Erika Dreifus

Each Friday, the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend.

• The first installment in a two-part conversation on friendship and mentoring, featuring Mary Cantrell, Vida Cross, Rachel Hall, and Anna Leahy, writers who met more than 30 years ago as undergraduates at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
• Bethanne Patrick makes the case for e-galleys.
• The Inkubator, “Literary Cleveland’s free annual festival for writers and readers,” is almost here. “This year, instead of a one-day in-person event, we will be moving online and expanding to a record free 25 events spread across three weeks from July 13-31. Each day will feature a new program or event open to the public and available online, including multi-week workshops, reading, panel discussions, craft talks, open mics, and a keynote address by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and novelist Connie Schultz. Altogether, the three-week online conference will become a public celebration of writing in Cleveland that advances writers’ individual abilities, furthers artistic dialogue, fosters a more connected literary community, and invites more people to write.” Check the schedule and register as appropriate. (Thanks to Allison Pottern Hoch for the tip about this one.)
• Last night, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden spoke with her U.S. Poets Laureate appointees, Tracy K. Smith (2017-2019) and Joy Harjo (2019-current), “about poetry in times of crisis as well as its enduring power to promote social justice.” I missed it, so I’m grateful that a recording is available on YouTube.
• And of course, you’ll find a new set of Jewish-lit links posted over on the My Machberet blog.

Wishing you all a very good weekend.