If you’ve come to one of our events in the last few months, you might’ve noticed I’m no longer always the one leading them. It’s been great to step into this new stage and bring on new folks to host, and I’ve loved watching it grow and seeing how different hosts approach the same idea.

It’s also meant Little Nights can now happen in multiple places at the same time, which means more opportunities for everyone to write and meet other writers,. For August, we have a spread of events across the city as well as a few online workshops starting in the next few weeks.

We’ll also be leading our first event with Eaton Botanicals, a low-dose edible brand rooted in functional wellness, so be sure to come through for your free sample.

Meanwhile, our Labor Day Retreat is days away! Thirty-two participants, two days of writing, drawing, and music-making workshops. It’s always impossible to predict the specific way each new group comes together, and I’m looking forward to seeing it all to happen back at Hilltown Commons.

See you soon,

Josh

UPCOMING EVENTS

Stage Dive
Creative writing inspired by a trio of guest storytellers

Book Club Bar, Bushwick
Wednesday, Sept. 2 from 8-10pm (RSVP) - tomorrow!

Community Writing Night
Collaborative writing games inspired by you & your neighbors

Blind Barber, East Village
Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Dilly Dally, Prospect Heights
Tuesday, September 22 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Community Writing Night
Collaborative writing games inspired by you & your neighbors (singles only!)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Drink ‘N Draft
Creative writing inspired by visual prompts

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, Bushwick
Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights — with Eaton Botanicals!
Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

WORKSHOPS

I’ll be leading two classes of Writing Past The Page starting mid-September, one through WritingWorkshops.com and one through Narratively Academy.

Instead of generating new work, the focus here is on developing a sustainable practice, and finding new ways of integrating writing into your daily life. The daily work of this class has become a big part of my own writing process and I always love chatting about it with new writers.

Thursdays (Sept. 10 - Oct 15) from 6-8pm EST (on Zoom) | Narratively Academy

Mondays (Sept. 14 - Oct. 19) from 7-9pm EST (on Zoom) | WritingWorkshops.com

I’ll also be leading an online workshop at the Center for Fiction, starting Sept. 1. Together, we’ll analyze one published short story and workshop two participant submissions each class.

This class sold out faster than I thought it would! But if you’re interested in joining the next one, let me know and I’ll reach out once we’re offering it again.

Tuesdays (Sept. 1- Oct. 6) from 7-9pm EST (on Zoom)

Join us!

July was a big month for us. We led nine events across the city as well as three different workshops, both online and in-person. We also hosted our first Singles Writing Night and it was everything I could’ve hoped for.

Little Nights has always been about building community around a shared interest, and that community can take so many forms—writing groups, friendships, and more. The event also sold out fast, so be sure to grab a spot for our next one in September!

Meanwhile, we’re preparing for our Labor Day Weekend Retreat at Hilltown Commons in a few weeks. This time we’ll have 30 participants (our most yet!) joining us for three days of writing, visual art, and music-making workshops. Our last Hilltown retreat was the highlight of my year and I can’t wait to get back into the summer camp groove.

All to say, we’re taking it a little slower in August, and enjoying the weather before it cranks up even more. We have three events at a few of our favorite places (plus a new workshop starting in September!) and I hope you’ll join us at one soon.

Stay hydrated,

Josh

Upcoming Events

Community Writing Night

A night of collaborative games that introduce new ways of storytelling and make writing a communal, social experience.

Dilly Dally, Prospect Heights
Tuesday, August 20 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Drink ‘N Draft

A chance to get out of your head and onto the page, using visual prompts as writing inspo. All genres welcome, no experience necessary.

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, August 12 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, August 18 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Between the Knicks, the weather, the World Cup, and Pride, it’s been a beautiful June in NYC. It’s also meant we’ve been a little light on our events because we’ve been busy enjoying everything else. But have no fear, we’re back with a full slate in July!

We have nine events in NYC this month, including our first ever singles writing night. We’ll also be at both Book Club Bar locations, so make sure to double-check that you’re RSVPing for the right one!

Applications are also open for two more weeks to join us on our Labor Day Weekend Retreat at Hilltown Commons (Sept. 4-7). We’ll be leading writing, visual art, and music-making workshops for folks at all experience levels. Apply by July 15th!

Join us!

Stay cool and see you soon,

Josh

Upcoming Events

Singles Writing Night

Join us for a singles night where you can guarantee you’ll have at least one shared interest with everyone you meet. Tickets are for two and we ask that everyone bring a single friend of the opposite sex to help us keep those numbers even!

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, July 28 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Stage Dive

We have a Stage Dive at both of Book Club Bar’s two locations, and at each one a different trio of guests will tell stories for the audience to use as writing inspo.

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, July 8 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, Bushwick
Wednesday, July 15 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Community Writing Night

A night of collaborative games that introduce new ways of storytelling and make writing a communal, social experience.

Dilly Dally, Prospect Heights
Tuesday, July 7 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Anais, Boerum Hill
Monday, July 20 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Drink ‘N Draft

A chance to get out of your head and onto the page, using visual prompts as writing inspo. All genres welcome, no experience necessary.

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, July 21 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, Bushwick
Wednesday, July 22 from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Thursday, July 23rd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, July 29th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Little Nights Big Weekend

This Labor Day Weekend, we’re returning to Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville, New York for our second large-scale retreat. Unlike other retreats, which host 6-8 new participants at a time, we’ll be inviting 25 people to Hilltown, including a mix of new folks and alumni.

The weekend is a mix of summer camp vibes (rolling hills, lakeside hangs), retreat-center accommodations (your own bedroom and bathroom), and a music festival structure: each day you’ll have two separate opportunities to take workshops in writing, visual arts, or music-making. You can also choose to explore the nearby nature preserve, take a dip in the lake, or read a book on the hill. Our goal is to give you plenty of options—experiment, explore, chat, nap, swim—then let you do whatever you want.

Learn more about our retreat and apply by July 15th to join us over Labor Day Weekend!

Join us!

Most of the work I do for Little Nights is related to the next few weeks of programming, so it’s always fun to start building something that’s a little further out on the horizon.

