The Writer’s Studio hosts The Writers Caravan

Congratulations to the Writers Caravan participants who read at Take 5 Café on Friday, April 15, 2010. They were astounding. Thanks to Lai Fung, Henry and Irit from Thursdays Writing Collective and to Rua, Dhana, Meg and Yaana from SFU’s Writer’s Studio for sharing their interesting pieces with the audience.

They all made an impact on us with their thoughts and the beautiful ways they articulated such different ideas.

We had a full, warm crowd and we even had time to do some creative writing right there with everyone. Fiona Scott, the host of the TWS reading series brought biodegradable pens and paper for us to jot down reactions to a quote from one of the pieces chosen at random. We all bent our heads and wrote for six minutes on  Meg’s phrase “push the button.” Half a dozen people came up to the mike to share their work and the crowd was eager for more writing, if only we had had time.

Writers from the third and final group that is part of the Writers Caravan were there, too, to get a feel for what we do. They’re a group of mothers, who met through the Momoir Project, and formed a writing group called “The Write Club” and they’re very excited about working with us in May. You’ll be meeting them soon when they host a joint reading  just as the law students and the Writers Studio did, on Monday, May 16 at Westside Family Place. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Thanks to all of you who came to support the readers. It makes a big difference to us all when you are there clapping!

And here is the generous note Fiona Scott sent out to all subscribers of The Writer’s Studio Reading series email list:

Dearest Readers, Writers and Listeners,

Last Friday night hockey fans paraded past the windows at Take 5 as word enthusiasts gathered inside to prepare for a special cultural exchange. The Writers Caravan had pulled into the TWS Reading Series and guest host Elee Kraljii Gardiner launched with great applause from the crowd. Eight participants from the program then stepped up to the mic share their poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

Our found poem for the night may take you back to the buzz we all experienced firsthand. Using just one line from each reader, you too might catch the beautiful imagery created by our guests in the spotlight. Many thanks to Lai Fung, Henry, Irit and Elee from Thursdays Writing Collective in addition to Rua, Dhana, Meg and Yaana from SFU’s Writer’s Studio.

An outdoor place I once knew well
If I die here, I am close to home
Until the sun turns blood red

I could feel the barrels of their guns in my ribs
A spark of freedom from a slap in the face
Sometimes we hear ordinary sounds

Crack the door to the great outdoors
I draw a total blank

And to add a new dimension to our regular reading series, we finished off the night with a 6 minute writing exercise. I am confident that sharing this experience practised within the Writers Caravan, encouraged all writers in our audience to continue being a part of our community. Thank you Elee!

If you are on facebook, join the Writers Caravan page and Thursdays Poems and Prose page!