Tag: Ames Writers Collective

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In The Media News

Ames Writers Collective Receives COTA Grant

The Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) has awarded the Ames Writers Collective a Special Project Grant for 2024. Money awarded will help fund a teen-poetry master class in conjunction with the “Langston Hughes Project Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” at Stephens Auditorium on February 8, 2024.

In January, poet Caleb Rainey will lead three generative poetry workshops for Central Iowa Youth. These workshops are FREE for teen writers and will be held in-person (and hybrid) at the Ames Public Library on January 7, 14, and 21st from 2 to 4 PM. Following the workshops, youth will be eligible and encouraged to submit a poem for a “blind read.” Two poems will be chosen for score by the “Langston Hughes Project” composer, Dr. Ron McCurdy. Caleb Rainey will read the poems accompanied by Dr. McCurdy’s music on February 8th.

The Ames Writers Collective is grateful to the Ames Commission on the Arts for their generous support.

ARTIST BIOS

Dr. McCurdy,  is a Professor of Music in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he served as chair of the jazz department for 6 years. Dr. McCurdy is a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs including serving as director of the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Guest artists he has worked with include Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Leslie Uggams, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schuur, Ramsey Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Dr. Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, and Dianne Reeves.

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. He hails from Columbia, Missouri, and holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Iowa. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, became Amazon’s #1 new release in African American poetry, and was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize. His second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019 and featured on Iowa Public Radio. He released two spoken word albums, a studio version of Look, Black Boy, and a performance album titled, Heart Notes Live! He co-founded the literary magazine Black Art; Real Stories, was published in Iowa’s Best Emerging Poets – 2019, the Little Village Magazine, and wrote a monthly column for The Real Mainstream. For three years in a row he was named Best Poet/Spoken Word Performer in Cedar Rapids & Iowa City.

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In The Media

Tom Geraty in Conversation with Ana for Beaverdale Books

If you missed the Facebook Live event in October, you can still watch Ana’s conversation with author/memoirist Tom Geraty.

Live at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines, Iowa, they discuss Tom’s new memoir, Where the Trees Dance, and swap stories about being adopted children searching for their birth parents.

Watch the video here:

 
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Author

Ana McCracken

What’s your genre?
Creative nonfiction

Are you published?
Anthologies, literary reviews, and magazines.

What inspired you to become a writer?
Perhaps the impetus to become a writer began when my mother taught me to write thank you notes? Maybe it was the 20-years of writing letters to my pen-pal, Lisa? Or writing soul-searching stories in my English classes, and my stint as an editor for The Opinion, the Peoria High School newspaper? Much later during the two years that I searched for my birthmother, I wrote annual holiday missives that caused my friends to encouraged me to write my memoir. The inspiration to become a writer is a culmination of life events.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired you?
Dani Shapiro! All of her memoirs in my possession are dog-eared and the pages are filled with marginalia. I have learned dialog, scene-setting and exposition from Dani. She is my go-to author when I need inspiration.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Let’s Take the Long Walk Home: A Memoir of Friendship by Gail Caldwell
Heating and Cooling 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
Slow Motion, Devotion, Still Writing, Hourglass, and Inheritance by Dani Shapiro

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
In February 2022 anticipating the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth, I wrote her a letter of condolence on Smythson stationery, and sent her a photograph taken at Hewlett-Packard of HRH and Dave Packard, and Prince Philip and my husband, Ed. (Circa 1983.) Her Lady in Waiting read it to her, and they wrote me back. It is one of my greatest pride and joys!

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
Just one? When you are sitting in a workshop group and fellow writers are giving you feedback, don’t justify what you’ve done and written and banter back and forth. People have taken the time to read your writing, and it’s annoying. Just LISTEN! You don’t have to take their advice, but often times it might be good advice. And… edit, edit, edit! Your first draft isn’t even close to the draft you send off to an agent.

Author Bio
Ana’s stories have appeared in the California Writers Club’s Literary Review, the anthologies Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God—51 Women Reveal the Power of Positive Female Connection, and Chicken Soup for the Soul—The Joy of Adoption, and poetry at Telepoem Booth®Iowa. At one time Ana was a columnist and editor for Maui Vision Magazine, and her essays and articles have appeared in various publications around the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, she is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective based in Ames, Iowa, and she serves on the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors, and served as a board of director for Litquake in San Francisco.

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Author

Rachel Aukes

What’s your genre?
Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, and horror)

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
Like most writers, I’ve always loved reading. Couple that with a brain that’s constantly daydreaming, the desire to create stories is an intrinsic part of my spirit. From the age I could spell, I wrote. But a “normal” life took over for some time (had to pay the bills) until I inevitably picked up a pen… I’ve thankfully never lived a normal life since.

