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First Snow and Coming Attractions

Karen Shoemaker

A couple weeks ago my six-year-old granddaughter announced that she was using her “witchy powers” to make it snow. I replied - like the adult I am - with “Oh yeah? Well I’m using my witchy powers to make it NOT snow. And I’m a bigger witch than you are.”

By the time the sun had fully set the ground here in our witchy corner of the world was covered with white stuff, so I guess I lost that competition. Not really though. The delight on her and her little brother’s faces as they looked out at those first big flakes was a complete win for me. Looking at them looking at snow won me over – bring it on winter! Let it snow snow snow!

I might as well embrace it, after all. Winter is coming whether I invite it to come or whisper hexes to urge it to stay away. The new season is going to offer up many good things expected and unexpected, I’m sure. Some of the good things are happening at Larksong this year. We’re is gearing up for a new round of winter session classes and planning an online holiday writing party that just makes me happy to think about. I’m still smiling about the fall classes.

“Every experience with Larksong is uplifting because the instructors are so respectful of all writers at all stages of our development.”
– previous workshop participant

Let’s start with the Holiday Party news. Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 12 from 10 – noon for a virtual sampler tray of writers and teachers. We will be hosting a two-hour event where published writers will lead participants through a speed-writing session. Each writer will have 15 minutes to introduce an exercise that illuminates some element of craft and gets people writing. Between each writing sessions other published writers will give five to seven-minute readings. Over the two-hour period, attendees will have an opportunity to write with four different writers and listen to four different readers. It will be a wild ride of creativity and celebration of writing. Because it’s a party you need to RSVP by registering, but you don’t have to pay to join. Because we at Larksong are committed to paying our artists there will be a “donate” option, but all are welcome to join us.

The party is just an appetizer for the classes we’re offering during the Winter Session. There will be more memoir writing classes, more fiction writing classes, and more poetry classes. We have new teachers lined up, some you know well and some you will be so happy to get to know. I promise to keep you posted about who will be teaching what at what time.

It’s going to be a great winter, even with the little too early snow. And now I need to contact someone about using her “witchy powers” to clean my sidewalk.