Megan E. McDonald and Kate Farrell will lead a two-part storytelling workshop on The Heroine’s Journey at the Center for Creativity in Redwood City, July 18 and August 1, 9:30–12:30 p.m. The series features a reading of “Baba Yaga & Vasilisa” and writing prompts exploring the folktale’s themes. Register to join.

Darlene Frank will host a free online celebration featuring 10 writers reading from works in progress—memoir, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Readers include CWC members Megan McDonald, Ed Medley, Korie Pelka, Alisha Willis, and Donna Wocher. Sign up for the Zoom reading scheduled for Monday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m. PST.

Miera Rao’s haiku, “child’s cry”, was selected as a winner in the 8th Annual Basho-an International English Haiku Competition. Hosted by the Basho Memorial Museum in Tokyo, Japan, the competition had 1,307 entries from 38 countries. Held in 2025, winners were announced in Spring 2026.

David Harris' story, "Within the Ruins," was included in The Brussels Review: Entrance and Exits, a short fiction anthology. Olivia flees her marriage and seeks her old boyfriend, Alejandro, now a college professor. He inspires her to move forward, drawing on myth, faith, and a renewed hope in the possibility of love.

James Hanna’sLights Out Lizzie won the 2026 International Book Award for Fiction Novella. The story follows Gertie McDowell, a Kentucky misfit-turned-wrestler after prison. James also published his polemical tale, “Keeping Authors in Their Place,” in The Satirist, an online publication devoted to original satire and parody.

Eva Barrows launches "Story Momentum Sessions," an in-person workshop series for writers developing or revising fiction, memoir, and emotionally driven nonfiction. The first session on Saturday, June 27, 10:00–11:30 a.m., at the Center for Creativity in Redwood City, includes story challenges and plans to advance projects. Cost: $20. Register at evabarrows.com/workshops.

James Hanna published a novella excerpt, “Ruby Busts a Comedian,” from his forthcoming book, Beaching the Mermaid and Other Stranded Tales, in the June 2026 issue of Adelaide Literary Magazine, an international monthly journal that publishes outstanding literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to help emerging and established authors reach a wider audience.

Colleen Olle’s short story, “The Question of Dinner,” was published in the summer issue of Valparaiso Fiction Review, a publication of Valparaiso University. As a marital couple debates what to eat for dinner, each attempts to conceal a secret while simultaneously endeavoring to discover what the other is hiding.

Arlene Krauss’ poem, "Cherry Blossoms," won the Adult Section of the 2026 Belmont Poetry Celebration. The annual event, part of the city's National Poetry Month activities, honored talented writers in the Belmont Library's Taube Room on April 30.

Ashia Solei earned semifinalist distinction in the prestigious annual Harvard Writers Competition for her historical‑fiction screenplay, Talks with Spirits. Adding to the excitement, her directorial debut, a “dogumentary” titled Underdogs, has been broadcast on over 92% of PBS stations across the US.

Mary E. Knippel will present “Soul Story Journey,” a 4-week guided program that helps participants own and share their stories. Through weekly teachings, journaling prompts, and reflection, participants uncover the meaning of their experiences, build confidence in their voices, and begin to express their truth authentically and with empowerment.

Tim Flood’s debut novel, The Flower of Canaan, is available for pre‑order from Simon & Schuster, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Histria Books. Set in the 13th century BCE, it follows two young people whose relationship challenges rigid social and religious rules, where the cost of defiance is death.

Darlene Frankwill present “Memoir Momentum: Avoid 3 Common Obstacles” on Thursday, May 21, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at “Writers Helping Writers” in the Palo Alto Rinconada Library. This free workshop will help writers overcome obstacles, gain clarity, and build momentum toward completing their memoir.

Vibha Akkaraju’s travel article, “Tigers of Tadoba,” was published in India Currents, an award-winning, nonprofit news organization producing Indian American stories. Her piece captures the thrill, awe, and wonder she experienced on a tiger safari in India.

Marianne Brems’s poem, “A Homemaker’s Vision,” won first place in the CWC statewide contest, “The Smalls Too,” for 8‑line poems and 75‑word prose. Over 450 entries were submitted. Congratulations, Marianne! Her new poem, “Those Team Players,” was published in DarkWinter Literary Magazine, an online journal of short fiction and poetry.

Brad Hoge joined Jared McCormack on the MFA Writers podcast to discuss how his background in wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, and science education informs his poetry. Their conversation explored climate-change writing, the psychology of science denial, and creativity’s role in science and art. Brad is currently an MFA student at SFSU.

Carole Bumpus joined fellow CWC SF/Peninsula members as an author exhibitor at the Rinconada Book Fair in Palo Alto on April 4, held from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the Art Center Auditorium. She also served as a hybrid author panelist for a discussion titled “When Roads Diverge: Choosing Your Path to Book Publication.”

Dr. Jeanne Powell was a featured reader at Telegraph Hill Books in North Beach on March 14, where her poetry collection, Two Seasons, is available. The night of readings was sponsored by The Writers Grotto, a community of working writers and narrative artists, and Rooted & Written, a creative writing program for BIPOC writers.

James Hanna published “Fresh from Slaughtering Kittens,” a humorous excerpt from his novella, Lights Out Lizzie. His short story, “Orville Baumgardner and the Whispering Wind,” appears in Adelaide Literary Magazine, and his macabre tale, “Orville Baumgardner and Young Goodman Brown,” inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne's dark classic, "Young Goodman Brown," appears in Spillwords Press.

Cynthia W. Gentry’s debut novel, Her Life in Ruins, is the inaugural title of Abrams Books’ first commercial adult fiction imprint, akaStory, launching in January 2027. The book is a friends-to-lovers rom-com set in Silicon Valley and the Yucatán Peninsula, about a PhD candidate and her grad-school love interest.