Member Newsletter — August 2026

Women Who Write – August 2026

Photo by Liz Roach

Hello Writers!

Certain writers intimidate. Other writers possess a talent that inspires and seems accessible. Lauren Groff is one of them.

Here are a few of my favorite lines from a recent speech she gave at the One Story Debutante Ball:

“I’ve been pretty blue. Cerulean, navy, midnight blue.”

“I embroidered indignation.”

“In order to return to a creative space, I need to bow and touch the hem of emptiness. That, if one is willing, there is no such thing as boredom, only noticing.”

“That there is no need to fill consciousness at all moments with the artificial urgencies of screens, of emails, of texts, of social media; the real urgencies of the bright-eyed woodpecker above my head will always be vastly more interesting.”

“That, like the field, humans require periods of rest, of fallowness, because the fallow gives rise to the fertile. That before one can sing, one needs to understand the power of silence.”

Those lines alone make me want to sit down and write.

I could fill this whole space with her essay and call it a day. In addition to her beautiful images and word choice, Groff conveys an important message, a message that women especially need to hear: Rest. Sit in silence. Take time to yourself.

Not only for your health (although that is certainly important), but for your creativity. Pushing, hustling, forcing: while our testosterone-fueled society tends to honor these aggressive actions as powerful and necessary, they are often counterproductive. Counterproductive to calm, counterproductive to clarity, counterproductive to creativity.

Take a few minutes today, and if you’re able, sit outside. Close your eyes, breathe, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Let your thoughts crowd your brain before they quiet. Notice what comes to you. Then pull out your notebook or laptop, and begin writing.

~Liz Roach

For Groff’s full essay, visit Literary Hub » Lauren Groff: There is No Such Thing as Boredom, Only Noticing

Photo by Liz Roach

WRITING PROMPT

Think about Groff’s imagery of “I’ve been pretty blue. Cerulean, navy, midnight blue.”

Pick a color, connect it to a feeling, and use it as a starting point for a poem, essay or short story. Come up with original ways of describing the color, adding lots of sensory details, using it as a device to set up your piece.

~ Liz Roach

UPCOMING WWW MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Our August 11th member meeting will take place at the St. Matthews library at 3940 Grandview Ave 40207 from 6:00 to 7:30pm. At this meeting, we are excited to welcome Louisville author Ellen Birkett Morris to lead us in a discussion on Paths to Publication. See flyer for more details. Note there will be no peer critiques at this meeting.

Give for Good Louisville returns on September 10th this year, and Women Who Write will host our third annual open mic night on that date (in lieu of a September member meeting) from 6:30pm – 9:00pm at Monnik Beer Co. at 1036 E. Burnett Avenue in the Schnitzelburg neighborhood. Registration is now open on our website. Mark your calendars, polish your best 5 minutes of writing for the mic, and see below for more details!

We are in planning mode for an overnight retreat in October. Watch your email, this newsletter, and our Facebook page for more details in the coming weeks!

OPEN CALL FOR “A FEW GOOD WOMEN”

Women Who Write is looking for a few good women to join our leadership team due to vacancies on the board. If you’re interested in joining the team of enthusiastic volunteers who help make this writing community thrive, reach out at .

Photo by Amber Flowers on Unsplash

SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES & LOCAL EVENTS

The Whitehall Book Club will be discussing Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House on August 16th starting at 2:00pm. Register here.

The University of Louisville is accepting submissions of short stories or flash fiction for consideration for the 2026 Calvino Prize for Short Fiction. This year’s judge is Diane Cook, and the deadline for submissions is October 1, 2026. Details here.

Save the date for the Kentucky State Poetry Society’s 2026 Poetry Conference on October 31, 2026. Watch for details here.

The 20th annual Kentucky Women’s Book Festival will be held at the Louisville Book Festival on October 24th from 10:00am – 5:00pm at the Kentucky International Convention Center. This combined event will examine women’s influence on stories, books, and literary culture. Expect authors, panel discussions, literary workshops, and readings. There will also be a pitch event – information here. And author Roxane Gay will be the headline speaker!

Make Writing Your Job on Substack has a writing job board and a pitch list that are updated every day and available with a paid subscription. The pitch list compiles pitch opportunities across a variety of outlets, including literary journals, online magazines, contests, and more. A few current opportunities from the pitch list include: Grande Dame Literary, The First Line, and Off Assignment. If you’d like to try a free one-month subscription, Megan has 5 “gifts” to share. Reach out to her at .

Regular local events:

• ‘Zine Lunch with Sarabande Books, monthly on Fridays at noon
• Carmichael’s regularly hosts authors and poets in the evenings

Submission directories:

• Submittable
• Duotrope
• Poets and Writers’ list of literary magazines
• NewPages

Women’s publications seeking women writers:

• HerStry, literary essay/memoir blog
• Ashes, an online magazine of personal essays
• Brown Sugar, online magazine for women of color
• Bi Women Quarterly, bisexual+ women’s publication
• Literary Mama, journal dedicated to motherhood
• Persimmon Tree, online magazine for women older than 60
• So To Speak, an intersectional feminist journal

SUPPORT OUR WRITING COMMUNITY!

Become a member or renew your membership—As a community, WWW strives to nurture your writing life. We hope you choose to join or renew as a member and participate in our monthly meetings, author talks, retreats, and workshops. Our membership coordinator will notify anyone due to renew. Regular annual membership is $50. Student annual membership is $25. Scholarships are available. Membership entitles you to discounts on workshops and retreats.

Attend our monthly member meetings on the second Tuesday of each month for a brief program, peer critiques, and conversations about the writing life. Not currently a member? You can attend two meetings before deciding to join.

Visit our webpage WomenWhoWrite.com.

Visit our Facebook Page—@womenwhowriteky. Don’t forget to like us and follow us.

Thank you, WWW members, for joining our nonprofit group, for sharing your unique voices, and for supporting each other with open hearts and minds.

Your Leadership Team

Megan, Holly, Liz, Irene, and Nancy