October 2025

WiVLA 2025 September Newsletter
Inspire. Promote. Collaborate.                      October (Haunted Fun) 2025                                  

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Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay
Article header: (text on image) President's Message
I am still working on the concept I shared in last month's newsletter message. In what ways can I liberate myself? Having a full-time job, in addition to all the roles I already had this time last year, is creating the need for more conscious discernment. When I use the word discernment, I mean conscious decision-making, noticing subtle differences in potential outcomes.

One of the wisdom nuggets I took away from my years in training as a spiritual director is that there is energy associated with our choices. When we become more attuned to our true selves we can more successfully choose actions, environments, and communities that increase or generate energy.

The more aware we are of our energy exchange, the more we can clearly see what is "ours to do" and what is not. This is amplified when I attempt to create with my unique voice. The more conscious I become of my feelings, my thoughts, and my true nature, the more energy there is for expressions to flow in the form of words and images.

I don't know about you, but I need a lot of time away from other's thoughts, stories, and opinions to find my own. Other folks' voices have typically had more influence and higher volume than may own. Now that we are surrounded by devices that amplify divisive narratives, I need increasing protection for the still, small voice that aligns my daily choices to my true self. I find that the time I spend alone trying not to be productive, but simply honoring my being, is the most delicate and the most powerful gift I can give myself. 

My day job requires me to be involved in many conversations, much decision-making, and many events. I am so grateful that many of these actions feed my mind, body, and spirit. And, I am aware that so much time in active spaces requires me to be deliberate in the time I make for solitude.

I've decided to create space for myself to be on sabbatical, to intentionally retreat, in a predictable rhythm so that I can hear my soul. In other words, getting back to my daily spiritual practice.

As a result, my engagement with WiVLA events has been tapering off. Rather than shame myself for being a "bad WiVLA president," I am realizing that I am choosing to be in quiet solitude rather than attend many events because that is what will fuel my soul and creative energy right now. Ironically, these choices are allowing me to live into the WiVLA mission. 

May your choices, your yes's and your no's, support your deepest self, your creative flow, and the fullest variety of your needs and values. May we all benefit from the practice of finding, nurturing, and expressing our true selves.
 ~ Brooke Summers-Perry 
This edition of the newsletter contains:
  • News: Poets & Writer news!, WiVLA Archive Donations, Free Monthly Blackout Poetry Group - Online
  • Program Opportunities: So many fabulous opportunities this moth! Check them out!
  • Member meeting: for October and Meeting Highlights of our September meeting "Wellness Through Art: Creative Process and Practice" with Helen Spaw
  • Member Highlight: Katherine McDaniel
  • Member News: lots of reasons to celebrate with our members
  • Submissions: for literary and visual artists
  • Opportunities to learn through classes and workshops
  • Save the dates!
News
WiVLA is Now a Recognized Publisher
with Poets & Writers!

Why is this recognition important to WiVLA? Becoming a recognized organization with Poets & Writers (P&W) offers valuable benefits for our programming and WiVLA literary members. Recognition provides credibility for WiVLA, connects us with a national network of literary presenters, and makes us eligible for support through P&W’s Readings & Workshops program, which helps cover honoraria for writers. 

WiVLA events can also gain wider visibility through listings in P&W’s trusted directory, drawing new audiences and participants. Most importantly, this recognition affirms our commitment to supporting writers and endeavors to ensure that they are compensated fairly for their work.

Having your work included in the Poets & Writers directory is a great addition to your CV or resume. If you were part of a Collaboration publication, such as SPACE, COMPASSION, ENTANGLED, and our upcoming RESILIENCE short works anthology, you can add those publications in your directory profile. 

If you don’t already have a P&W profile, go to their website to create your account.

To view an example, check out Kathi Crawford’s page.
WiVLA ARCHIVE DONATIONS
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Some of the WiVLA family have WiVLA items they wish to remove from their storage to the WiVLA archival collection. A delivery to the Archives at the University of Houston will be made in November, 2025.

Please let Brooke or MJ Figard know if you have physical material to donate. It is anticipated the next delivery will be made in April or May, 2026.

Keep in mind the WiVLA Collection at the University of Houston Archives in the Special Collection of the MD Anderson Library is an institutional collection. Such a collection contains physical and digital material that relates specifically to an institution, in this case WiVLA.

Some personal items probably do deserve to be in an archive, but this is not the collection to hold those items. If you have any question about your material, please contact MJ.

Please contact MJ to arrange a time to hand over your materials which she will deliver to the Archives. 

MJ Figard 832-563-6355 figard@earthlink.net 

Where: Writespace @ Sabine Street Studios
When: Two month time slots starting in Jan.
 
Opportunities:
1. Second Saturday Open Studios 12 PM – 5 PM. Artists whose work is on view to show their work and to promote WiVLA and Writespace to Second Saturday traffic. Exhibiting artists must be present for these events.
2. Art Openings – scheduled around Writespace program calendar, resident WiVLA artists could host an opening reception.
3. Readings and Book Launch Celebrations – scheduled around Writespace program calendar

Direct questions and concerns to Susan Salter, the Gallery Director, at susansalterarts@gmail.com.
Sign up to be an Artist in Residence
WiVLA on YouTube...

