Member Newsletter — June 2026

Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

Hello Writers!

What Makes You Feel Young?

“Don’t take it personally, but I want to hang out with younger people!”

This is what my friend casually said while we were walking in the park.

Really? Don’t take it personally? How would most people take it?

I am in my 60s, and my friend is in her 50s. I think I live a pretty active lifestyle: working full-time, traveling internationally, walking four miles every day, and writing and reading whenever I have a free minute. So what exactly makes me an old person?

Does spending time with younger people make someone feel young? Not really. I think that idea often comes from a discomfort with aging and from looking outside ourselves for validation. Nobody can make you feel young except yourself.

What makes me feel young? My morning walks through our old neighborhood, where the sun just touches the crowns of mature trees and tiny drops of dew from the leaves caress my cheeks. I breathe in the crystal-clear air, and my heart fills with gratitude for this beautiful day. In those moments, I don’t feel my age at all. I feel like I could fly.

We often hear that we need to maintain social connections as we age. Until recently, I was trying hard to be social — inviting people over and going out regularly.

Then something changed.

A friend of mine passed away, and our small circle — including the woman searching for a younger crowd — slowly drifted apart. And suddenly, I realized that I was fine with that.

I am so busy with work during the day that the thought of walking while listening to my favorite audiobooks feels like a gift. I listen to old classical literature, something many people probably consider outdated now. But I love it. I enjoy the beauty of the language — language nobody really speaks anymore. The stories themselves may seem old-fashioned too: deep feelings, slowly developing relationships, and a kind of love people rarely have time for today.

I could spend this time differently. I could call a friend and spend an hour talking about everyday life — shopping, cooking, family, pets, and mutual acquaintances. There is nothing wrong with that. For many people, those conversations bring comfort and connection. But afterward, I often feel mentally exhausted rather than renewed.

So I have learned to value solitude differently.

I understand that casual conversation can be a way to escape daily stress and feel connected to others. But as I grow older, I value my time more than ever. I don’t know how much of it I have left, and I want to spend it on things that nourish me rather than drain me.

I think that as we age, the meaning of social connections changes. We become more self-sufficient, and we no longer need to chase a younger crowd in order to feel young.

What makes you feel young?

~Irene Sulyevich

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Our June 9th meeting will be from 6:00 PM to 7:30 at the St. Matthews Library at 3940 Grandview Ave 40207.

If you would like a peer critique, email us () before [meeting date] at noon and describe your piece. Please bring 15 printed copies of the manuscript you want us to read. No more than 1300 words (4 to 4.5 pages double-spaced) for prose (excerpts of longer pieces welcome), or two pages of poetry.

To give all members an opportunity to read, priority for peer critique will be given to those who email us ahead of time and who have not read at a recent meeting.

Join us Saturday June 27th 9am to 5pm for our Spring into Summer Writer’s Retreat at Valaterra! Click the linked text to register. $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers. Scholarships available.

WWW at Pine Mountain for Poet Laureate Driskell’s workshop!

WRITING PROMPT

1. What makes you feel young?
2. Do you keep in touch with old friends?
3. Do you enjoy spending time alone?

~Irene Sulyevich

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Members, WWW wants to highlight the creative voices of our community. Send a short biography, headshot, and links to your author/poet accounts and website (if applicable) to . Additionally, share a favorite resource of yours for writing tips (like a podcast or social media account) and your most recent favorite read. We may spotlight you in a future newsletter!

WWW BLOG

Women Who Write has a blog on our website to showcase our community’s talent. We want to publish your writing or republish a recent publication of yours (given that reprints are permitted). Please send us your short stories, poems, and essays! No more than 2,000 words.

Browse our web blog now! Publishing on our blog will expand your writing platform. For more information, email and pitch your story or poem—the one you’ve written or the one you want to write! We may provide suggested edits, for flow and clarity.

SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES & LOCAL EVENTS

Regular local events:

• ‘Zine Lunch with Sarabrande Books, monthly on Fridays at noon
• Carmichael’s regularly hosts authors and poets in the evenings
• Spalding & The Louisville Review’s Voice & Vision literary showcase

Submission directories:

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

Women’s publications seeking women writers:

• Landslide Lit(erary) (by WWW members Kimberly Crum and Bonnie Omer Johnson)
• 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, Erin, Holly, Liz, Irene, and Nancy