AseraCare Hospice is seeking volunteers for our Reflections Program. The mission of the Reflections Program is to interview and document life stories of patients who are terminally ill. Our patients and their families are given the opportunity through volunteer support to reflect on their lives and find great meaning in their memories!

Reflections volunteers are required to complete an orientation, training and other requirements to complete the application process. Please contact Jo Ann Schultz, AseraCare Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at 414-607-1782 or email at jo.schultz@aseracare.com for more information

Roundtable Leader and writer extraordinaire, Robert Vaughan, shared his thoughts about Flash Fiction as a genre (as well as some of his work) with Stephanie Lecci of Lake Effect. You’ve gotta give it a listen:

http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/view_le.php?articleid=1046

– then sign up for his “Flash in the Pan” workshop in October.

Also, consider submitting your own flash fiction pieces to Lake Effect’s new segment, “Flash Fiction Fridays.” Wouldn’t it be great to have a bunch of RedBird-RedOak writers sharing their work with Milwaukee metro-area listeners? Here’s the invitation:

Plus, we’re starting a new segment on Lake Effect called “Flash Fiction Fridays.” If you’d like to submit your own flash fiction, please send us an email at lakeeffect@uwm.edu, DM us on Twitter, send us a message on Facebook, or help out the ol’ USPS by buying stamps and sending a letter.

A slot just opened up in Pam Parker’s “Saturday Session” Roundtable-style group. Here’s the skinny –

~for those writing longer short fiction or booklength works~

Participants bring in up to 20 pages (double spaced, 12-pt font) for feedback and support. Makes a nice complement to our twice-monthly Roundtable groups. Enrollment is capped at 4.

Sat mornings, 9 am – 12 noon; Aug 28, Oct 2, Nov 6, Dec 4

$100/4 meetings

Facilitator, Pam Parker, has been involved with RedBird-RedOak, in different capacities, for years.  She coaches young writers in the Red Oak Young Writers Program, participates in Roundtables and has recently taken on an unofficial role as “The Submit-It Nag” for herself and writer friends.  Her short fiction has appeared, or is forthcoming in, Portland Monthly Magazine, elimae, the Foundling Review, MadSwirl and others.  She is working on a collection of linked short stories.
Links to some of her published works can be found at www.pamparker.wordpress.com.

Call 414-881-7276 to check for openings. Download Registration Form

It’s the highlight of summer: young people who like to write come together for a week of sparking their creativity, playing at the page and sharing their work, all under the dedicated mentorship of some of our fine RedBird-RedOak Writers (Robert Vaughan, Pam Parker, Kris Jaeger, Susa Silvermarie, Laurel Poston, Alison Polivka and Kim Suhr).

As you might expect, the kids had a thing or two to teach us:

Taking writing risks yields great writing rewards
Ideas can come from some pretty unlikely places (a crazy hat, a marshmallow, a barred owl feather)
When we step out of our comfort zone, we find all kinds of fun writing surprises
The thought of sharing writing with peers is more scary than actually doing it (and once you’ve done it, it becomes addictive)
Writing is more fun when it’s done with others

Many thanks to our 79 campers for their enthusiastic participation and to their writing coaches who gave them a week to remember.

I finally got around to opening my July/Aug Poets & Writers magazine to find a wonderful treat: a lengthy profile of Daniel Goldin and Boswell Books. Here’s a link to the article as well as a slideshow of the photographs that accompany the article. BTW — if you have a copy of the magazine in hand, the article titled Self-Publishing Steve is worth a look, too.  And remember — support your local, independent bookstore!

July 1st marks the one-year anniversary of the date that Redbird Studio founder, Judy Bridges, and I signed on the dotted line to make two great organizations from one. Judy would continue to teach Shut Up & Write! (and write her book by the same title), and facilitate writers’ retreats and events, while I took the helm in administrating Roundtable groups and workshop offerings at the studio.

At the time, I was excited (and a little nervous) but had no idea what a great year was in store for RedBird-RedOak and the writers who come through our doors.

In addition to our stellar Roundtable groups led by Robert Vaughan, Jeannee Sacken and myself, we offered a host of new opportunities to support writers:

Write ’til You’re Blue in the Face (my writing exercise group)
Saturday Sessions (an extended Roundtable-style group to accommodate longer pieces, led by Pam Parker)
Roundtable “West” (my facilitated writers’ group for those in Oconomowoc and the far west ‘burbs)
Open Studio Writing (a twice-monthly drop-in)
RedBird-RedOak On the Road (quarterly readings presented by Roundtable participants at Fixx Coffee House)
Special Topics (self- and e-publishing with Karen McQuestion, writing picture books with Katy J Vopal, and a panel on getting published co-hosted with Judy Bridges and Redbird Studio)

Phew!

It has been a pleasure to carry on and expand this special place for writers. I am deeply grateful for Judy’s support and the many dedicated writers, Roundtable leaders and teachers who share their talents with our unique writing community.

With much gratitude and excitement about the year to come,

Kim

It was a delightful group of writers — nearly 20 strong — who welcomed me to the Kenosha Writers’ Guild regular meeting last night We shared a bit of our writing backgrounds (some really exciting projects afoot among those in the group!) and then dropped into a few writing exercises a la “Write ’til You’re Blue in the Face.” I was more than impressed with the energy of this all-volunteer group as well as the wide range of writing interests of its the members. I left (albeit reluctantly) with a copy of Straylight Literary Arts Magazine (Thanks, Jan!) and a strong wish I lived a little closer so I could make it to more of the group’s meetings.

Many thanks to Jen, Lisa and Jenny, and all the other writers for their enthusiastic participation. Kenosha has a rare and wonderful gem in this organization!

It was great to welcome Katy J Vopal’s Creative Writing students as well as some folks who just happened to be in the cafe and got hooked on listening to our writers. Special thanks to the other RedBird-RedOak writers who were not reading but joined us to support their comrades-in-ink. Finally, a giant THANK YOU to Fixx owner, Shari Franz, and her intrepid helper, Julia, for their hospitality.

Robert Vaughan, Carol Wobig, Sheila Julson, Susan Maciolek, Judy Cornfield, Jeanette Michalets, Jack Douthitt, Lois Patton, Tom Biel, and Sheila Hanrahan

See you at FIXX!