Subscribe to the WiVLA YouTube Channel for recordings of member meetings and other exciting events!
Click to Subscribe
Opportunities
Book Launch for Journey Into Hope Anthology
WiVLA and the Houston Writers Guild collaborated on a short story contest and are proud to release the winners in the anthology, Journey Into Hope.

Authors selected for the anthology will be reading a portion of their winning stories. Each reading will last between 3 to 5 minutes.  

Copies of the anthology will be available for purchase at the event.

 The event is Friday, Oct 3rd from 7:30- 9:00PM.

 
Sign up for WiVLA's Haunted Holidays Readings
at Brazos Bookstore in November
It's time to sign up to read at WiVLA's Haunted Holidays Readings!

WiVLA is hosting a spirited evening of creativity, community, and celebration at Haunted Holidays. We would love for you to share you short work related to the Haunted Holidays theme!

Check out the details and sign up here.

How a Writer Travels Workshop
with Sean Morrissey Carroll

As a writer, experiencing the world from different perspectives is terribly important. "Write what you know" takes on a whole new meaning once you've had the chance to see the world!

The experiences of travelling can be enhanced tenfold with a notebook in hand, a camera at the ready, and an eye for people-watching that can prompt poems and stories that you'd never get sitting behind a desk researching the world and its cultures.

With tips and tricks to put ideas in place, we will explore how going the extra mile on vacation or a work trip can pay dividends in your writing life.
 

Sean Morrissey Carroll is an author in Houston, Texas, programming coordinator for Writespace Writing Center, and co-host of Writers Lunch. He’s been a bookseller, photography teacher, butcher, cartoonist, waiter, art critic, crepemaker, vintage fashion grader and sign painter. Published in Art in America, Artforum.com, Bullshit Literary, Defunkt Magazine, Houston Press, and Gulf Coast magazine, Sean’s story “Future Floods of Houston” was nominated for a PEN/Dau Award.
Location: WriteSpace at Sabine Street Studios,  1907 Sabine Street, Ste 125HoustonTX77007,US
Date: Sunday, Oct 12th, 1:30 - 4:30PM.

Cost: $35 for WiVLA and WriteSpace Members, $40 for non-members
Register Here
LUMENessence Opening Reception
with Melody Locke's Photography
Meet the Authors: Panel Discussion and Book Signing Event with Kathi Crawford and Friends
This event is part of a larger celebration hosted by Writespace Writing Center, featuring fellow authors, open art studios, and a WiVLA visual art exhibit.

It’s a beautiful intersection of literary and artistic voices—and Kathi would be honored to see you there.


Location: Sabine Street Studios, South Gallery, 1907 Sabine Street, Houston, TX
Date: Saturday, Oct 18, 2025, 3:00 -  5:00PM
Register Here
Houston Area Wood Carvers 55th annual Fall Show
WiVLA Member Jamie Frontiera will have a table and items in competition in the 55th Annual Fall Show for Houston Area Wood Carvers.

Come see all the fantastic wood carvings at this free event and stay for the whittling competition at 1:30pm.

There are classes open to anyone who wants to sign up from October 15th to 17th.
More Information and Classes

Ekphrastic Anthology Book Launch
at the Friendswood Library

Join Margo Stutts Toombs, Katherine McDaniel, Laura Pena and other WiVLA members whose work is published in the upcoming Ekphrastic Anthology from the Friendwoods Library.

It always a great reading and celebration!

Location: Friendswood Public Library, 416 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546
Date: Saturday, Oct 4, 2:00PM

 

Contemplative Photography (level 1)
at The Jung Center with Denise Bossarte

If you missed out on this course in the summer—or want to share the experience with friends or family—now’s your chance!

In this class, you’ll practice contemplative photography to slow down, deepen your presence, and connect with the beauty around you. Through mindful visual exploration, you’ll also expand your awareness and creativity.

Using the mindfulness approach of Contemplative Arts, you’ll explore your own visual experience through Contemplative Photography. This practice uses your camera as a tool for slowing down, being present, and noticing more of the beauty in the world. It provides a way to connect directly with what you see.

No photography experience is required—just bring a camera with a card or your cell phone. Contemplative Photography is not only for photographers, but for anyone who wants to be more mindful and enjoy seeing the world in a new way.

"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." ~Marcel Proust

Location: The Jung Center, 5200 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, TX 77006
Date: Friday Oct 10, 12:00 - 4:00PM

Register Here
"The Age in Our Time" Opening Reception
at The Health Museum

This Healing Arts Exhibition aims to reframe aging as a dynamic and human experience. Through a juried selection, the winning visual and written works will be displayed in the museum to inspire guests to reconsider how we perceive aging in later life (50+ years), not as a process to fear, but as a profound journey we experience every day.

 Margo Stutts Toombs has a flash fiction piece, "Dating Profile ~ Sexy Seniors App", in the upcoming exhibit at The Health Museum.

Join her at the preview reception of the "Age in Our Time" exhibit and maybe share a giggle or two.

