“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer...” –Natalie Babbitt
In this email: Lit Fests, A Song for August (Wilson), Writers' Groups, Love Letters, Craft Corner, Excerpts, Events, and more!
Full quote: “The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.”—Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting (1975)
A big Littsburgh THANK YOU to everyone who shared Rachel’s fun book news this past week! Between all of that excitement… and the Olympics and keeping up with the news, it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day this summer.
But literary Pittsburgh is still going strong!
Scroll down for lit fests, a song for August Wilson, writers' groups, love letters, a writing and craft corner, excerpts, and a bunch of new events added to our literary calendar (like City Books’ 40th Anniversary Celebration, Read Local Eat Local, and Write Pittsburgh’s Used Book Fair)!
Until next time: Stay Golden,
P.S. Thanks to everyone who’s pledged their support and donated to Littsburgh—whether or not you’re able to donate, we always appreciate your support!
A Q&A with Sally Denmead, author of A Song for August: The Inspiring Life of Playwright August Wilson…
“An ode to one of America’s foremost Black playwrights, August Wilson, and a meditation on culture, erasure, and what ultimately drives an artist’s desire to create.
August Wilson grew up open to the creative inspiration in everything he encountered: in library books, in music, in artworks, in the lively conversations overheard in the restaurants and barbershops lining the Pittsburgh neighborhood of his childhood. August paid attention. He listened. And when he got older, he got ideas about what to do with everything he’d seen and heard — ideas that would make him one of the greatest playwrights in American history…”
Featured Event: Read Local Eat Local at Peters Township Public Library!
“Join Peters Township Public Library on Saturday, September 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for this local author showcase. Get lunch, meet local authors, and find your next great read at this event. Raffle baskets, children’s entertainment, local authors, and delicious food are featured at this yearly event sponsored by The Peters Township Library Foundation…”
Start Reading She Throws Herself Forward to Stop the Fall by Dave Newman…
In his new story collection, She Throws Herself Forward to Stop the Fall, Newman delivers seven stories dealing with working-class people struggling through a bachelor’s degree at a branch campus outside of Pittsburgh…”
Writing and Craft Corner: “Should You Hire an Editor or Writing Coach?”
“A discussion popped up on one of my authors’ forums: do you need to hire an independent editor before you send your manuscript off to agents or publishers? Some authors had. Most had not. The fact is, there is no writers’ roadmap for this question. So how do you know if hiring someone is right for you? Before you can make that decision, you need to make sure you know what these services actually entail…”— M. Christine Benner Dixon, Ph.D.
Discover Steel City Creatives: A Writers’ Group for Inspiration and Growth!
We were so excited to hear about a new Pittsburgh-area writing community, Steel City Creatives, and wanted to share this Q&A for any Littsburgh readers who might want to get involved!
Don’t miss out: This August 31st, “Steel City Creatives is hosting a book show featuring live readings, autographed books, jewelry, merchandise, baked goods, and raffles. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Blessing Board in West Elizabeth, an organization that assists low-income families and individuals overcoming homelessness.”
Start Reading Justice: A Hollywood Homicide by J. Grant Boyd!
“Alyce Justice was beautiful. She was not yet thirty, and less than twenty-four hours earlier, with millions watching, she’d held up her Oscar for Best Actress. Now the police announced she’s dead, brutally murdered at the Palisades Estates.
Detective Lucas Horne is on the case, and it should have been a simple one. Justice died shortly after a party held at the Estates. The only attendees were the eleven residents, and only one of them had a motive for murder. Her estranged husband, Brandon Bradford, an immensely popular actor known as much for his temper as for his movies…”
Regional News: Announcing the Bridge LIT Fest (August 10th)!
“Join us for a day of writing and inspiration in historic Oil City, PA. On August 10th, we’ll offer the chance to participate in two 90 minute sessions in your choice of genres, capped at 15 participants, and conducted by a member of our esteemed faculty. Genres include Poetry, Nonfiction/Memoir, Fiction, SciFi/Worldbuilding and Multi Genre. The festival will also include the chance for plein air writing and hiking, or a bike and write experience on the facility’s beautiful grounds. A Book and Community Fair, open to the public, will feature authors and community groups…”
Start Reading Wanna Cuddle? And Other Modern Love Letters by Nadette Rae Rodgers…
“Rodgers has a way of storytelling that makes you feel like you’re just talking with your best friend about her recent first date! This book feels like girl-talk with your bestie…”
Don’t miss out: Rodgers will be celebrating the launch of two books (including Wanna Cuddle) on Saturday, August 17th from noon to 3:30 PM at Generoasta coffee shop in Warrendale!
Don’t sleep on literary Pittsburgh - visit our literary events calendar!
Scribble House Lit Fest: A Gathering of Western PA Publishers!
New Pittsburgh Sci-Fi / Fantasy Zine: Baubles From Bones!
Start Reading Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance by Jeffrey Dunn!
Pittsburgh’s International Poetry Forum Launches Short-Form Poetry Podcast (Now Accepting Pitches)!
Start Reading Out of the Fire by B. A. Collela…