Promise
by Jackie Kay
Remember, the time of year
when the future appears
like a blank sheet of paper
a clean calendar, a new chance.
On thick white snow
You vow fresh footprints
then watch them go
with the wind’s hearty gust.
Fill your glass. Here’s tae us. Promises
made to be broken, made to last.
—From A Poem For Every Day Of The Year
TOWN HALL JAN. 20
Town Hall, New Classes Kick Off Year
Join us for these special opportunities
Happy New Year! The future has appeared “like a blank sheet of paper, a clean calendar, a new chance,” and we’d love for you to help us write the story of the new year, together!
First Ever Town Hall to Gather Your Good Ideas
As part of our 10-year anniversary activities, we’re planning a town hall to gather community input for a shared vision of our future. “Participation is the key to harmony,” as they say, and we’d love your help to craft our long-term vision for programming. So join us for a Town Hall on January 20, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Regency Square Branch Library, Community Room A. REGISTER HERE.
And Don’t Forget Our First Sampler on January 24th
Our first class of the season is the Spring Sampler, facilitated by Jennifer Wolfe. New to our practices? Want to jump back into your writing? Join us for a fresh start. This class will be closely followed by a mini-series on Restoring Balance, facilitated by Juli Williams starting Saturday, Feb. 3. Our first semester-long series starts February 7 as well as a class for college students by Tru Leverette Hall. Register soon; seats are limited. REGISTER HERE.
Special Opportunity to Write the Future of Jacksonville
Have you heard about the Gracious Space community gatherings being held across Jacksonville, in every district, on January 16? From community member Kiki Karpen: “On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, from 6:00p – 8:00p, the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with UWNEFL and 904ward, will be collectively making meaning of Gracious Space—a conceptual framework adopted from the Center for Ethical Leadership in Seattle, WA, that serves as a community-building container for trust, collaboration, shared purpose, and planned action. There will be 14 events concurrently taking place in each of the 14 City Council districts.” We heartily support the idea of gracious space, and hope you will consider participating in this very special community-building initiative. MORE INFO HERE.
Get involved! Write your new story! Write the new collective story! Hope to see you soon.
Cheers,
Jennifer Wolfe
Executive Director,
Women Writing for (a) Change Jacksonville
p.s. We’ve added a free commUNITY Circle at Femme Fire Books! See below.
Register Below
What We’ve Been Up to Lately
Gathering Ideas in New York City
Visiting the HERSTORY Exhibit by Judy Chicago
We visited the New Museum in NYC this week, viewing an introspective retrospective on Judy Chicago’s major works, including pieces from her Womanhouse project and her major needlework initiatives—among works by other women artists as part of the City of Ladies exhibit. What if women ruled the world? We kinda think Judy already does. Look for her ideas in our upcoming exhibits and classes.—JW
Sharing the Joy of the Anthology
You can order yours right here, on Etsy.
We continue to ship out our latest anthologies. You can pick up more copies in person at San Marco Books and More and Chamblin’s Downtown.
The Last Word
From the book ‘Judy Chicago-isms‘
“My career is a kind of lesson plan for what it takes to push through the obstacles of those whose stories are not considered important.”
—Judy Chicago