Meet the Writers: The Guests of Alchemy

One of my favorite things about the Alchemy courses is the list of featured guests. I'm convinced that three of the most necessary components for living a writing life are: 1) writing; 2) reading; 3) being in creative community with other writers. Part of this third component is learning from writing mentors and peers.

Every guest in Alchemy informs and inspires my work, and I really am thrilled to share their insights and energy with you. Here's the guest list of authors, writers, poets, and bloggers for the next session of Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing. Class starts on Monday (April 2), and there's still a spot for you on the guest list if you'd like to join us.

Brené Brown, PhD, is a professor and vulnerability researcher at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, an expert on the topics of shame and guilt, and author of the books The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me, the DVD "The Hustle for Worthiness," and the curriculum "Connections."

I talked with Brené about overcoming the shame that can get in the way during the creative process. You can listen in on our chat and find out how she combats that pesky creative block called perfectionism in her own life -- even after writing multiple books!

Marianne Elliott is a human rights advocate, writer, not-for-profit whizz, yoga teacher, and the creator of 30 Days of Yoga. Also known online as Zen Peacekeeper, Marianne is the author of Zen Under Fire: A Story of Love and Work in Afghanistan, a memoir about life as a peacekeeper there.

Marianne shared with me what she learned through the process of rewriting and editing her book. Listen along for her wisdom, insight, generous spirit, and fabulous Kiwi accent. {photo of Marianne by Susannah Conway} 

Liz Lamoreux is the author of Inner Excavation: Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry and Mixed Media. She's also a yoga teacher, editor, artist, workshop teacher, and creator of the Be Present retreats.

Liz will help us tap into our senses so we can begin to translate the richness around (and within) us into words on the page. She'll be sharing a guest post and a guided audio meditation. Her soothing voice is a delight to listen to (and I'm not just saying that because she's one of my dearest friends). {photo of Liz by Darlene Kreutzer}

Sue William Silverman's memoir Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction, is also a Lifetime television movie. Her first memoir, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, won the AWP award in creative nonfiction. Her craft book is Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir, and her poetry collection is Hieroglyphics in Neon. One of her essays appears in The Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Nonfiction; others won contests with Hotel Amerika, Mid-American Review, and Water~Stone Review. She teaches in the MFA in Writing Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA).

I worked with Sue when I was a grad student at VCFA, and she's shaped much of what I know about writing creative nonfiction. In her written interview for Alchemy, Sue shares where and how she finds story ideas -- or how they find her.

Susan G. Wooldridge is the author of poemcrazy: freeing your life with words (in a 23rd printing!), Foolsgold: Making Something from Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process, and Bathing with ants (poetry chapbook). She presents her writing and creativity workshops (which have been featured in Poets and Writers magazine) around the country, and she is in her seventh year of a series to foster creative expression among people of all ages and backgrounds in rural California libraries sponsored by Poets and Writers organization and the California Center for the Book.

Susan and I talked about how we can play with language and imagery to keep the spark of creativity alive. She is a lively talker and teacher, and I think you'll get a good dose of fun and inspiration from this interview. 

Meredith Winn is a writer who finds herself having a love affair with photography. She is regular contributor to Shutter Sisters, and her writing has appeared in Literary Mama, Midwifery Today, HipMama, Motherverse, Mamazine, and the forthcoming anthology Mother Birth.

The first time I encountered Meredith's work I knew she had a special knack for storytelling. Read along as she shares her thoughts on using our artistic voices and tapping into the multifaceted, authentic parts of ourselves that help us to create.

I hope you'll come along with us for some writing, some reading, and some creative community. If you're ready to take your writing deeper and wider, please check out the details and registration here. (Class starts April 2, but registration will stay open until April 9.)