The 2024 Salon program was a great success — and we're bringing it back in 2025 with some enhancements.
What's a salon, you ask? It's a time when people can come together, informally, to network and make progress on their reading or writing projects. The Salon program is offered in conjunction with the Lakeshore Literary Foundation.
Each salon offers a chance for people to write in community. You are welcome to come, set up shop, and just write and ignore everyone else altogether. But the value of writing here is that you have access to other writers, so you can bounce ideas off them (serendipity!) or talk to Jason for a one-on-one critique of your work.
Regular presence as a writer at a salon may prompt invitation into private critique groups through the Grand River Writing Tribe that meet regularly, either in-person or virtually.
The writing-and-critique part starts at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. Then we pivot at 6 p.m. to a community activity — a game night, a book club, or a critique circle. See the events calendar for specifics.
The critique circles (new for 2025!) allow writers to come to the table with a printed copy of a short story, a poem or two, or a sample chapter. We'll pass the copy around the table for people to make round-robin notes, and then optionally discuss the piece. No advanced reading or RSVP is required. If no one brings a piece to workshop, then we'll just write individually but in community.
No cost or obligation to attend. Snacks and drinks may be purchased as normal from the bookstore or outside material brought in, but purchases aren't necessary. On certain dates, for certain topics, special snacks or treats may be provided.