Dearest Philadelphians (and everyone else), I'm still relearning to how to leave my house. Between the couch's siren song and the (exploitative) magic of delivery apps, it's become second nature to cancel plans at the last minute or simply decline them from the jump. But taking on co-directorship has forced me to reconfigure. Frankly, it's for the best. In the last few months, I've gone to more readings than I have in years. I'm feeling more and more like my pre-2020 self. Have you, too, been dreaming of “touching grass,” as the good people of the Internet say? Join Taylor and I this week at one (or both!) of Blue Stoop's in-person gatherings: |
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- Wednesday, 9/25, 6pm-9pm: Later @ ICA. An after hours event at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Your free RSVP gets you exhibition access, food and drink, music, games, and in-gallery readings curated by Blue Stoop. The event starts at 6, and readings start at 7. Did I mention that it's free?
- Friday, 9/27, 9am-6pm: Creative Coworking @ Indy Hall. A full day of drop-in coworking with Blue Stoop and Indy Hall Clubhouse. Swing by for a little while or stay all day — write, read, edit, freelance, or stare into space, it's totally up to you. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish (starting at $0) and we'll have snacks available by donation to Blue Stoop.
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We'd love to see you there! |
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It's tough to make decisions. You should see me trying to pick a show to watch before bed. (It's usually Antique Roadshow, if you were wondering. Zzzzzzzz…) Anyway, if you're having trouble figuring out which of our fall classes to take, or if you have questions about financial aid or payment plans, or if you simply want to conduct a vibe check, swing by this Thursday's virtual info session from 5-6pm ET. |
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Can't make it? Check out the course catalog, which should answer most questions. |
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Starts 10/1 | 3 weeks | Tuesdays, 6–8 pm ET | Zoom In this 3-week class, you'll learn the key elements of writing brief humor pieces suited for McSweeney's and other publications in the expanding humor-writing market. Students will generate new work, contribute to a writers-room atmosphere, and collaborate on articles. No humor-writing experience necessary, though some experience writing other genres is a plus. Instructor: Jeff Bender is a fiction and comedy writer whose work has appeared in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The Hard Times, Electric Literature, Fence, Guernica, and The Iowa Review. In 2023 he co-wrote McSweeney's 8th most-read article. He is a staff writer for the sports-satire brand Sports Riot. Starts 10/9 | 9 weeks | Wednesdays, 6–8 pm ET | Zoom Writers of fiction may think that their first draft is the best shape a story can take. But first drafts are often about finding what the story is, not how best it can be told. To get to the final shape of a story, the writer must rewrite and revise. In this 9-week class, we will follow author Matt Bell’s three-draft strategy and learn to revise fiction. Suitable for writers who have drafted at least two short stories or 50 pages of a novel, this class will focus on revising and rewriting past drafts through generative exercises, group discussions, and peer workshopping. Instructor: Apoorva Bradshaw-Mittal (they/she) is a Pushcart-nominated, gender/queer author from northern India. They hold a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Mississippi, a BTech in Software Engineering from Delhi Technological University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. They want to tell stories that break the monolith of the Indian diaspora and present desi queerness in all its twisted beauty. Their short stories and essays have appeared in The Rumpus, Catapult, Electric Literature and elsewhere. Other writings have appeared in New Ohio Review and IEEE among others. They have been a fellow at Roots Wounds Words (2023) and Lambda Literary (2022), and a Visiting Professor of Creative Writing (fiction) at Ohio University. Now they teach, write, and edit by the great lake Erie where they live with their spouse and chocolate lab. |
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All of our fall classes are eligible for financial aid. If you're based in the greater Philadelphia area and low-income, you could save up to 75% on listed tuition prices. Applying for aid is quick and minimally invasive. |
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Need more time to pay for your class? Reach out to info@bluestoop.org to request a payment plan. (Side note: Last week, I said you could select Afterpay during checkout, but I was mistaken! My sincerest apologies.) |
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See you Wednesday! Or Thursday! Or Friday! In solidarity, Julian Shendelman
Co-Director P.S. Looking for more local literary connections? Check out our community calendar and resource pages. |
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- Thursday, 10/3, 4-5pm ET: Thursdays on the Stoop: Celebrate with Me. Weekly workshops are back! Join Sisi Reid of Soul Shine Theater Garden for one hour of writing and movement exercises inspired by Lucille Clifton’s poem “won’t you celebrate with me”. (FREE/VIRTUAL)
- Saturday, 10/5, 2-4pm ET: Novels in Progress: Johns x Ivory. This salon-style reading and conversation series highlights the work of two writers deep in the process of a long project. This month's event features Alaina Johns and M.J. Ivory, alongside free refreshments and community-building. (FREE/IN-PERSON)
- Friday, 10/11, 6-9:30pm ET: National Coming Out Day Poetry Reading & Open Mic. Small Works Gallery and Alison Lubar have generously put together a big gay fundraiser reading and open mic for Blue Stoop. We'd love to see you there! ($5 REQUESTED DONATION/IN-PERSON)
