The yearn to learn

Bonjour, écrivains!   This season's Thursdays on the Stoop (TOTS) sessions are off to a great start. So far we've celebrated with Sisi SoulShine and written from the roots with Kalela Williams. This week we'll write contrapuntals with Amy Beth Sisson (details below) and next week we'll build our very own haunted houses with Zinnia Smith. Sometimes we record these sessions, and sometimes we don't, so it's best to attend the live event if you're excited about the topic!   Speaking of exciting topics, check out our events page for a sneak peek at November's partnership with Penguin Random House — a trio of workshops on getting your manuscript out of that desk drawer and into the world. December's TOTS sessions will be posted soon, but there's plenty to pick from in the meantime.   And yes, these workshops — and our weekly creative coworking sessions — really are free and donation-optional. (Big shout out to our volunteer team for helping make this possible.) Arguably, weekly free events are an ill-advised move for an organization that's still striving for financial sustainability. But information wants to be free, as they say. Besides, we trust that if and when you're able, you'll sign up for a class or make a small donation.    In the meantime, you're an important part of our community, and we want to support your creative life. That's why Blue Stoop exists, after all: to break down the economic, political, and social barriers that hold local writers back from achieving their personal goals.    ON THE STOOP Wednesday, 10/16, 3:30-5:30pm: Creative Coworking, on Zoom. Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life. This is a virtual and free event, donations welcome.   Thursday, 10/17, 4:00-5:00pm: Thursdays on the Stoop: It’s Complicated — Writing Contrapuntal Poetry. Join Amy Beth Sisson for one hour of experiments with the contrapuntal, a two-column poetic form that can be read in various directions. This is a virtual and free event, donations welcome. FEATURED CLASSES Securely Writing Insecurity: The Power of Doubt Thursday, 10/24, 5:30–8:30 pm ET | Single session | Zoom   In the words of Voltaire, "doubt is an uncomfortable position, but certainty is a ridiculous one." In this generative 3-hour workshop, students will examine the power of uncertainty in art and literature. Through writing exercises inspired by poems dealing with doubt and insecurity, students will learn techniques to inject the power of "perhaps" into their work. While this course is geared toward poetry, it is open to writers of all genres, and will include exercises that incorporate nonfiction and playwriting.   Instructor: Chukwuma Ndulue is a writer and teacher. He is author of the chapbook Boys Quarter (Ugly Duckling Presse). He has been the recipient of fellowships from Columbia University and the Kenyon Review. He is co-founder of the Aftermath Arts Cooperative.     Writing Lush Settings Saturday, 11/9, 1:00–4:00 pm ET | Single session | In-Person   Have you ever read about a place you've never been, but whose sights, smells, and textures have stayed with you well after you finished reading the book? By crafting scenes that envelop the senses, writers can transport the reader to places they've never visited, worlds they yearn to explore, and settings that feel lush and layered. In this 3-hour class, students will dive into work by authors who create vivid settings, then channel all of their senses into writing vivid backdrops and worlds of their own. At the end of the session, participants will walk away with freshly drafted work and the prompts and guidance needed to generate more layered, compelling settings in the future.   Instructor: Nicole Young is a writer and artist whose non-fiction work has been featured in Elle, YES!, Vox, Scalawag, and Bitch magazines. She’s a part of the editorial team of Jacaranda Books, working to bring a non-fiction book series on Black American culture to life. She attended the 2024 Tin House Summer Workshop and was selected as an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writers Fellow in 2023. Nicole previously served as a writer at The African American Policy Forum, co-host of the Kidlit These Days and Worth Noting podcasts, and contributing editor for Book Riot Media. In addition to her freelance writing, Nicole is dreaming up fantastical worlds for middle grade and young adult readers in her fiction novels and short stories. VIEW COURSE CATALOG YOU BELONG HERE All of our fall classes are eligible for financial aid. If you're based in the greater Philadelphia area and low-income, you could pay less than half of the listed tuition prices. Applying for aid is quick and easy, with instant results. It's also first-come, first-serve, so don't procrastinate! FINANCIAL AID Don't qualify for aid? Here's a 10% off code: FALL24    Need more time to pay for your class? Reach out to info@bluestoop.org to request a payment plan.  In solidarity,   Julian Shendelman Co-Director   P.S. Looking for more local literary connections? Check out our community calendar and resource pages.   P.P.S. I don't speak a word of French. If I got the opening line wrong, blame google translate! SUPPORT BLUE STOOP CLASSIFIEDS Got an event, organization, business, or book to promote?  Blue Stoop offers affordable ad space here and on our website.  BEYOND THE STOOP   Here's a quick excerpt from our community calendar. If you've got an upcoming literary event, add it to the page. It's free! ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Finding Your Voice: Writing Workshop & Reading   Start time 10/16/2024 6:00pm   Location Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture (310 Master St.)   