Always Let Love Win: In Memory of Nancy Garden

by

Shelby Engelhardt

 

Imagine being a young lesbian coming of age in the early 80s. It wasn’t socially acceptable to have feelings for someone of your own sex, and many in the LGBT community were ostracized. Then, suddenly, there is a book published that describes you exactly. That is how many lesbians felt when Nancy Garden’s young adult novel, Annie on My Mind, was published in 1982.

Garden was a celebrated LGBT author who passed away on June 23 of a massive heart attack at the age of 76. She wrote young adult and children’s books and was a lesbian who was openly out. This made her a rarity, especially when you look at her list of accomplishments and publishers. She wrote at least one book a year since 1971, with the last being published in 2012. Garden had been nominated for the Lambda Literary Award every year for a 10 year span. She was published by top publishers such as: Knopf, Houghton-Mifflin, Holt, HarperCollins, Scholastic, and many more.

Garden was passionate about writing about issues that young adults faced, especially those in the LGBT community. She brought truth and honesty to the subject of dealing with being gay and lesbian in her books. Her works showed her love for writing and her passion for writing for those who faced the challenges of being gay. Garden’s works ensured no LGBT kid grew up alone and her works were vital to many in the community and will continue to be for years to come.

Nancy Garden has left a legacy for many writers and activists to follow: never let ignorance win, but always let love win.



Moving Beyond Stereotypes: Creating Characters who are Queer

by

Janine Harrison

 

A dear friend of mine is a lesbian, and when she and an ex-girlfriend were still a couple, there was no “masculine” one and no “feminine” other.  They shared a wardrobe, for crying out loud.  Both of them could use power tools to build walls and fences.  That did not make them butch.  One of them wore makeup and dangly earrings; the other one enjoyed necklaces, rings, and beautifully fragranced bath products.  That didn’t make them lipstick lesbians either.  Most queers have been out of the closet for a decade or two by now and many of today’s teens are openly gay.  As writers, it is imperative that we portray this minority group, as individuals and as couples, with accurate complexity.  Stereotyping is just so 1980’s, after all.

The two most commonly stoked queer stereotypes include the effeminate male and the masculine female.  And let’s face it—there are flaming queens and mannish lesbians.  Stereotypes exist for a reason.  If a writer developed a scene set in a gay bar and did not include a few of these character types, it may even be considered remiss.  Avoiding a stereotype completely can come across as inorganic writing.  However, no matter whether an author is writing for a mainstream or an LGBTQ audience, and the central character is homosexual, does that character have to be a skinny, male hairdresser with a lisp who obsesses over sex?  Or a man-hating, anti-marriage female counterpart to John Wayne?  I think not.  If a queer couple is being depicted, does an author have to assign traditional gender roles?  Not necessarily.  Let’s take this even further.  Does a bisexual have to be written as promiscuous?  Why can’t he or she be fleshed out instead as a person with many talents and interests who, in the area of romance, is simply an equal opportunity employer?  And what about the transgendered individual?  Does being in transition necessitate “confusion”?  Must said character be cast in the role of “freak” or “monster”?  No, no, and more no.  It would be nice to see such a character cast in the role of a successful college professor, architect, or engineer, who just so happens to be involved in a sex-change process. 

Stereotypical plots are to be avoided just as much as clichéd characters.  Writers today should strive to move beyond the coming-out-was-painful-but-resulted-in-an-uplifting-state plot.  Equally so, placing gay males in heavily testosterone-driven arenas such as football or the military and lesbians in the ultimate “pink aisle” of situations, such as cheerleading or beauty pageantry can also be chucked into the circular file of the mind.  What issues are relevant to the queer community today? is a question that writers might want to ask instead.

Once imagination, drafting, and craft are complete, yet another question is:  Have I, as a writer, represented this character or these characters respectfully, as complex human beings?  If the answer is “yes,” then click “Submit.”



2014 IWC Creative Writing Conference

IWC will hold its first annual creative writing conference on October 11, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Merrillville, Indiana. This is an extension of the annual banquet, which is now in its sixth year.

The conference sessions will begin at 1:00 p.m., with registration and the bookfair opening at noon.

The registration fee includes:

• three breakout sessions with a choice of three options per session (see the schedule below),
• meet and greet with light refreshments,
• bookfair,
• cocktail hour with a cash bar
• dinner with keynote speaker Barbara Shoup (www.barbarashoup.com), and
• an open mic.

