Islanders Write Update
A few days ago I was listening to Willy Mason’s song “Oxygen,” playing it over and over again, fixating on one line then moving on to contemplate another. I’ve found that music — along...
Vineyard love story
I grew up feeling a strong connection with Georgia O’Keefe and believed I would be home, feel rooted, the day I set foot in Abiquiu, N.M. What happened was, the day I disembarked the...
The shoes are your lede
Thomas Jefferson, who used only 1,320 words in the Declaration of Independence to set the world afire, was no slouch when it came to concise writing. “The most valuable of all talents is that...
Information about the Islanders Write Pitch Panel
This is an opportunity for five writers to pitch their book project and get feedback from four publishing professionals — a publisher/editor, a literary agent, an author, and a publishing executive. It is also...
In the beginning was the POV
When a writer sits down to begin a work of fiction, one of the most important decisions is what narrative voice to use. There are so many ways to tell a story, and sometimes...
The Vineyard Novel
Both girls had yet to jump off the Jaws Bridge, the one famous for being in the movie. As some of you know, it’s a rite of passage for all the island kids and...
My job was to be a kid
By Jill Orluskie
Thanks to my father, I couldn’t have asked for a better summer job on Martha’s Vineyard from 1982 to 1985. Although my father’s job at Bell Atlantic had him work on the...
“The New York Trilogy” adapted by Paul Karasik
West Tisbury resident and New Yorker cartoonist Paul Karasik's new book, a graphic novel adaptation of Paul Auster's classic “The New York Trilogy" (Penguin Random House), is racking up rave reviews.
Released in April 2025,...
Islanders Write: Workshop Vignettes
Writers as young as 6 years old gathered at Featherstone Center for the Arts over the weekend to attend The MV Times' first midwinter Islanders Write. Over the course of two days, 15 workshops...
Islanders Write comes in like a lion
Get those pens, pencils, journals, or laptops ready. Whether you’re a professional or a budding writer, the Islanders Write free March workshops have something for you.
Event producer Kate Feiffer says, "We thought the time was...
Islanders Write: Free writing workshops for students
Can a Frog Bark? ... Let’s Make Stuff Up ... Story Ingredients ... Journaling ... Finding Your Unique Voice ... Writing the College Essay ... Saudade Creative Writing ...
These are the seven writing workshops...
Islanders Write: What are you working on?
Whenever I spoke to my father, Jules Feiffer — who passed away on Jan. 17 — he would ask me, “What are you working on?”
If I answered, “I’ve been busy putting together the first...
All-Island Book Fair
Mathew Tombers, the manager of Edgartown Books, recently told me that they did a count of books written by Island-connected authors, and there were more than 200 of them. Included in this number, which...
Islanders Write: ‘Book flood’
Christmas Eve is celebrated in Iceland with a book swap. Families and friends exchange recently published books, and spend the evening reading together. This Icelandic tradition is called a Jólabókaflód — think Christmas book...
Islanders Write: Shouldering writers in March
March on the Vineyard can feel a bit like a houseguest who overstays a welcome, which is why I am delighted to announce an event that we hope will help break up the monochromatic...
Islanders Write: Election season
Two members of my writer’s group have books coming out in the next few months. Nicole Galland’s novel “Boy” will be published in late February, comfortably after the inauguration. But Nancy Slonim Aronie’s “Seven...
Writing for your life
This year’s Islanders Write, graciously hosted at Featherstone Center for the Arts, was a stellar array of panel discussions and writing workshops. The event originated 10 years ago when the former publisher of The...
Islanders Write — It’s gametime!
The good news is that if you spent too much money at the fair, you can still afford to come to Islanders Write. The MV Times–sponsored writers’ festival, which kicks off on Sunday, August...
Islanders Write
I was sitting on the front porch of Edgartown Books making small talk and signing copies of my novel on the Sunday afternoon that Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t be running for reelection. Phones...