Greetings, friends!
The last two weeks have been… educational. At the risk of alienating a good chunk of my readership with politics, let’s just say I’ve been engaging in hyper-local activism. It’s the most I’ve waded into borough politics since 2020/2021, when some neighbors and I attempted (and failed) to challenge our borough’s overinflated police budget. I’d gotten really resigned after the project flopped, and got into the habit of sitting back and letting borough council handle things as they saw fit. This turned out to be a mistake.
Long story short, a couple weeks ago, my borough issued a resolution1 that I (and many others) found biased. We organized, we spoke up, and we won. We didn’t even have to borrow the sketchy tactics of those who proposed the resolution (i.e. importing propaganda-wielding supporters from nearby towns) to make it happen. The resolution was almost unanimously revoked and now efforts are being made to draft something more inclusive and nuanced. I’m proud of the work we did and am feeling both empowered and connected to my neighbors.
My point is this: in a world rife with tragedy, it is so easy to become discouraged and apathetic. I’d even say it’s fundamentally human to get overwhelmed with despair in the face of relentless adversity. But there is always something to be done. It could be as simple as dropping off a prepared meal at your community fridge, or, if you’re feeling rowdy, it could be an organized effort to overturn problematic local resolutions. Whatever your path or politic, there’s always some place to start.
There’s probably a useful writing metaphor in here somewhere, but it feels trite to draw parallels between tackling creative obstacles and fighting for social change. And so, I offer someone else’s wisdom:
NO ONE WAY WORKS, it will take all of us
shoving at the thing from all sides
to bring it down.
-Diane di Prima
SIT & WRITE
It’s time to work on that thing you’ve been avoiding! If you’re new to Sit & Write, please read this before attending. Can’t make it? Check out the “Other Events” section below for a Thursday mini Sit & Write session.
WHEN: Saturday, 12/16, 11:00am-2:00pm ET
WHERE: ZoooOOOoom
LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85319280877?pwd=SSGGumw3DFrrup86nRLVZ81DAKEpZv.1
MEETING ID: 853 1928 0877
PASSCODE: 498279
OTHER EVENTS
Wednesday, 12/13, 6:30pm ET: HELP US HELP YOU: a PR webinar for artists. “Alaina Johns and Broad Street Review colleagues will share how-tos on publicity for independent artists, with specific tips that support Philly media outlets like BSR.” (PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN, $25 SUGGESTED DONATION/VIRTUAL)’
Wednesday, 12/13, 7:00pm ET: Moonstone Arts x Equinox Reading Series @ Fergie’s Pub (Philadelphia). Featuring Paul Muldoon, Courtney Sender, and Patricia Davis-Muffet. (FREE/HYBRID)
Thursday, 12/14, 3:00pm ET: Queer & Trans Writers Group. “Once-a-month virtual circles for queer and/or trans writers (LGBTQIA+) focused on collective regulation and collective resourcing. Practice supportive regulation skills, write along a theme in community, and enjoy time to write on your own projects. … Questions can be directed to MxPepper@LucindaPepper.com.” ($20 PER SESSION/VIRTUAL)
Thursday, 12/14, 4:00pm ET: Mini Sit & Write via Blue Stoop. A one-hour version of Collective Lit’s Saturday writing sessions. “While full-length meetings have a drop-in format, please plan to arrive on time and stay for the duration of this Blue Stoop mini S&W. Agenda: Brief intro (5 min), check-in (5 min), silent working (45-ish min), check-out (5 min).” (FREE/VIRTUAL)
Friday, 12/15, 12:00pm ET: ZINE LUNCH! “Sarabande's ⚡ZINE LUNCH!⚡ presents ‘Surroundings,’ a free workshop with Ben Sears. Join us for an exercise in investigating your immediate surroundings, looking for patterns, bugs, plants, and more.” (FREE/VIRTUAL)
Friday, 12/15, 8:30pm ET: Sit & Share with Collective Lit. This open-mic-style reading requires all attendees to perform. Each reader will have 5 minutes. Registration required. (FREE/VIRTUAL)
Saturday, 12/16, 5:00pm ET: Segue Reading Series @ Artists Space (NYC). Poetry reading featuring Laura Henriksen and Celina Su. ($5/HYBRID)
Saturday, 12/16, 6:00pm ET: Word of Mouth Solstice Story Salon @ 1733 Spring Garden (Philadelphia). “This month’s salon will feature myths, folklore, poetry, and illustrated stories from around the world that that celebrate themes and holidays related to the winter solstice. Our tales will include a descent into the underworld, a Christmastime breaking and entering, a mitten which can fit a surprising number of animals inside, and the return of the sun. Light refreshments will be served.” Reserve your ticket by making a donation to Robyn’s Venmo or cash app with a star emoji in the note—payment links in Robyn’s instagram bio. 21+ ($5-30 SLIDING SCALE/IN-PERSON)