Location: The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive, Houston, TX 77004
Date: Friday, October 3, 2025, 6:00 – 8:00PM

Tickets and More Information
 "Poetry Aloud" at Writespace
with Katherine McDaniel
Does your heart start to pound when you're about to step up to the microphone and share your poetry with an audience? Does your voice wobble as you begin to speak?

Public speaking itself can be scary, but when you add in the nerves that come with putting your art out into the world, it can be downright daunting. Fortunately, you can overcome this! Join poet Katherine McDaniel for this workshop and reading your poetry for an audience. She'll give you the tips and tricks she's acquired over her career of performing, and you'll walk away ready for your next open mic!

Location: Writespace, 1907 Sabine Street, #125, Houston, TX 
Date: Saturday, Oct 11, 1:00 - 4:00PM.
Register Here
Free Monthly Blackout Poetry Group - Online
Facilitated by Brooke Summers-Perry

Each month, you’ll practice blackout poetry with a variety of pages. You’re invited to share your poetry, reflections, and insights from the process.

Registration via Eventbrite link is required to receive the zoom link and images of book pages for the practice.

No prior experience is needed.

Next meeting: Friday, Oct 3rd, 2025, 12:00 - 1:30 PM.

Register Here

WiVLA Book Club
The Wonderous Readers

Please RSVP to wivlabookclub@gmail.com
Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay
Writing Critique Groups
  • Houston Writers Guild Critique Groups - in person and virtual
  • Writespace Write Practice subscriptions - virtual only
  • HerStry Critique Groups - Virtual, 2 sessions starting in March with more throughout the year.
Member Meeting
Section Header: Member Meeting
October Member Meeting

Poetry and Consciousness 
with Martha Serpas

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." - Thomas Merton

Writing poetry can launch (or settle) the poet into a nonordinary state of consciousness, one in which awareness of the world and of the self dissolve into expansive, ethereal, or other forms of being. Reading poetry deeply can have the same effect. We’ll talk about other states of consciousness we have experienced—dreaming, childbirth, meditation/prayer, for example—and compare these to the acts of creation and reception. We’ll have before us a group of poems associated with altered consciousness and consider two in particular. Questions  outside the poems, about consciousness research, or psychedelic treatment can all be considered.

"Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love. Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer." - Simone Weil


MARTHA SERPAS has written four volumes of poetry, including The Dirty Side of the Storm and most recently Double Effect. A native of southern Louisiana, she co-produced Veins in the Gulf, a documentary about coastal erosion. She teaches at the University of Houston and co-directs Scripts, the narrative and lyric health program at UH’s Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. She is also a chaplain and is currently on a research team studying psilocybin as psychedelic treatment for anxiety and depression in cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Check out the WiVLA Calendar for details and updates.
 
Tuesday, October 21st, 6:00-8:00 PM
Zoom
Meeting Highlight
Section Header: Meeting Highlight
September Member Meeting

Wellness Through Art: Creative Process and Practice
with Helen Spaw

In this experiential presentation, we connected with our creative process as a wellness practice for centering, gaining insight, stress relief, empowerment, and enjoyment. An increasing amount of research has already highlighted the benefits of the creative process for well-being.

Through art making, we had the opportunity to find our flow state and practice mindfulness. We also gained insight through pre-verbal and unconscious imagery and discovered our own symbols that appeared in our art.

We naturally processed our world in this intuitive way and rediscovered our creativity through the Wellness Through Art presentation. Participants used whatever writing or art supplies they had available.


Helen Spaw, MPS, offers wellness through art circles, individual sessions, workshops, programs, and events online and in-person. She has a wide range of experience as a therapist, art instructor, wellness through art program, and group leader for all ages and abilities. She holds a master’s degree in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an Art minor and focus in Art Therapy from the College of Santa Fe.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenspaw

Instagram: @healingartcircles

Facebook: Healing Art Circles

Recording available on WIVLA's YouTube channel.
Member Highlight
Katherine McDaniel

Katherine McDaniel grew up roaming fields and woods near Dripping Springs, Texas, developing a passion for nature and imagination. She credits her creative instincts and interests to her mother, Mary Fries Johnson, who supplied her with beautifully written and illustrated books and was always up for the latest art project.    

Katherine trained as a classical singer, her favorite repertoire being art song, which combines poetry with music in an extremely intimate way. She has spent twenty wonderful years in the Houston Grand Opera Chorus, singing many productions of traditional and modern operas. The theater has been a wonderful place for growth and expression, but it has always been her dream to be a creator and a curator of art rather than solely a performer.

She is the founder of Synkroniciti, an arts incubator, and the editor of Synkroniciti Magazine, a quarterly online literary and visual art journal with a Jungian slant. The magazine published its twenty-fifth issue, “Dreams,” in September and is in its seventh year, featuring local and global talent.

Her poetry has appeared in Gleam: Journal of the Cadralor and is forthcoming in Friendswood Library's 2025 Ekphrastic Poetry Anthology, How to Tend a Wall. In 2013, she was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera to write poetry based on the lives of women who immigrated from Latin America.

Much to her surprise and delight, Katherine's art recently won third prize in WiVLA’s Rise Exhibition. She has shown at Art on the Avenue, a charitable exhibition and auction that supports housing assistance, and was selected for the 100 Years of Surrealism exhibition at the Hardy & Nance Gallery.