In the last three years, we’ve led ten retreats for almost seventy participants. We’ve been at AirBnBs in Hudson, artist residencies in Austerlitz, and a retreat center in Rensselaerville. These are always my favorite part of what we do, an extended chance to step out of your routine, deepen your creative practice, and find your creative community.

Which is why I’m excited to announce that applications are now open for our second annual large-scale retreat at Hilltown Commons. This year, we’re inviting 25 participants to join us for a weekend of writing, visual art, and music-making workshops. Learn more and apply by July 15th to join us! And, as always, email me if you have any qs.

As for the next few weeks, we have a great line-up of writing and storytelling events in NYC. And starting in July we’ll have an event residency at The Faight in San Franciso, where you can find us on the first Wednesday of every month.

Check below to learn more about everything we have coming up, and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

Events

We’re starting the month with a community storytelling night at Mama Dee’s Community Garden in Crown Heights!

June’s theme is Tests.

Our lives are filled with tests—tests of intelligence, of loyalty, of love. Some tests you’ve taken intentionally, and others you didn’t know you took until after. There are driver’s tests, Covid-19 tests, and the way every first date is just a test. Think about a time you were tested, or tested someone else, then tell us all about it!

Mama Dee’s Community Garden, Crown Heights
Wednesday, June 10th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

We’re also returning to a few of our favorite venues in the city for our monthly Drink ‘N Drafts—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, June 17th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, June 17th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, June 23rd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, Bushwick (new location!)
Wednesday, June 24th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Little Nights Big Weekend

This Labor Day Weekend, we’re returning to Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville, New York for our second large-scale retreat. Unlike other retreats, which host 6-8 new participants at a time, we’ll be inviting 25 people to Hilltown, including a mix of new folks and alumni.

The weekend is a mix of summer camp vibes (rolling hills, lakeside hangs), retreat-center accommodations (your own bedroom and bathroom), and a music festival structure: each day you’ll have two separate opportunities to take workshops in writing, visual arts, or music-making. You can also choose to explore the nearby nature preserve, take a dip in the lake, or read a book on the hill. Our goal is to give you plenty of options—experiment, explore, chat, nap, swim—then let you do whatever you want.

Learn more about our retreat and apply by July 15th to join us over Labor Day Weekend!

Join us!

Workshops

I’ll be leading a virtual version of Writing Past The Page through Hudson Valley Writers Center, starting June 18th.

This is a six-week course, where instead of generating new work the focus is on developing a sustainable practice, and finding new ways of integrating writing into your daily life.

Thursdays (June 18th - July 23rd) from 6-8pm EST (on Zoom)

We’re back with another month of programs across the city, including five writing events and an online workshop starting at the end of May through the Center for Fiction.

We’re also in the very early stages of planning a five-day retreat to Ireland in the summer of 2027! Less Dublin, more remote western isles. Think cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, wild moorlands, and the wind in your hair. If you’re interested or want early access to registrations as we continue to build it, fill out this short survey and we’ll keep you up to date!

Check below to learn more about everything we have coming up in May and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

NYC Events

This month we’re leading a collaborative writing night at Dilly Dally that introduces new ways of storytelling and makes writing a more communal, social experience—

Dilly Dally, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, May 6th from 8-9:30 (RSVP)

We’re also back with another Writing Meet-Up with Lit.Club!

Quick Eternity, Seaport
Monday, May 11th from 6-8pm (RSVP)

And, as always, we’ll be returning to three of our favorite venues in the city for our monthly Drink ‘N Drafts—

Book Club Bar, Bushwick (new location!)
Wednesday, May 13th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Wednesday, May 20th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, May 27th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

I’m leading a new online workshop at the Center for Fiction, starting May 26th.

Each week we’ll study different aspects of the craft of writing fiction, using both the work of published authors and our own projects in process. To do this, we’ll analyze one published short story and workshop two student submissions each class.

Our focus will be on exploration, experimentation, and talking through our work with other writers, with the aim of helping you make your writing the best version of itself.

Tuesdays (May 26 - June 30) from 7-9pm EST (on Zoom)

Some people say April is the cruellest month, but it’s also the month that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden starts updating its cherry blossom tracker, and I can’t think of many things nicer than that 🌸

In Little Nights news, there’s one week left to apply to our Memorial Day Weekend Retreat! Join us for 3 days of writing workshops and a chance to expand your creative practice/community with a small crew of others. We’ll be back at an old farmhouse in Hudson and I can’t wait to dive into everything we have planned.

In addition to a nice line-up of NYC events, we also have two Drink ‘N Drafts in San Francisco, led by our own Tess Murphy.

We’re just getting started on the west coast, so if you have any buds in the bay, let ‘em know! And if you forward them this email they can get a discount to their first event (promo code: LNinSF).

Last thing, I’m running two online workshops starting at the end of April and the end of May, one through Narratively and one through the Center for Fiction.

Check below to learn more about everything we have coming up and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

NYC & SF Events

In NYC we’re hosting six writing nights around the city—

Farm.One, Prospect Heights
Sunday, April 5th from 5-7pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 8th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Anais, Boerum Hill
Wednesday, April 15th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, April 21st from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 22nd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, April 29th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

We’re also teaming up with Mom’s Night Off for a special night of collaborative writing games made to turn creative writing into a communal, social activity.

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, April 14th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

And in San Francisco we’re hosting our first two Drink ‘N Drafts!

Manny’s, The Mission
Sunday, April 26th from 5-7pm (RSVP)

The Faight Collective, Lower Haight
Wednesday, April 29th from 6:30-8:30pm (RSVP)

Workshops

I’ll be leading a virtual version of Finding Your Writing Rhythm through Narratively, starting April 30th.

This is a six-week course, where instead of generating new work the focus is on developing a sustainable practice, and finding new ways of integrating writing into your daily life.

Thursdays (April 30 - June 4) from 6-8pm EST (on Zoom)

I’ll also be leading an online workshop at the Center for Fiction, starting May 26th. Together, we’ll analyze one published short story and workshop two participant submissions each class.

Tuesdays (May 26 - June 30) from 7-9pm EST (on Zoom)

It feels insane writing a monthly events email right now for a dozen different reasons, and unfortunately it likely will for a while. I hope you’re taking care of yourself and your neighbors, and while it might not feel like much it always helps to tell your reps exactly how you feel.

