"I am trying to check my habits of seeing, to counter them for the sake of greater freshness. I am trying to be unfamiliar with what I'm doing." - John Cage


Tuesday, January 21, 2020


The January air is grey as the sky today and as I write begins filling with mindless falling snow. White shifts like light on water ripples as the wind picks up.

We have a lake wind advisory for today until 10 pm. Sunset is at 5:08 pm this evening.

Last night a new creative writing workshop session gathered in my living room, sharing snacks from Zuri Coffee while we contemplated voice and originality and intentions for this winter. I love the long winter nights for how they allow quiet and the calm of darkness.  Winter nights in the mountains support inner reflection, reading, writing, and creativity.





Tangled Roots Writing offers a new winter schedule of workshops beginning this month:
  • Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop 6 week series: 3/2-4/6
  • Master Class in Revision for Fiction and Nonfiction: 2/13, 3/12, 4/9, 5/7 and 6/4
  • Write a ten minute play - workshop series
  • Write a blog that stands out in a crowd - 3 hour workshop
  • Write a newsletter worth your clients' time - 3 hour workshop
  • Navigate Submissions and Get Published - 3 hour workshop
I offer customized workshops and individual writing coaching for book projects and business writing, including editing and coaching for blogs, newsletters, website content, and social media.

Literary events in our community:

This year the Sierra Writers Conference is about getting to the roots of your writing and branching out. They have two keynote speakers, Grant Faulkner and Pam Houston, speaking on both of days of the two day conference, 1/31 in Rocklin and 2/1 in Grass Valley. So many readers and workshops and opportunities to write and grow and network!

Sierra Nevada College’s Writers in the Woods brings well-known poets and writers from all over the country to the campus for intimate readings and workshops, where audience members can meet and exchange ideas with the guest writers.On February 7th and 8th June Saraceno and Gayle Brandeis will read and present. The readings are Friday evenings, 7 – 9pm. Free and open to the public.
The Workshops are Saturday mornings, 10am – noon. Free to students, $50  for community members.

Word After Word bookshop presents open mics, workshops, author readings, and the best book recommendations ever - go talk with one of their booksellers. They are between the fudge shop and the wine shop in downtown Truckee.

Saturday, April 18th, 2020 help us celebrate National Poetry Month with the 2020 Sierra Poetry Festival. Enjoy some of our most exciting local, national and international poets and performers. Readings, workshops, an activity fair for all ages and youth performances will be preceded by a month of pre-festival pop-up poetry events throughout the community.