2023: A Wonderful and Weird Year at the LWR
Hello LWR Friends and Supporters! Here's an update about how things are going at the Lexington Writer's Room, what we're excited about in 2024, and how you can help.
The Year In a Nutshell
2023 has been a great year except when it wasn’t! It’s been the best in the nonprofit’s history with respect to our core mission to support local writers and provide a comfy tricked-out space where they can do their best work. But this year has also stunk like old locker room socks in terms of unexpected costs. Our donations have been stable but we were not able to secure additional grant funding. Here’s a snapshot.
The LWR's atmosphere, events, and members have helped me write more often and more concentrated. It's a nexus of good people and energy that encourages you in every way. Simon Boes, LWR Member
Looking Toward 2024
Although 2023 has had its challenges, we’re stoked about what the future can bring. Here are some of our top priorities for 2024.
Secure funding to hire a part-time Executive Director.
Survey our writers to learn how we can make the LWR even better.
Increase writer engagement through targeted groups, events, and peer-to-peer opportunities.
Further cultivate and foster partnerships with regional literary organizations.
Explore new and enhanced revenue models to ensure the LWR remains strong and sustainable.
Thanks for being a part of our journey. We know some of you have followed the LWR since our first days and this means the world to us!
I have found the Lexington Writer's Room to be a space of refuge where I can go to focus solely on my writing. When I'm in my office at Centre College, I am happily distracted by visits from students who want to talk about class or their lives, or colleagues with whom I'm collaborating on different projects. When I'm at home, there are always things to do, whether laundry to throw in, dishes to do, or dinner to cook. When I go to the LWR, however, I can shut out all the other things and just work on my own research and writing. Having this place has helped me to set boundaries, enabling me to prioritize taking time for my own scholarship and creative work in a warm and comfortable environment. Shana Sippy, Ph.D., LWR Member
Writers…wonderful writers!
Is there anything better than reading a great book or story? No, there is not. The Lexington Writer’s Room is where writers write. We help stories, poems, songs, screenplays, and nonfiction works come to fruition! Here are a few pics of our talented members in action . If you’re a Lexington area writer, you should join us! Find out more about membership here.
Writing is an inherently solitary profession. Unlike so many other jobs, there is no baked-in community, no gathering place, no birthday parties or water coolers or morning greetings. I love what I do, and as a fairly self-motivated introvert, for a long time, I enjoyed the solitary nature of my work. There are days when I still do, but I learned a lesson in 2019, when my mental and physical health were at an all-time low: endless days of working in isolation will catch up with you. Over the last few years, the Lexington Writers Room has been an absolute balm when I needed it, a place to go when I needed that, but more than anything, it’s given me a community. The LWR provides a wide range of services for its members; ask any number of writers what they like most, and you’re likely to get a different response. But one thing I think we’d all agree on: the Lexington Writers Room is about more than a room to write in—it’s about the writers in the room. David Arnold, LWR Member
The Lexington Writers Room is more than a physical space, where I go to write. It is an intrinsic vein that provides oxygenated blood to my beloved craft. It is where I find community amongst other writers. When I look at the window shades throughout the building with portraits of African American people, I feel valued as a Black woman. I am reminded of the importance of amplifying my voice as a writer of African descent. I am grateful that the LWR provides resources that enhance my writing skills. Lisa Brown, LWR Member
Close the Gap Fundraising Drive
Ending the year over budget is painful for at least two reasons. First, we don’t want to dip into our rainy day fund to pay our operating costs. We believe we can avoid that for now. Even more concerning is that a cashflow shortfall could delay our growth plans which include appointing a part-time executive director. While we’ve done a terrific job with our all-volunteer board and quarter-time community manager, we’ll need a dedicated leader to expand our impact and support more Kentucky writers.
It's a gift to know that whenever my writing journey feels too impossibly solo, there's another way. My membership in the Lexington Writer's Room means that I have access to a quiet, safe place to explore my art and craft alongside other storytellers who are similarly devoted to exploring story and the nature of human existence. The space is perfectly imperfect. With art and color, plants and coffee, desks and chairs in a variety of lighting levels are all purposefully chosen to inspire and nourish this community of writers who are growing in the Bluegrass. Thank you LWR. Nell Campbell, LWR Member
To ensure we don’t need to postpone our strategic growth goals, we’ve established a $5,000 fundraising goal for the last few months of 2023. If you believe in our mission and are able to donate, we’d appreciate your support. Participate in the campaign here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=V296RX499TR4Y. You can also mail donation checks to the LWR at P.O. Box 1536, Lexington, KY, 40588.
Being a member of the Lexington Writer's Room has been a great way for me to connect in a slow, steady way with other people in the creative community. It is a great place to come and write and be in the company of other writers. Sometimes while there, I do not interact at all with other people. We all just share space and write while in each other's company. This offers a sense of community, identity, and solidarity that can fuel the creative process. Other times, I have conversations with other writers about what they are working on or what they have coming up. It has been a great way to connect - both with other writers and with my own writing practice - all in a comfortable and stress-free environment. For anyone looking to connect more with your own writing process or with other writers, I highly recommend connecting with the Lexington Writer's Room. Erin Fitzgerald, LWR Member
LWR in the News
Do you love a good radio show interview? We do too! Catch LWR Board Member Fiona Young-Brown on the October 19th 10am-noon episode of Trivial Thursdays with Mick Jeffries and Kati Hall. Tune in to this popular Lex-Centric Arts/Culture radio show here.
While my initial reason for joining the Writers room was to have a readily accessible workspace in which to continue developing works as I push closer to my goal of becoming a published author, being a member quickly introduced me to a greater community nurtured by the LWR board. The LWR provides more than just amenities but encourages the development of a community interested and dedicated to the art of the written word. It’s a place that welcomes everyone regardless of race or gender or origin to bring them all together to foster an atmosphere where imagination, creativity and self-expression are at the forefront. It’s here that ideas and friendships grow through likeminded individuals as they support one another to achieve their goals. Andrew Cole, LWR Member
Readings At the LWR: Open to the Public
Saturday, October 28th at 6:30pm : Spirit Writers Project Reading. Please join us for an evening of inspiring and impactful readings by The Spirit Writers project participants, several of whom are also LWR members. Under the umbrella of the I Was Here project and nonprofit, The Spirit Writers project invited local writers to engage with the iconic Ancestor Spirit Portraits of I Was Here. Learn more about the I Was Here project here or on social media @i_was_here_USA.
Other Ways You Can Support Us
The Lexington Writer’s Room now has more than ONE HUNDRED member writers! This would not be possible without your help and support. THANK YOU.
As a small-but-growing nonprofit, we need to raise funds year-round to cover about 50% of our costs, with the other 50% provided through our subsidized membership fees. Thank you for supporting our mission, and we hope you’ll consider helping our organization again in the future.
We go through A LOT of office supplies, drinks, and snacks. Printer paper, nutty snack packs, and Diet Coke are always on our shopping list!
You can help us restock our supply room and and keep our writers fueled while they work by purchasing one of our Amazon wish list items or making a donation. See our Amazon Wish List here and learn more ways to support the Lexington Writer's Room on our website here. We also maintain a Bookshop affiliate store where you can purchase our writers' books, and we get a small portion of the proceeds. Thank you!
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