In Little Nights news, we’re now open for applications to our Memorial Day Weekend retreat. We had a great time at Millay Arts last month and I’m looking forward to another weekend of workshops and making a space dedicated to everyone’s creative practice.

This retreat is built around the two writing workshops we’ll have each day, and includes all meals, lodging, and transportation from the Hudson Amtrak station. There are also options for shared rooms, and space for camping in the backyard for anyone interested in sleeping under the stars. Submit your app by April 7th!

We’re also back with half-day and six-week workshops in Brooklyn, Drink ‘N Drafts all over the city, and our bi-monthly storytelling night. Check below to learn more about our upcoming programs, and hope to see you soon.

—Josh

NYC Events

We’re hosting five Drink ‘N Drafts around NYC in different locations—

Farm.One, Prospect Heights (tonight!)
Sunday, March 1st from 5-7pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, March 11th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Love & Legends, Prospect Heights
Wednesday, March 18th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, March 24th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

We’re also back with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, March 25th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

And we’re closing the month with a community storytelling night at Another World!

March’s theme is Breaking The Rules.

Rules come in many forms. There are curfews and speeding limits, cultural norms and biblical commandments. There are just and unjust rules, and rules you’re unconsciously following all the time. Think about a time you broke a rule, intentionally or not, and the consequences that followed. Then tell us all about it!

Another World, Crown Heights
Wednesday, March 25th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

I’ll be leading another round of Writing Without Thinking at the Center for Fiction in a few weeks. This is half-day course of generative exercises, designed to jump-start the creative process and introduce new ways of thinking less and writing more.

Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Saturday, March 14th from 12-4:30pm

We’re also running our next in-person six-week writing workshop. This is for anyone looking for a little accountability and feedback on their projects-in-progress, and is made for writers of all experience levels writing fiction and creative non-fiction.

Six-Week Writing Workshop in Crown Heights (location shared after registering)
Thursdays, March 19th through April 23rd, from 7-8:30pm

Before we get into this month’s programs, I wanted to drop a few links for folks who’ve been feeling angry/sad/helpless/depleted about what’s currently happening in Minneapolis, not to mention the rest of the country/world.

I saw this clip from Tressie McMillan Cottom the other day, and it was a good reminder that, perhaps counterintuitively, doing something (no matter how small) will make you feel less burned out than taking a step away or shielding yourself in the name of self-care.

So, some options: you can protest, or donate, or make a few phone calls, or join a local mutual aid group and plug into something already in-progress. Whatever it is, I hope you’re able to find some time to do what you can, and to say hello to your neighbors.

Now, onto our February programs—

In addition to our regular Drink ‘N Drafts, I’m excited to announce our first collab with Lit Club, a literary series run by Kelly Chervin that builds community around reading and a love of literature in all forms.

When Kelly and I met it was quickly clear we’d have to do something together—writing! reading! duh!—and now we are! Join us as we discuss the books that make us want to write, then write a few short pieces together.

I’m also offering a few more writing consultations this year, so if you’re working on a project (or want to get one off the ground) and are looking for feedback, line edits, structural advice, and more, send me a message! (One of the writers I work with, Liz McCrocklin, just wrote a post about working with me on her own Substack, if you’re interested in a first-hand account.)

Scroll to learn more about all our upcoming programs, and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

Events

We’re back at Book Club Bar with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, February 4th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Our first collab with Lit Club invites you to bring the books that inspire you to write, and then provides the prompts to put that inspiration into practice.

Quick Eternity, FiDi
Tuesday, February 17th from 6-8pm (RSVP)

We’re hosting three Drink ‘N Drafts around NYC in different locations—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, February 18th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, February 24th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Anaïs, Boerum Hill
Wednesday, February 25th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

In March I’ll be at the Center for Fiction for another round of Writing Without Thinking. This is half-day course of generative writing exercises, designed to jump-start the creative process and introduce new ways of thinking less and writing more.

I love running these exercises with new people and learning about everyone’s different approaches, and if it sounds like it’s of interest to you, come hang!

Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Saturday, March 14th from 12-4:30pm

I’m no good at year-end wrap-ups. Last year was a thousand different things, often all at once, and it’s hard to think of a snappy way to talk about it. What I do know is a lot of my favorite parts came from Little Nights and being in rooms with all of you. So in lieu of any real insight (maybe next year!), I thought I’d share a few quick stats.

In 2025, we led:

• 62 events in 13 different venues with approx. 1,400 participants

• 11 workshops with 94 participants

• 4 retreats with 40 participants, including new partnerships with Millay Arts and Hilltown Commons (both of which we’ll return to in 2026)

• Our first event in San Francisco

Whew! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it to spend the time with all of you and be a part of this ever-expanding community.

On our last retreat, one of our participants said it was helpful to see everything we were running because it was good reminder that you can just do things. You don’t need an agent or a boss or a degree. You can just try something—write a poem, do an open-mic, start a book club—and see what happens. And that trying is what Little Nights is all about.

We’re three years into trying and I’m looking forward to everything we’ll try in the years to come.

This month, we’re back with storytelling, writing, and ceramics events. We also have a few spots left in our first online workshop, Writing Past The Page. And you still have a few days left to apply for our February retreat!

Scroll to learn more about each, and hope to see you soon.

—Josh

Events

We’re hosting five Drink ‘N Drafts around NYC in different locations—

The Twisted Spine, Williamsburg
Wednesday, January 7th from 6-8pm (RSVP)

Farm.One, Prospect Heights
Sunday, January 11th from 5-7pm (RSVP)

Anaïs, Boerum Hill
Tuesday, January 13th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, January 14th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, January 27th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

We’re also running our next edition of Intro to Handbuilding, including lessons on pinch pots, coil-building, and a collaborative tile-making project. This is a one-night class designed for folks at every experience-level and includes opportunities for both individual and group art-making.

Clayground, Cobble Hill
Thursday, January 22nd from 7-9:15pm (RSVP)

To top it off, we’re closing the month with our first open-mic storytelling night of the year, this time with the theme of Leap of Faith.

A leap of faith can come in many forms—asking a stranger for directions, finding a roommate on Craigslist, leaving your kids with a new babysitter. Whether it’s which job to take or which school to attend, we’re acting on faith all the time. Think of a time you took a leap of faith, the circumstances that led to it, and the outcome that followed, then join us on the 28th and tell us all about it!

