"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


Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Hello 2021!

Yesterday I ski-ed up Sagehen way, a chilly and breathtaking late afternoon in the quiet forest. A John Haines kind of snowy wilderness feel, the mystery around the how of it all. 

I was turned on to Haines' poetry at a reading in honor of his work at an AWP conference years ago. Baron Wormser presented a great teaching of The Long Rain at a workshop at Sierra Nevada University. Haines' poems are spare, with wide open spaces. They hold plenty of room for me.

Another book that welcomes me into wide clean spaces is A Door in the Mountain by Jean Valentine, who passed from our world last night. She wrote her poem Sanctuary, a poem eerily relevant in the new context of 2020, in 2004. The lines in this poem are abbreviated, interrupted, a bit lost, questioning - and brave. Her poem makes me feel better about my own experiences with isolation in the time of Covid.

Tangled Roots Writing offers a new winter schedule of workshops beginning in January 2021:

  • Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop 6 week series: 2/1 - 3/8 and 3/15 - 4/19
  • Second Thursdays Master Class in Revision for Fiction and Nonfiction:1/7, 2/11, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13, and 6/10
  • First Thursdays Master Class in Revision for Fiction and Nonfiction: 2/4, 3/4, 4/1, 5/6, and 6/3
  • new 3 hour  themed workshops
I offer customized manuscript review, workshops, developmental editing, 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:

Nevada County Arts hosts events, workshops, informative sessions, and supports artists throughout Nevada County.

This year the Sierra Writers Conference features two keynote speakers, James Mc Bride and Dr. Bettina Love. The 2021 Sierra Writers Conference theme—Empowering Voices—and Owl butterfly symbol speak to rebirth after a year of tumultuous change and the process by which we develop as writers.

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.

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.

The Community of Writers offers a virtual valley of events this summer so take a look at their website - don't miss out!

Please read my blog for more information on the latest workshops with Tangled Roots Writing, or call me at 530-386-3901 to chat about your writing goals. I would love to help you reach them.

Happy writing!
Karen Terrey