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Events, classes, news

 
WORD SALAD -- locally sourced, sometimes fresh

Tues., April 16, 2024

Word Salad, the monthly open literary mic, has returned! In April it will be hosted by Kristen Underwood. Started in 2018 by June, she is happy the series is continuing after she had to step down from hosting last year because of ongoing problems with her hearing (hyperacusis). But the even is back! Woot woot! The February 2024 Word Salad had close to 50 people come out! Free and open to the public, and always a hoot. You are invited to come and share 3 minutes of your original poetry, fiction, or essays. Now the event is being run by the Decorah Public library partnering with Arthaus, Decorah. 

 

Pulpit Rock Brewery

Decorah, IA

6:45pm signup. 7:00pm show

 

March 2024: No word Salad.  But it will be back in May 2024. Generally, every other month on the third Tuesday.

 

 

 

2024 IOWA SUMMER WRITING FESTIVAL

July 14-19, 2024   SUMMER CAMP (for your muse)

June is thrilled to be teaching a weeklong generative class, called "Summer Camp" at the renowned Iowa Summer Writing Festival on the beautiful Univ. of Iowa campus. The festival is coming back huger this year with 76 different class offerings (!), either weekend intensives or week-long workshops from June 16 - July 28. June has been teaching at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival since 2011 with classes on the topics of memoir writing, humor, and "being your most creative self." This year she is thrilled to return again and teaching her all-time fav-OR-ite class: Summer Camp for your muse.  

 

This course is designed to be a vacation you and your muse will take together.  Let's call it a week at summer camp.  There will be fun!  Challenges!  Canoeing and swimming, (metaphorically)!  And the chance to hang out with other writers and their muses.  It will be a week to re-experience the pure joy of creativity.

 

"[June's was] the best writing class I've ever taken at a summer workshop." -- John A. (former student)

 

WRITING COACH!

Hurrah, June is coaching again!

Hey, I got the chance to teach writing again in summer 2023 for the first time since the pandemic: the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, and at Write-On Door County. And you know what? Both were a blast! Maybe a "blast and a half." So, why stop? With coaching I can teach all the timer. Interested? Get in touch! I'd love to work with you and help you be your most creative self.

 

So now I am taking on new clients who could use help with their writing. Zoom meetings, in-person, or feedback on submitted pages. I can help you with issues of story development, characters, editing, staying motivated, "finding the story," writer's block, and more! Open to genres: memoir, short stories, middle grade novels. Contact me for more info.

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Update:  The newsletter has been AWOL or in some kind of quarantine for several months now.  The staff at Newsletter Headquarters would like to sincerely apologize for the newsletter's bad behaviour.

SELECT PREVIOUS EVENTS

Jan. 2018 - August 2023

WORD SALAD - locally sourced, sometimes fresh  
June Melby is the host and originator of "Word "Salad," a monthly literary open mic that began at the Courtyard and Cellar, and now held at Pulpit Rock Brewery, Decorah, Iowa. 

Feb. 26, 2019, Hamburg, Germany
June Melby features at Slamburg for the 8th time.

June 11, 2018, Dragonfly Books, Decorah, IA
June Melby and Keith Lesmeister team up once again to amaze and confound.

May 14, 2018. Worcester, MA.Dirty Gerund

March 13, 2018. Chevalier’s Books on Larchmont. Los Angeles, CA.

March 14, 2018. Ugly Mug, Orange, CA
June is featuring at the long-running series.