Posts

Veterans Podcast: Kilroy was Hear

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Have you heard about the podcast featuring local veterans? Kilroy was Hear is a locally produced podcast inspired by two prolific storytellers: Airforce Veteran Jim Cotter and Army Veteran and former Wakefield Police Officer Sam Stella who recorded the first episode one year ago in Wakefield Community Access Television Studios (WCAT) . The Room to Write recently presented a donation of $500 to WCAT Studios. The check was presented to Executive Director, Ian McDermott, in support of WCAT’s collaborative storytelling project with Wakefield Veterans Services Office. In the Fall of 2024, Cotter and Stella sat down in WCAT’s podcast studio to reflect on everything from military service to careers and life after service. Sharing their stories aloud, through podcast with a fellow veteran, fostered comradery in a format that was accessible to those visually impaired audience members. Something very special   happened in the studio that day with two veterans simply sitting down for a ...

The Irish Goodbye

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You have probably heard the term or witnessed “The Irish Goodbye” in action. People often associate that style of departure as a sudden disappearance of a person without a word. Just poof! Well, that’s not my form of The Irish Goodbye. I follow in my parents’ tradition of circling the room to say goodbye to, and chatting with, each person one by one. We kids would plead, “When are we leaving?!” Our parents would stall by responding, “Get the coats.” We kids knew that meant we were at least one solid hour away from actually putting the coats on and walking out the door. Over the past nine years, I’m pleased to say there are too many people in “the room” to say goodbye to each of you individually. We have such a wonderful group of writers and readers and creative minds in this region—that I’m sure I will be bumping into each of you for one reason or another in the weeks, months and years to come. We know each other now. The Room to Write acted as a gracious host and brought us all togeth...

A Note From Linda Malcolm

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A Note From  The Room to Write's Coordinator of Senior & Veteran Programming: Linda Malcolm "I have thought about this a lot and wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to step down at the end of this program year (this May) as Coordinator of Senior & Veteran programming.   "I can feel a change in seasons. My parents are aging, and now, with both of our sons in college, I will be going back to Iowa to see my parents more often. Plus, there’s also the fact that my husband and I are enjoying the freedom of traveling!   "To watch so many of you find your writing voice or expand on it in our senior & veteran workshops has been a privilege. Much thanks to the dedicated volunteers who have run the workshops for these three years. The energy from both parties is magical! "Keep writing and sharing!"  -- Linda Malcolm *You can continue to keep up with Linda Malcolm and her writing at lindamalcolm.com  :) Thank you, Linda! You are creative magic and hum...

An Inspirational and Sensational Youth Literacy Event!

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The Room to Write's annual Young Writers and Illustrators Meet, Greet, & Create! felt like a beehive filled with everything that could possibly inspire a young person to want to be curious, experiment, and create.  There were words being typed, pictures being glittered, acorns with eyes, animals to draw, rocks to dig deeper into, field journals, a graphic arts portfolio to amaze, and a master class in character illustration. All in one really fun space provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Metro North 's Saugus Teen Center "The Club" location inside the Square One Mall. What a bright and beautiful space! Tuesday, March 25th, seemed like an ordinary weekday night, but if you happen to be at The Club or strolling through the mall, there was something much more extraordinary to discover: 13 local authors (which included 3 author/illustrators), 1 local kids art organization: Kidcasso , tons-o-snacks, 100+ free books to give away to kids ages toddler (babies, too:) ...

Young Writers and Illustrators Meet, Greet & Create! Tuesday, March 25th, 6-8pm

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“Seniors to Seniors” Seeks Participants

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“Seniors to Seniors” is a cross-generational event that brings high school seniors and seniors in our community together.   Join us on Wednesday, March 5th for an opportunity to share your personal story through a one-on-one interview with a senior Wakefield High School student.   After the interviews, students will write stories about their interviewees, and these stories will be published in the Wakefield Daily Item. No writing experience is necessary, so if you'd love to be able to pass down some stories but would like somebody else to do the writing--this is a great opportunity to let the younger generation do the writing! During the interview session, lunch will be provided for all participants by The Savings Bank on Wednesday, March 5th, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Wakefield Senior Center, 30 Converse Street, in the dining room. Registration is required  by 12:00pm on Tuesday, March 4th. Senior citizens interested in participating...

TRtW's Meet & Greet at FYACS

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What better way to warm up on a cold, winter day than to gather in a wonderfully creative space with wonderfully creative individuals! On Monday, January 27th we met up at the big, yellow house which is home to Follow Your Art Community Studios in Melrose, MA and enjoyed casual community. A variety of interests were represented--from novels taking place during historical biblical times all the way to more modern topics of audio book narrating.  The Room to Write's quarterly Writers and Illustrators Meet & Greets have become a great way to meet other creative minds in the north of Boston region while sipping a cozy beverage and snacking on something sweet. Thanks to Follow Your Art Community Studios for hosting this event and for all those who ventured out on a winter's night to join us! Happy Writing!