Last year in August, I gathered with a group of writers at Barnsdall Art Park for the very first Writers Club LA meeting. Francisco started the discussion by prompting us to reflect on “community” – what it means to us, what it takes to build it, and the communities we consider ourselves to be a part of.
We wrote and shared our thoughts and, by the end of what felt like a friendly hangout, complete with a loony spelling bee competition – my team conceding on the word "onomatopoeia" – we left curious about the future of this new community we were building.
Earlier this month, our first dinner party proved to be the fruit of our initial gatherings.
When Francisco proposed the idea of hosting a dinner party in LA, I eagerly volunteered to co-organize it. Personally, I was deeply committed to designing a space where I could write with others. Although I was a bit nervous – mostly jitters that nobody would show up to our dinner – I felt a surge of excitement about the potential outcomes of our upcoming party.
A month of planning brought together eleven writers and a chef, Andru, all excited about the future of this club. Our dinner turned strangers into friends, which happens when you’re sharing an exquisite citrus ginger salad, with a view of the stars peering over the Los Angeles skyline.
With a banquet of vegan pad thai adorning the table next to our custom-made menus, we communed, shared our writing, supported one another and ate a meal féi described as poetry.
Conversation and wine flowed. We couldn’t miss out on dessert so we indulged in flourless chocolate cupcakes topped with a mango sorbet.
There were no games this time, just a symphony of voices creating harmony and manifesting what form Writers Club should take in LA. At the end, we walked away with beautiful handcrafted journals made by Stepf. It would have been impossible for us to have had such a wonderful dinner without the help of everyone, particularly Alex, who graciously offered to host our dinner at her lovely home.
We’re eager to see our LA community blossom. We know it will push and pull our club in directions that feel unpredictable, expanding its edges until we fold in everyone who wants a home here.
Looking back on that prompt from our first LA meeting, it’s evident that we knew what was necessary to foster fellowship among writers in this city. Whether knowingly or not, the trust and faith we have for LA powers our excitement and determination to grow as a community.
We’ll take the spark Francisco gifted to us at our first meeting and start a flame that will, of course, need tending but won’t be extinguished any time soon.
xoxo,
Chelsea St. Clair
WRITERS CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS 🧡
Interested in receiving direct updates about our LA Club? DM us on Instagram where we host a group thread and share real-time notifications!
New York, we restarted monthly writing meetings. Sign ups drop on the first of the month so stay tuned for details about our next meeting.
Finally, we’re fundraising to support community initiatives such as our monthly writing meetings in New York and our recent dinner in LA. Consider donating or joining our fundraising team. No fundraising experience necessary. We’ll train you! Plus you’ll get a 15% commission. Send us a note at writersclubny@gmail.com with the subject line “I’m down to fundraise.”
Sooo cute