Cost:

Early Registration, Through August 15^th

IWC Member, $45

Non-Member, $50
Student, $35
Presenter, $25

Open Registration, August 16^th  – October 1^st

IWC Member, $50

Non-Member, $55
Student, $35
 
Late Registration, October 2^nd – October 7^th

IWC Member, $53

Non-Member, $58
Student, $35
 
Registration will be available through the conference website, which is coming soon. Watch this blog for an announcement.

Student Scholarships and Bookfair Tables: To inquire about student scholarships or bookfair table availability or with other questions, please email Janine Harrison at indianawritersconsortium@gmail.com.

Travel Information: The Hilton Garden Inn, 7775 Mississippi Street, in Merrillville, Indiana, is located a half-mile east of I-65 off of US 30 E/E Lincoln Hwy. If traveling east on Rt. 30, turn left onto Mississippi Street. The hotel is on the right. Free parking is available on-site.

Accommodations: To reserve a room, please contact the Hilton Garden Inn at (219) 769-7100. There is a block of rooms on reserve until September 17^th.

Area Activities: Merrillville is approximately 50 minutes away from the Chicago Loop. The Hilton Garden Inn is directly across from Southlake Mall, and many other shopping outlets and restaurants are available on Route 30. For additional information, please see www.southshorecva.com/about-south-shore/indiana-welcome-center/.   

 

2014 IWC CREATIVE WRITING CONFERENCE

SCHEDULE of EVENTS

12 – 1 PM

Conference registration in lobby.  Bookfair will be open from 12 until 6:30 PM.

1 – 2:10 PM Breakout Session

SALON A

The Art of Conversation:  Tame the Tag Monster and Make Your Dialogue Sparkle

Presenter:  Kate Collins

A writer has three devices with which to tell a story: narration, action, and dialogue. My focus for this workshop is on dialogue.  It is well-known among seasoned writers that great dialogue may not earn you a publishing contract, but lousy dialogue will often prevent you from getting one. Awkward, unrealistic, or pointless conversation is a common reason acquisitions editors and agents will decline the opportunity to publish your work. Why? Because conversation between and among characters should drive the story forward and give it emotional punch and immediacy. A writer’s goal, therefore, is to create dialogue that allows the reader to witness the story’s movement and feel the characters’ emotions in that moment. In my workshop, attendees will learn 18 keys to great dialogue and will have a chance to practice them. I also include a 5 page handout and worksheet.

SALON B

Encouraging the Unexpected: Choreography for Writers

Presenter: Katherine Mitchell

In this workshop, we will explore parallels in both the craft and creative process of writing and composing movement. With a basic movement vocabulary, weʼll compose movement vignettes, exploring the parallels between writing a poem and composing a movement study. Weʼll consider this both in terms of craft and creative process. Students will learn a basic movement vocabulary and use structured improvisation to generate material. Weʼll experiment with floor pattern, shape, gesture, dynamics, focus and line. How does varying these elements create meaning?  Weʼll experience how ordinary movement can become extraordinary though attention, changes in vantage point, speed, juxtaposition. Can we enlarge how we think about writing by exploring composition in another art form? No previous movement or dance experience is required.

SALON C

Lit Mags aren’t Dead Yet! Networking through Publication

Presenter:  Meg Eden

In this session, we’ll talk about what literary magazines are, and why it’s important for emerging and established writers to publish through them. We’ll have a litmag “translation” exercise, tips on how to get the most out of a lit mag, and the secrets to writing a great cover letter to get an editor’s attention. The skills you learn in this session can easily apply to other publication realms, including writing to agents and editors of small book presses. 

2:20 – 3:30 PM Breakout Session

SALON A

Creating Emotional Back Story

Presenter:  Paulette Livers

As writers develop characters, we often initially sketch them in broad strokes, figuring out external aspects, and their place in plot and trouble. When we begin to flesh them out from the inside, our biggest hurdle can be avoiding flat stereotypes. Both the purely evil demon and the good and gentle perfectionist are equally boring and predictable. This workshop involves a few simple techniques for getting at emotional back story that will help you write specific, unique individuals that readers can believe in—even the seemingly demonic or perfect ones.

