Girls Write Now: Lunch with LitNYS

Adirondack Center for Writing with Nathalie Thill

Girls Write Now — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:11:49 GMT

Nathalie Costa Thill has been the Executive Director of the Adirondack Center for Writing, the literary organization serving the entire six-million-acre Adirondack Park, pretty much since its inception in 1999. She launched ACW’s most beloved programs including their high school writing retreat, prison writing program, Howl Story Slam series, Raining Poetry and PoemVilliage programs, Kickass Writers Festival, and Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency.

In this episode, Nathalie brings us closer to the stories and writers who call the Adirondacks home. She talks about bringing literary events to a sprawling, rural region in all kinds of ways (including hosting story slams in bars), and the need for her organization to “catch up with [their] own momentum” as they expand their audience.

A major challenge facing literary organizations is the dearth of funding after the initial investment that many private and public institutions made in the immediate aftermath of COVID. It’s important for us all to find ways to continue supporting writers and rural communities, and to make our literary communities stronger. One of the best ways to do this is by connecting with other organizations and writers.

“One of the reasons I love LitNYS is because sometimes you just need a colleague to tell you something… and make you feel better,” Nathalie said after a conversation she had with Ruth Dickey (Executive Director of the National Book Foundation) at the LitNYS convening in September 2024.

To get involved and come to events hosted by Adirondack Center for Writing, head to their website or follow them on social: https://adirondackcenterforwriting.org/

To support literary leaders all across New York, head to litnys.org.

Music Credit: Cold Brew by RA

Pen Parentis with Milda M. De Voe

Girls Write Now — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:49:41 GMT

When asked if she had any advice to parents who are also writers, Milda De Voe said, “Yeah, don’t start a nonprofit!”

Milda De Voe did not know anything about running a nonprofit when she started Pen Parentis, an organization dedicated to cultivating “a nurturing community for writer-parents to connect, inspire each other, and craft exceptional literary pieces.” After hearing countless people tell her that she couldn’t be a mom and a writer at the same time, she started to see that there was a need to validate the experience of parent writers. What started as a reading series of work by parents quickly morphed into an organization on a mission to provide resources and support to parents of all backgrounds and genders.

“80% of our membership are mothers, but that doesn’t mean we are just for mothers… anyone who needs us, we are there. And even among people of the same gender, the issues are going to be different.”

In this episode of Lunch with LitNYS, Milda De Voe shows that creative life doesn’t end when you become a parent, and that organizations can be doing more to support writers who are also caregivers.

Looking to get involved? Head to penparentis.org.

If you’re going to AWP this year in L.A., look for the Pen Parentis table and join them on Thursday March 27 from 5-7pm at their first-ever glowstick party!

Recommendations from the Episode

Check out Milda’s books:

Book & Baby, The Complete Guide to Managing Chaos & Becoming A Wildly Successful Writer-Parent is an inspiring writing craft book that showcases the experiences of more than 300 authors including such powerhouses as Patty Dann, Daphne Uviller, Mira Jacob, and Min Jin Lee, to address the various stages of parenthood and how a writing career could be affected at every stage from infancy to grown-and-flown.

A Flash of Darkness is Milda De Voe’s debut fiction collection, out now!

Milda recommends Submission Grinder for helping you submit your writing.

In the episode, Milda tells us that 8 out of the 10 most recent Nobel Laureates in Literature are parents. See for yourself!

Music Credit: Cold Brew by RA

Writers & Books with Alison Meyers

Girls Write Now — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:41:41 GMT

Alison Meyers is a poet, fiction writer, and essayist, twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is the Executive Director of Writers & Books, a literary arts center in Rochester, NY. She previously served as Cave Canem Foundation’s Executive Director (Brooklyn, NY), 2006- 2016, and as Director of Poetry and Marketing & Communications at Hill-Stead Museum (Farmington, CT), 2000-2006.

In this episode of Lunch with LitNYS, Girls Write Now mentee Christiane Calixte talks with Alison about the triumphs and challenges of running a literary arts organization.

Teachers and Writers Collaborative with Asari Beale

Girls Write Now — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:53:25 GMT

Public education is one of the most hotly debated topics in our cultural discourse. From what books should be taught to whether personal phones should be banned, everyone has a different opinion on how to reform our education system. One thing that most of us can agree on: We need to engage our students more.

That’s where Teachers and Writers Collaborative comes in. This nonprofit, currently led by writer and educator Asari Beale, is “one of the first writers-in-the-schools programs, with a 50+ year history of delivering innovative creative writing programs that increase access to the arts, build community, and amplify youth voices.”

“There are private schools where there’s a writer-in-residence, and… I would love to see that for all of the public schools in New York City,” Beale said. “When we go into a public school, we’re not able to be there all year round. I just think it would be amazing if we can have this really deep partnership with the school…

What that will do is help students build confidence around their abilities as communicators… to collaborate with each other, give them tools for processing, and we also know that is has outcomes that impact their other academic classes. When students are more engaged because they’re involved in an arts programs like ours, that means that they do better in all parts of their school life.”

Discover Asari’s vision for a more equitable future for all NYC students, and find out how you can support teachers and writers in this episode of Lunch with LitNYS.

Music Credit: Cold Brew by RA

The Disruption of Indie Presses with Ira Silverberg and Linda Kleinbub

Girls Write Now — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:34:58 GMT

When asked about his start in the literary world, Ira Silverberg said, “‘Find your kind, they say,’ and I did.”

