What it is: a group for practicing literati, whether or not they are making money at it: agents, editors, publishers, spoken word performers, starving students, and even writers!
We do a lot of talking, a wee bit of learning, and a great deal of boasting. Drinking has also been known to play a part in our evenings.
What it is not: a hand-holding support group featuring aromatherapy-enhanced, tearful rounds of “Kumbyah,” an open mic night (I’ve suffered at the hands of too many bad live performances), a boring old lecture series, or a critique group. I always say, they don’t pay to publish me; they pay to edit me. Wouldn’t mind being in a critique group, but it would get too expensive for the others.
The Procedure: Every month we have a new speaker do a brief presentation on some aspect of the literary. It’s been everything from licensing your characters to a guided group reading of James Joyce set to the accompaniment of a conch shell horn. As is only right and traditional…um, right? Anyway, after the speaker stops talking (about a half-hour after they start, unless they’ve had quite a snootful) we all hang out and jabber about what we’re doing now, what we want to be doing, how little we got paid for what we DID do, etc etc. White Rock may soon get a Writer’s Festival, and the seed was planted at the Shebeen Club, last fall.
When I get the chance, I send out a roundup of community announcements and literary job listings to those who have actually attended, who automatically become members in our listserv; yes, you have to show up to get the joblistings. These will become more regular as I get back to jobhunting myself now.
I’m the only one who pays attention to the dress code, don’t worry. I don’t get to wear that bustle skirt nearly often enough!
Sean Heather makes sure we have bangers and mash or a vegetarian pasta dinner and alcoholic beverage included in the admission price. If you want more, you can always order off the Irish Heather menu or the Shebeen House whisk(e)y list, featuring something like 160 different kinds of hooch.
Monday, January 22nd 2007 at 3:23 pm
I’d love to be on the mailing list for upcoming events.
Thanks!
JJ
Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 at 12:01 am
I’ll put you on the list. Our next meeting is tomorrow: Tuesday the 23rd of January.
Wednesday, January 31st 2007 at 4:54 pm
I’d like to be on your mailing list for upcoming events. Also would like to know when your next meeting is and where.
Thanks a lot!
-V
Thursday, February 1st 2007 at 3:16 am
Our meetings are always the third Tuesday of the month, at the Shebeen in Gastown. I’ll put your email on our mailing list and you’ll get an announcement as soon as everything is ready. Our next meeting is February 20th.
Saturday, February 10th 2007 at 10:28 am
Could you please put me on the list as well? Thanks! You meet every 3rd Tuesday of the month? (not the 4th Tuesday, as in January, right?)
Saturday, February 10th 2007 at 12:33 pm
Yes, we meet every third Tuesday of the month; January was an exception because I was in an airplane somewhere over Alberta at 7pm, so we had to change it. I’ll put you on our list and you should get something in the next couple of days about out February 20th meeting.
Wednesday, October 10th 2007 at 10:30 pm
Hi,
I write poetry and would like to be added to your mailing list. Thanks.
Shawn
Thursday, October 18th 2007 at 4:29 pm
Will do. Hope to see you November 13 at Radha Yoga for our special event, or third Tuesday in December at the Shebeen for our annual Christmas party.
Monday, January 21st 2008 at 12:20 pm
Hi,
A group of students in the Print Futures writing program at Douglas College would like to attend your next event. We’ve been having a very hard time finding event information. When is the next event?
Thank you.
Lindsay
Saturday, February 9th 2008 at 4:55 am
I’ll put you on the mailing list and, now that I’m not sick anymore and I have access to the website, I can post announcements here. Our next event is the 19th of February Thanks for your interest.