Anniversary Post!

by Becca

Official Year Two

About two years ago, Lisa & I discussed what it would be like to create a space where we could do community events, readings, classes, lectures, and create community while we were all struggling with the pandemic.

When we first launched the Notebooks Collective on February 11, 2021, we asked our guests to read a poem they wrote and a poem they love. Our guests, Eileen Cleary, Ellen Austin-Li, and Ashley Monet Johnson then chatted with Lisa & me about what they look for in a love poem. It was our intention to open our space with love of the written word. We collected those poems in a little anthology you can read here (pdf).

  • Our first event in 2021.
  • The first In Conversation
  • Randall reads at his launch on 3/1/22
  • Randall, Ashley and guests in conversations
  • Soledad and Becca chat about I Was A Bell
  • Daneil B. Summerhill, Jose Angel Araguz, and Quintin Collins
  • Marcia Karp and George Kalogeris
  • Becca, Jan Beatty, Lisa Allen, and Jess Cuello
  • The launch of Anne-Marie Oomen’s memoir
  • Claire Schwartz, Sarah Ghazal Ali, Lisa and Becca
  • Nicholas Goodly, jason b. crawford, Malcolm Tariq, lisa, becca

Looking forward, we are exploring events with fiction writers, more poets, and creators of other spaces. Classes (short sessions and longer workshops) are on the horizon too.

Lisa & I have full time jobs, do our own writing, take care of our families, as well as deal with the unexpected emergencies — and sometimes we can’t make this as much as the priority we want it to be. Yet, the Notebooks Collective is our balm. It’s our heart and we’re so happy to go into official year two with you.

We so appreciate the writers we have met through this and who have shared their precious time with us. We are indebted to those folks who email us and say, “I have this idea for an event…” And we are grateful to all of you who support our work with your donations.

Please remember that you can purchase books from all of our visiting guests at our bookshop. We’d especially love to know what you’re adding to your TBR pile for 2023; tweet us and tag the poet!

With gratitude,
Becca & Lisa