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Independent literary magazine and small press Barrelhouse will host the Conversations & Connections Conference at Temple University's Student Center (1755 N. 13th St) on October 5, from 9am – 5pm. Conversations and Connections is a 1-day creative writing conference focused on practical advice for writing and featuring many local authors and editors, including Avitus Carle, Stephanie Cawley, nat raum, Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo, Tom McAllister, and Jackie Domenus. Attendees get a 1-on-1 meeting with an editor, the featured book of their choice, a literary magazine subscription, and a full day of craft sessions. Save $10 with promo code BLUESTOOPCC24 |
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Got an event, organization, business, or book to promote? |
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BEYOND THE STOOP Here's a quick excerpt from our community calendar. If you've got an upcoming literary event, we invite you to add it to the page. It's free! |
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~~~~~~~~~ Event title Writers in Camden: Emma Copley Eisenberg & Annie Liontas Start time 9/26/2024 6:00pm Location Rutgers-Camden Campus Center, 326 Penn St., Camden, NJ 08102 Description Acclaimed authors Emma Copley Eisenberg and Annie Liontas will read from their work. Emma Copley Eisenberg is a queer writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her first book, The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, was named a New York Times Notable Book and was nominated for an Edgar Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and an Anthony Award, among other honors. Her fiction has appeared in Granta, McSweeney’s, VQR, American Short Fiction, and other publications. Raised in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts. Her debut novel, Housemates, was released this year from Random House. Annie Liontas is the genderqueer author of the crip-queer memoir Sex With a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery, which was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and selected as Self Magazine’s book of the month. Their debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was named New York Times Editors Choice in 2015 and was selected by the ABA as an Indies Introduce debut and Indies Next Title. Their work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, BOMB, Electric Literature, LitHub, Guernica, McSweeney’s, Gay Magazine, and elsewhere. They co-host the podcast LitFriends and live in Philadelphia with their wife, dog, and Email the rabbit. Free admission. Registration encouraged. Refreshments provided. Books available for purchase. Link Contact info writers@camden.rutgers.edu Cost Free ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Line///////Movements Start time 9/27/2024 7:00pm Location Studio 34 - 4522 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143 Description Line///////Movements is a showcase of six original works that emphasize storytelling through a combination of movement and text. These pieces are the result of collaborations between Philadelphia writers, dancers and choreographers, often incorporating music, projection and other multimedia elements. Together, they form a tapestry of the possibilities inherent in combining words and wordlessness. Link Contact info Cost $20 ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Lend and Rule Book Launch Start time 9/28/2024 6:00pm Location Making Worlds Bookstore & Social Center - 210 South 45th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 Description Come join us for the book launch of the new Common Notions book Lend & Rule. Public higher education’s future is being held hostage by financial institutions and actors. How did it get this way? Lend and Rule reveals the “shadow governance” of debt and credit in the United States higher education system. With sharp and hard-hitting insight, the Coalition Against Campus Debt exposes how institutional debt is a primary driver of university austerity, miseducation, and the deepening of societal inequality.Addressing how our lives are entangled in a debt economy, they develop the analysis necessary to transform higher education in today’s neoliberal racial capitalist political economy. Part theoretical analysis, part toolbox for organizers in higher education, Lend and Rule is an invaluable resource for anyone engaged in debt abolition struggles or looking to acquire a critical and transformative vision of higher education today. Link Contact info info@makingworldsbooks.org Cost $0-25 suggested donation
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Event title adrienne maree brown - BOOK SIGNING AND MEET & GREET Start time 9/29/2024 6:00pm Location Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books - 5445 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Description We are thrilled to welcome New York Times best-selling author, activist and facilitator, adrienne maree brown for an intimate, in-store book signing and meet & greet. Each ticket comes with a copy of adrienne's latest book, Loving Corrections. Link Contact info Cost $22.65 ~~~~~~~~~ Event title Scribes on South Start time 9/29/2024 7:00pm Location Tattooed Mom: 530 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Description SCRIBES ON SOUTH is a poetry reading and open mic. The reading begins with a 20-minute featured reader and then moves through the open mic list for the rest of the night. Open mic readers have 5 minutes. There will be a space for poets to sell books. SCRIBES ON SOUTH seeks to create community through poetry. Show out, share, and meet some new friends by sharing your work! This reading’s featured readers are Kirwyn Sutherland and Joseph Reuben Fuller. DOORS 6 POETRY 7 OPEN MIC SIGNUPS ONSITE STARTING AT 6 Link https://www.tattooedmomphilly.com/event/scribes-on-south-september-2024/ Contact info @scribesonsouth Cost Free ~~~~~~~~~ |
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1315 Walnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States |
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