Terrain.org invites participants to attend an online conversation between acclaimed environmental writers and activists Sandra Steingraber and Taylor Brorby. In this event, noted environmental author and activist Sandra Steingraber is in conversation with Taylor Brorby about his debut memoir, Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land. This conversation is sponsored by Terrain.org, with Zoom hosting provided by the University of Arizona,
Monday, June 27, 2022, 5 p.m. PT / 6 MT / 7 CT / 8 ET. Registration is free.
June 2022 eLitPak :: First Annual Virtual LIGHT Festival
How have you healed lately? According to Ijeoma Oluo, writing reminds her that she is “a person worthy of healing.” To discover, dialogue, and define how we might bring writing and other creative mediums, such as poetry and art, from the public back into public health for our collective healing and transformation, come join us at the LIGHT Festival on Friday, June 17, 2022, from 8AM-6PM CDT. View flyer or visit website to learn more.
If you’re not subscribed to our weekly newsletter, view the full June 2022 eLitPak here.
Events :: The Freadom Festival
The Freadom Festival: Portland’s First Annual Black Book Festival takes place this Saturday, June 18, 2022 from 12:00 – 6:00pm at Peninsula Park in Portland, Oregon.
The organizers write: “A core tenet of The Freadom Festival is our belief that reading and books should be inclusive and accessible. Which is why we are hosting this free event in a local Portland park, open to all to come and learn the importance of Juneteenth, fellowship with a community of fellow book lovers, support Black businesses, receive reading resources, and celebrate literacy and liberation!”
The Freadom Festival includes a community book swap, a book drive for PDX Books to Prisoners, Multnomah County Library card sign-ups, children’s reading hour, author talks with local black authors Kim Johnson and Kesha Ajose Fisher with Q&A and book signings, zine book-making craft station, literary information booths, raffles, giveaways and more!
Event :: 2022 Poetry Marathon
No running shoes required for this marathon, but you will definitely need stamina and perseverance! This annual Poetry Marathon invites writers to join in a half- or full-day of poetry writing, responding to prompts posted on the hour starting a 9:00am on June 25 and running (no pun intended) through 9:00am on June 26. If you’re not up for the full 24-hour marathon, there are two 12-hour half-marathons (my speed). The first is for day folk and goes from 9:00am-9:00pm on June 25, and the second is for night owls, from 9:00pm on June 25 to 9:00am on June 26. The platform is WordPress, which allows each participant their own space to post as well as to give and receive feedback. Participants who successfully complete their event will receive a certificate of achievement and are eligible to submit works for inclusion in the annual anthology. Over the past several years, the marathon has had over 500 participants each year, though not all finished. That’s the challenge! Registration is open June 1-19, 2022. Hope to see some of you there!
2022 Chesapeake Writers’ Conference
Enjoy a week of craft talks, lectures, panel discussions, and readings (not to mention daily workshops in fiction, poetry, songwriting, or creative nonfiction) at the 2022 Chesapeake Writers’ Conference. This year’s conference takes place June 19-25. Registration is rolling. They do have college credit and scholarships available for participants.
Work closely with award-winning faculty Jerry Gabriel, Patricia Henley, Matt Burgess, Matthew Henry Hall, Elizabeth Arnold, Crystal Oliver (Brandt), Angela Pelster, Nadeem Zaman, and Heather Green and practice a wide range of genres and styles. Presenters include Sara Goodman and Kayla Lightner with Tre Johnson as guest author.