Seniors & Veterans
Program Spotlight:
Our Final Day of Programming was May 21st
Thank you for a wonderful season!
See you . . . in September . . . :)
Open Mic
To wrap up this program year, each person was given the opportunity to share something they'd written or read. In the true fashion of Open Mics, this was readings only—with the audience following up with a round of applause in support of their fellow writers.
TRtW's Senior & Veterans Writing Programming
We had a great program year. If you'd like to see some highlight's from Spring 2024 Click HERE:)
Our Wakefield Senior Center programming is FREE to participants
thanks to our sponsor: The Savings Bank
Wakefield Senior Center (30 Converse St, Wakefield, MA):
All Wakefield Programming starts at 1:30pm:
No registration required for Wakefield programs.
Stoneham Senior Center (136 Elm St, Stoneham, MA) :
Programming will resume in the Fall:)
Registration required for Stoneham programs: Please call the Stoneham Senior Center to register, 781-438-1157.
Writers’ Critique Group:
1:30 to 2:45 pm
The Last Tuesday of Each Month
(PLEASE NOTE: In April, the Critique Group will meet on April 23rd, NOT the last Tuesday)
Join us at the Wakefield Senior Center to share and critique one another’s work in a safe and friendly environment!
Bring your submissions to read on the last Tuesday of each month. No pre-submission required.
Writing submission length should not exceed 1,000 words per person.
*Please review the Critique Feedback Guidelines below in preparation for offering feedback to others*
For more information, contact Linda Malcolm at linda@theroomtowrite.org or 781-439-1080.
Our programming is free to participants thanks to our sponsors:
Want to learn about how a local writers' critique group works?
Hear from three local writers who participate in the
Stoneham Writers Group.
Read about the "Seniors to Seniors" event that took place on November 16th, 2022.
Click here to visit our blog and learn about the Seniors to Seniors event.
Read about our Workshop Series that took place in October of 2022.
Click here to visit our blog and read about our Senior & Veterans Writing Workshop series.
2022/2023 Programming: After our structured 4-week workshop series in October at the Wakefield Senior Center we held more informal guided writing sessions we call "Gather & Write" during the months of November and December. Structured 3-week workshop series in January 2023 focused on Memoir Writing was followed by several informal weekly writing sessions as well as the addition of a monthly Writers' Critique Group that meets the last Tuesday of each month.
The Room to Write hosted the last formal meeting of the program year at the Wakefield Senior Center on Tuesday, May 30th, from 1:30 - 2:45pm. Those in attendance participated in an "Open Mic" session where they had about five minutes to read whatever they wanted. They could share something they wrote, something they wanted to share that they didn't write, or a piece of written inspiration. We will open the programming year with an Open Mic format in the fall.
Workshop facilitators above (left to right): Colleen Getty, Sally Chetwynd, Linda Malcolm and Kathleen Shine Cain.
Get your thoughts, memories, stories, histories, and personal experiences down on paper! Our workshops are approachable for those hesitant to write and fulfilling for those wanting to grow in their writing experience.
Participants will experience a variety of approaches to written expression, meet the instructors to learn about their writing while experimenting with writing poetry, memoir, and fiction.
Seniors
The Room to Write has received several requests for more writing opportunities and workshops for seniors in the communities we serve.
Workshops are designed to be approachable for those hesitant to write and fulfilling for those wanting to grow in their writing experience. Workshops will include the opportunity to get thoughts, memories, stories, history and personal experiences on paper and an invitation to share when comfortable. Participants will be guided according to individual needs and goals.
Veterans
As we build relationships with the many organizations that serve seniors in communities north of Boston, Veterans emerged as a natural partner through our outreach.
We welcome veterans of all ages to participate in our writing programs.
Linda Malcolm - Coordinator of Senior and Veteran Programming
We are so pleased to have Linda Malcolm as the Coordinator of Senior and Veteran Programming for The Room to Write.
Linda is a local non-fiction writer and author of Cornfields to Codfish, a collection of short personal essays. Throughout the last ten years or so, she has been writing short, non-fiction, personal essays. In 2018, she was one of sixteen non-fiction writers selected to attend the annual New York State Summer Writers Institute at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
To learn more about senior and veteran writing programs, contact Linda Malcolm at linda@theroomtowrite.org.