SALON B

“Can We Be Funny?”  Good Wit and Good Writing

Presenter:  Dana Bowman

After 9/11, Saturday Night Live continued with its programming, but not without some trepidation.  At the cold opener, Lorne Michaels, the show’s producer, asked Mayor Guiliani quite simply and sadly, “Can we be funny?”  To which Guiliani famously countered, “Why start now?”  Writing humor is a delicate and difficult art, and I don’t recommend it to anyone who has a heart condition.  Actually, we humorists have great hearts - we feel, and wonder, and wickedly poke at all of life around us, because our hearts are full.  My session would cover why humor is important in the wake of heartbreak and sadness and even tragedy, and why good humor is crucial and often cathartic - for both writer and audience.  I will share samples from the great humorists and we’ll discuss the art behind the laughter.  We will also analyze various types of humor from deadpan, to anecdotal, to parody, digging into the structure and style of wit.  Good writing can be good for a laugh. 

SALON C

The Writer and The Writing Group

Presenter:   Gabriella Brand

Writing is a solitary act. It's often a question of sitting in a room and talking to oneself. Writing is the lonely process of staring out the window and searching for the perfect words, as if they were plums hanging on a tree in the backyard. We all know that the experience can get lonely. A really good writing group can pull a writer out of a rut, help trim fat off a manuscript, beef up a skinny draft, inspire fertile dreams, and offer occasions to laugh and cry with others. But how does one go about starting such a group? How can one derive the most benefit from a writing group? What makes a good participant? A good leader? What are the characteristics of highly functioning writing groups? What are the behaviors that can splinter or destroy a group? Does a professional writer need to surround herself with professional writers in order to grow?  What about the Nadia Boulanger effect? (Does the piano teacher need to be as good a pianist as her gifted students? Or does she just need to know how to guide the student toward perfection?)

This presentation will offer practical advice about starting, sustaining and promoting groups for writers across genres, both face to face groups and virtual ones. The targeted audience would be anyone who is curious about the writing group experience, either as a participant or a leader/participant.

Meet and Greet

Please join us in the hotel bar area for an informal Meet and Greet! Light refreshments will be served. 

4:00 – 5:10 PM Breakout Session

SALON A

Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Violence Anthology Reading

Presenters:  Laura Madeline Wiseman and Poets

Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Violence (Hyacinth Girl Press, 2013), edited by Laura Madeline Wiseman, views poetry as a transformative art. By deploying techniques to challenge narratives about violence against women and making alternatives to that violence visible, the over one hundred American poets in Women Write Resistance intervene in the ways gender violence is perceived in American culture. A poem from a victim’s perspective, for example, might use explicit imagery but also show the emotional consequences often obscured when newspapers, video games, films, and television programs depict violence in superficial or sexualized ways. A poet might also critique dominant narratives, such as calling into question the perception that certain women deserved to be raped. The critical introduction frames the intellectual work behind the building of the anthology by describing how poets break silence, disrupt narratives, and use strategic anger to resist for change. Poetry of resistance distinguishes itself by a persuasive rhetoric that asks readers to act. The anthology’s stance believes poetry can compel action using both rhetoric and poetic techniques to motivate readers. In their deployment of these techniques, poets of resistance claim the power to name and talk about gender violence in and on their own terms. Indeed, these poets resist for change by revising justice and framing poetry as action. This IWC Conference reading will include an introduction by the editor and feature 4-5 Women Write Resistance poets who will read their poems and others from Women Write Resistance.

SALON B

From Diarist to Memoirist

Presenter:  Marion Cohen

Many memoirists keep diaries, and use their diaries to various extents and in various ways for writing their memoirs. But not everything that appears in a memoir comes from a diary; some passages and insights come from, so to speak, pure memory. Indeed, some memoirs arise from a writer's sudden realization that a particular thread of the memoirist's life has never been written about, or recognized. Many, in fact, come from flashbacks. And many come from things that could not possibly be in diaries because they happened long before the writer was writing, or even speaking.  Also, many pieces of writing that wouldn't ordinarily be classified under the memoir genre are in fact memoir-LIKE, perhaps actual memoirs. Poem sequences, some book-length, are often memoirs, along with themed poetry chapbooks or books. There are also more unusual, sometimes controversial, memoir-like genres such as family albums, lists of favorite childhood toys, and the six-word memoir. Some memoirs are mere "thinking memoirs" (like the one I carried around in my mind from age 17 months to age eleven), or "talking memoirs" (such as interesting and/or poignant conversations between friends). A non-writer I knew once said, "If you can talk, you can write". Is this true? Perhaps. It's another idea that's worth exploring. I would also like to talk about advantages of memoirs over novels and other fiction -- such as the fact that, since the material actually happened, its believability cannot be easily challenged.