Nostrand & Sterling, Crown Heights
Wednesday, January 28th from 7-10pm (RSVP)

Retreats

Applications are open until Jan. 5th for our next Little Nights Big Weekend, a creative retreat in upstate New York designed for writers and visual artists of all experience levels to deepen their practice and expand their creative community.

Apply by January 5th!

In addition to creative workshops led by me and Hannah, we’ll also be joined by Chris Faroe from Creative Mapping Project. Chris is a musician, writer, and creative career designer who uses patterns and practices derived from sustainable design to help artists map their way towards radically sustainable creative careers and practices.

We’re thrilled to have Chris join us, especially at the start of the year when we can all use a little reflection and intention-setting, and especially at Millay where every participant will have their own private studio to dedicate themselves to any part of their creative practice—reading, writing, drawing, or just taking some time away from it all.

Little Nights Big Weekend
Friday, February 13th to Monday, February 16th
Austerlitz, NY

We’re in that weird, middle space between the holidays where no one’s responding to emails and everyone’s pushing whatever they can until after the new year, and who can blame them? It’s the season of taking time for yourself, and what better way to spend that time than by joining us for a night out in a neighborhood near you?

In the next few weeks we have a handful of events, including writing, pottery, and our first event in San Francisco, co-hosted with 222 and led by Tess Murphy.

We also have our first online workshop starting in January and—hold for applause—applications for our February retreat!

This President’s Day Weekend (Feb. 13-16) we’re returning to Millay Arts for three days of writing and visual art workshops. Our time at Millay is always special, both because of the historic grounds and the lineage of artists who’ve worked there, and because we’re able to provide each participant with their own room and separate, private studio.

Join us in February!

This retreat is ideal for anyone looking to both expand their creative community and dedicate time to an independent project (which could also include reading, resting, reflecting, etc). Applications are open until January 5th!

Lastly, if you’re looking for a gift for a friend or relative in need of a creative nudge/outlet, might I suggest a Little Nights Gift Certificate?? These are good for any event, workshop, or one-on-one consultation, and can be redeemed at any time.

Other gifts to consider—

• These gorgeous clay knots from our retreat-lead Hannah Mode

• A smart typewriter to get you offline and on task

• A tomato hat because why not?

Scroll to learn more about all upcoming events, workshops, and retreats, and have a happy holidays!

—Josh

Events

Tomorrow night we’re back at Book Club Bar with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, December 3rd from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We’re also hosting three Drink ‘N Drafts around NYC in different locations, and our first one in San Francisco—

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, December 9th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Land To Sea, Williamsburg
Wednesday, December 10th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

NEON Co-Working Space, Pac Heights
Tuesday, December 16th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, December 17th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Last but not least, we’re running our second edition of Intro to Handbuilding, including lessons on pinch pots, coil-building, and a collaborative tile-making project. This is a one-night class designed for folks at every experience-level and includes opportunities for both individual and group art-making.

Clayground, Cobble Hill
Thursday, December 11 from 7-9:15pm (RSVP)

Retreats

Applications are open until Jan. 5th for our next Little Nights Big Weekend, a creative retreat in upstate New York designed for writers and visual artists of all experience levels to deepen their practice and expand their creative community.

Apply by January 5th!

In addition to creative workshops led by me and Hannah, we’ll also be joined by Chris Faroe from Creative Mapping Project. Chris is a musician, writer, and creative career designer who uses patterns and practices derived from sustainable design to help artists map their way towards radically sustainable creative careers and practices.

We’re thrilled to have Chris join us, especially at the start of the year when we can all use a little reflection and intention-setting, and especially at Millay where every participant will have their own private studio to dedicate themselves to any part of their creative practice—reading, writing, drawing, or just taking some time away from it all.

Little Nights Big Weekend
Friday, February 13th to Monday, February 16th
Austerlitz, NY

Workshops

After a few years of all in-person programs, I’m excited to be offering a virtual version of Writing Past The Page through Writing Workshops, starting in late January.

This is another six-week course, but instead of generating new stories the focus is on developing a sustainable practice and finding new ways of integrating writing into your daily life. I’ve led this twice at the Center for Fiction, and I’m excited to lead it online for the first time.

Mondays (Jan. 26 - Mar. 2) from 7-9pm EST (on Zoom)

Lately, we’ve been running a lot of writing events. I’m a writing teacher and I run most of the events so…it makes sense! But I’ve always wanted Little Nights to be more expansive than that. It’s not just about writing, it’s about being creative with other people. That’s why Hannah leads visual art workshops on our retreats and why we have storytelling and drawing nights as part of our programming, too.

This month, we have an exciting addition to that line-up: our first pottery class! Led by Marissa Sanders, this is a one-night, introductory class for anyone interested in working with clay and trying it out with other people.

It’s exciting for two reasons: (1) pottery is great and fun and not my specialty at all, so it would never have happened if I hadn’t met Marissa, and (2) it’s a good reminder of how easy it can be for Little Nights to grow.

So if you have an idea for an event you’d like to lead, let us know! We’re looking for people with teaching experience in different art-forms, and classes that are both collaborative and accessible for all participants, regardless of their experience-level.

Tell us about your idea!

In programming-related news, we have plenty of events this month (see below!) as well as two writing workshops starting the first week of December.

I also have a few openings for writing consults, for anyone looking for feedback on pages or help at any stage of a project (including step one).

Lastly, friend of the series Paulette Perhach, an award-winning writing coach and author (NYT, Elle, Cosmo) is also hosting a workshop on November 6th—Lunch with the Writer You Used to Be. This is for anyone who feels like they’ve lost their voice after years in corporate, academic, or hustle culture and wants to start writing in a way that actually feels like them again. (Use the code LITTLENIGHTS to get 10% off.)

Scroll for more info about everything we have coming up, and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

Events

Intro to Handbuilding includes lessons on pinch pots, coil-building, and a collaborative tile-making project. Led by Marissa Sanders at Clayground in Cobble Hill, the one-night class is designed for folks at every level of experience and includes opportunities for both individual and group art-making.

