Brick and mortar

Jun 5

Written By Blue Stoop -

Brick and mortar

Friends, students, colleagues,

Please join us this Thursday, 6/6 for a virtual meet and greet. Click the image below to RSVP:

Blue Stoop presents: Meet the directors, Q&A session with Taylor Townes & Julian Shendelman. Join us on Zoom june 6, 4-5pm.

We also wanted to briefly reflect on The Bricks, the monthly reading series founded by Blue Stoop's former director, Joseph Earl Thomas. From its 2018 start in Indiana, to its 2023 rebirth in Philadelphia, The Bricks fostered connection, community, and inspiration. From poetry to prose, audiences experienced the work of emerging and established writers from Philadelphia and beyond, shared drinks and pizza with new and old friends, and explored the common themes in our broader community's stories.

These readings were made possible by the generous support and donation of space provided by The Head & The Hand. Thank you Linda, Claire, and Lisa for sharing your home with us, for setting the mood with sounds and seats, for opening your doors on those precious off days, and for supporting our readers with book sales and promotion. Thank you to Joseph for sharing your baby with our organization and allowing us to witness its growth. To the dozens of readers who performed, thank you for sharing your couplets, characters, and creativity with our audiences. To those who attended, in-person and on YouTube, thank you for listening. As we bid farewell to this season of The Bricks, we look forward to curating more opportunities for community-building and connection in the years to come.

In the meantime, we are excited to share our slate of summer classes, which will launch this Friday, 6/7. Blue Stoop Summer School is your chance to keep those creative gears oiled, to build your skills and expand your perspectives, and to connect with peers, accomplished authors, and literary professionals. With sessions ranging from $25 to $75 and generous financial aid options, we're sure you'll find enough inspiration to sustain you through even the most humid, languid days of summer.

To thank you for reading this newsletter, we're offering all of our subscribers 10% off summer courses with the promo code SUMSCHOOL24. Use this code once, twice, or a dozen times if you like, but please note that it can't be combined with other discounts.

These summer classes are our primary way of sustaining the org through this ongoing transitional period. If you'd like to lend additional support, we welcome new volunteers, feedback, and donations. We can't do this without you!

DONATE TO BLUE STOOP

In solidarity,

Taylor Townes

Co-director

P.S. Looking for another way to support Blue Stoop? Check out my co-director, Julian Shendelman’s 2017 chapbook, Dead Dad Club. Black Lawrence Press has generously agreed to donate $1 from each sale to Blue Stoop in honor of Pride Month.

ON THE STOOP

Thursday, 6/13: We are pleased to now offer creative co-working sessions while our typical Thursdays on the Stoop sessions are on hiatus. Join Blue Stoop co-director Julian Shendelman for up to 2 hours of quiet time for writing, editing, daydreaming, or whatever's on your plate. These drop-in sessions are free and open to all.