Since 2007, the All Souls Writers Group has offered members an opportunity to explore their experiences, memories, interests, hopes, and beliefs through writing. Members share their works of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry with a thoughtful and supportive group of their peers, who offer constructive ideas for improvement and often suggest suitable places for publication.
Rebecca Minnich led the group in its early years. She was followed by Marilyn Mehr and the late Margie Barab, who served as co-chairs. Currently, Marilyn Mehr and Tim Kelley are co-chairs.
In the fall of 2008, the late Phoebe Hoss and Tim Kelley edited Offerings II, a volume of poetry written by members of the congregation—and still available at the book table.
Phoebe's memoir about life with her schizophrenic son, All Eyes, was published in 2010. Two Centuries, Two Countries, Two Husbands, Luisa Stigol’s memoir about her experience as a young doctor and mother emigrating from Argentina, was published in 2015. And 2017 saw publication of Marilyn Mehr’s memoir, Such Charming Exiles, about two women’s love and their path to becoming LGBT activists.
Every fall, Writers’ Group members read from their works and invite the All Souls congregation to join them in an afternoon of literary adventure and fun. By encouraging members to dig deeply into themselves and to write about their feelings and observations honestly, the group facilitates spiritual and personal growth. Says Valorie Dawson, a poet and the group’s official scribe: ”The Writers Group has been a lifeline for me, giving me an opportunity to share my work.”
Since 2007, the All Souls Writers Group has offered members an opportunity to explore their experiences, memories, interests, hopes, and beliefs through writing. Members share their works of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry with a thoughtful and supportive group of their peers, who offer constructive ideas for improvement and often suggest suitable places for publication.