Clayground, Cobble Hill
Thursday, November 6th from 7-9:15pm (RSVP)

On the writing front, we’ve recently partnered with 222, a social event series that matches folks based on common interests for small dinners followed by group experiences.

Join us on November 3rd in Park Slope and November 11th in Greenpoint for a post-dinner creative writing game that’s exclusive to the 222 community!

We’re also hosting four Drink ‘N Drafts around the city in different locations—

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, November 4th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, November 5th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Farm.One, Prospect Heights
Tuesday, November 11th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Wednesday, November 12 from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

We’re running two workshops in the next few months, designed for writers at all levels of experience.

In each one, writers will have two opportunities to submit up to 5K words for the group to read and discuss. Perfect for anyone looking for external accountability and a little feedback on their draft.

*For each workshop, we’ll skip the week of Christmas and New Years

Mondays (Dec. 1 - Jan 19) from 7-8:30pm
Thursdays (Dec. 4 - Jan 22) from 7-8:30pm

We’re back with another month of events and workshops, as well as the last two weeks of the application period for our December weekend retreat.

Unlike past retreats, this one will keep the focus on creative writing and feature different workshops that lead you through new ways of exploring your writing. Join us for a few days away from the city where we’ll be writing, eating, and enjoying being blissfully offline.

Scroll to learn more about each upcoming program, and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

Events

We recently partnered with 222, a social event series that matches folks based on common interests for small dinners followed by group experiences.

Join us on October 13th in Greenpoint and October 27th in Prospect Heights for a post-dinner creative writing game that’s exclusive to the 222 community!

We’re also hosting four Drink ‘N Drafts around the city in different locations—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, October 1st (tonight!) from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, October 7th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Monday, October 20th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Land To Sea, Williamsburg
Wednesday, October 22nd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

I’ll be back at the Center for Fiction in a couple weeks to lead another round of Writing Without Thinking. This is half-day course of generative writing exercises, designed to jump-start the creative process and introduce new ways of thinking less and writing more.

I always love running these exercises with new people and learning about everyone’s different approaches, and if it sounds like it’s of interest to you, come hang!

Writing Without Thinking (Half-Day)
Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Saturday, October 12th from 12-4:30pm

Retreats

Applications are open until Oct. 15th for our next Little Nights Big Weekend, a creative retreat in upstate New York designed for writers of all experience levels to deepen their practice and expand their creative community.

While past retreats have included both writing and visual art classes, this winter weekend will keep its focus on writing—fiction! poetry! memoir! undecided! Join us for generative workshops, craft exercises, and a chance to explore your writing with a small community of others.

Apply by October 15th. No portfolio necessary!

Little Nights Big Weekend
Friday December 5th to Sunday, December 7th
Poughkeepsie, NY

Whew! I just go back from our Labor Day Retreat and I’m still reeling from how exciting it all was. This was our largest retreat yet, with 20 participants who spent the weekend writing, drawing, and hanging out, all on the beautiful campus at Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville, NY.

Seeing this group, in this space, really felt like the next step toward what we’ve been imagining these retreats could become: art camp for adults. A space to make and play and try new things, not just to be good at them but because trying things is fun, and to do that trying with other people. I can’t wait to see what it’ll become.

Between now and then, we’ll also be running our smaller scale retreats in the fall, winter, and spring, including this December 5-7! Applications are now open to join a group of 6-8 for a few days in Poughkeepsie. Unlike past retreats, this one will be focused only on creative writing, and will feature generative workshops and craft prompts for writers at all levels of writing experience.

Learn more!

In addition to our monthly writing and storytelling events, we’ll also be leading two new workshops around Brooklyn. Scroll to learn more about each upcoming program, and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

Events

We’re back at Book Club Bar with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, September 3rd (tonight!) from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting four Drink 'N Drafts around the city—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, September 10th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

WORD, Greenpoint
Wednesday, September 17th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, September 23rd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, September 30th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

To top it off, we’ll be finishing the month with our Open Mic Storytelling Night. September’s theme is Rite of Passage.

A rite of passage is a moment, event, or ceremony that marks an important transition in your life. Maybe you knew the significance of the experience at the time, or maybe you only realized it in retrospect. Maybe it was a good thing, and maybe it wasn't. Whether it's puberty or a parking ticket, a fraternity hazing or your first communion, consider an experience that signaled a transition in your life. Then tell us all about it.

The Cafe At ArtShack, Bed-Stuy
Wednesday, September 24th from 7-10pm
RSVP to learn more and reserve your seat!

Workshops

We’re running two workshops in the next few months, each designed for writers at all levels of experience—

Little Nights Writing Workshop (Six Weeks)
A weekly class to give and receive feedback on drafts. Each writer has two opportunities to submit up to 5K words for the group to read and discuss.

Crown Heights (exact location shared after registering)
Thursdays (Sept. 18th to Aug 23rd) from 7-8:30pm

Writing Without Thinking (Half-Day)
A half-day of generative writing exercises designed to jump-start the creative process and introduce new ways of thinking less and writing more.

Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Saturday, October 12th from 12-4:30pm

Retreats

Applications are now open for our next Little Nights Big Weekend, a creative retreat in upstate New York designed for writers of all experience levels to deepen their practice and expand their creative community.

While past retreats have included both writing and visual art classes, this winter weekend will keep its focus on writing—fiction! poetry! memoir! undecided! Join us for generative workshops, craft exercises, and a chance to explore your writing with a small community of others.

Apply by October 15th. No portfolio necessary!

Little Nights Big Weekend
Friday December 5th to Sunday, December 7th
Poughkeepsie, NY

On Wednesday we hosted our open-mic storytelling night at a community garden in Crown Heights, and while I was setting up I realized it was the twelve-year-anniversary of the first one we ran in Berlin all the way back in 2013. Which is…wild.

I’ve hosted this event in different forms over the years (in bookstores, in bars, in my living room) but it wasn’t until quarantine lifted and folks started gathering in person again that it felt like it really found its footing.

In a lot of ways, the spirit of it—come as you are, no wrong way to participate—is the starting place of everything Little Nights is now. So it was great to be in the garden and see the community that’s grown out of all these events.

Check below for everything we have coming up this month and to learn more about our next six-week writing workshop starting mid-September.