She exhibits work there from time to time and reads her poetry at Archway Gallery. She has taught workshops at Houston Botanic Garden and Writespace and will be launching online classes under the Synkroniciti banner in the near future.

Synkroniciti website
Who will WiVLA highlight next?
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay; Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Each month, a WiVLA member is highlighted in the Newsletter. This is a fun way for us to get to know each other.
Contact the Literary Art Chair or the Visual Art Chair, if you would like your time in the spotlight.
Literary Art Chair
Visual Art Chair
Member News
Margo Stutts Toombs 
Margo  has a flash, fiction piece, Dating Profile ~ Sexy Seniors App, in the upcoming exhibit at The Health Museum. She also has a piece in the forthcoming Anthology Ekphrastic through the Friendswood Library. Plus she has a poem, When Bread is More than Flour, Yeast, and Water, in in Equinox, Volume 9, Wide Open.
Margo and her long-time collaborator, Donna E. Perkins, had their current Women in the Visual and Literary Arts project accepted into the Festival Fotogenia 2025 film festival, which will be played online. And if Margo can get the audio translated into Spanish, it will screen in person in Mexico City in November. Yo estoy feliz!
Margo's website
Mildred J Mills
Mildred's website
Pat Waughtal
Pat has her painting Parking Lot Lunch juried into the Watercolor Art Society Houston (WASH) Member Show. The reception is scheduled for Sunday, Oct 5th at approximately 4:00 PM.
Pat's website
Donna has had several recent successes:
Five pieces of Donna's artworks were accepted into Gloze Museum 2025 exhibit, curated by Derek Beck. The digital showcase premiere of the hour-long video walkthrough of the digital museum will be available online the following day. After the premiere, they will be spotlighting each artist’s work on Gloze’s social channels throughout the fall. Sponsored by  Houston Arts Alliance.
Donna's  mixed media art Where Passion meets the Goal is part of The Beautiful Game exhibition at Houston City College Eastside Campus, curated by Betirri.
The Oliver residence at Sawyer Yards has chosen to host a solo exhibit of 7 pieces of Donna's artworks on the 7th floor sky lounge. They are planning an artist reception on October 22, from 4:00 to 6:00pm for their residents on Wine Down Wednesday. Donaa invites all of the WiVLA members to the opening! 
Donna's website
Kathi Crawford
Kathi has had a number of successes:
An article about Kathi's book is on the Writer's Workshop website: Alumni Spotlight: From Language Immersion to Literary Achievement - Kathi Crawford's Journey to Publication
The Argyle published Kathi's creative nonfiction story, Versions of My Mother, on 9/15.
Synkroniciti published two of her poems in the Dreams issue: The Study of Moving Through Time and I Sat Next to Octavia E. Butler on a Tour Bus Headed to Crater Plato, on 9/15.
A series of Kathi's connected Haiku were selected by The Short of It Anthology to be published in 2026: A Muffled Sky, A Writer's Creed, Rising, Just Like an Hourglass, Pause, and An Opening 
Kathi is collaborating with Writespace to hold a Meet the Authors & Book Signing event on 10/18. Attendees can still participate if they are not registered. Donna Carnahan helped bring this together.
Kathi's website
Sandi is delighted to join many WiVLA members in the Dreams issue just released by Synkronicity. Her poem Pipe Dream tells a dreamy ghost story set in Singapore. You can read it on her Facebook site.

And just when she thought her work hadn't been accepted for Public Poetry's Unbroken anthology, she received a congratulatory email from editor Detrick Hughes that her poem The Hero has been chosen.
Sandi's book on Amazon
Denise Bossarte
Denise had two photographs and her flash-fiction piece Dishes selected for the Dreams issue of Synkroniciti.
And Denise's photograph, Board Surfing in Pink, is in Equinox, Volume 9, Wide Open.
Denise's website
Celeste Budwit-Hunter
Celeste Budwit-Hunter has a poem, When I Say It's Good Luck, and two photographs, Portal and The Way, published in Equinox, Volume 9, Wide Open.
Melody Locke
Melody Locke has two photographic prints in each of the following group exhibitions: Houston Maritime Center & Museum and the Outreach Center of West Houston. She also had a lumen print juried into the Awesome Autumn exhibition at the KBM Art Gallery.
Melody's website
Jamie Frontiera
Jamie Frontiera won Honorable Mentions For Teravarna's 8th Water competition for her Koi Fish Pond carving. This is the carving that is the cover art for Sykroniciti's Dreams issue!

And her Joyful Dance woodcarving was selected in Lights, Shadows, Reflections 2025 an online juried exhibition. The Official Opening is October 9, 2025 at Gallerium Art Exhibitions.
Check out Jamie's work on Instagram
Submissions
Synkroniciti is Open
for Written and Visual Art Submissions
Synkroniciti is a quarterly online arts journal. They accept work in a variety of media across the visual, literary and performing arts spectrum.

Issue Vol. 7, No. 4, Patternswill debut this fall.

Patterns are etched across nature and stitched through our memories. They are the rhythms of life, the habits we inherit or establish, cycles we long to create or break. From personal and cultural history to the motifs of our dreams and imagination, they shape who we are, how we see our world and how we act. Marked by geometric precision or chaotic abandon, wild colors or monochromatic tones, they are the models, forms, and languages that help us express and organize our inner creative chaos, as well as those that limit and imprison our growth. Synkroniciti invites you to share the patterns you perceive and the patterns you create.

Submissions for their Patterns issue are now open. Contests will be held in poetry ($75), flash fiction ($75) and for the cover ($100). 
Theme: Patterns
Deadline: 10/15/2025
Fee: $3 per submission
Submissions should be emailed to magazine@synkroniciti.com

Want to know now what they look for in a submission? Check out this interview with editor Katherine McDaniel by Jim Harrington over at Six Questions For Katherine McDaniel, Founder/Editor, Synkroniciti Magazine

Click Here for Submission Information

Art League Houston (ALH)

2025 Open Call Exhibition Proposals

Art League Houston (ALH) is pleased to announce that we are now accepting proposals for our 2027 exhibition season. This open call invites artists, curators, and collectives to apply for exhibitions scheduled in Winter (January–April) and Summer (May–July) 2027.
Ends on Friday, Oct 31, 2025 11:59 PM

We welcome proposals from individuals and groups working in all disciplines, including visual arts, installation, performance, video, and interdisciplinary practices. ALH is committed to supporting diverse artistic voices and encourages applications from both emerging and established practitioners.

There is no application fee, and all proposals must be submitted through our Submittable platform. Full guidelines, selection criteria, and submission details are available on our Open Call page.

For questions or additional information, please contact:
Zhaira Costiniano
Curator and Exhibition Manager
zhaira@artleaguehouston.org

LSAG Art League Fall Judged Shows!

The Tomball Art League (TAL) Virtual Fall Show
  • Registration Closes: October 5, 2025
  • Gallery Take-In: October 9, 2025
  • Awards Announced: October 10, 2025, at the show
  • Eligibility: This show is available for all Texas Residents.
  • Show Location: LONE STAR COLLEGE - TOMBALL COMMUNITY LIBRARY, 30555 Tomball Parkway, Tomball, TX 77375
ENTER TAL SHOW
The Woodlands Art League (TWAL) Fall Show
  • Registration Opens: September 6, 2025
  • Registration Closes: October 6, 2025
  • Awards Announced: October 11, 2025 at the show
  • Eligibility: This show is available for all Texas Residents.
  • Judge: Lee Jamison Art Gall
  • Show Location: Sam Houston State University – The Woodlands Center
    3380 College Park Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77384
ENTER TWAL SHOW
The Hardy & Nance Studios Call for Entry:
Masks Art Show
This call for entries is open to all artists in Houston and surrounding areas working in 2D & 3D media.
Theme: 2D & 3D mask related art or costumery (functional or decorative) (photography, paintings, & sculptures) that explore themes of identity, transformation, disguise, ceremony, tradition, secret society, uniform, celebration, cultural incorporation, and all the ways masks have been used for thousands of years and in contemporary applications. (“Unfinished/conceptual” submissions are also allowed)

Deadline: Tuesday, October 7th at 11:59pm
Fee: $15 per accepted pieces for up to six (6) images. There is no fee to submit images for consideration.
Location: The Hardy and Nance Studios, 902 Hardy Street, Houston, TX 77020
Show Dates: Saturday, October 18th from 5 to 10PM.
Click Here to Submit

Deadline: October 1, 2025

We are currently open to visual art submissions for a special selection period. The artwork selected will be paired with poems in our 2025 Coniston Prize issue, debuting in mid-October.

We are especially interested in:

  • Art centered on the female experience, including birth, death, generational trauma, science and women's health
  • Visual representations of nature motifs
  • Thematic representations of catastrophic world events
Submit here

Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize


Theme: 
Love, Faith, & Sex
DatesSeptember 21 - November 7
What to Send: Send us up to 3 pages of poetry  Each poem starts on a new page.
Submission Fee: $15 
Prize: Awards of a total of $3500 will be given, with the winning poem receiving $1000 and 10 finalists receiving $250 each.

In the spirit of Leonard Cohen, we ask that your poems deal in some way with the intersections of Love, Faith, & Sex.

We only accept previously uncurated work. 

We love cover letters and would prefer knowing whose work we are reading. You are welcome to share your love for Leonard Cohen, your publication history, if any, though that would not influence our decision. Please make sure that the document of your poems is stripped of any biographical information—use the cover letter field on Submittable for this.

Please withdraw your poems if they get accepted elsewhere.

We will respond to everyone by the end of this year. Winners will be announced and published in January.

Your submission comes with an exclusive 33% discount off any of the annual ONLY POEMS membership tiers ($33-$82 value). 