SALON C

“Hot Pockets, Butterflies, and Chevron:  Fifth Grade Creative Writing Pedagogy and the Richmond Writes! Poetry Contest”

Presenter:  Lauren Mallett

This workshop details my instructional approach to writing workshop at Washington Elementary in Richmond, California from 2010-2013. My pedagogy coupled state writing standards with my own, more holistic writing goals for my students. I examine the successes, challenges, collaborations, and celebrations involved in developing the curriculum, and I reflect on the ways in which creative writing has the potential to empower our young people. I will reference and share writing samples throughout the presentation as well.

5:30 – 6:30 PM  Cocktail Hour

We hope to see you in the hotel bar area for Cocktail Hour (cash bar).  Now that we have met you, we would really enjoy getting to know you better! 

6:30 – 10:30 PM Dinner

Dinner, with keynote address by Barbara Shoup, will be followed by an open mic.  Please sign up for the open mic at the IWC’s informational table.

Transformation from Subculture to Accepted

by

Julie Demoff-Larson

 

Gay literature has gone through a gradual transformation over the years as the American population slowly changed to the acceptance of the gay community. LGBTQ literature began with subtle hints and innuendos eluding fantasies, trysts, and relationships that were forbidden. Later, gay literature focused on the "coming out" story. But these stories were primarily about shame, denial, and hardships the characters endure when their sexuality is revealed.

 

Jane Rule’s Desert of the Heart, one of the first strictly lesbian novels in print, reveals the desires that consumed those who married out of duty and abandoned their true nature. This was familiar to many women during most of the twentieth century. Women and men stayed in marriages that were unnatural to them out of fear of retribution, ridicule, and alienation. Stories like Desert of the Heart—poetic at times, and dated in others—mimicked the social constructs of the day.

 

Subcultures that existed in certain factions of society prior to now can be reevaluated in works such as Invisible Life, by E. Lynn Harris. Even today, denial has been a big part of gay reality in minority populations. Invisible Life exposes the secret lives of gay African American men who are in committed relationships with women. Some characters deny being gay because of their limited participation in physical contact. But most rejected the label because of the stigma and distain they would receive from family and friends. E. Lynn Harris also wrote about the HIV and Aids epidemic that plagued the gay community during the 80s and 90s. Americans looked the gay community in a very negative light and some writers tried to attach a human face on the disease.

 

We have come a long way from the days of fear and shame. Today, writers are creating stories and characters that are gay, but the plot of the story is not necessarily about being gay. As we strive to normalize gay culture, we no longer need a description of differences or similarities between hetero and homo sexuality. Now, we need what writers are actually putting out there—stories about family, love, loss, happiness, and sadness. The things that make all of us human. 



Indiana Writers' Consortium Inaugurates New Office with Downtown Hammond Art Walk Event

IWC inaugurated its new office on May 31, 2014 by participating in the Downtown Hammond Art Walk. During the event, IWC hosted member readings every hour. It also offered the public an opportunity to create a found poem and make a haiku bookmark.

Located in the Hammond Innovation Center at 5209 Hohman Avenue, the new facilities provide IWC with a dedicated office and three shared event spaces: a small conference room, a lobby area, and a seminar room. Although the event spaces are available for use by all Innovation Center tenants, IWC can reserve them. Here are pictures of the office and event spaces.

IWC Office

Conference Room
 

Seminar Room

 

Lobby



IWC used two of the event spaces this past Saturday for the Hammond Downtown Art Walk. The conference room played host to the ongoing activities, and the lobby stairs became a stage for readings of original material by IWC members Yusuf Ali El, Kayla Greenwell, Janine Harrison, Karen Kulinski, Julie Larson, Michael Poore, and Gordon Stamper, Jr.

 

What did they read? There isn’t enough blog space to cover everyone, but here are two examples.

 

Yusuf Ali El read adult poetry and motivational prose and sang a verse from a children’s poem, part of which tied into the Double Dutch jump rope rhyme, “Little Sally Walker.” Yusuf also told the audience that they should feel free to write about whatever moves them and let the universe pass through them onto the paper.

 

Karen Kulinski read the beginning of Rescuing Ivy, a middle grade novel about a girl out to prove that Ivy the elephant is not a murderer. Karen also engaged the audience in an interesting discussion about her extensive research on elephants. Rescuing Ivy is due out in 2015 from High Hill Press.

 

The following pictures show two other readers using the staircase as a stage.



Julie Larson

Gordon Stamper, Jr.



 

It was perfect walking weather, and IWC contributed to the participant’s outdoor enjoyment. The final two pictures show quotes decorating the sidewalk in front of the office.

 

 

We look forward to hosting many more events at our new facilities.