Islanders Talking about Writing

While compiling the “Reading and Writing Around the Rock” section for this newsletter, I was struck by the sheer number of literary events happening on the Island during the upcoming month. There are author talks, book signings, writing workshops, book groups, and the MV Book Festival. Looking further ahead to August, there is the second MV Black Book Festival and the MV Times writer’s festival – Islanders Write. Authors promoting their new books can be found in bookstores, at libraries, in galleries, and under tents. Literary life on the Vineyard certainly seems to be thriving.

When we created Islanders Write in 2014, we realized that there are truly extraordinary writers and top publishing professionals here on the Island. We started reaching out to the Island’s own writers to develop a literary festival of Vineyard-connected writers. We also wanted to create something different than what was already happening here. The MV Book Festival was bringing authors with new books to the Vineyard, so we decided that at Islanders Write we would focus on the process of writing in a variety of genres and the business of getting published.

I’ve had the privilege of putting together Islanders Write since it launched over a decade ago. The things I ask myself every year while in the planning stages are: What topics will people find interesting? What writers and publishing professionals are on the Vineyard in August? What genres or topics haven’t we covered at Islanders Write? What should we cover again? Who would pair well in conversation? Who will enlighten us? Who has a new book out that we can help promote? Are the poets angry with me? (There are so many poets on the Island, and the last poetry panel was planned for Islanders Write 2020, which got cancelled because of the pandemic.) How come there aren’t more hours in the day?

 I started to wonder if planning a writer’s festival is like planning a menu for a restaurant, so I called my friend Tina Miller to get her take. Tina has created menus for her two restaurants, Cafe Moxie and The Roadhouse, and was one of the founders of Rosewater, so she has quite a bit of experience designing menus. 

“You’re thinking about what ingredients complement each other. Say you’ve got swordfish, but swordfish with what?” Tina said. “​​And you’re not going to put kale on every single dish. You’re going to think, well I have kale, but it’s kind of sour and harsh and so it’s going to go well with salmon, because salmon is kind of sweet. So you’re making it work with a dish, but you’re also making it work with your overall menu to make it balanced.” 

And so it is with Islanders Write. Catherine Walters, author of “Kale, Glorious Kale” can certainly talk about kale, so I asked her to moderate a conversation we’re calling What is a Cookbook? with two writers who have put together very different types of cookbooks: Dr. Jessica B. Harris, whose most recent book is “Braided Heritage” and Julia Blanter, author of “The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook.”

To continue with the menu analogy, my goal is to put together  a menu pf unforgettable  panel discussions and workshops that flow into a cohesive day of conversations about writing. We will be offering something new – such as a conversation about research-intensive narratives with writers working in four totally different genres, along with longtime menu favorites – such as the Wake Up and Write! Workshop early on Sunday morning, and the Pitch Panel, both of which will be back in action at this summer’s Islanders Write. 

In this newsletter, you will also find a must-read essay, by Sherry Sidoti, for anyone working on a memoir; a new Vin-lit quiz; the announcement for the Islanders Write panel discussions (writing workshops will be next); our Islanders Write  marketplace, and more. 

Write on!

• Kate Feiffer