Submit Here
WOW! FALL 2025 FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Theme: Open
Length: 250 - 750 words
Deadline: November 30th
Entry Fee: $10/submission
Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Runners Up, and Honorable Mention
Enter Here
The Fall Black River Chapbook Competition
Theme: Poetry Chapbook - unpublished chapbook of poems or prose
Length: 16-36 pages in length

Deadline: November 1st
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.
Submit Here
Lone Star Literary Life is your digital hub for all things Texas books. We celebrate local authors, indie bookstores, and literary events—connecting the community with compassion and a commitment to uncensored reading.
Writing Contests, Grants & Awards
The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
Click here to search contest database
Literary Magazines
Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff and listed in the Literary Magazines database. Here you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, and contact information—everything you need to determine which publications match your vision for your writing and your writing life.
Click here to search literary magazine database
According to their website, "Duotrope is an established, award-winning resource for writers and artists. We help you save time finding publishers or literary agents, so you can focus on creating. Our publication and agent listings are up to date and full of information you won't find elsewhere. We also offer submission trackers, custom searches, deadline calendars, statistical reports, and extensive interviews." 
Click Here for More Information
According to their website, "For writers, getting your work published and recognized is a step toward realizing your goals as an author. However, finding the right contests or publications can be a challenging and time consuming. Authors now have the opportunity to find and submit their writing to magazines, publishers, and contests through a website called Submittable."
Click Here for More Information
According to their website, "CaFÉ strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply. CaFÉ  has an open call for everyone, from competitions to public art calls, to art contests and more. Artists can create an artist portfolio for free and apply to various call listings. CaFÉ also hosts its own call for entry."
Click Here for More Information
According to their website, "Since established in 2003, Smarter Entry has evolved to become one of the most comprehensive competition and call for entry management systems. Used by art groups and organizations of all sizes, this intuitive, affordable web-based software makes it easy for organizations to run regional to worldwide events. Smarter Entry is a perfect choice for sculpture and other 3D media, as well as photography and painting competitions."
Click Here for More Information
According to their website, "For the Artist, Maker and (Forever) Inspired. Artists Network is with you every step of your art journey. Artists Network produces anywhere from three to five major events for visual art enthusiasts each year. We plan and produce different art-making getaways and retreats, art competitions, pop-up learn-ins, Paint Alongs, art talks and tours, and more in locations worldwide."
Click Here for More Information
Workshops - Classes
Visual Art Opportunities
Check out these classes and more at ALH!
Register Here

Meeting and Pastel demo by Tetyana Aleksenko

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 20, 10:00 AM
WHERE
 Fairhaven Methodist's Trinity Center, 1330 Gessner Road, Houston, TX 77055

Pastel Workshop with Tetyana Aleksenko

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 27, 10:00 AM
WHERE
 Fairhaven Methodist's Trinity Center, 1330 Gessner Road, Houston, TX 77055
COST: Non-Members – $60.00, HAS Members – $40.00 
Register for Workshop
WAS-H Live - Demo by Laurie Goldstein-Warren
Register for Demo

Check out these classes and more at WAS-H!

Location: WAS-H at 1601 West Alabama at Mandell, Houston, TX 77006.

The Woodlands Art League & Houston MG Car Club 
Plein Air Event

Join us for a great TWAL juried Plein Air Paint-out!
We’ll be painting at the Houston MG Car Club’s 35th Annual Houston All British Car Day event! 
You’ll help TWAL with this fun event, meet great people and artists, and see a great selection of British cars!

WHEN: Saturday, October 4th from 9 AM to 1:00 PM
WHERE: Rudy’s “Country Store” & Bar-B-Que, 24503 Tomball Pkwy, Tomball, TX 77375
COST: Non-Members – $50, TWAL Members – $40 

PRIZE: $500 for 1st Place. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, People's Choice and Honorable Mention ribbons will be awarded.
All sales will be between the purchaser and artist. Sales made during the event require a 20% donation to TWAL.
Register Here
Custom Journal/Sketchbook Build Workshop
with Teri Valentine
WHEN: Friday, October 24th and Saturday Oct 25th from 10 AM to 4 PM
WHERE: TWAL Studio, 701 Sawdust Rd., The Woodlands, TX 77380.
COST: Non-Members – $275, TWAL Members – $225 
Please register no later than Tuesday, October 21 so a packet of supplies can be made for you!
Register Here
Gilding the Depth: Mastering Metal Leaf Application for Enhanced Artwork with Jimmie Shealey


Come dive into the luminous world of metal leaf application in a hands-on workshop designed for artists of all levels! This immersive experience will guide you step by step through the process of incorporating metal leaf into a piece of artwork (that we will start at the workshop) elevating its depth, texture, and overall composition.
WHEN: November 1-2, 2025. 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM both days, with a 1-hour break for lunch
WHERE: Conroe Art League Studio. 127 Simonton St., Conroe, TX 77301.
COST: $200 for CAL Members, $240 for non-members.

Register here
Constructing the Human Head
Using the Loomis Method
with Ken Roy
The workshop is about constructing the head, not drawing a portrait, although a portrait may be drawn using this method.  It is also an effective method to draw a believable head from imagination.

Beginning with the ball as the basic shape of the human head, we will follow a process using the Loomis method (Andrew Loomis*) to construct a human head with a simple line drawing.  The method focuses on shape, proportion, and structure of the head.  

Instruction will not address detailed rendering, edge control, value (other than a simple separation between areas of light and dark), or color.  There'll be opportunity to draw the head in profile, full frontal, and 3/4 view.

You'll draw -- not from a photo -- but from one of the busts (fondly referred to as the deadheads) in the classroom.


