A work in progress ⏲️

Hello! Has Blue Stoop made a positive impact on your life? We are extending the deadline for audio/video testimonials from community members, which will be used to fundraise this winter and beyond. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or super deep — just a couple kind words about our classes, events, community, etc. would be super helpful. If you'd like to lend a hand, please click the button below and send us a 30-90 second audio or video recording by 12/1. Thank you for considering!   SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIAL Speaking of community, we'd love for you to join us at the Parkway Central Library on Saturday, 12/7, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm for Novels in Progress, a salon-style conversation and reading. We'll hear from Lauren Holguin, author of the in-progress novel Thorns & Roses: A Stem, and Nikki Volpicelli, author of the in-progress novel STOPPING. Expect to hear excerpts from the unfinished works and reflections on each authors' respective journeys, followed by a friendly, open discussion about the books' themes and more. Learn more about each author's project and RSVP by clicking the image below. ON THE STOOP FYI: We'll be skipping Creative Coworking and Thursdays on the Stoop this week for obvious reasons. Both will resume next week; get a sneak peek here. In lieu of our usual programming, here's some timely recommended reading.    THE LAST CLASS Creative Strategies for Writing the Self Tuesday, 12/10, 6:00–9:00 pm ET | Single session | Zoom   How can writing about the self explicitly challenge and deconstruct hierarchies of power and domination? In this 3-hour class inspired by Audre Lorde’s "Zami: A New Spelling of My Name" and Christina Sharpe’s "Ordinary Notes," students will learn about autofiction, autotheory, and the autoethnographic. Through discussion and generative writing exercises, students will explore new ways to write about themselves and their place within oppressive systems.   Instructors:    Maurice Rippel (he/him) is a writer, educator and filmmaker committed to using ethnography and documentary for social change. He teaches at Bryn Mawr College and the Community College of Philadelphia, and is completing his PhD in Anthropology and African American studies at Yale University. His Medium is @maurice.rippel and his Instagram is @mauricerippel.   Luke McGowan-Arnold (he/him) is a writer and musician based in Philadelphia. He writes novels about social movements. His substack is @irregularnotes and his Instagram is @hueythecosmonaut. In solidarity,   Julian Shendelman Co-Director   P.S. Looking for more local literary connections? Check out our community calendar and resource pages. 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. Adding an event is quick, easy, and free! ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Live Poetry: Raheem Curry, Ryan Eckes, & Anne-Adele Wight   Start time 11/27/2024 7:00pm   Location Fergie's Pub, 1214 Sansom St (HYBRID)   Description Raheem Curry is a writer and photographer from Kensington, Philadelphia. He was inspired to write during his 9th grade year in high school by his English teacher after his father’s sudden death. Raheem published his first chapbook of poems in 2020, Infinite Views of A Ghetto Boy. He has published various singular poems in a multitude of different anthologies. His recent poem (Brothers Raising Brothers to be Men) was published in the national anthology titled Black Fire-This Time, Volume 2.   Ryan Eckes is a poet from Philadelphia. He is the author of Wrong Heaven Again, General Motors, Valu-Plus and Old News, as well as several chapbooks. His poems have appeared in Prolit, Protean Magazine, Tripwire, Wax Nine Journal, The New York Times Magazine, and elsewhere. With Kim Gek Lin Short, he runs Radiator Press.   Anne-Adele Wight is the author of An Internet of Containment, The Age of Greenhouses, Opera House Arterial, and Sidestep Catapult. “It is exciting watching a new Anne-Adele Wight poetry fan holding her latest book, their faces beaming until they look up with Wow! Her poetry is a hidden American treasure no longer as more and more poets are sharing her books. It is a privilege to read a poet who has dedicated years to her craft, giving the world some of the best poems we will ever read. The Age of Greenhouses made me say Wow over and over! Let the celebration begin!” –CA Conrad   Open Reading Follows Live at Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom Street, Philadelphia And on Zoom – Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtfuCorz8vHt28FDDrKEX9WwircLjanJS4   Link https://moonstoneartscenter.com/event/live-poetry-raheem-curry-ryan-eckes-anne-adele-wight/   Contact info 215-735-9600   Cost Free   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Black Friday Books Swap at Making Worlds   Start time 11/29/2024 3:00pm   Location Making Worlds Bookstore & Social Center: 210 South 45th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104   Description Bring the books you’ve loved but are ready to pass on, and swap them for something new! There’s no limit to how many books you can bring or take—just be thoughtful about what you offer (something you would like to receive) and what you take (share the good stuff!)   Link https://www.makingworldsbooks.org/events/black-friday-book-swap   Contact info https://www.makingworldsbooks.org/   Cost Free   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Small Business Saturday at Lot49 Books   Start time 11/30/2024 12:00pm   Location Lot 49 Books. Address: 408 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125   Description We got vendors 😎 we got a barrel fire🔥 we’ll have a couple other artists 🧑‍🎨, our neighbors @anotherchance_fishtown will also be having some people out front.   Featuring: Parlay Terra Luna Herbals Olga Pastries Bee Daddy 30 West Publishing House Ghostbongo   Link https://www.instagram.com/p/DCriNeSRsJe/   Contact info https://lotfortynine.com/   Cost Free   ~~~~~~~~~   Event title Writers in Camden: Kazim Ali   Start time 12/5/2024 6:00pm   Location Rutgers-Camden Campus Center, 326 Penn St., Camden, NJ   Description Acclaimed author Kazim Ali will read from his work.   Kazim Ali was born in the United Kingdom and has lived transnationally in the United States, Canada, India, France, and the Middle East. His books encompass multiple genres, including the volumes of poetry Inquisition, Sky Ward, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry; The Far Mosque, winner of Alice James Books’ New England/New York Award; The Fortieth Day; All One’s Blue; and the cross-genre texts Bright Felon and Wind Instrument. His novels include the recently published The Secret Room: A String Quartet and among his books of essays are the hybrid memoir Silver Road: Essays, Maps & Calligraphies and Fasting for Ramadan: Notes from a Spiritual Practice. He is also an accomplished translator (of Marguerite Duras, Sohrab Sepehri, Ananda Devi, Mahmoud Chokrollahi and others) and an editor of several anthologies and books of criticism. After a career in public policy and organizing, Ali taught at various colleges and universities, including Oberlin College, Davidson College, St. Mary’s College of California, and Naropa University. He is currently a Professor of Literature at the University of California, San Diego. His newest books are a volume of three long poems entitled The Voice of Sheila Chandra and a memoir of his Canadian childhood, Northern Light.   Free admission. Registration encouraged. Refreshments provided. Books available for purchase.    Link https://writershouse.camden.rutgers.edu/events/writers-in-camden-kazim-ali/   Contact info writers@camden.rutgers.edu   Cost Free   ~~~~~~~~~ VIEW MORE EVENTS 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 300 Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences