Join our Email List

The above email list will get you directly in touch with us and you will receive all of our email updates on writing events, workshops and publishing opportunities in the state, and sometimes outside the state! Or, you can CLICK HERE to go and like our facebook page to stay in touch.

For many years, we supported ourselves with donations, book sales, and a few grants. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to fund our books. Without your support and donations, there would be no Jackpine Writers’ Bloc and no Talking Stick books. Remember, your tax donation is tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

HOME CONTACT ABOUT ARCHIVES MEETING MINUTES

Submit to the Talking Stick Our Services Writers' Tips Events News

June Meeting Minutes 2021

Hello Everyone, today we held our June 2021 JWB meeting.

PRESENT:

Sharon, Mike, Dawn, Erin, Marlys, Mary.

TALKING STICK 30 PROGRESS:

We are making slow progress, still reading. Niomi, Marilyn, and Tarah have offered to proofread along with Sharon.

BOOK PARTY:

We are still up in the air about what we should do about a book party. We had our last couple of events at Smoky Hills. That has now sold and is called Jack Pines Resort. We could possibly still get into October but we still are not sure what we should do. We keep hearing that there could still be a resurgence of COVID this fall. Vaccines will only last a few months; people who have had COVID will have only a few months of being immune. Variants already seem to be spreading.

WORKSHOP:

Even if we don’t have a book party, we could still have a virtual workshop, perhaps in October or November. We have discussed the possibility of doing book parties and workshops on separate days in the future instead of having both on one long day.

BOOK EVENTS:

Hackensack Book & Art Fair, Saturday August 14, 2021 from 9 to 3. See us there to buy Talking Stick books and other books published by Jackpine Writers’ Bloc.

League of MN Poets will be holding their 23^rd annual Woodtick Poetry Retreat this year.

Camp Candace was held earlier in June. This was a great collection of presentations by authors.

PRLAAC meeting in June. They are progressing with their Park Rapids events for 2021. They will NOT be doing the American Story event. Blank Canvas will have an event in August.

Northwoods Writers starts 06-22-21 for a week. This is a totally virtual event this year. There are workshops by authors and some evening reading events.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Mike is having a good year selling his books. His new book Cabin Fever is out this year and his previous books, Firewood Happens, Down at the Dock, and Crooked Lake Chronicles are all still selling also.

This was one of those especially enjoyable meetings. Everyone brought in good work and we had a pleasant few hours of critiquing and making suggestions. It is so wonderful to meet in person, whether masked or not, and even if we are a ways apart. Outside, the welcome rain was coming down slowly. It was a good day to be sitting inside discussing words and word usage. We had an all-day, much-needed rain. We could use lots more but we are grateful for what we got!

Hope to see you all next time!