Saturday, 12/16, 6:00pm ET: Spit Poetry Open Mic @ Abyssinia Upstairs (Philadelphia). Featured readers: imogen xtian smith and Timmy Straw. (FREE, I THINK/IN-PERSON)
Saturday, 12/16, 7:00pm ET: To Water Another Tree: A Poetry Reading for Palestine. “Hosted by Singaporean-American poet Topaz Winters and The Spiral Bookcase on Zoom, we present this reading with shared beliefs in Free Palestine, that no one is free until we are all free, and that art is a powerful tool for change.” Featuring readings by Malvika Jolly, Warren Longmire, Taylor Byas, Victoria Mier, Hazem Fahmy, Rita Mookerjee, Logan February, and Paige Lewis. ($5+/VIRTUAL)
Sunday, 12/17, 6:00pm ET: Scribes on South @ Tattooed Mom (Philadelphia). “SCRIBES ON SOUTH is a poetry reading and open mic. The reading begins with a 20-minute featured reader and then moves through the open mic list for the rest of the night. Open mic readers have 5 minutes. There will be a space for poets to sell books. … This reading’s featured readers are Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo and Olga Mikolaivna.” (FREE/IN-PERSON)
Sunday, 12/17, 8:00pm ET: Poetry and RnB Open Mic @ Raven Lounge (Philadelphia). “All rnb artists and poets welcomed to perform! 5 slots for artists to sign up for a spotlight artist slot! Best performance wins an exclusive interview! We will have the spotlight performers perform and then the open mic starts!” ($10/IN-PERSON)
Monday, 12/18, 6:30pm ET: Monday Poets @ Parkway Central Library (Philadelphia). This week’s performance features Alina Pleskova and Sadie Dupuis. (FREE/IN-PERSON)
Tuesday, 12/19, 7:00pm ET: Voicemail Poems x Tall Tales reading @ The Monkey Club (Philadelphia). An evening of poetry by Lucia Herrmann Benítez, Julia Gwiazdowski, Olive Esther Kuhn, Amy Jannotti, and Diandra Williams. (FREE, I THINK/IN-PERSON)
Tuesday, 12/19, 8:00pm ET: Lit StorySlam @ The Media Theatre (Media, PA). “You’ll have just 5 minutes to get real about that time you got Lit. No notes or props allowed. Ever brighten someone’s day with a random act of kindness? Or strung holiday lights that rivaled the sun? Or maybe you’ve had a literary adventure to rival Ebenezer Scrooge. Now’s your chance to share your story live on stage.” ($15/IN-PERSON)
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
OPPORTUNITIES
ASAP: Call for poetry readers: Philadelphia Stories Magazine needs volunteer readers for their 2024 poetry prize! Readers can expect emailed batches of 10 poems on a weekly basis now through potentially February 2024, all needing a vote of yes, no, or maybe, in addition to any optional comments. Those interested should email a brief bio to coordinator Elijah (eli.aharon.writer@gmail.com). (UNPAID/VIRTUAL)
ROLLING SUBMISSIONS: Call for full-length manuscripts for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series. “An innovative program designed to provide a home for new immigrant writings in the United States and fill a much needed gap in the American literary community. Submissions are open year-round.” (NO SUBMISSION FEE/PAYS $500 STIPEND + ROYALTIES)
DEADLINE 12/15: The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts submissions due. “We accept fiction and creative nonfiction, as long if they are compressed in some way. Work is published weekly, without labels, and the labels here only exist to help us determine its best readers. Our response time is generally 1-5 days. Also, our acceptance rate is currently about 2% of submissions.” (NO SUBMISSION FEE/PAYS $50)
DEADLINE 1/1: Voicemail Poems submissions due. “We are currently accepting submissions for our Winter Issue! Call & send in a poem by January 1st to be considered.” (NO SUBMISSION FEE/NO PAY)
Find even more opportunities via my Instagram highlights! (IG account required)
I’M KVELLING
I’m always excited to share the accomplishments of our Collective Lit community. This week, we’re celebrating two accomplishments:
The publication of two flash fiction pieces by the amazing Melissa. Fun fact: Melissa says “Close Your Eyes” was partially written during a Sit & Write session. Hooray!
Mona Mehas has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Paddler Press. She says this is her first ever pushcart nomination. Well-deserved!
Got an event, opportunity, or accomplishment to share? DM @collectivelit on Instagram or send details here.
Alright friends, that’s all for today.
Warmly,
Julian Shendelman
www.collectivelit.com
P.S. If you are a free subscriber, you’ll see a paywall below. It’s hiding a link to the free 1-on-1 Office Hours sessions, a delightful little perk for paid subscribers.