Are you looking to start an email newsletter for your readers, business, friends, or strangers? Learn about newsletter content strategies, the benefits of Substack over other social media platforms, and monetizing your newsletter. Writer's Lab: Launch and Grow Your Substack Newsletter with Hurley Winkler on Tuesday, May 21, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Regency Square Library.
Do you have poetry you'd like to share with the world? Do you want to hear from local poets who write creatively about life in Jacksonville? Drop by the Main Library on Wednesday, April 3, during Art Walk for a special Open Mic Night with Taryn "LoveReigns" Wharwood and Hope at Hand, Inc. They'll be set up in the Lounge at 303 North (just inside the entrance on Laura Street). There will also be a poetry zine-making workshop in the Zine Zone (on the First Floor), if you'd like to see your work in print. Then, on April 13, we’ll have a poetry program doubleheader at Willow Branch Library!
Learn how poets use vivid imagery, sensory details, and cultural references to transport readers to specific locations. In this interactive workshop, you'll delve into the profound connection between poetry and locale through a series of engaging activities and discussions. Participants will generate their own work, and discover how landscapes, cities, and personal surroundings can serve as powerful catalysts for creative expression.
Did you know? March 3-9 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! This year's theme, Where the Wild Books Are, is designed to take our City's youngest readers on adventures with fictional and real-life animals to show them just how exciting reading and learning can be! There will be programs and events at libraries and locations across Jacksonville all week long. But don't worry, there are also lots of great adult programs!
For many, learning to write and outline your story can be a daunting task. But what if it could be a game? Embark on a unique storytelling journey as we discover the art of crafting compelling narratives using the unique power of various tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you're a brand new writer or a pro, this workshop is designed to unlock your creative potential and guide you in using solo roleplaying as a tool to outline and write captivating stories.
Novelist Jessica Hatch will show you how to use (and subvert) the genre's most popular tropes, decide between "closed door" or spicier love scenes, get your Nora Ephron on by infusing humor into your romance, and write in a way that is authentically you - while still appealing to the market. Hatch is the author of two contemporary romance novels: My Big Fake Wedding and How to Keep a Husband for 10 Days.
Need for a new romance book to spice up those cold winter nights? Looking for some fun Galentine's Day ideas for you and your besties? We've got a Lit Chat Interview with two local romance authors and a romance-themed Writer's Lab workshop for anyone planning to put their own pen to paper. February is also Black History Month and we've got some great ideas for celebrating that, too! Jerry Urso returns for another History Chat - this one about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd. We'll also delve into poetry, true crime, gardening, business, finance, and more!
How do you best serve your creative processes? Where do you go for inspiration? How important is a writing community? And how can you carve out a life in this business of art? New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg will share ideas and perspectives for putting your creativity first at our next Writer's Lab workshop. Later that same day, she'll return for a Lit Chat Interview where she'll be in conversation with local author and interviewer, Nikesha Elise Wiliams.
It's going to be a busy January here at the Library! Whether you're resolving to read more, challenging yourself to (finally) write that novel that's been kicking around in the back of your head for years, or just continuing your pursuit of lifelong learning: We've got a great lineup of adult programs this month! Improve your day-to-day life with one of ten Life Lit workshops, get inspired with a Writer's Lab workshop and Lit Chat Interview featuring bestselling author Jami Attenberg, come together as a community for a thought-provoking Forward Thinking panel discussion, or check out a brand new Library Book Club.
We're closing out the year with some very cool programs and a ton of great book clubs! Get caught up in a good book with "Tangled Webb," a brand new Book Club meeting at Webb Wesconnett Regional Library. If you're interested in local history and memoirs, don't miss the Lit Chat Interview with Nat Glover. At seventeen, he unknowingly headed into an angry white mob and the Ku Klux Klan attacking young black protestors staging a sit-in at a downtown whites-only lunch counter. Known as “Ax Handle Saturday,” this harrowing encounter with racism would commit him to a lifetime of fighting for justice. December is also the last month to check off 12 books and win a cool prize for the 2023 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. A new challenge (and new categories) start January 1, 2024!
