Events Calendar

The oldest and most common advice poets hear is “show don’t tell.” But what does that mean, exactly? What is the difference between showing and telling? Why is “showing” better? Most of us write poems to tell readers something, to share our ideas. Many poets—from as far back as John Donne to as recent as Stephen Dunn–do a lot of telling in their poems. So why are we always advised not to tell? In this workshop we will discuss these questions. In the process, we will look at a few well-known poems to see how–or if—they show rather than tell, and we will do some writing exercises that may help us arrive at some conclusions about this persistent advice.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop at workshop link

Eric Nelson’s most recent poetry collection, Horse Not Zebra, won both a Da Vinci Eye Award for cover art and an Honorable Mention in Poetry from the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awarda. His poems have appeared in many journals, including Poetry, The Sun, The Oxford American, and The Missouri Review. Among his awards are the 2014 Gival Press Poetry Book Award for Some Wonder; the 2004 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Award for Terrestrials, chosen by Maxine Kumin; the Arkansas Poetry Award for The Interpretation of Waking Life (1991); the Split Oak Press Chapbook Award for The Twins (2009); the Georgia Author of the Year Award (2005), and fellowships to the Hambidge Center for the Arts and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. He taught writing and literature courses at Georgia Southern University for twenty-six years before retiring in 2015 and moving to Asheville, where he lives with his wife, Stephanie Tames, and teaches in the Great Smokies Writing Program. www.ericnelsonpoet.com.

Join Dr. Jessica Caruso of Pillar Holistic Living for an immersive two-day event focused on harnessing the energy of the New Moon. Embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth amidst the tranquil surroundings of Greenville, SC.
Dr. Jessica, a seasoned Chiropractor, and Reiki Master Teacher, has gathered local healing experts to guide you through a profound transformative experience. Set intentions, manifest dreams, and shed the old during this event, all while surrounded by the supportive energy of a like-minded community.
Embrace the power of the New Moon to revitalize and renew. Connect with your inner self and forge meaningful bonds with others on the same path. Remember to wear comfy attire and bring essentials like water, a mat, a blanket, and a journal.
This is NOT an overnight retreat.

For so many of us, our family story is what defines our lives—what we run from or toward in the decades after leaving home. In this course, we will dive into family narratives together. The events we hope to discuss can include those that seem to haunt family struggles: trauma, abuse, neglect. Yet those blessed with stable families have plenty of stories to tell, too—a glorious summer road trip that reveals the love between siblings, or a tender reckoning with a parent’s humanity. As guidance for methods of writing on experiences with family, we will read poetry of Ai, Aria Aber, Catullus, Victoria Chang, Lucille Clifton, Natalie Diaz, Tarfia Fiazullah, Joy Harjo, Robin Coste Lewis, Vi Khi Nao, Sylvia Plath, Carmen Giménez Smith, and others. In order to consider different approaches to the idea of “family histories,” the assigned work will roughly fall in one of the following topics: parents and guardians, siblings and those of our youth, ancestors, and continuing the cycle. These are delineated by the familial figures the authors address in their works, leading up to the writers’ own enactment of parenthood.

In each class, we will discuss the methods the authors have employed, and their methods of engagement with their creative production. In addition, we will consider the effects assigned texts have on you as a reader and, just as important, how you think the writer accomplishes these effects. You will create your own works with these methods in mind. Beyond merely creating new work, we will also revise with help from the discussions.

This four-part course will take place on Mondays, October 2, 9, 16, & 23 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM ET.

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Diana Arterian is the author of the forthcoming poetry collection Agrippina the Younger (Northwestern University Press/Curbstone, 2025). Her first book, Playing Monster :: Seiche (1913 Press), received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was a Poetry Foundation Staff Pick. A Poetry Editor at Noemi Press, Diana’s creative work has been recognized with fellowships from the Banff Centre, Caldera, Millay Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Yaddo. Her poetry, nonfiction, criticism, co-translations, and conversations have been featured in BOMB, Brooklyn Rail, Denver Quarterly, Los Angeles Review of Books, NPR, The New York Times Book Review, and The Poetry Foundation website, among others. She curates and writes “The Annotated Nightstand” column at LitHub. Diana holds a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Southern California, and she splits her time between Cambridge and Los Angeles.

Join us for a celebration of all things pen-related during the 12th Annual Fountain Pen Day. We will offer special deals and in-store promotions. Drop in to learn the joy of writing with a fountain pen!

“Looking Back, Looking Forward” is perfect for the holiday time of year. This is the season when many of us consider the events of the past year and look forward to what a new year might bring. In this writing workshop, we will use this transitional time as a focus for creating a new piece of writing which will allow us to set 2023 aside and move forward toward 2024. For writers at all levels. The workshop is led by Rick Mulkey, author of six books and director of Creative Writing at Converse University. Hosted by Truphae and Converse Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing.

This event is FREE and open to the public – just bring pen and paper! Seating is limited to only 18. Please sign up on our website.

“Grateful Brew is collaborating with YouthBASE, an academic Intervention nonprofit, to present the third annual A Very Grateful Christmas Event on December 9th. Join us at Grateful Brew, located at 501 S Pleasantburg Dr., from 10 am to 4 pm for a family-friendly, dog-friendly event. Capture festive moments with Santa, enjoy a crafting table, indulge in holiday drinks, and savor treats from a food truck. Don’t miss the chance to participate in a raffle, with all proceeds dedicated to supporting YouthBASE.

Writing is a solitary task and many writers benefit from having peers to get feedback and support. Join us for the monthly meeting of our writers group and the chance to meet other writers.

As a gift of giving, we will be making a cat toy to donate to the Greenville and Spartanburg Humane Societies. Toys made are cat friendly.

Writers of all genres, formats, and skill levels are welcome to attend the writing group. Those who attend may share and discuss their work with others, participate in writing exercises, and access helpful writing resources.

Darren Todd, will lead a virtual writing workshop titled “What if you fly? Weaving speculative elements into fiction.”

The term speculative fiction has grown in usage, but what does it mean? Simply, it’s fiction that speculates or forecasts what might happen. The “if” in that scenario is up to the writer. Spec-fic (as it’s often called) isn’t beholden to a single genre. Certainly, dystopian novels fall under this category, but so could alternate history, science fiction, horror, or even drama. Many ideas can greatly benefit from introducing speculative elements, which give readers a heightened sense of curiosity, wonder, and even engages them to be a part of how the writer’s “what if” develops. Humans are natural problem solvers, and few things kick off that need to find answers like a solid “what if.”
For this workshop, we’ll delve into the rise of spec-fic, how it crosses genre, as well as flexing our speculative muscles with breakout exercises to be reviewed during the workshop.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop here!

Darren is a freelance book editor for Evolved Publications, and his short fiction has appeared in fifty publications over the years, including Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and The Stoneslide Corrective. His short story collection, The Ugly Mug and Other Stories, launched on Amazon and Audible in 2023.

While some of his works fall under the literary umbrella, he often returns to speculative and horror fiction. His style and preferences tend toward the psychological, as he enjoys stories that linger in the imagination long after he’s closed the book on them.

He lives in Hendersonville, NC with his son and girlfriend. See what he’s up to at darrentodd.net.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Riverside Writers meetings. We will complete writing activities, writing sprints, work in pairs/groups to discuss each other’s writing, and share our work with the group as a whole.

Would you like to be a writer but worry about the word count? Join us as we discuss and write short fiction. We’ll read short-short stories that will inspire our own short stories and we’ll follow prompts to feed our imaginations. Call to reserve your place.