Scribble House April Newsletter
National Poetry Month events, new books, upcoming workshop, and more!
Hello, Scribble Friends!
And Happy National Poetry Month to all of our poet friends out there! The Academy of American Poets celebrated its first National Poetry Month in 1996, which makes this year the 30th Anniversary. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate, you can check out the official National Poetry Month events online, including things like:
The Poetry & the Creative Mind free virtual gala on April 28th, which inexplicably features celebrities like Nick Offerman and Maria Shriver, along with more logical attendees like poet Tracy K. Smith and National Youth Poet Laureate Evan Wang
Poem in Your Pocket day on April 30th, when folks are encouraged to share their favorite poems online or IRL
Here in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Poetry Collective is going all-out for National Poetry Month with 4 workshops, 2 book launches, the Steel City Grand Slam, and the Syllable Showdown haiku open mic, in addition to their usual open mic schedule (you can click the link above to check out the full month’s schedule). There are also bunches of other poetry readings, launches, open mics, and other happenings around Western PA in this month’s Craft & Community section if you’re looking for things to hit up in your area.
Spring has officially sprung and we’re pretty stoked about it! We’re celebrating the season of growth and new things with the launch of our latest books: two new guided prompt journals (Unstuck! and Creature Feature) and A Creator’s Guide to Appalachian Cryptids, the first in our new Scribble House Books line:
We’ve also got a special deal for newsletter subscribers! For the month of April, you can get the new books at a 25% discount by using the links below:
Scribble House doesn’t have any events going on in April, but we’ve got a busy May. On Saturday, May 16th Jess will be leading a workshop through Write Pittsburgh called “What’s Your Hook?” that’s all about story hooks—what they are, why you need one, and how to write them. Click on the flier below for more deets or to register:
We’ll also have our next Feedback Open Mic and publishers meet-up group in May, and a table at the PGH Book Fest at the end of the month. We’ll have more info on those in next month’s newsletter.
In the meantime, there are 70 lit events in the Craft & Community section this month, and anyone who’s got a piece looking for a home can check out the 16 current open calls from Western PA publishers. Navigation links for those:
Craft & Community – Upcoming events around Western PA, including:
Western PA Publishers with Open Calls – Currently:
Writing Prompt: Scrambled eggs
Since it was just Easter, I was thinking about egg hunts and how that same idea could be adapted for writers. An egg, metaphorically speaking, can be seen as the first phase of something new--an initial germ that other things emerge out of. Other people’s words can serve that function for a writer, and in honor of National Poetry Month, it seemed like poems would be a good place to search for your next piece’s eggs.
Here are the steps for this prompt:
Pick 3 poems. They can be things you wrote or works by other people, all from the same author or from three different ones—whatever you’re feeling will give you the most inspiration.
From each poem, pick out at least one image or phrase that will serve as your “egg”—something you can rework or riff off of in a new piece. If there are multiple things that strike you, you can write them all down and incorporate more than one, or decide which one seems to work best with what you pull from the other poems.
Take all three (or more) eggs and consider them side-by-side. What do they have in common? What’s different about them? Could any of the eggs go in different directions or have multiple meanings that you could play with? Brainstorm some different ways that you can “hatch” each of your idea eggs into something new, and how those different ideas might work together.
Write a piece that integrates at least one egg from each of the three source poems.
Bonus prompt: There’s an alternate pop culture meaning of “Easter Egg” that comes from the gaming community. It originally was used to describe hidden features or inside jokes in video games, but today people also use it to describe references or details in movies, comics, or other media that people “in the know” will notice and be amused by.
Which sets up the bonus prompt: work an Easter Egg from one of the source poems into your new work. Include some reference that people who know that poem well would recognize, but in such a way that it won’t stand out to someone who doesn’t know the poem you’re referencing.