WHEN: November 9th, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WHERE: Conroe Art League Studio. 127 Simonton St., Conroe, TX 77301.
COST: $40 for CAL Members, $80 for non-members.
Register here

WHEN: Classes start throughout October
WHERE: Houston Center for Photography 1441 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77006.
COST: Varies per class

Register for Classes here

WHEN: Classes start throughout October
WHERE: Ardest Gallery, 25200 Grogan's Park Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380.
COST: Varies per class

Check out these classes and more here!
Find out more on these classes here!
Literary Opportunities
Monthly Open Mic Poetry Reading
Inprint First Fridays Reading Series & Open Mic
First Fridays will present a monthly featured presenter, a poet of distinction and accomplishment, followed by one of Houston's premier and most attentive open mic forums.
First Fridays take place every first Friday of the month, 12 times a year, at Inprint House, 1520 West Main Street, 77006. We throw the doors open at 7:30 PM; the featured readers share wisdom and words with us at 8:00 PM, and then the open mic gets rolling at 8:30 PM, whether you're ready or not.
(Sign up to read when you arrive.)

Writespace Last Friday Readings and Socials
Featured readers, member readers, and an open mic for YOU to participate! Join us in the South gallery of Sabine Street Studios with local literary and craft vendors, 7 PM til we run out of words (Sign up to read when you arrive.)

Brazos Bookstore Friday Night Poetry Open Mic Night 
Sign-ups for readers will be taken at the door starting at 6 PM and drawn from a hat starting at 6:15 PM. The rules are simple: 5 minutes or three pieces, whichever comes first! If there is spare time, we happily invite poets with more material to try out to come back and share it with us!

The reading is free and open to all: young, old, first timers, veterans, and you! 


Public Poetry Second Saturday Reading Series with the Houston Public Library. Poetry comes alive the first Saturday of each month at 2 PM with readings performed by a creative mix of artists. Participants are invited to read a piece for Open Mic during featured poets intermission​. Poetry readings alternate between Zoom and in-person events at various Houston libraries.

FRIENDSWOOD POETS First Saturday Readings at the Friendswood Library 11 AM. Community Room Friendswood Library 416 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood TX.
WRITESPACE is Houston's writing center. Founded in April of 2014, we are a grassroots literary arts organization founded by writers, for writers. At WRITESPACE, we support writers of all genres, including writers of literary fiction, poetry, science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and other genres.
We offer weekly writing workshops, manuscript consultations, write-ins, open mics, socials, and more. In the spring of each year, we host a national literary festival, Writefe
st. 
  • Deciding to Publish Traditional, Self-Pub, or Hybrid
  • Happy Hour: Making Yourself and Your Creative Practice a Priority (online Zoom)
  • Amherst Way with Jessica Cole (online Zoom)
  • Poetry by Candlelight (Melange Creperie)
  • Poetry Aloud!
  • Meet the Authors
Click for more info or to register for classes, workshops and other offerings

The Houston Writers Guild is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization working to create a community of writers of all skill levels. Together we strive to improve our writing craft and help each other build successful careers through education, collaborative marketing efforts, and camaraderie.
The Guild offers a myriad of programs for both published and unpublished writers. It creates opportunities to build careers through networking, as well as, opportunities for author book sales throughout the Greater Houston area and neighboring communities. The Guild is also a place for hobbyist authors to enjoy writing in a relaxed and fun environment.
Critique Group
Writer's Room - several offerings

 
Click for more information
Inprint envisions Houston, Texas as a city where the literary arts are a defining resource. Thousands of Houstonians, recognizing the value and impact of the written word, join in Inprint programs to write, read, and support the literary arts. The community is enriched by some of the nation’s top emerging writers, who study at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program and teach at Inprint and various local community centers, schools, and universities.
  • Novel/In-Person 2526-204
  • Poetry/In-Person 2526-203
  • Poetry/In-Person 2526-212
  • Spanish Creative Writing/In-Person 2526-211
  • Teachers-as-Writers/In-Person 2526-213
  • Sentence Craft/In-Person 2526-214
Click here for more workshops and classes.
Grackle and Grackle hosts creative writing classes taught by talented writers who love to teach. We work with all ages of writers. 

