Pelham Art Center Closes Emerging Artists Series With Poetry Caravan

A small crowd gathered at the Pelham Art Center’s “Emerging Writer Series” Sunday to hear members of the Poetry Caravan read from their original works.

The Poetry Caravan is a group of local poets, most of them published, that provides poetry readings and writing workshops to organizations throughout Westchester.  Following the readings, Pei-Ling Lue, a Mamaroneck resident and the editor of OneStory literary magazine, moderated a question and answer period with the poets that focused on the creative process  creative processes and getting published.

Sunday event was the second workshop to place in the writer series, which began this year. Lynn Honeysett, executive director of the Pelham Art Center, said she hoped to expand the center’s emerging writer series during the next few months. The series will take a break this summer before starting again in the fall.

“I think this answers to a real need, particularly in southern Westchester,” Honeysett said about the writer series. “People are really craving to have a center a center where they can not only be exposed to emerging, writers and published writers. There are so many people who are curious and are writers themselves or just enjoy knowing more about the publishing field and about a writer’s process.”

Honeysett said the idea started for the emerging writers series after she attended a workshop organized by Lue.

The art center already offers a memoir, fiction writing and creative writing classes. But Honeysett said the art center wants to increase the offering of its writing programs.

“We want to become a very professionalized source here in southern Westchester,” Honeysett said.

Lue said the series isn’t for seasoned writer, but people who are trying to navigate the publishing world and find their audience. Lue said OneStory, the magazine she works for,  aims to provide  emerging writers a platform where they can get their short stories read.

“This is for people who are trying to find their way as a writer and find readers for their work,” said Lue, who teaches creative writing courses in group and one-on-one settings.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the “Emerging Artist Series” or participating in the program can go the Pelham Art Center’s Web site here , e-mail info@pelhamartcenter.org or call (914) 738-2525.