Craft & Community
In-person workshops, book fests, open mics, etc.:
Anyone who’s looking for a regular group to write with, there are a few that happen every week:
Mondays, 7:30-9pm: Write Pittsburgh Open Studio (virtual)
Wednesdays, 6-8pm: Shut Up & Write! (Happenstance Café, 3822 Penn Avenue)
Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm: Creative Connections (Bantha Tea, 5002 Penn Avenue)
Fridays, 10am: Shut Up & Write! (Happenstance Café, 3822 Penn Avenue)
Pittsburgh Poetry Collective’s Open Mic and slam schedule for April:
April 6th, 6-8pm: National Poetry Month Workshop led by Sarah Rose and Poetry & Pints Open Mic (Burghers Lawrenceville)
April 7th, 6-10pm: National Poetry Month Workshop led by Kendall Snee and Open Mic hosted by Brett (Poetry Lounge)
April 13th, 6-9pm: Steel City Grand Slam (Alphabet City @ City of Asylum)
April 14th, 6-10pm: Steel City Pajama Slam & Open Mic with poet flash tattoos by Stony Montana (Poetry Lounge)
April 21st, 6-10pm: National Poetry Month Workshop led by Shockie G and Open Mic hosted by Malik Long (Poetry Lounge)
April 22nd, 7-10pm: The Syllable Showdown 2: Haiku hybrid open mic (Poetry Lounge)
April 28th, 6-10pm: National Poetry Month Workshop and Open Mic led by Blossom Nicole (Poetry Lounge)
April 7th, 7-8:30pm: Story Slam!
Where: Alphabet City (40 W. North Avenue)
Hosted by Story Club PGH
The theme for this month’s iteration of the recurring series is “Turning Back.” Check the website for info on how to sign up for an open mic slot or join a judging team. There’s also a livestream available for folks who want to watch from afar.
April 10th, 6-8pm: Poetry Open Mic
Where: Indiana (Indiana, PA)
Hosted by Poeming Through the Dark
Monthly open mic series in Indiana County. Dates and locations are announced through July for any folks planning ahead.
April 11th, 5pm: The WiP Spring Open Mic
Where: North Park – Emsworth Shelter (Allison Park, PA)
Hosted by Writers in Pittsburgh
The inaugural open mic from Writers in Pittsburgh. The event starts at 5 with readings starting at 6. Note that it’s a 21 and over event and you can bring your own beverages (food will be provided).
April 13th, 7pm: Open Mic Night
Where: Emma Lazrus Art + Music (1808 Brownsville Road)
Hosted by Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange
Sign-ups open at 7 and the reading starts at 7:30. Open to all creators, including poetry, prose, music, and whatever else one can do on a stage in roughly 5 minutes.
April 15th, 7-8:30pm: Read the Room Open Mic
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In this monthly open mic series, you can come and share anything except your own work. Sign-ups start at 6:30 and each reader gets up to 8 minutes.
April 18th & 25th, 10-11:30am: Stories That Set Us Free: A Guided Liberation Writing Workshop
Where: 315 S. Trenton Avenue, Wilkinsburg
Hosted by Write Pittsburgh
Facilitated by Amber Epps
Costs $35-$90 (sliding scale)
In this two-day workshop, attendees will rewrite the stories they’ve inherited about identity, worth, success, and survival through guided prompts. The goal is to lay the foundation of personal essays or memoir.
April 18th, 12-4pm: Spring Local Author Fair
Where: South Fayette Library (Morgan, PA)
Hosted by Aurora Corialis Publishing
If you’re looking for new books from local authors, this is an event you’ll want to check out! The festival will feature 20 writers selling and signing books in genres including fantasy, horror, mystery, thrillers, historical fiction, and memoir.
April 21st, 7:30pm: Story Club
Where: Bottlerocket Social Hall (1226 Arlington Avenue)
Hosted by Story Club PGH
This month’s theme: “Sh*t happens!” which should be a fun one whether you’re planning to share a story or just want to listen. Doors open at 5 with the show starting at 7:30.
