The Writes of Spring

By Jerod Santek, Write On Door County, Founding & Artistic Director

“They were not only talented; they were brave, a trait I admired more than anything but couldn’t seem to possess. The world that raised these women hadn’t allowed them to write, yet they had spun fiery novels in spite of all the odds. — Catherine Lowell

Last month, we welcomed 11 new women to the third year of Telling the Truth of Our Lives, our yearlong mentoring program for women who want to write but have faced barriers that prevented them from sharing their stories. The monthly sessions are facilitated by Amélia Canilho, a participant in the first year, and Holly Meikle, who took part last year. The group will meet in person at the Writing Center to explore a variety of writing genres.

We received interest this year from women beyond Door County who want to take part in this program but can’t commit to meeting in person. Program alumnae Melissa Reisch and frequent Write On student Mary Schreiner have offered to lead an online program for women who may experience challenges for meeting in person. If you would like to take part in this online-only women’s writing group, please contact me. We welcome your talent, your bravery, and your fiery words!

Spring Into Writing
March brings so much to celebrate in addition to Women’s History Month. The arrival of spring is just one of those. Though we are still fairly quiet programming-wise in March, we have a wide variety of classes and workshops coming up both in person and online to encourage and inspire you to write — whether you are putting fingers to the keyboard for the first time or have been working on a manuscript for years. I hope you’ll check out our upcoming offerings. We have many wonderful teaching artists who have so much to share with you in a positive and uplifting setting.

Help Us, Help You
We are able to do the work we do with help from many wonderful people who volunteer their time to greet visitors to the center, facilitate writing groups and book discussions, organize our library, and much more. We are always looking for people who want to get involved in our mission. Recently, we started the Write On Ambassador Program, designed to help our writers-in-residence, especially those who arrive without a car. If you are interested in showing one of our visiting writers your favorite spots in Door County, taking them to the grocery store or other shopping, or meeting them for coffee to share a favorite Door County story, please let me know. Connecting one-on-one with one of our talented residents is a great way to get insight into your own writing.

Thank you!
On a personal note, thank you to all of you who sent messages via social media, email, or handwritten cards congratulating me on receiving the George Garrett Award from AWP. The recognition was very nice, of course. Your kind words and support made it so much more wonderful. Thank you.