Diverse local writing group releases first anthology

Back in 2017 at a book launch party for the Spokane Writes Anthology, organized by the Spokane County Library District, Jackie McCowen Rose, one of the featured authors, noticed something odd.

“I looked around and thought, ‘I don’t see any people of color like me here,’ ” Rose said.

Curiosity piqued, Rose reached out to Sharma Shields, author of “The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac” and “The Cassandra,” in search of a different kind of writing group with the diversity of voices she had otherwise found lacking.

Shields and Rose gathered several writers together, and, soon enough, the Diverse Voices Writing Group was formed. The group’s membership includes LGBTQ+ writers, writers of color, different ages, genders and political opinions. In other words, the group is as the name suggests.

“We created a community of mutual respect and support and talked over each other’s work,” and, Rose said, “a nice little community of writers who (mostly) were not well-known or very much out there. Most … are unpublished.”

The requirements for joining the group? “Come as you are,” Rose said.

These monthly meetings draw from two to 20 members and cover topics ranging from the roles of religion in life to relationships with parents, siblings, friends and work. The wide-ranging discussions rarely delve into the writing process itself, focusing instead on the content and the writer’s intention, drawing on the varied perspectives of the group’s members.

“We always try to bring some work to share, but it’s never mandatory,” Rose said. Group members participate in the discussions whether they’ve brought work to share or not. “We (keep) it pretty laid-back, nothing compulsory, nothing excluded.”

Some of the writers have competed in local poetry slam contests, sharing their work with the public in that way, but several more craved a method more amenable to writers who might hesitate to get up onstage.

“For some … the atmosphere of the slams was too intense, and they wanted something a little more quiet and communal,” Rose said. “Then we came up with the idea: ‘Well why don’t we put together a little anthology of our work?’ ”

One year later, “Try This at Home,” an anthology chapbook, is complete featuring works of poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction and biography by Rose and eight other local writers: Bethany Montgomery, John Browning, Christine Cronin, Jazlyn Jacobs, Karen Mobley, Stephen Pitters, Aiden Sanders and Aretha Williams.

“It’s a slim volume, but it’s got a lot of substance to it,” Rose said.

Due to a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, Rose is stepping back from her role; Sanders, a longtime member, will succeed her as facilitator. Sanders joined the group out of a desire to share their work and learn from more experienced writers.

“I love to write, but before joining the group, I had never shown my writing to anybody,” Sanders said. “This meant that I often didn’t finish anything either because I would write something and it would be done.

“I wouldn’t edit it. Why bother? It’s for me, I’m not going to show it to anyone. Why bother making several drafts and going through the heartbreak of editing if I’m never going to show it to anyone?”

Since joining the the group, however, Sanders has gained the courage to share work and receive criticism. Two of Sanders’ poems will be included in the anthology.

The book is “for everyone who wants to write but doesn’t … anyone who does write but never shows their work to someone else. Everyone who writes in secret,” Sanders said. “It’s called ‘Try This at Home’ for a reason.”

Note: This article originally claimed that Rose attended the launch party for “Celebrating Spokane Authors,” organized by Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the correct event information.