April 22nd, 6-8pm: Slient Partaking in Literature and Sips Happy Hour (SPLASHH)
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
Hang out with other folks reading at the bookstore at this month’s SPLASHH. You can register for free online and either BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) or buy one at the store. Café drinks are also $2 off.
April 25th, 3-6pm: Erie Slam, Vol. 4
Where: KD’s Place (Erie, PA)
This event starts with a word and music open mic from 3-4:30, followed by a three-round slam with prizes for the top three poets.
April 25th, 6-9pm: National Library Week Open Mic Poetry Reading
Where: Oil City Library, Library Hall (Oil City, PA)
Hosted by Bridge Literary Art Center
Costs $5
A benefit for the Oil Region Libraries organized by Bridge Lit. Poets can come share their words, and there will also be a performance by the jazz band Catro, along with raffles and refreshments.
April 26th, 4-5:30pm: Loose Leaf Writers Group
Where: Bantha Tea (5002 Penn Avenue)
Hosted by Write Pittsburgh
This free monthly writing group happens on the last Sunday of every month and is a chance to get some writing done in the company of other creative folks. There’s no cost but they do prefer you register in advance (just so they know how many folks are coming).
May 1-3: Spring Book Sale
Where: Northland Public Library (300 Cumberland Road)
9am-4pm Friday and Saturday
1pm-4pm Sunday ($5 Bag Day)
Restock your library with books, games, CDs, and DVDs. There’s also a preview of the sale on Thursday, April 30th from 5-7:30pm if you want to get first dibs on the titles on offer.
May 2nd, 1-3pm: Storytelling
Where: Carnegie Libarary Homewood (7101 Hamilton Avenue)
Hosted by United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh
This event will feature both guest storytellers and community members sharing their stories. Prizes will be given out based on an audience vote.
May 3rd, 6-8pm: The Poetry Atelier
Where: The Space Upstairs (214 N. Lexington Street)
A monthly workshop with an informal atmosphere and free snacks! If you want to get workshopped, you can bring a print copy or upload a digital version to their Google Doc to have it projected on the wall.
May 7th, 6-7:45pm: Come Write In
Where: Northland Public Library, room 148-2 (300 Cumberland Road)
Another free group for writing together, this one on the first Thursday of each month. There’s contact information at the link to reach out to if you plan to join.
In-person book launches, talks, & readings
April 7th, 6:30-7pm: Book Launch: There is a Tuna in the Nexus of Grief by Sean D. Enright
Where: Poetry Lounge (313 North Avenue)
Genre: Poetry
Followed by the Pittsburgh Poetry Collective open mic (7-10pm)
April 9th, 8pm: Tropos, Taylor Grieshober, and How Things Are
Where: Bantha Tea (5002 Penn Avenue)
Genre: Fiction and improv
April 10th, 7pm: Reading: Neon Steel by Jennifer Maritza McCauley
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In conversation with Chiwan Choi
Also a livestream option
Genre: Speculative fiction
April 11th, 1-2pm: An Afternoon with Author Brian O’Hare on Demythologizing the American Hero
Where: Carnegie Library Oakland – North Wing Music Room (4400 Forbes Avenue)
Genre: Fiction (short stories)
April 11th, 7pm: Resistance & Resilience Poetry Night
Where: Stay Gold Books (1104 S. Braddock Avenue)
Readers: Otto and Tommy Wyatt Blake
April 12th, 3-4pm: Free Association Reading Series
Where: Alphabet City (40 W. North Avenue)
Readers: Faith Barrett, Jessica Lanay, Frank Lehner, and Joy Priest
April 13th, 7pm: Reading: Happy Ending by Chloe Liese
Where: First Unitarian Church (605 Morewood Avenue)
In conversation with Carolyn Pallof
Genre: Romance
Costs $25
April 14th, 7-8pm: Book Launch: The Haunted House She Calls Her Own by Gwendolyn Kiste
Where: Riverstone Bookstore – Squirrel Hill (5841 Forbes Avenue)
In conversation with Sara Tantlinger
Genre: Short horror and Gothic fiction
April 14th, 7pm: Reading: Again by Mark Nowak
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In conversation with Diana Khoi Nguyen
Also a livestream option
Genre: Poetry
April 18th, 2-3:30pm: International Poetry Forum presents Rita Dove
Where: Carnegie Library Oakland – Lecture Hall (4400 Forbes Avenue)
