Podcast: What’s Up Bainbridge:
Budding and professional writers gain as Field’s End and BARN Writers merge

This month’s podcast report of activities at BARN – Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network – tells the story of the merger of the long-standing Field’s End group of writers with the BARN Writers studio. The two are coming together as one!

Telling the story of this exciting merger are Nancy Pearson, the studio lead for BARN Writers, and BARN board member and BCB’s monthly podcast correspondent Catherine Camp.

Ever since 2002, Field’s End has been the go-to group for both budding and established professional writers on Bainbridge Island. That year, aspiring writer Nicole Vick asked the Bainbridge Public Library board to host a group that could offer professional quality writing classes. Acclaimed novelist David Guterson (“Snow Falling on Cedars”), then a Library board member, helped form the group.

Nancy Pearson was an early active member of Field’s End. She explains in the podcast the excitement of merging these two writers’ groups into one. The merger will increase the opportunities for professional training and peer-to-peer collaboration, and it will offer the advantage the dedicated BARN physical facilities, as compared with the prior shared use of the Library by Field’s End.

The combining of resources of Field’s End and BARN Writers has resulted in an enriched variety of events and website information:

• upcoming BARN-sponsored writers events;
• opportunities for writers through calls for submissions;
• detailed news of writers conferences throughout the region;
• contact information about writers groups in the region;
• events with published authors;
• publishing resources;
• regional and national organizations for writers.

BARN Writers — and 10 other BARN artisan studios — currently operate out of substantial but interim space in Rolling Bay. And, as Catherine Camp explains, a two-story, well-equipped, 25,000 square foot home for the diverse set of artisan studios is under construction in the heart of the island. It will be ready for occupancy – and for a continuation of hands-on workshops, classes, open studio sessions, and more – by spring 2017.

This podcast explains the many activities and events for writers that are currently being offered by BARN.

Credits: BCB host, audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.