In Spring of 2008 I taught a class at the Loft Literary Center in Downtown Minneapolis called Life Writing from ten to noon on Wednesday mornings. The class only ran about six weeks, but there was enough enthusiasm and connection among members to keep the class going. At the time I was fortunate to receive an anonymous grant from a student who wanted to make sure I kept doing what I was doing out there in the world, which generously allowed me to continue writing with this group throughout the summer.

We are now in our fourth year.

What did we write about? Well... at first it was short writing exercises about "life," working from childhood on up: Where did we grow up? What was our neighborhood like? Family? What was inside our junk drawer? Who was our first crush? First kiss? First job? Lots of "firsts." You'd think such common small-talk conversation starters would yield tons of boredom, which may be the case in real talking life, but on the page, au contraire. Beneath the surface of  simple everyday questions lie an entire universe of living, breathing halls of memory alive with story-upon-story. Writing takes the ordinary and turns it into the extraordinary. Thick with riches, laden with walls of feeling, depth of scenery, dialogue, humor, and human experience, each uniquely adorned, yet universally felt story simply blossoms on the page, bearing wisdom, truth, and connection to all that partake.

A lot has happened in our little group since 2008. We've added and lost members, naturally, as the stories shared among the Wednesday Writers have included losses and gains of our own.  There's been some mystery to our story. Occasionally the ghosts of long gone members will appear on the page and reawaken some old bittersweet sadness, happiness, memories of the Loft or the Linden Hills Library on 43rd and Xerxes, a mere seven blocks from the "Beach," where we meet at my loft condo, where all things Writing with Rox take place.

This blog is a celebration of the history and ongoing story of the Wednesday Writers. Here you will find raw writings past and present, and perhaps, over time, a bit of insight into our own little story.

Thanks for reading and hope to write with you soon!  Rox