April 18th, 3-6pm: Lit into Jazz
Where: Carnegie Library Homewood (7101 Hamilton Avenue)
Hosted by United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh
Live poetry and jazz performances
April 18th, 7-8:30pm: Seven Kitchens Press reading
Where: Poetry Lounge (313 North Avenue)
Genre: Poetry
April 18th, 8:30-11pm: yawp Carnival Poetica
Where: Poetry Lounge (313 North Avenue)
Costs $15
Release of yawp Art + Literature ‘Zine issue #11
Featured performers: Keroscenery, Basura, Harly Reigns, City Chicken, ORMkestra, Kendall Snee
April 19th, 3-4pm: World Literature: The Fertility of Evil by Amara Lakhous
Where: Alphabet City (40 W. North Avenue)
In conversation with Anderson Tepper
Genre: Psychological thriller
April 21st, 7pm: Reading: Honest Motherhood by Libby Ward
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In conversation with Lindsey Gurk
Also a livestream option
Genre: Memoir
April 22nd, 7-8:30pm: Book Launch: Planet Money by Alex Mayyasi
Where: Carnegie Library Oakland – Lecture Hall (4400 Forbes Avenue)
Genre: Nonfiction
Costs $45 (includes copy of the book)
April 23rd, 6-7:30pm: An Evening with Local Author Rosalind Chow
Where: Carnegie Library Oakland - South West Reading Room (4400 Forbes Avenue)
Genre: Nonfiction (organizational behavior)
April 23rd, 7pm: Author Talk: Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness
Where: Stay Gold Books (1104 S. Braddock Avenue)
Genre: Sci-fi
April 26th, 4-6pm: Book Launch: Ruiner by Lara Messersmith-Glavin
Where: Bottom Feeder Books (415 Gettysburg Street)
With readers Cindy Crabb and M.C. Benner Dixon
April 26th, 7pm: Green Burial Poetry Reading
Where: Bantha Tea Bar (5002 Penn Avenue)
Monthly reading series of “words strange and unusual”
Info to submit work to read on their Instagram (link above)
April 27th, 5-7pm: Lit Mag Launch: 3 Sisters
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
New journal based at the University of Pittsburgh
April 28th, 7pm: Poetry Reading
Where: Stay Gold Books (1104 S. Braddock Avenue)
Readers: Ryan Teitman and Camille Rankine
April 28th, 7-8pm: Book Launch: Coverage Denied by Miranda Yaver
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In conversation with Sarah Boden
Also a livestream option
Genre: Nonfiction
April 30th, 7-8:30pm: The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War by Adriana Ramirez
Where: Carnegie Library Oakland – Lecture Hall (4400 Forbes Avenue)
Part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures “Made Local” series
Genre: Memoir/history
April 30th, 7pm: Reading: The Hummingbird War by Michael Simms
Where: White Whale Bookstore (4754 Liberty Avenue)
In conversation with Ed Simon
Also a livestream option
Genre: Satirical fantasy
April 30th, 7-8pm: Author talk: The Second Death of Locke by Tori Bovalino
Where: Riverstone Bookstore - McCandless (8850 Covenant Avenue)
In conversation with Kalie Cassidy
Genre: Fantasy
April 30th, 7-10pm: PSST! People’s Song Societea
Where: Bantha Tea Bar (5002 Penn Avenue)
Monthly salon of music, words, and art
Performers: Lauren DeMichiei, Abbey Martin, Dru Badger, Otto Macfarlayne, Amy Mmhmm
May 2nd, 7-8pm: Author talk: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Where: Riverstone Bookstore - McCandless (8850 Covenant Avenue)
In conversation with Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Genre: Mystery
May 5th, 6-7pm: Book Launch: The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
Where: Hampton Community Center (3200 Lochner Way)
In conversation with Tori Bovalino
Genre: Sci-Fi (space opera)
Costs $6
May 8th, 8-11pm: Poet_L.S and Damian Rucci reading
Where: Poetry Lounge (313 North Avenue)
Costs $10
With musical acts Else//where and Psych Ward Grips
Online events & classes
Poet Camp April Jumpstarts start on April 6th:
Meets 9-9:30am every weekday for two consecutive weeks (April 6th-10th & 13th-17th)
Also a session in May (May 4th-8th & 11th-15th)
Costs $50 for the two-week session (first timers get a 50% discount)
Jumpstarts are Google Meet quick-write sessions with prompts to help you build a daily writing routine. There’s also time to chat before and after the session if you’re looking for a way to build writing community.
