We write to expose the unexposed. Most human beings are dedicated to keeping that one door shut. But the writer’s job is to see what’s behind it, to see the bleak unspeakable stuff, and to turn the unspeakable into words — not just into any words but if we can, into rhythm and blues. You can’t do this without discovering your own true voice, and you can’t find your true voice and peer behind the door and report honestly and clearly to us if your parents are reading over your shoulder.

~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Unbelievable! Looking at the calendar, I was blown away to see that the Cole Summer Writers Institute is less than six weeks away. June is always such a busy time for me and for the students, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that summer sneaks up on us. But I was thinking that it might be nice to blow off some school stress, and prep for a week of cool creative writing, by getting a set of inspirational activities/quotes to help get ready for the Institute.

So, to that end, starting Monday, I will be introducing a new quote or activity every other day for inspiration. They’re not required, obviously, but are simply suggestions to get us all in the mood to write!

I’ll start with this:

 

See you all soon!

Just playing with our new Facebook Page! Now you can get all of your Cole updates here, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

The deadline for applications to the 2013 Cole Summer Writers Institute has been extended to Friday, June 28, 2013! If you were waiting to put your app in and missed the due date, now you have a second chance! Come out and write with us!

Dennis Mahoney, local novelist and author of Fellow Mortals, will be joining us at Cole 2013 as this year’s guest writer! A graduate of the College of Saint Rose, Mahoney’s first novel appeared in February of 2013 to much praise. Some examples of the commentary surrounding the book are seen below:

 

The New York Times Book Review said of the novel:

“FELLOW MORTALS, while full of vivid interactions, is perhaps most moving in its subtle depiction of people alone, trying to find ordinary meaning amid disarray…. [It] will stay with me for its watchful portrait of people, imperfect in life as in art, trying to find goodness in one another and themselves.”

Author Stewart O’Nan said:

“As one character in Fellow Mortals explains of another, ‘He needs to feel alive, even if it hurts.’ In this heartfelt debut, Dennis Mahoney shows great care and compassion for its people, all of whom are raw and vulnerable in the wake of a neighborhood tragedy.”

And this from Rae Meadows:

“Dennis Mahoney mines the space between atonement and forgiveness in this unforgettable novel about a neighborhood cast adrift. Fellow Mortals crackles with humanity, with all its messy complexity. Crisp and riveting, poignant and wise. The characters of Arcadia Street will stay with me for a long time. Mahoney is an exciting new literary voice.”

More information on Dennis can be found at his website, http://authordennismahoney.com/