And for those already planning their winter calendars, we’ll begin accepting applications for our December 3rd-5th retreat on September 3rd!

—Josh

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Events

This month I’ll be collaborating with Elizabeth Richardson and Moai Wellness Club to lead an event that intertwines guided meditation and creative writing exercises. There’s so much room for these two practices to support each other and I’m looking forward to putting them together.

Casa Primary, Tribeca
Sunday, August 17th from 11-2pm (RSVP)

We’re also back at Book Club Bar with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration. This month we’re joined by Rich Hollman, Sean Peecook, and Anna Koppelman.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, August 6th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

And we're hosting four Drink 'N Drafts around the city—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, August 13th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Liz’s Book Bar, Cobble Hill
Wednesday, August 20th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Thursday, August 21st from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Word of Mouth, Crown Heights
Tuesday, August 27th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Workshops

Our six-week workshop welcomes writers of all experience levels, working in fiction and creative non-fiction. These are designed for anyone looking for a little accountability and feedback on their projects-in-progress.

Each participant will have two opportunities to submit a longer piece (up to 5K words) to be workshopped by the group, with the aim of helping you make your writing the best version of itself.

Learn more and join us in September!

Six-Week Workshop, Crown Heights (exact location shared after registering)
Thursdays, Sept. 18th - Oct. 24th from 7-8:30pm

Summer is officially, undeniably, unavoidable here, and I hope you’re finding ways to stay cool and hydrated.

This month, we’re back with new writing and storytelling events around the city. We’re also extending our application period for our upstate retreat until this Saturday, July 5th, which means you have five more days to apply to join us over Labor Day Weekend! These retreats are really the best expression of what Little Nights is all about, and if you’re reading this I’d love for you to apply.

Scroll for more on upcoming events and hope to see you soon!

—Josh

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Writing

We’re back at Book Club Bar with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, July 2nd from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting three Drink 'N Drafts around the city—

Word of Mouth, Crown Heights
Tuesday, July 8th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, July 9th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Wednesday, July 22nd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

The theme for July’s Storytelling Night is Trouble.

Trouble comes in all forms. We make it and we look for it. We get in it and we get out of it. Sometimes we can even smell it. Think about a time you got into trouble, whether it was with your parents, teachers, friends, or partner, or with the police or the local co-op board. What did you do and what were the consequences? Did you learn your lesson or would you do it again? Pick a trouble and join us on July 30th to tell us all about it!

Artshack Cafe, Bed-Stuy
Wednesday, July 30th from 7-10pm
RSVP to learn more and reserve your seat!

Retreats

We’re excited to be partnering with Hilltown Commons this upcoming Labor Day Weekend (8/29 - 9/1) to host our next creative retreat on their beautiful, historic grounds.

For three days and nights we’ll be writing, drawing, and exercising all those creative muscles we rarely have the time and space to activate in our everyday lives.

Learn more!

Unlike other residencies, you don’t have to be a writer or an artist to join. You don’t need a portfolio or a writing sample. You don’t even need to have any experience writing or drawing. All you need is to want to spend a few days focused on your creative practice, and an interest in doing that work in a small community of others.

Our application period has been extended through July 5th. Applications are quick—we’d love to hear from you!

Hannah and I spent last weekend in Hudson with eight participants on our Memorial Day retreat, and even though we run the thing I’m still surprised by it every time.

We’re always talking about ways of facilitating that allow us to take part alongside the participants, and I love these retreats for the space they make for us to do just that. I get to put my phone away and write and draw and talk about writing and drawing for three days with nine other people and it’s always the reset I need.

Which is why I’m all the more excited to have our next retreat to look forward to! On Labor Day Weekend we’ll be at Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville, NY. Apply to join us and give yourself the time to dedicate to your writing and/or drawing, no matter your experience.

Learn more!

For folks looking for feedback on their work and a little more accountability to finishing a draft, I’ll be leading a six-week workshop starting this Thursday, June 5th.

And later this month I’ll also be back at the Center for Fiction with two different courses— (1) Writing Without Thinking, a half-day of generative exercises, and (2) Writing Past The Page, a six-week evening class designed to integrate sustainable writing habits into your everyday life. Check below for more info on each!

As you can probably tell, it’s been a busy time! But it’s great that being busy means working with all of you and finding new ways to make things together.

—Josh

Scroll for more on upcoming events, workshops, and retreats, and for June’s creative prompt—

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Events (Writing & Drawing)

This month we’re back at Book Club with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, June 4th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting three Drink 'N Drafts—

WORD Bookstore, Greenpoint
Tuesday, June 10th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, June 11th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Wednesday, June 25th from 7:30-9:30pm (RSVP)

And our next drawing night at Interference Archive in Park Slope—

Interference Archive, Park Slope
Sunday, June 22nd from 5-7pm (RSVP)

Workshops

We’re running three workshops this month, each designed for writers at all levels of experience—

Little Nights Writing Workshop (Six Weeks)
A weekly class to give and receive feedback on drafts. Each writer has two opportunities to submit up to 5K words for the group to read and discuss.

Crown Heights (exact location shared after registering)
Thursdays, June 4th - July 10th from 7-8:30pm

Writing Without Thinking (Half-Day)
A half-day of generative writing exercises designed to jump-start the creative process and introduce new ways of thinking less and writing more.

Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Saturday, June 21st from 12-4:30pm

Writing Past The Page (6 Weeks)
In-class prompts, discussion, and ongoing assignments to help build a more sustainable writing routine and integrate it into your daily life.

Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Mondays, June 30th - August 4th from 6-8pm

Retreats

We’re excited to be partnering with Hilltown Commons this upcoming Labor Day Weekend (8/29 - 9/1) to host our next creative retreat on their beautiful, historic grounds.

Hilltown Commons is a dynamic 501(c)(3) nonprofit campus set on 100 acres of rolling hills in Rensselaerville, New York. They are a home for lifelong learners, creative thinkers, and curious hearts—where education, the humanities, and a deep sense of place come together to nourish both mind and spirit.

For three days and nights we’ll be writing, drawing, and exercising all those creative muscles we rarely have the time and space to activate in our everyday lives.