There are a few Craft Talks webinars in April:
April 8th, 3-4:15pm: Submit It to Win It: Literary Magazine Submission Strategies ($30)
April 11th, 12-3pm: Turning Your Memoir Into a Screenplay ($99)
April 15th, 3-4:15pm: Worldbuilding in Memoir: Creating Vivid Worlds that Captivate Your Readers ($20)
April 21st, 1-2pm: Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K. Williams (free)
April 22nd, 3-4:30pm: Main Character Energy: Writing Resonant Character ($20)
April 25th, 2-5pm: Scene vs. Summary: When to Show, When to Tell, and How ($75)
April 28th, 1-2pm: All About the Hustle: Marketing Your Own Book (free)
April 29th, 3-4:30pm: Essay as Activism: Bearing Witness Through Your Words ($20)
May 2nd, 1-4pm: 1,000 words in 3 Hours: “Writing the Heat” to Generate High-Stakes Material, Faster ($75)
Craft Talks also has a 3-week workshop starting in April: Crash Course in Flash Nonfiction: Unlock the Power of Writing Short
April 23rd, April 30th, and May 7th, 7-9pm
Costs $125
April 7th-28th: POV: Threat or Menace?
4 Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30pm
Hosted by PennWriters
Taught by Timons Esaias
Costs $100 ($75 for PennWriters members)
This workshop takes a deep dive into point-of-view and how to choose the right one for your stories. You’ll also learn strategies for effectively writing a consistent POV and using it to control the narrative.
April 11th, 10am-12pm: Curveball: Exercises in Surprise
Hosted by Write Pittsburgh
Facilitated by M.C. Benner Dixon and Schereéya
Costs $15-$30 (sliding scale)
Exercises to help you keep your writing exciting for readers by sprinkling in moments of surprise. You can work with something you have in progress or start something new at the workshop.
April 11th, 2-3:30pm: Second Saturday Open Mic
Hosted by Bridge Literary Arts Center
The featured readers for this monthly reading series are Karen Weyant and Patricia Jabeh Wesley. After, attendees can chime in with up to 5 minutes of words or music. You can get the Zoom link by reaching out to the email on the website.
April 12th, 3-6pm: Write Where It Hurts: Writing pain, illness & disability
Hosted by Poet Camp
Facilitated by Allison Blevins
Costs $25-$50 (sliding scale)
A generative workshop focused on approaches to write through illness and disability. Attendees will study published work, write from prompts, and have the chance to share their work at the end.
April 21st & 28th, 6-pm: Scaffolding Your Novel
Hosted by Write Pittsburgh
Facilitated by M.C. Benner Dixon
Costs $30-$60 (sliding scale)
A workshop for folks currently drafting a novel (or about to start one). Attendees will go through the complicated process of planning a novel and laying the groundwork to support an entire book-length story.
