I was fortunate to be on the Chills at Will podcast this week, a great podcast by Peter Riehl dedicated to the “visceral beauty of literature” (blush). I was talking about the structure of Growing Up Golem, and what it felt like to blend memoir with myth. You can listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Carnivals of Love
So much happened this month, and so much is about to be here! Lit Lit, the giant open mic for writers that I host in Beacon, NY, had its fifth anniversary, and I couldn’t be more proud. This democratic, ultra-grassroots event where 20 writers at a time get up and read their writing every month got written up in the Highlands Current, the mid-Hudson Valley’s paper of record. Then we had our actual anniversary event, where around 30 folks in a carnivalesque atmosphere performed music, dance, theater, and, yes, writing, while dining on cakes, candy, and champagne contributed by members. The event was dedicated to our brother Addison Goodson, a Beacon poet and towering spirit who we lost two weeks ago. The event drew over 100 people.
Next up: the Beacon book launch for my republished memoir Growing Up Golem, which mashes up a bad-mom memoir with high fantasy. The great science fiction writer Terry Bisson called it “Rich and wild, dark and funny, as fearless as her legendary journalism and as scary as a fairy tale. A serious writer at the top of her game. I love this book!” I would love to see you at this reading and party Thursday, May 21 at the Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St. at 7 PM. I’ll be talking about the book with Ruth Danon, poet laureate of Beacon and Dutchess County, signing copies, and serving you delicious tidbits and booze.
Stay tuned for some traditional storytelling events I am planning for the fall (think queer and radical versions of Greek myths and Bible stories). And the next Lit Lit is June 5! If you didn’t get to read at the anniversary Lit Lit and wanted to, talk to me! Hope to see you at some of these events soon.
Beacon Belching Contest Feb 27!
Yes, I am organizing a Beacon Belching Contest to raise funds for two vital community organizations in Beacon NY, Indivisible 845 and Fareground. The contest is also intended to raise our spirits in this hideous time, and to Keep Beacon Weird.
Adults, children, and teens are welcome to sign up as belchers. And everyone is welcome to attend! All entrance fees of $10 (more if you can, less if you can’t) go to Fareground and Indivisible 845. We will have a distinguished panel of judges rating the belchers.
To sign up, email litlitseries@gmail.com.
Details: Friday, February 27 at 7 PM at the Beahive, 6 Eliza St.
Our deep thanks to the Beahive for donating the space!
Next memoir workshop starts January 21
Happy holidays, everybody! This is a quick note to let you know that my next memoir writing workshop begins Wednesday, January 21 on Zoom. The class goes for eight weeks, until March 11, and meets from 7 to 9 PM ET. Class size is small, limited to 8.
Please let me know if you are interested.
The focus is on craft, particularly on using emotion, sensuality, storytelling, lyricism, and voice. Folks will get frequent feedback in a supportive atmosphere. The fee is $325.
Writers at all levels are welcome. For more information or to register, please contact me at minkowitz46 AT gmail.
A quick bio for me: Donna Minkowitz has taught memoir writing for 27 years, at venues ranging from the 92nd Street Y and the Mt. Chocorua Writing Workshop to the JCC of Manhattan, the New York Writers Workshop, and The Kitchen. Her autobiographical novel DONNAVILLE was published in October. Her most recent memoir, Growing Up Golem, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and she won a Lambda Literary Award for her first memoir, Ferocious Romance. A former columnist at The Village Voice, she has also written for Slate, The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, New York magazine, and Salon.
Made/Up at the Newburgh Fringe Festival!
Hey, I’m thrilled to let you know that I’ll be performing a hyper-interactive show, Made/Up, in the very first Newburgh Fringe Festival, Saturday, October 24 at 1 PM! Tickets are $10 (plus $2 facilities fee). Location: The Ritz Theater, 107 Broadway in Newburgh, N.Y.
Made/Up combines writing by me about my life with writing by YOU, the audience. Those of you interested in memoir writing might especially want to come to this!
What stories do we tell about ourselves, and what happens when we want to change those stories? In this highly interactive performance, memoirist-turned-fiction-writer Donna Minkowitz reads selections from all three of her “defiant, playful, dark and funny” books (Kirkus), and invites the audience to come up with on-the-spot micro-memoirs and micro-fiction stories about themselves.
My students (or people who have been my students) are especially invited to come.
This is the show for you if you’ve ever wanted to write about your life and wondered how to go about it. It’s ABSOLUTELY for you if you’ve ever thought about writing a fairy tale about yourself, or imagining yourself as an inanimate object. (The Port Authority Bus Terminal? A poisoned peach? A subway train? The Vietnam War? A vibrator?)
For tickets, click here:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/newburghfringefestival/event/madeup/
(You can also get tix with $12 cash at the door.) Would love to see you there!
Donna
September 25 Memoir Writing Workshop on Zoom!
Hey, I’m teaching my eight-week memoir writing workshop again, on Wednesday nights starting September 25 on Zoom! The class meets from 7-9 PM ET, and the last class is November 13.
The workshop focuses on craft, especially on using emotion, the senses, lyricism, storytelling, and voice. Students will get frequent feedback in a supportive atmosphere. Class size is limited to 8. The fee is $325.
Let me know if you’re interested! You can contact me at minkowitz46@gmail.com.
Below is some more information about my background:
Donna Minkowitz has taught memoir writing for 24 years, at venues ranging from the 92nd Street Y and the Mt. Chocorua Writing Workshop to the JCC of Manhattan, the New York Writers Workshop, and The Kitchen. Her most recent memoir, Growing Up Golem, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and she won a Lambda Literary Award for her first memoir, Ferocious Romance. A former columnist at The Village Voice, she has also written for Slate, The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, New York magazine, and Salon. Donna earned a BA in Literature from Yale University and received an Andrew D. White Fellowship in Comparative Literature from Cornell University. She founded the Lit Lit literary series in Beacon, and has served as a judge for four book awards.
Lit Lit Mixer!
Hey, Lit Lit is having a mixer! At the great Happy Valley Bar at 296 Main St. in Beacon on Thursday, October 12 from 6-8 PM. We’ll be yakking it up in their beautiful courtyard.
The nice folks at Happy Valley have offered us a 10% discount at the bar. (Nonalcoholic beverages also available, and you can even order eats from MOD.) Also, everyone who is interested in writing and reading is welcome — you don’t need to have come to Lit Lit before!
September Memoir Writing Workshop
Hey, I’m teaching my eight-week memoir writing workshop again, on Wednesday nights starting September 20 on Zoom! The class meets from 7-9 PM ET, and the last class is November 8.
The workshop focuses on craft, especially on using emotion, the senses, lyricism, storytelling, and voice. Students will get frequent feedback in a supportive atmosphere. Class size is limited to eight. The fee is $325.
Let me know if you’re interested! You can contact me at minkowitz46@gmail.com.
Below is some more information about my background:
Donna Minkowitz has taught memoir writing for 24 years, at venues ranging from the 92nd Street Y and the Mt. Chocorua Writing Workshop to the JCC of Manhattan, the New York Writers Workshop, and The Kitchen. Her most recent memoir, Growing Up Golem, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and she won a Lambda Literary Award for her first memoir, Ferocious Romance. A former columnist at The Village Voice, she has also written for Slate, The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, New York magazine, and Salon. Donna earned a BA in Literature from Yale University and received an Andrew D. White Fellowship in Comparative Literature from Cornell University. She founded the Lit Lit literary series in Beacon, and has served as a judge for three book awards.