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Michelle Ailene True runs two writing groups from the Indian Trails Library in Wheeling: Poetic License (poetry) which began in July 2003 and Write Your Life (memoir/lifewriting) which began in March 2007.

[Note: Michelle recently reported to the Chicago Writers Association forum "My poem, Wounds, originally published in my 2nd book was re-printed in the June 2007 (11th Issue) of Taj Mahal Review. It's cool to be published internationally!"]

Michelle runs two writing groups from the Indian Trails Library in Wheeling: Poetic License (poetry) which began in July 2003 and Write Your Life (memoir/lifewriting) which began in March 2007.

The responses to my questions were essentially the same for both groups so I’ve combined the answers.

How and when did the group start?

I started Poetry in July 2003 at my local library. I wanted to find a writing group focusing only on poetry and couldn’t find one nearby, so I started one. Memoir began in 2007

How did you choose where to hold your meetings?

I asked the library if they would add it to their Programs list and they did!

What’s an ordinary meeting like?

We pass out copies of our work to everyone in the group, settle in and then go around the table taking turns reading our work. There are a few minutes of critique time per person.

Do you have a limit on the number of folks who can participate?

There is no limit though when we have more people at a meeting the per person time for reading goes down accordingly, so everyone has a turn.

Are there expectations of participation by members?

Yes we do either writing assigments during the month that we then read at the next meeting, or just bring in any new pieces to read. Everyone is expected to participate.

Do you have a waiting list? Do you vet participants?

We don’t have a waiting list. We always provide constructive criticism of the poems.

What good things have come out of the group?

Friendships, commaraderie, a number of people go to local public poetry readings together. We’ve published a book of our poetry.

I asked Michelle if she could be more specific about the actual meetings.

Poetry:

90 minutes long, once a month, 7:00 p.m. the last Wed of the month. The library lists the group in it’s quarterly brochure and I also put a free ad in the local weekly paper, posted flyers in coffee shops, bookstores, etc. We have 25 members and average 14 at each meeting. One month, an assignment might be to write a sonnet. I will provide a format description and at least one example of a sonnet. The next month there is no assignment, we just bring in 3-5 recent or new poems to read. We alternate so there’s only an assignment every other month.

Memoir:

90 minutes long, once a month, 7:00 p.m. the 2nd Monday of the month. The library lists the group in it’s quarterly brochure and I also put a free ad in the local weekly paper, posted flyers in coffee shops, bookstores, etc. We have 17 members and average 8-9 at each meeting. An assignment might be to pick an event in our life (i.e. high school prom) and write about it. What made it important. What emotions did they feel at the time and how do they feel about it today. What other peole were at the event and what was the significance of that person? Write as much detail as they can about the event. What they wore, smells they remember or associate with the event, sounds, etc.