Unlike other residencies, you don’t have to be a writer or an artist to join. You don’t need a portfolio or a writing sample. You don’t even need to have any experience writing or drawing. All you need is to want to spend a few days focused on your creative practice, and an interest in doing that work in a small community of others.

Learn more!

June’s Prompt

This month’s exercise comes from, I think, the American visual artist and teacher John Baldessari. I can’t find where he said it, or anyone else to attribute it to, but it’s in my notes as his and from everything else I’ve read about him it feels like something he’d assign! The exercise is simple:

“Use a helicopter, somehow.”

I’ve used this prompt with writers of all ages and it’s often both the most fun and results in the greatest variety of outcomes.

It’s almost nothing—four words are so close to zero words!—but since (1) one of those words is ‘helicopter’ and (2) ‘helicopter’ is such a good word, full of sound and weight and associations and (3) you’re given such a long leash for how you might use it, what you make of it is only limited by how creative you feel today.

How creative do you feel today? Set a time for eight minutes and use a helicopter, somehow.

Next weekend Hannah and I are heading upstate to lead our eighth retreat and we can’t wait to meet the participants and see what we can all make together.

The idea behind these retreats has always been art camp for adults and we’ve talked a lot about how to balance the camp with the for adults. A big part of that has been finding venues that provide that special mix of shared space to connect and create (camp) and private space to rest and reflect (for adults). And when we visited Hilltown Commons for the first time, we knew we’d found it.

Hilltown Commons is a 100-acre non-profit community campus nestled in the hills of Rensselaerville, New York. Its mission is to nurture and celebrate the restorative power of learning, nature, the arts, and community, and we can’t think of a better partner for our Labor Day Weekend Retreat.

In addition to community meals, your own private bedroom and bathroom, and daily workshops led by myself and Hannah, you’ll also have access to the Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station, which abuts the campus and spans over 2,000 acres of forest, lakes, and trails.

Learn more about our retreat and apply to join us the last weekend in August!

—Josh

It’s our one year Substack anniversary! Little Nights continues to grow and change and I’m grateful for everyone who keeps reading these emails and joining us at our events, workshops, and retreats.

If you’ve been coming more often (or plan to) you can also subscribe to our new paid benefits and get discounts on tickets and reserved seats at all our events.

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We’re back this month with new writing events and our next open-mic storytelling night, this time to the theme of Losing.

We also have two new creative writing workshops starting in May and June made for writers of all levels of experience looking for feedback on pages and a little more structure in their writing life. Learn more and register or message me with any qs!

—Josh

Scroll for more info on each event and for May’s creative prompt.

The theme for May’s Storytelling Night is Losing.

At the end of the day we’re all losers—we lose our fear, our faith, our car keys, our wallet. You can lose the big game or your way in the woods. You can lose sleep or lose count or you can lose your inhibitions. You get the idea. Join us for a night of losing and tell us about a time it happened to you!

Artshack Cafe, Bed-Stuy
Wednesday, May 28th from 7-10pm
RSVP to learn more and reserve your seat!

Writing Events

This month we’re all over Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, including a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive @ Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, May 7th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting three Drink 'N Drafts—

Word of Mouth, Crown Heights
Tuesday, May 13th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, May 14th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, May 27th from 7:30-9:30pm (RSVP)

May’s Prompt

A lot of folks I meet at writing events or in classes have a hard time with poetry. Either they had to memorize sonnets in high school and decided poetry wasn’t for them, or whenever they do read poetry they feel so outside of it and not good enough, and why spend your one wild and precious life looking for more ways to feel not good enough?

One way forward, I think, is to increase our tolerance for confusion. Or, if not confusion, for not understanding. How can you practice staying engaged in what you’re reading (or writing) when you only understand 50% of it? 25%? 5%?

May’s prompt embraces that lack of understanding and makes it the whole point.

Homophonic Translations

1. Pick a poem that’s written using an alphabet you can pronounce, but in a language you don’t understand. Here’s a few Spanish poems to get you started (assuming you don’t speak Spanish).

2. Make a homophonic translation of this poem. That is, replace each word in the poem with the word that it sounds like in English. You can also replace each word with the word it reminds you of.

   For example: The Portuguese word mulher may sound like the English word miller, or mule, but if I look at it quickly it also looks like mother. Use whatever word comes to you first.

   Try to do step 2 relatively quickly. As your translated lines emerge, you may be tempted to continue the poem’s building logic and pick words that fit with what you’re writing instead of what the original poem sounds or looks the most like. If so, good! Do whatever your new poem wants. The original poem is your guide but your new poem is what matters.

3. Once you’ve completed your new poem, go back and edit it. Add new words, tweak tenses, or use it as the inspiration for a new poem altogether.

4. When it’s finished, find a translation of the original and put it and yours side by side.

We’ve already been teased once this year by Fake Spring, but now that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s cherry blossom tracker is back in action I’m hopeful that we’re finally rounding the bend to warmer weather.

This month we have writing and drawing events across the city, including new locations in Crown Heights and Cobble Hill.

We’re also introducing a new creative writing workshop for those looking for a little more than what’s offered at our events.

Starting mid-May, the workshop will meet once a week for six weeks in Crown Heights. In addition to in-class exercises, each participant has two chances to have a longer submission workshopped by the group. This is a space for fiction and creative non-fiction writers of all levels of experience looking for feedback and a schedule to keep them accountable to their work. Sound like you? Join us! Learn more and register for an upcoming workshop (or get on the waitlist) and message me with any qs!

Last thing: we’ve extended the application deadline for our Memorial Day Weekend Retreat. Submit your app by April 7th and join us for a few days of writing and visual art workshops!

—Josh

Scroll for more info on each event and for April’s creative prompt.

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Writing Events

This month we’re adding new venues in Cobble Hill and Crown Heights, as well as returning to Book Club with a new Stage Dive, where a trio of performers tell stories that the audience uses as their writing inspiration.

Stage Dive at Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 2nd from 8-10pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting four Drink 'N Drafts—

Word of Mouth, Crown Heights
Tuesday, April 8th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Saturn Road, Cobble Hill
Tuesday, April 15th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, April 16th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

WORD Bookstore, Greenpoint
Tuesday, April 22nd from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Drawing Events

We’re back at Interference Archive this month for another drawing night in Park Slope.

