Autumn Is Here
Hello, fellow writers and readers. Autumn is here. I’m looking forward to cooler days and apple cider vibes. (This is an excerpt from my newsletter. To read the full issue, please subscribe at the bottom of this page.)
My summer kicked off at the legendary CalArts campus, where Vermont College of Fine Arts held its summer residency. VCFA residencies are like cramming several weeks of arts college into an intense ten-day schedule. In addition to teaching a seminar on the poetic turn (AKA the volta), I attended an electronic music performance, a community spoken word event, a singer songwriter showcase, a dance party, and so many fantastic craft lectures given by our faculty and graduating MFA students in Writing for Children and Young Adults. The transition back to home and my daily routine was made easier by keeping my brain in learning mode. I was happy to return to weekly piano lessons-which I began in October after a forty year hiatus!-and to begin an online meditation class. Both of those things feed my creative well. (So does cuddling Highland cows!)
What did you do this summer to feed your creative well? Drop me a line and let me know.
News
Publication alerts!Washington Writers Publishing House selected my poem “My Friend Wants to Talk About the War” for WWPH Writes.Find the poem here. Another poem, “Pomegranate,” was featured by Silver Birch Press as part of their “My Favorite Things” series. You can read it here.
On July 16, I joined my literary agent, Leslie Zampetti of Open Book Literary, at Rosemont College. Leslie and I spoke with students in Rosemont’s MA in Publishing and dual MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Publishing programs about the author-agent relationship. The students were curious about what makes a positive collaboration between author and agent. The top three things that Leslie and I agreed are important were: transparency in communication, shared values, and understanding your own needs as an author (how editorial would you like your agent to be; is a large agency best for you or would you do better with a small or one person agency).
Cover reveal! I am thrilled to have two poems included in the upcoming anthology, America’s Future: Poetry & Prose in Response to Tomorrow, published by Washington Writers Publishing House. The stunning cover art, by Dana Ellyn, is titled “Capital Crow.” I just received my contributor’s copy, so you can order your copy now.
Big news from Vermont College of Fine Arts: I am going to pilot a Novel in Verse Intensive! It will run during the Winter/Spring 2026 semester as a 16 credit course. If you are a current VCFA WCYA MFA candidate, an alum, or if you hold a degree from another institution and would love to do a post-grad semester, you can apply! In addition to the one-on-one creative and critical work that is the hallmark of the Writing for Children and Young Adults program, the intensive semester includes a greater level of instruction as well as peer-to-peer support, learning, and feedback through the entire process. I am excited to kick off this new venture at VCFA.
Conferences and Events:
September 27, 2025
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
Chappaqua Train Station, Chappaqua, NY
November 20-23, 2025
2025 NCTE Annual Convention
Denver, CO
“Poetry Clubs: Reading and Writing Poetry to Promote Inclusion and Improve Writing Skills”with Carolee Dean, Jo Hackl, LandrA Jennings, Lesley Roessing, and Laura Shovan.
Classes:
September 18-20
Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers Virtual Writing Intensive
WIFYR's second Virtual Writing Intensive is coming up! Mark your calendar for Sept 18-20, 2025. Join us for three days and learn from the best in the industry.
What Happens Next?: A Workshop on Story Questions with Laura Shovan
Novelist E. M. Forster said that the root of story is “making the audience want to know what happens next.” To do that, authors must raise a series of questions, dangling the promise of eventual answers. In this workshop, we will practice identifying and creating the questions and answers that form the backbone of a narrative and that keep readers turning pages. Come with an idea for a project or the opening of your work in progress.
More info and registration can be found here.
October 9, 2025
In the fall, I am offering a one-session webinar through Whale Rock Writing Workshops called DO YOU LIKE MY HAT?: A Seminar on Character Tags. As you know, character tags are an essential part of a writer’s toolbox. This versatile craft element works as a shorthand to help readers remember a minor character from one scene to the next. At the same time, a character tag can give readers insight into a protagonist’s inner workings. Who can forget detective Hercule Poirot’s glorious mustache? We’ll be looking at examples of character tags from children’s literature and will discuss tips for using this craft element effectively.
Happening soon!
Reserve your spot now in my private class, “Poetry Techniques for the Verse Novelist.” Whether you’re an experienced poet working on an extended verse narrative, or you’re a prose novelist trying out the verse novel form for the first time, this course is for you. Interested? For more information about the topics we’ll cover, pricing for the six-session course, and how to sign up, visit my website.