May 2nd, 10am-12pm: Voice Lessons: Exploration in Developing Your Written Voice(s)
Hosted by Write Pittsburgh
Facilitated by Schereéya
Costs $15-$30 (sliding scale)
This workshop will dig into how to create distinctive voices on the page and give attendees exercises to play with different voices in their writing.
Western PA Publishers with Open Calls
Short prose & individual poems
SLAB is open for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art through April 15th.
Based at Slippery Rock University
Send them:
Fiction or creative nonfiction up to 10,000 words
Up to 5 poems
Also have a contest you can enter for a $10 reading fee
After Happy Hour is open for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art through April 30th.
Independent literary journal based in Pittsburgh
Send them:
Fiction of any length
Creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words
Up to 3 poems
Up to 5 works of art
Pays $15-$50/piece
AvantAppal(achia) is open for fiction, poetry, art, video, and audio through April 30th.
Publishes avant garde literature with a focus on Appalachia
Send them:
Fiction up to 7,500 words
Up to 3 poems
Up to 3 works of art
New Dawn: An Anthology of Writers in Recovery is open for fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry through April 30th.
For work by writers who have recovered from addiction
A project of Write Pittsburgh
Send them:
Fiction and creative nonfiction up to 1,200 words
Up to 6 pages of poetry
Rat Bat Lit is open for fiction through April 30th.
Send them short stories 1,000-7,500 words
Costs $5
All submissions get at least 1-2 sentences of constructive critique with their response
Pays $10-$20
Bridge Literary Arts Journal is open for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, and art through June 1st.
Literary journal of the Bridge Literary Arts group based in Oil City, PA
Send them:
Fiction, creative nonfiction and plays up to 2,000 words
Up to 3 poems
Up to 3 works of art
Especially interested in writers and work with a connection to Northwest Pennsylvania, but open to work from all
Hollow Oak Press is accepting flash fiction for their Acorns feature
Publisher of speculative fiction based in Northwestern PA
Send them stories 1,000-1,500 words
Pays $5 per piece
Kestrel is open year-round for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art.
Based at Fairmont State University in West Virginia (so not technically “Western PA” but still highly regional)
Send them:
Fiction and creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words
Up to 5 poems
Lake Effect is open year-round for submissions of stories, poems, and essays.
Published by Penn State Behrend (Erie, PA)
Tongue is open for translations of fiction and creative nonfiction.
New journal based in Pittsburgh
Send them translated stories, essays, and novel excerpts of 1,000-4,000 words
Translation must be previously unpublished in English
Translators paid $50-$200
Publishes each story as a standalone with the original alongside the translation
Uppagus is open all year for their online issues
Send them:
Flash fiction (up to 750 words)
Poems (1-4)
Visual art (1-6 pieces)
You can check out their archives to see the kind of stuff they publish.
YNST Magazine is open for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art.
For writers and artists with a connection to the Appalachian region
Pays (rate not specified)
Also publishes fashion writing and designs
Book-length manuscripts
The Autumn House Press Nonfiction Prize is open through April 30th.
For memoirs and essay collections 150-300 pages
Judge: Ira Sukrungruang
Costs $35
Winner gets publication and $2,500
University of Pittsburgh Press is open for its Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize through April 30th.
For poetry collections of 48-100 pages
Costs $25
Winner gets $5,000 and publication
The Black Lawrence Press Black River Chapbook Competition is open through May 31st.
For poetry or prose manuscripts of 16-36 pages
Costs $20
Winner gets $500, publication, and 10 copies
Sunbury Press is open to submissions year-round.
Publishes novels and book-length non-fiction
Based in Mechanicsburg, PA (so not quite “Western PA” but close enough for horseshoes and newsletters)
Publish history, historical fiction, mystery/detective, police procedurals, crime thrillers, horror, literary fiction, young adult, current events, science, reference, art history, ANY local/regional history, humor, spiritual/metaphysical, self-help, professional, and memoirs
Those who write about regional and local topics may also want to check out their Catamount Press imprint, which is focused on literature related to Northern Appalachia