His kind happened to include famed literary radicals such as William S. Burroughs (whom he described as “my mother-in-law”), June Jordan, Kathy Acker, and Grove Press’ founder, Barney Rosset.

“I am in awe of writers and artists. It’s social justice. It’s literary justice. It’s community building. It’s expressing your taste as a freak. I’m an arts person. Karmically, this is where I wound up and I don’t question it anymore.”

Now, Ira is on a mission to bring the punk ethos to independent publishing. Reflecting on the theme of the Lit NYS conference, he said that making publishing work for writers and readers means focusing on disrupture.

“While I may want to rip them (traditional systems) apart, I can still respect the fact that they still exist. I can write a grant, I’m on boards, I do all of that, but I’m here to try to… change a system that I think isn’t working and get work out in ways that is more effective for readers and writers.”

Linda Kleinbub and her indie press, Pink Trees Press, are relative newcomers to the scene, having started in the New York City downtown arts scene in 2012, creating small batches of handmade books. Its first mass-marketed book was the Silver Tongued Devil Anthology, published in 2020, edited by Linda Kleinbub and Anthony C. Murphy. In addition to being a Girls Write Now mentor, Linda has fostered a literary community through readings series and her press.

She said that she is proud of the fact that after graduating from the New School, she is now in a position to help other writers get published.

“Small presses really look at the work, and they don’t care if you’re a celebrity or not. So I think the small press gives the little guy a chance. It’s a way we can get good work out there that a big publisher won’t take a chance on.”

Both Ira and Linda said the hardest thing about working for small literary organizations is the lack of funding. Additionally, small presses struggle with distribution. After the nonprofit Small Press Distribution shut down in 2024, many indie presses struggled to survive. Still, Linda and Ira are both optimistic about the promise of indie publishers in making the literary scene more inclusive and exciting.

Find out more about how you can support literary organizations at litnys.org.

Order books from these small publishers mentioned in the episode to support new, radical work:

Music credit: Cold Brew by RA

Poetry and Purpose with Kimiko Hahn

Girls Write Now — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

Kimiko Hahn is the award-winning author of ten collections of poetry, including The Ghost Forest: New & Selected Poems out now from W.W. Norton. She was the keynote speaker at the Lit NYS convening held in the Girls Write Now offices in September 2024. In her speech, Hahn talked about the power of writers to create change where they are. She shared a parable that she learned from a political mentor about a shipwrecked crew off the coast of South America.

The captain signaled to shore, “We need fresh water” and the shore signaled back, “Lower your buckets where you are.” After continuing to ask for water and getting the same reply, the sailors lowered their buckets. It was fresh water (thanks to the Amazon River flowing into the sea).

“Wherever you are, you can find a place to talk and more important, a place to listen to people and become involved. And that goes for where people bring their poetry, for example,” Hahn said.

In this inspiring conversation, hosted by Girls Write Now mentees Madeline Berberian Hutchinson and Christiane Calixte, Hahn gives advice to a new generation of poets and inspires us all to lower our buckets where we are.

You can find more of Hahn’s work at kimikohahn.com.

National Book Foundation with Ruth Dickey

Girls Write Now — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 17:01:52 GMT

Many readers may know about the National Book Awards, but did you know that the Foundation has a science and literature program? Or that they have created free literary programming in all 50 states? In this episode, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation Ruth Dickey covers the many ways that NBF is spreading access to literature across the nation and why literary organizations are vital to creating opportunities for writers and readers alike.

Over 90% of literary organizations say they have poets and writers on staff. When we think about supporting writers, I didn’t used to think… about supporting literary organizations…

Through their work of supporting other literary organizations as well as individual writers, National Book Foundation has found that it really does take a village to uplift artists.

Underfunding means that organizations haven’t been able to get to scale and do a lot of the work that they want to do. Sometimes, people think, well it’s just writing, all you need is a piece of paper and a pen. So there can be a lack of understanding around all the things that it takes to support and nurture writers.

Ruth Dickey’s path to becoming the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation started at breakfast programs and shelters, where she led creative writing programs for unhoused people. Her experience as a teaching artist allowed her to see the transformative power of writing.

“Having the opportunity to tell our stories… is incredibly empowering and incredibly important. We all win when there are more and more stories in the world, particularly when you think about complicated issues like homelessness.”

Enjoy the episode!

Music Credit: Cold Brew by RA

The Center for Black Literature with Brenda M. Greene

Girls Write Now — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 17:23:31 GMT

At the Girls Write Now office in September, leaders from literary organizations across New York gathered to discuss strategies for strengthening their communities. Literary organizations are facing a slew of challenges, whether it’s a lack of funding or attempts to ban diverse literature. Despite these problems, these leaders are continuing to pave the way for a flourishing literary landscape. Dr. Brenda M. Greene is a Professor of English, and Founder and Executive Director Emeritus of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in reaching out to people where they are and making literature relevant to their everyday lives.

Public universities are not seeing [us] as a priority, although we’re a really important part of Medgar Evers College…We’re not only educating people around reading and writing and the academic disciplines, but we’re educating them to be change agents. To transform themselves and the world— a strong knowledge of self, of culture.

Whether she’s engaging in political conversation with a cab driver or bringing in local elders to tell their stories, Dr. Greene and the Center for Black Literature are elevating meaningful dialogue and literature for us all.

Learn how you can get involved at: https://centerforblackliterature.org/

Learn more about LitNYS and get resources at: https://www.litnys.org/

We have to come up with deliberate ways to support each other. You support writers by buying their books. You support the independent Black bookstores and independent stores in general… You think about ways to bring other people into the space.