Seattle Writing Groups!
By Rose Lindsey
With the turning of the seasons and the return of the sun in the Pacific Northwest, now is an excellent time to start finding new communities. Seattle has a thriving network of artists and writers, for those who are willing to seek out the smaller corners of the city. In the spirit of renewed energy towards our community, here are a selection of monthly events that happen around Seattle that engage with reading and writing. Their descriptions will list their closest upcoming dates, but all of these events occur regularly, so be sure to follow up with their organizers and see about May, June, and beyond!
CAM Word Party- An event spearheaded by Amy Hirayama, in association with Common Area Maintenance (CAM). Word Party encourages all of its participants to show up for an evening of creation in the room together. It is a party first and foremost, with the goal of socializing and uncovering together the joys of writing. As an attendee of its first iteration, I can assure you that it is a revitalizing, inspiring event, and you will receive wisdom or advice that will carry with you well outside of the room. While some nights will be hosted by Amy, other guest writers and guides will be organizing their own evenings as the months roll on. Word Party happens on the last Wednesday of every month at Common Objects, starting at 7 pm. There will be free wine and snacks for attendees!
Charlie’s Writing Club- Another writers’ group, this time with our friends at Charlie’s Queer Books. A covid-conscious space, Charlie’s provides a welcoming environment for all of Seattle’s literary fans, and their writing club is an open field for writers of any stylistic form to meet and collaborate. Though their April event will have always passed by the time our newsletter releases, their writing club is held on the second Tuesday of every month, 5-7 pm, in the upper level of the Charlie’s Queer Books location. Be on the lookout for all of their other stellar calendar events as well!
unpoetry- A sequence of events put together by Eric Acosta across the city of Seattle. unpoetry is a variety show that inherently asks the question of what poetry is, and how artists can stretch the limits of how we view poetry and performance. Some unpoetry events will flow like a standard open mic reading; others will be a blending flow of performance styles akin to a theatre show; others will be a bombastic assortment of sounds and actions. The only way to know how unpoetry will go is by attending, which is a great deal of its appeal. The next unpoetry event will be held on April 22nd at 7 pm, at the Northwest Film Forum, followed by their __poetry lab series on April 29th at 8 pm, at Vermillion in Cap Hill. Come out and support some local artists doing very cool, experimental work.
Other People’s Poems- Other People’s Poems is a (nearly) monthly event held at Open Books. It is an open mic and reading series where authors from the area read the work of other poets they admire, creating an ecosystem of inspiration and resonant words. Hosting has been handled by Ally Ang, Cody Stetzel, and Gabrielle Bates in the past, and though there won’t be an event during April, their next reading will be on May 9th. All of Other People’s Poems are masked events, so it is also accessible to immunocompromised community members. The poets at these readings are strong craftsmen, so hearing other work channeled through them is so worth it.