We host weekend workshops for retreats geared toward specific kinds of writing, therapy, or outcomes; and weekly workshops in institutional or hospital settings.
Click here for more class details
Click for more info or to register for classes & workshops
The WRITER'S LEAGUE of TEXAS (WLT) is the largest literary arts organization in Texas, a statewide nonprofit offering programs and services to writers at all stages of their writing careers, from just getting started to publication and beyond. 
Founded in 1981, the organization’s mission is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help writers improve their craft and understand the business of publishing; to promote the interests of writers from diverse cultural, economic, sexual identity and orientation, ethnic, and religious backgrounds; and to elevate the art and enterprise of writing, including supporting and growing the Texas literary community at large.
  • WLT Off the Beaten Craft: “Writing for Tabletop Roleplaying Games” with Erin Roberts
    “Creating the Thriller Antagonist(s)” with Richard Z. Santos
  • “Playing with Form: Exploring New Shapes & Structures in Storytelling” with Jenny Tinghui Zhang
  • “Anatomy of a Romance” with Sherry Thomas
    “Narrative Nonfiction Craft Essentials” with Michael Copperman
  • “Short Fiction Craft Essentials” with Chaitali Sen
Click for more info or to register for classes & workshops
WOW! is a global magazine designed to support women's creativity, energy, blood, sweat, and tears throughout all stages of the writing process. We envision Wow! being a favorite watering hole for professionals, the up-and-coming, and the recipients of our labors--the avid readers.
Our concept is unique, as it fills in the missing gap between writing websites and women's magazines. We are dedicated to raising the overall standards within the writing community, and devote an active profile within writing industry associations, organizations and websites.
  • WRITING WITH THE PATTERNS OF NATURE: Finding Inspiration in the Rhythms and Wonders of the Earth with Kimberly Lee 
  • EMPOWER YOUR MUSE, EMPOWER YOUR WRITING SELF by Kelly L. Stone
  • STRENGTHENING YOUR FICTION with Dawn Rachel Carrington
  • WRITING HORROR AND GOTHIC FICTION with Madeline Dyer
  • HOW TO WRITE A DYSTOPIAN NOVEL with Madeline Dyer
  • NARRATIVE STRUCTURES with Madeline Dyer
  • DELICIOUS DISH: WRITING ABOUT FOOD with Melanie Faith
  • TRAVEL WRITING 101: 2-HOUR ZOOM CLASS (with Optional Pitch Critique) by Barbara Noe Kennedy
  • WRITING FANTASY FICTION with Lara Ameen
Click here to see the full list of classes
  • Twists, Turns, and Call-backs: How to Shape Your Story with Marcela Fuentes (online via Zoom) 
  • Deep Revision with Katey Schultz (online via Zoom)
  • Introduction to Playwriting with Mikaela Simon (online via Zoom)
Click here to see the full list of classes
The International Women’s Writing Guild (IWWG) is dedicated to building a worldwide community where storytelling connects, inspires, and uplifts voices across cultures. We celebrate the richness of diverse traditions, histories, and perspectives, recognizing that every writer contributes to the shared human experience.
All IWWG workshops are listed in ET (Eastern Time).
TWO SYLVIAS PRESS is an independent press located in the Seattle area. We publish poetry, memoir, essays, books on the craft of writing, and creativity tools, such as The Poet Tarot, The Daily Poet, Everything is Writable, PR for Poets, Demystifying the Manuscript, and the bestselling resource for poets, The Weekly Muse.
* Collaboration Catalogs Available! *
You can purchase copies of the REFLECTION catalog from the 2022 Collaboration for $5.
Stop by Studio 320 at Silver Street Studios to purchase additional copies of either catalog. Silver Street Studios is located in the Main Yard of Sawyer Yards. Call ahead at 713-851-0134 to ensure that she’ll be in the studio when you arrive.
(We are sold out of ENTANGLED catalogs!)
Calendars
Remember to check the WiVLA Calendar for exciting events, such as field trips, studio visits, workshops, and other fun activities.
 
WiVLA Calendar

Other Relevant Calendars:

https://inprinthouston.org/calendar/
https://www.artleaguehouston.org/classes
https://writersleague.org/calendar/
https://woodlandsartleague.org/Calendar
https://conroeartleague.com/Calendar
https://www.houstonartsociety.com/calendar.html

 
Save the Dates
Save the Date(s)
 
  • WiVLA Book Club: Last Saturdays of the month
  • Blackout Poetry Group (Online): First Fridays of the month
  • November Member Meeting - Literary Readings: Resilience theme, Nov 18, 2025
  • Haunted Holiday Readings at Brazos Bookstore, Nov 8, 2025
  • WiVLA Holiday Party Dec 7, 2-5 PM 
WiVLA Needs Your Expertise
Do you have special skills, talents or knowledge to share with other WiVLA members? Now is a good time to volunteer ~
  • Serve on a committee
  • Speak at a monthly meeting
  • Lead a workshop.
  • Be creative
Don't be shy. We have a lot to learn from each other.
Click here to connect with a board member
We'd love to celebrate your good news. If you are interested in sharing, please send your items to newsletter@wivla.org. The deadline for inclusion in the next month's newsletter is the 20th. Thank you.
Submit News Items Here
Thank you to our Sponsors~
 

Ruby R Scott (WiVLA Member)
Arts a Daisy Gallery

Rosario Solis (WiVLA Member)
Fine Arts and Crafts

Beth Crews Rommel (WiVLA Member)

Gail Dentler (WiVLA Member)

Ann O. Knauth (WiVLA Member)

Carissa Barcus (WiVLA Member)

Billie Duncan (WiVLA Member)

Holli May Thomas (WiVLA Member)


 Bernadette Wolff (WiVLA Member)


Grackle & Grackle
https://grackleandgrackle.com

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The following companies offer discounts to WiVLA.
Show your appreciation by extending your patronage.


Art Supply on Almeda Road
5301 Almeda Road
Houston, TX 77004
713-652-5028
https://artsupplyonline.com/defaultframe.asp

 

Frame Destination
https://www.framedestination.com/

 


 
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September 2025