We’ll be using their extensive collection of visual media related to the history of activism and social movements from around the world as prompts for a night of visual art-making. We’ll provide the exercises and materials and you’ll have the chance to explore your practice, without any prior drawing experience required.

Drawn Together at Interference Archive, Park Slope
Thursday, April 17th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

April’s Prompt

Whenever I’m having trouble getting started writing—it’s hard, I don’t know what comes next, I’m scared, I’m avoiding it—I’ve found that setting a timer usually helps. I always set it for a short amount of time, never more than ten minutes, so no matter how hard it is I’m more willing to keep going because it’s only ten minutes. And more often than not once the time is up I’m over the hump and invested enough that I can keep going after the bell.

This month’s prompt further intertwines the timer and the writing, and you can start with either one.

To start with time, set a timer for the specific amount of time you’d like to write. Then write something that takes place over that exact amount of time. So, if you decide to write for six minutes, write about something that occurs over the course of six minutes. Soft-boiling an egg, let’s say. This could be one sentence (“She soft-boiled an egg.”) or three pages of thoughts and memories as your character boils an egg. However many words it ends up being, both your writing time and the time that passes in your writing should be the same.

To start with the writing, pick a scene that already has a built-in clock, then use that clock to inform how long to set your timer. If, for example, your character is running laps around the track at her old high school and reflecting on her teenage years, for how long can she run? Set your timer accordingly.

We’re back from our February hiatus with new writing, drawing, and storytelling events, as well as a few other updates we’ll roll out in the coming weeks.

I’m also excited to announce that applications are now open for our Memorial Day Retreat! Join us for three days of writing and visual art workshops and give yourself some dedicated time to develop your practice. For this retreat, we’ll have private rooms as well as options to camp, share a room with a friend, or be paired with another participant. Apply by March 31st!

In April I’ll also be back at the Center for Fiction, this time with two different workshops—(1) another round of Writing Without Thinking, a half-day course of generative exercises, and (2) Writing Past The Page, a new six-week evening course designed to integrate sustainable writing habits into your everyday life.

On a different note, if you, like me, have been feeling numbed into inaction by the relentless onslaught of bad news coming out of our current administration, here is a list of Some Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting by Mariame Kaba that I found helpful. Chief among them: call your reps! It’s more important than it feels. And if you live in NYC, you can also call Kathy Hochul and your state and city reps to tell them you want Eric Adams removed from office because he’s the exact opposite of what NYC is all about.

—Josh

Scroll for more info on each event and for March’s creative prompt.

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The theme for March’s Storytelling Night is Falling.

There are so many ways to fall. We fall in love, fall out of touch, and fall asleep. We fall for tricks and fall from grace and sometimes we trip and fall over. Think about a time you fell—how it happened and what happened next—and then join us for a night of stories and tell us all about it.

Artshack Cafe, Bed-Stuy
Wednesday, March 26th from 7-10pm
RSVP to learn more and reserve your seat!

Writing Events

This month we’re partnering with Unarthodox to host a new event that’s part journaling, music, and mural painting all rolled into one. Join us for an interdisciplinary evening of collaboration, reflection, and more!

Inkflow with Unarthodox, Chelsea
Monday, March 17th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

We're also hosting two Drink 'N Drafts—

Book Club Bar, East Village
Wednesday, March 12th from 8-10pm (RSVP)

WORD Bookstore, Greenpoint
Tuesday, March 18th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

Drawing Events

We’re back at Interference Archive this month for another drawing night in Park Slope.

We’ll be using their extensive collection of visual media related to the history of activism and social movements from around the world as prompts for a night of visual art-making. We’ll provide the exercises and materials and you’ll have the chance to explore your practice, without any prior drawing experience required.

Drawn Together at Interference Archive, Park Slope
Monday, March 10th from 7-9pm (RSVP)

March’s Prompt

“In my experience, assignments are sort of like folk songs, or certain kinds of jokes. They’re retold and adapted from generation to generation of teachers, tinkered with, misheard, brought up to date. Even when I think I’ve come up with something new, it always ends up being a version of something else.” — George Rush

This month’s exercise* is an adaptation from a visual arts exercise from George Rush, which I found in Draw It With Your Eyes Closed, a great collection of art assignments edited by Paper Monument. Rush says the painter Peter Charlap passed it on to him and he hasn’t changed it a bit.

I mention all these names and reference points for two reasons:

(1) If you’re like me, whenever you like anything, you always want to know who made it, and what else they made, and what other artists influenced them to make it that way. Then you can trace those influences and find new artists and art and there’s a good chance you’ll find something else you like, too.

(2) Despite this lineage, these exercises, as Rush says, don’t actually have owners, only facilitators, and once you’ve tried them they’re yours to twist, adapt, and play with as you like.

In the spirit of both that lineage and my adapting, I’m including both Rush and Charlap’s original drawing exercise and my writing twist on it. For each version, you’re meant to complete each step before reading the following one.

Erasure With Line

(Read out loud, waiting for participants to complete each step before going on to the next one.)

I'm going to give you a set of instructions to follow. These instructions are intentionally cryptic. You can't ask any questions. You must reason your way through the problem.

1. Using line only, draw one simple geometric shape, such as a square, triangle or circle.

2. Without overlapping or intersecting, draw a different shape.

3. Now, draw another.

4. Choose your favorite.

5. Make the other 2 like your favorite.

6. Enlarge one of the shapes.

7. Reduce one of them.

8. Make one shape touch one edge of the page.

9. Make the other two touch two different sides.

10. Without moving the shapes from the sides, make each touch the other two.

11. Introduce a new shape that's different.

12. Keeping the original 3 shapes in the same places, make them like the new shape.

13. Make one shape larger than all the others.

14. Make one 50% smaller than the largest shape.

15. Make one of the 2 remaining shapes touch 2 sides of the page.

16. Discuss.

Erasure With Word

Complete each step before reading the next one.

1. Write three unrelated sentences as fast as you can.

2. Pick a favorite.

3. Make the other two like your favorite.

4. Expand one sentence.

5. Reduce one sentence.

6. Write a fourth sentence. Make sure to make it different from all that’s come before.

7. Make the latest versions of your first three sentences like your fourth.

8. Settle on an order.