Description Award winning Palestinian author and editor Susan Muaddi Darraj will present an overview of the writing and publishing process for creative people who have thought about publishing a book. Whether it’s a memoir, poetry, or a novel, your book can start its journey here as we discuss the ways in which books make it onto bookshelves. Bring your ideas and questions! The presentation will be followed by a brief reading from Susan’s latest novel, Behind You Is the Sea (Harper Collins 2024) and an overview of Palestinian American literature.    Link https://www.albustanseeds.org/events/finding-your-voice-a-writing-workshop-reading   Contact info marketing@albustanseeds.org   Cost Pay as you wish   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Words & Sounds Series: Third Thursdays with M3   Start time 10/17/2024 6:00pm   Location Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215)-557-0455 https://asianartsinitiative.org/   Description   Asian Arts Initiative (AAI) is thrilled to partner with Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), co-founded by musicians Jen Shyu and Sara Serpa, to present the "Words & Sounds Series: 3rd Thursdays with M³." This unique interdisciplinary series will explore the creative connections between music and spoken word, featuring live performances and readings by talented M³ artists, followed by an engaging guided writing activity and Q&A discussion led by moderators.   Link https://asianartsinitiative.org/programs/words-and-sounds-series-third-thursdays-with-m3-or-gwen-laster-and-shoko-nagai   Contact info   Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-557-0455 https://asianartsinitiative.org/   Cost Sliding scale   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Book Launch for METAMOURPHOSIS   Start time 10/18/2024 6:00pm    Location A Novel Idea, 1726 E Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19148   Description Join us for the METAMOURPHOSIS Book Launch! We're celebrating local poet Alison Lubar's debut full-length collection with a reading and signing. Also featuring Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez, Shannon Frost Greenstein, and Sean Hanrahan. Friday, October 18th 6pm at A Novel Idea.   Ticket Options! Ticket + 1 copy of METAMOURPHOSIS ($16) Suggested $5 Donation Free Admission  Link https://anovelideaphilly.com/events/   Contact info books@anovelideaphilly.com   Cost free with $5 suggested donation; book is $16   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Poetry & Conversation: Stereotypes of a Poet   Start time 10/19/2024 12:00pm   Location The Eco Foundation: 5411 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139   Description Stereotypes of a Poet As a poet, have you ever been placed in a box? Let's talk about it. Food Included CashApp, Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo are accepted CashApp: $COMPLEXANGEL90   Link https://www.instagram.com/complex_angel90/   Contact info @complex_angel90 @L1ink215   Cost $21   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Free Library of Philadelphia Monday Poets 30th Anniversary Season   Start time 10/21/2024 5:30pm   Location Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library   Description Join the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Literature Department in celebrating the 30th Anniversary season of Monday Poets. This year’s theme is Sankofa (SAHN-koh-fah), a Twi word from the Akan Tribe of Ghana which loosely implies that to move forward, one must “go back and get it”. In that spirit we will be celebrating at each event a past Monday Poet and introduce a new one. Each month from September 2024 to April 2025 a new Sankofa pair will read at a new library. Monday Poets exists to inspire and connect poets and community members across the city of Philadelphia. This program, hosted by Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, is free and open to the public. Please call 215-685-7433 for more information.   Previous Monday Poet: Vernita Hall   Vernita Hall is the author of Where William Walked: Poems About Philadelphia and Its People of Color, winner of the Willow Books Grand Prize and Robert Creeley Prize (Marsh Hawk Press); and The Hitchhiking Robot Learns About Philadelphians, winner of the Moonstone Press Chapbook Contest. Her poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review, African American Review, Barrow Street, The Common, River Styx, Solstice, The Hopkins Review, Arts & Letters, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College and serves on the poetry review board of Philadelphia Stories.   New Monday Poet: Lindo Jones   Lindo Jones (he/him), is a dyslexic spoken word poet born, raised and lives in Philadelphia. He has been featured in the Philly Weekly, MetroPhilly Philadelphia Inquirer, Button Poetry, Voices in Power and Def Poetry Jam to name a few. Lindo poetry has expanded to short animations, gumball machines and plays where he has centered Black existence, mental health and fantasy/sci-fi. He is the recipient of 2023 Jackie Robinson award by Color of Change, the 2023 "Change Maker" award by Uptown Standards and nominated for "The Social Impact" award by Voices In Power.   Link https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/141068   Contact info ereflit@freelibrary.org   Cost Free   ~~~~~~~~~ WANT MORE LOCAL EVENTS? COMMUNITY CALENDAR 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 300 Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences