

No advance sign-up is necessary. First come, first served; the workshop will be capped at 25 participants. There will be a very gently suggested pay-what-you-wish donation of up to $10 per workshop, but no one will be turned away, and all are welcome to attend for free.

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NYWC Loves You! The Red & Black Party a huge success!

Nancy Weber — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:17:35 +0000

On Monday, February 13th, NYWC kicked off its 10th Anniversary year with a beautiful bang at the annual Red and Black party. The event was a smashing success, raising more than $10K for NYWC’s unique and powerful creative writing programs for at-risk youth, veterans, the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, and many more. Click here for a Red and Black wrap-up on our blog, The Narrator, with photos and highlights from the evening.