What author to you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Jonathan Maberry is a fascinating writer who’s not afraid to write multiple genres. He’s also a prolific anthology editor—and one of the first to give a newbie writer a shot (he’s given a lot of newbie writers a shot!). He’s been an inspiration, a mentor, and an all-around admirable guy.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman = inspirational bliss.
Murderbot by Martha Wells = a fun modern classic.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy = an old classic introducing the first masked hero.

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I acquired my private pilot’s license 16 years ago, and I’m still infatuated with flying. Stop by the Ames airport, and you just might bump into me.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Be the writer of your dreams. Envision what you want to be and make it happen. Don’t try to fit into other people’s opinions of what a writer should be and how a writer should write. Define who you want to be as a writer and make it happen.

Author Bio
Rachel Aukes is the bestselling author of nearly forty books, including 100 Days in Deadland, which made Suspense Magazine’s Best of the Year list. She’s published through traditional houses, independent houses, and her own publishing company. Her novels have repeatedly been Amazon Top 100 bestsellers, and she was one of the first Wattpad Stars, with her stories having over eight million reads. She writes in several genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, romance, and more. When not writing, Rachel can be found flying old airplanes with her husband and an incredibly spoiled dog over the central Iowa countryside. Click here to visit Rachel.

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In The Media

City Council Approves Ames Writers Collective Grant

City of Ames

Thank you, Ames City Council
for the City of Ames Arts Capital Grant!

On Tuesday, September 26th, the Ames City Council heard a request from the Ames Writers Collective to alter the purpose of a grant they received in 2022 and decided to allow the Collective full use of the grant.

“The grant amounted to $5,590 to purchase furnishings for their property at 409 Douglas Ave. The renovations that were supposed to occur in the building did not happen due to failed attempts to communicate with the landlord.

Because the grant was not used, Ana McCracken, the founder and president of the Ames Writers Collective, is asking that the money be spent on chairs, tables, a moveable stage and one small free library for a total of $3,223. Another alternative was to refund the money for a tent purchased last year that cost $2,642.

The council approved the motion for full payment up-front.” (This article can be found by clicking here. Thank you, Iowa State Daily for reporting City Council Meetings.)

The Ames Writers Collective is immensely grateful to the City Council of Ames, Iowa for granting us a City of Ames Arts Capital Grant. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a mission committed to creating healthy communities through the art of writing, the Ames Writers Collective offers FREE community outreach programs to individuals living the cancer journey, Swift Youth Writers Groups held at the Ames Public Library, and the Over 50+ writers who attend OLLI-ISU programming. Grants, corporate sponsorships, and donors are the life-line that keep our programming FREE. For a list of sponsors and donors, click here.

Thank you, Ames City Council for believing in and supporting the Ames Writers Collective.

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Author

Bi Ayers

What’s your genre?
Memoir/creative nonfiction

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
I wanted to share what I’ve learned about the nail salon industry with the hope of helping others to excel with their business. I also wanted to shine a spotlight on an industry which many are familiar with, yet most don’t know its history.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
I’ve read a lot of business books over the years, and I feel the authors wanted to share their knowledge and expertise on their subject, which to me is powerful, and it inspired me to share my own knowledge in my industry.

Name your favorite books and their authors
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I never meant to include as much personal information in my book, but I’m glad I did.

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
People are interested in your story so, pen your thoughts and keep on writing.

Author bio
Bi Ayers was born and raised in Hue, Viet Nam. At age fifteen, he began a new life in the United States. As a Vietnamese American immigrant, he learned early on how to adapt to change. Coming from a hardworking family of leaders and business-owners, Ayers was motivated to start his own business and follow in the family tradition. His professional journey is intertwined with the history of the nail salon boom. His experience re-settling in the United States after growing up in a Communist regime and his own business success as an American nail salon owner offer other Vietnamese Americans and anyone interested in starting their own business an inspiring example of what it takes to open shop and thrive. To learn more about Bi and Polished, click here.

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In The Media

Our Founder Speaks at Peace & Justice Conference

Our founder, Ana McCracken was thrilled and honored to participate as a plenary panelist at the annual Peace & Justice Studies Conference at Iowa State University (Sept 15-17, 2023). The plenary topic: “Peace in Place: Building Community.”

Ana was joined by Alice McGary (Mustard Seed Community Farm) and Sharon Stewart (Lockwood Cafe).

Additionally, she led a Writers Studio. During their time together, writers wrote reflections on peace.

