Raising Our Words: A Symposium on Literary Activism
I am thrilled to invite my word nerd bestie, fellow Wisconsin writer, Christy Wopat to share some exciting news on my blog today. Christy, take it away!
A few months into the Covid pandemic, I saw a message at the end of a newsletter from the Wisconsin Writers Association that said, “If you’re interested in volunteering for the WWA, please reply to this message!”
In a normal year, I would’ve felt the pang of, “This would be fun, but not right now … ” However, this was certainly NOT a normal year, and I decided to reach out. By the end of a phone call with the incredible WWA President Barry Wightman, I had become the chair of the Events Committee.
Yes. The chair.
Over the past 15 months, we have had a plethora of incredible events. Our state has incredible, generous, and brilliant writers! From hour-long workshops to entire day-long conferences, our goal has been to cover topics ranging from craft to publishing to open mic events.
Our events committee is made up of caring Wisconsin writers who want the very best for our members. We’ve spent a lot of time in meetings wondering what our members want and need, and how we can best serve our community. This is especially important as we navigate this intense world we are currently living in. As we considered the topic for our fall conference, our ideas kept returning to how our words matter. How important and necessary our words are.
We are over-the-moon excited to share our next big event, our fall conference. This year it is called “Raising Our Words: A Symposium on Literary Activism.” It will take place on Saturday, October 9th.
I want you to know that if you are a writer, I believe you are a literary activist. We tend to think of activism as being political in nature, but things don’t have to be political to make change.
My first book, Almost a Mother, is a memoir on infant loss. I didn’t write anything political at all, nothing persuasive. It isn’t a self-help book or a manual for grief, it is just my story. And yet it has made change in ways I never would have expected. I never tire of hearing about how someone has used my words to heal or to build relationships, or to just feel less alone.
This conference is for everyone, no matter what you write, no matter your goals for writing. Our keynote speaker is the FANTASTIC Reggie Jackson from Milwaukee. He is the co-founder of Nurturing Diversity Partners and will kick us off for the day with an education piece. Our other speakers will astound you as well.
From poet laureates to a man who has written over a dozen books using Morse code, here is the schedule for the day:
Our Schedule at a Glance
9:00 AM - Welcome (Barry Wightman: WWA President)
9:10 AM - Dasha Kelly Hamilton (Wisconsin Poet Laureate)
10:45 AM - Keynote Reggie Jackson (Co-Founder, Nurturing Diversity Partners)
12:30 PM - Lunch
1:00 PM - Steve Salmon (Wisconsin Author)
1:30 PM - Anne Katz (Executive Director, Arts Wisconsin)
2:45 PM - Lora Hyler (Wisconsin Author & 2021 Jade Ring Winner)
3:45 PM - Dr. Margaret Rozga (Past Wisconsin Poet Laureate & Activist)
Like I said before, you ARE an activist. Your words matter - even when you think they don’t. And I think it’s our responsibility to raise our words to make this world a better place. We’d love for you to register for our event and join us for a day of learning and community-building.
Register here.
Oh! I almost forgot -- with your registration you can also pay a nominal fee for an advanced critique with Christine DeSmet or Laurie Scheer of the UW-Madison writers community. THE Laurie and Christine. Register soon to receive a critique!
In solidarity,
Christy Wopat
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