Fall Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop Series enrollment now open: Sept 8 - Oct 13

 

New Fall 2025 Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop Series

6 sessions in this series: Sept. 8 - Oct. 13

6:30-8 pm Monday nights

$200

A fun, generative workshop developed over many years for writers of any form, whether poetry, fiction, short story, novel, or drama/screen writing. Do you wish you wrote more? Want to feel a sense of community when you write? Want to start a book or finish a book? This workshop series is for you - any level of experience. I especially encourage to attend people with interdisciplinary training and/or deep life experiences, and artists from any medium.

If you don't know me yet, read a recent article in The Union about my new role as Poet Laureate of Nevada County, and details on some upcoming literary events I'm hosting in Grass Valley and Truckee. 

The Monday Night series is hybrid, offered in-person in my comfortable living room with tea and chocolate, and on Zoom at the same time. Do you have some travel planned this Fall? No problem, you can still participate. And if you miss a session, the detailed notes I hand out each week will keep you updated on what you missed. I will also work  with you to catch you up on the notes.

This creative series is the most popular and longest-running workshop I offer.  Craft, technique, and prompts for writing of all forms. A kick in the butt for your writing life! Waiting for inspiration is also called procrastination.  So don't wait - connect with a community and improve your writing practice. 

Mondays from 6:30 to 8 pm. This series will fill up fast as I keep the size of the group intimate. 

Sign up by email to tangledrootswriting@gmail.com or call 530-386-3901.

My first four months: An update on my work in the role of Poet Laureate of Nevada County

 

Dear Nevada County,

Beginning March 4th, with the Passing of the Laurels with Kirsten Casey at Alibi Brewery in Truckee, I've been overjoyed to represent this creative role, a role of service really, in the name of art and citizenry. Writers, readers, artists, youth, families and friends filled Alibi standing room only, maybe 120 people at least, for our poetry reading and open mic. For 2 hours, folks came up to the mic to read and share. Lots of tears in the room, and applause all around.

March 4th through July 3rd, I performed or hosted over 40 readings, workshops or literary events across the county. I'm closely supported by Nevada County Arts Council and Eliza Tudor, and Truckee Cultural District and Kellie Cutler. The literary scene is growing in our county, and its all about the diverse arts community we welcome and nurture. 

I've promoted the Poet Laureate role, the Tahoe Literary Festival and Crawl (founded and organized by Priya Hutner and Katherine Hill), the amazing Sierra Poetry Festival, and other events on radio, podcasts and local TV, including PBS, KVMR, CapRadio, Nevada County Now, and a few others. 

Some events that stand out to me are the school classroom visits I began this spring and hope to build on this next school year. I work to support and supplement a teacher's curriculum when they reach out to me - so I encourage you to reach out if you want to collaborate with a poet in your classroom!

Last May and June I worked with Tahoe Expeditionary Academy and SELS, a sophomore class, 6th graders, and first graders, with writing poems on subjects of science, environment, and climate change.

I've coordinated a series of readings and workshops with Director Annette Muller and Poet Ingrid Keriotis to combine literary arts with land conservation and community building at Bear Yuba Land Trust. Our next event in this outdoor preserve is Sept. 13. One beautiful evening at Food Love Farm's fundraiser event I was able to perform my poems to live music with Sands Hall. At the Truckee Library I've been offering a free writing workshop for all ages (so far 8 years old to 90 years old) once a month Friday mornings - our next workshop is August 22. 

I've also supported the Dark Skies initiative in Truckee by writing a community poem called a Cento that included the voices of writers at the Truckee Literary Crawl April 5. That crawl brought together all our downtown businesses and galleries with regional writers and artists. 

My personal mission is to build literary community and to empower students and writers to know and write their authentic voice. Traveling to Sacramento, Reno, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Tahoe City, Applehill, and Susanville to read and represent the Poet Laureate role, I'm grateful for these opportunities to reach out to others and draw us together in a creative and inclusive community.