open letter from Deborah McGinn:

It is the long time philosophy of Tuesdays With Writers that all writers are welcome whether they are published or not. The key to beginning this wonderful series nearly 14 years ago, was to showcase the writing of Lincoln area poets and prose writers who have a passion for writing and a talent with words and images on a page. These writers may have books to their credit, they may be blessed in efforts to produce self published books or simply live to write and have a flair for it. These writers like to read on a microphone and share their efforts to entertain and illicit positive responses from a live audience. They come from academics, they are housewives and husbands who write, business men and women who write, high school students who excel at the art of writing. They are teachers, cashiers, bankers, waitresses, electricians, lawyers, therapists, coffee house employees, you name it. Above all these are writers are dedicated to the process of writing and the steps it takes to polish work and have fun with creativity. Tuesdays With Writers is not exclusive. Tuesdays is free of charge—we are not a country club and we do not discriminate against anyone. With this philosophy, we have always drawn out the best writers in our city. I cannot remember one performance that was not moving, did not make us laugh, cry, empathize and almost stand up on our chairs and shout the praises for those who craft a fine tune, craft a strong verse, line, stanza, paragraph. We stay after the show and discuss writing afterward and keep the eternal flame of original writing that matters going strong.


In the Lincoln Journal Star this morning, an advertisement for the May 6 reading of Women Write Resistance, a new and powerful book that surfaces the poetry of violence against women appeared in the At A Glance section. "More than 100 female American poets in the anthology confront the ways gender violence is perceived in American culture." (from At a Glance) The article mentions seven names, though there are other Nebraska women in the book. It should have either mentioned no names or all the names to respect the philosophy and foundation that Tuesdays With Writers is known for. Tuesdays With Writers invites anyone published in this book to read. I request to preview any advertisement for the press or public eye where Tuesdays With Writers is represented in the future.
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In addition, there is a new book out called Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer's Block and Transform Your Life written by Lucy Adkins and Becky Breed. 

On June 4 at Tuesdays With Writers at 7:00 p.m. the reading will show off this wonderful book and all writers inside are welcome to read a few of their pieces. I sat down and read it Saturday and am most pleased and excited about this fine book I can use in my classroom and others can use in writing groups, in pairs or individually. This is a magical piece of work that will inspire writers of all kinds. Here are all the awesome names of Nebraska writers represented: Zoya Zeman, Rex Walton, T. Marni Vos, Sarah Thomas, Kathy Timperley, Mike Stinson, Willie Smith, Luella Corliss Shon, Barbara Schmitz, the late Lynn Samsel, Laura Salisbury, Marjorie Saiser, Claudia Reinhardt, Helen Holz Raikes, Amy Plettner, Charlene Neely, Deborah McGinn, Lynda Madison, Leo Kovar, Suzanne Kehm, Jan Kaufman, Heidi Hermanson, Neil Harrison, Twyla Hansen, Judy Greenwald, the late Irene Rose Gray, Shelly Clark Geiser, Marilyn Dorf, Karla Decker, Kristen Cass, Dianne Brown, Becky Breed, Pam Herbert Barger, Lucy Adkins. Lucy came to Lincoln High Friday to lead a writing prompt for my Creative Writing class and was a real hit. It was positive for the students to see a woman from their home town who has written a book. They far too often think authors have to come from the east and west coast. Imagine Lucy and her joy for writing leading the young. Thank you!

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Deb Walz has a new chapbook titled Lineage! I read it cover to cover this weekend and was fascinated by the content's honesty and style. Deb also came to Lincoln High and read from Lineage in my Creative Writing class Wednesday. They loved the book and they loved Deb. They learned that writers in Lincoln, Nebraska can publish and be recognized for well-written poetry. Thank you!
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Building the Tuesdays With Writers List for Upcoming Shows. Please let me know if you or your group would like to book a show for the rest of 2013 and 2014.


June: The readers and editors from Writing in Community Say Goodbye to Writer's Block and Transform Your Life


July will be open microphone for all those celebrating our 14th Birthday Reading. Please send me your names as soon as you can if you want to participate. As always, I will have a big sheet cake and WE will take the house of The South Mill off it's hinges!


August: Karla Decker, are you still planning a reading for August?


September: OPEN


October: Paul Dickey and his new book


November: OPEN


December: A group Holiday Reading open to all writers who want to share.


January: OPEN


Feb.: OPEN


March: OPEN


April: The Lincoln High Slam Poetry Team and possibly other Lincoln schools preparing for the State Championship "Louder Than a Bomb"


May: OPEN