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Author

Stephanie Hansen

What is your genre?
Crime Thriller

Are you published?
Self published

What inspired you to become a writer?
I woke up during a thunderstorm one December evening and told myself a story to fall back asleep. For days afterward, I couldn’t get that story out of my head so I started writing what would become the opening scene in my first book. Things spiraled from there and I found myself swept up in the world of writing thrillers.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
I’ve really enjoyed some of Andy Weir’s interviews. The author of The Martian, he self published that book before it was discovered by traditional publishing. He’s really funny (which comes across in his books) and a total nerd. He does a ton of research for his books and as a professor myself, I find it neat the way he helps the reader digest extremely complex science and engineering concepts in his sci-fi works.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Fox and O’Hare Series by Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich
Sigma Force Series by James Rollins

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I’m a beef cattle professor at Iowa State University and writing is one of my side gigs. I love to travel and my books each feature a national park. I’m a coffee addict and amateur photographer. My current series, Harper and Reese Crime Thrillers, starts in Glacier National Park in Cold Woods and I am working on the second book in that series now.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Figure out what motivates you. If you need external pressure to complete the book, join a writing group. It is a great way to connect with fellow writers and help you finish the first draft. Also remember, there is a lot of writing advice out there, not all of it is right for you.

Author bio
Stephanie (S.L.) Hansen knows that isolated, stunning locations and mystery go together like peanut butter and jelly. With a passion for exploring the great outdoors and a knack for crafting heart-stopping adventures in remote wilderness settings, Hansen is always seeking the perfect backdrop for her next page-turner. So, if you find yourself hiking through the backcountry with her, don’t be surprised if she starts musing about the best spot to bury a body – after all, when it comes to creating suspense, she’s got the recipe down pat. To join in on the adventure and discover what twists and turns she has in store for her readers next, click here, and sign up for her newsletter today.

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Author

Hallie Baur

What’s your genre?
Historical & Speculative Fiction

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
My inspiration to write involves a great amount of duality. Writing serves as both an outlet for my imagination, as well as a tool for presence. Whether I need an escape or a grounding moment, writing is there for me. It’s a bonus when readers want to join me for the ride.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired you writing?
I admire the works of Pamela Des Barres, Margaret Atwood, and Stephen King; all three have shaped my writing style. Pamela Des Barres writes in a truthful, relatable way. I enjoy that she hasn’t led a “traditional” life. My first formal writing class after high school was an online course with Atwood. She takes stories way beyond the limits of typical imagination, and I cannot absorb enough of her brilliance. King holds the same quality of disregard for limits, not only in his stories, but in the writing world. Though my genre differs from these authors, I highly revere and appreciate their works.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
First is On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Themes of adventure and irreverence continue to influence me. Second must be I’m With the Band by Pamela Des Barres. She poetically breaks down the complications of experiencing a wild yet beautiful world as a young woman. Third is Life by Keith Richards.

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
Human connection, nostalgia, and subconscious revelations play into my stories (good and bad aspects.) I don’t always follow the classic statutes of writing, not out of disrespect, but because I chose not to follow the path of most traditional authors.

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
Use the ideas you can’t stop thinking about. Move the bead. More ideas will come to fill in the gaps.

Author bio
Hallie Baur, historical fiction novelist and poet, views the world through a nostalgic lens and uses her fascination with the past to transplant readers into the settings of her stories.

Baur lives in the Midwest with her husband and Maine Coon cat. When she’s not writing she can be found dancing, making her way to the front row of a concert, and seeing the world.

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Author

Gary Eller

What’s your genre?
Fiction, novel and short story, occasional nonfiction

Are you published?
Traditional publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
In short: early encouragement, love reading, opportunity, and disillusionment with my first career choice.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Co-favorites) Raymond Carver, Alice Munro
Carver: simple, minimalistic use of language, his subtexts say so much. And, as he was once described: “He taught us that literature can exist with a bottle of catsup resting on a table in a trailer house.”

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver
One-Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I’m a well-concealed introvert whose sometimes dark writing belies the fact that I’m a quite nice guy.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Read, read, read…all the writers you love.
Remember the advice of your old favorite uncle: “Work hard and don’t give up.”
The paycheck should not matter.
And finally, this is related to the previous. Marry well.

Author bio
Born and raised in Rolla, North Dakota, I worked as a pharmacist mostly in Alaska for fifteen years. I became a writer after earning an MFA degree at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.

My collection of short stories, Thin Ice and Other Risks, was published by New Rivers Press. I’ve also published many stand-alone short stories and nonfiction articles. My novel, True North, was published by BHC Press in late 2021.

I have several writing awards, the most significant being a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. I’ve taught fiction and nonfiction at Iowa State University.  I live and work now in Ames, Iowa, while spending parts of summers in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota.

Click here to visit Gary.