Hudson Valley Writers Center

Last updated
The Exterior of the Hudson Valley Writers Center, also the Philipse Manor Station House HudsonValleyWritersCenterExterior.pdf
The Exterior of the Hudson Valley Writers Center, also the Philipse Manor Station House

The Hudson Valley Writer Center is a non-profit literary arts organization in Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, NY. It was established on August 5, 1988, by Margo Taft Stever, a Sleepy Hollow poet, with the assistance of the Westchester Council of Arts, and moved into its permanent home at the Philipse Manor Railroad Station in 1996. [1] The center hosts over 40 readings/workshops with poets, fiction and non-fiction authors, and playwrights over the course of a year, as well as popular recurring monthly events like Open Mic, Open Write and Submission Sunday. They also publish chapbooks annually under its imprint, Slapering Hol Press. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

The Philipse Manor Railroad Station House, built c. 1910, is in the Tudor Revival Style. [5] [6] The station continued to be in use until 1983 with the Metro-North's acquisition of the adjacent railroad. The station house fell into disarray due to its abandonment.

In 1983, with a grant from the Westchester Art Council (now ArtsWestchester), Margo Taft Stever created the forebear of the Hudson Valley Writers Center, the Sleepy Hollow Poetry Series (SHPS), through a series of readings at the Warner Library in Tarrytown. [1] [6] [7]

To deal with financial realities, a nonprofit organization, the Hudson Valley Writers Center, was formed on June 28, 1988. [1] The board of directors included Donald Stever, Nicholas Robinson, and Patricia Farewell. The board took it upon themselves to obtain the abandoned Philipse Manor Railroad Station as a home for the writing center. [8]

In 1990, Stever founded Slapering Hol, (Old Dutch for Sleepy Hollow), dedicating the press to emerging poets. The first chapbook, Voices from the River, gets published in 1990. The press also brought many poets to the center for readings, such as Denise Levertov, Billy Collins, Donald Hall, Galway Kinnell, and Rita Dove. Slapering Hol only publishes poets who have not published a book or poets who have won the press's yearly chapbook contest. [9]

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 allocated $306,700 to repair and restore the Philpse Manor Station House. [10] [3] Also in 1991, the Philipse Manor Railroad Station got placed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places for being architecturally and historically significant as a highly intact example of a Tudor Revival style suburban commuter railroad station. [2] [5] The Philipse Manor Railroad Station is still an operating station serving Sleepy Hollow.

In 1993 the Hudson Valley Writers Center received the Westchester Arts Council Arts Award for Best Arts Organization. [11]

The interior of the Hudson Valley Writers Center Interior of the Hudson Valley Writers Center.pdf
The interior of the Hudson Valley Writers Center

The restoration of the Philipse Manor Station House involved things like reconstruction of the stone arches and porte-cochere's, stabilization of the foundation walls, and restoration of the interior millwork which began in 1995. [12] A literacy project at the Coachman Family Center, a transitional shelter where Westchester County houses homeless families, gets established by the Hudson Valley Writers Center. [13]

In 1996, the Hudson Valley Writers Center celebrated the opening of its renovated railroad station with a reading by Billy Collins. [14] [15] [16]

In 2008 Slapering Hol Press publishes Poems in Conversation and a Conversation, by Elizabeth Alexander and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon. [17] Also in 2008, The Writers Center receives The Westchester Arts Council 2008 Arts Organization of the Year, the 2008 Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson's President's Award for Community Work, and the Westchester Magazine’s 2008 Best of Westchester Editors’ Pick for “Source for Literary Inspiration. [18]

To celebrate the quadricentennial of the Hudson River's exploration, the Hudson Valley Writers Center publishes Hudson River Haiku by Helen Barolini. [19]

In association with the African Poetry Book Fund/Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Foundation, and the University of Nebraska, Slapering Hol Press launched the inaugural chapbook box set for the African Poetry Chapbook Series. [20] HVWC and SHP got featured at multiple AWP panels in Seattle. [21]

In 2019, Hudson Valley Writers Center helped to plan and coordinate the First Annual Sleepy Hollow Literary Festival. [22] [2]

Hybrid Open Mic at the Hudson Valley Writers Center OpenMic2-3.jpg
Hybrid Open Mic at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events, including reading and programming, went virtual. These events continued while adhering to new safety guidelines to protect the community's health. Zoom recordings of these past events are available on the Hudson Valley Writers Center YouTube page. [23]

In September 2021, the Writers Center offered hybrid programming.

Starting in 2022, the Writers Center offers programming in three formats: virtual, in-person, and hybrid.

In 2023, the Writers Center celebrated 35 years of operations [24]

Events

Regular Events

Once a month, they host three events, an Open Mic, an Open Write, and Submission Sunday. [25] [26] Open Mic is every 3rd Friday of the month at 7:30 pm, allowing people to share their work with an audience. [27] Open Write is every 2nd Saturday of the month also at 7:30 pm. [2] Here, there are free writing prompts that people complete during the evening. Submission Sunday is a new, members-only event that allows writers across multiple genres to provide morale, material, and technical support to one another as they publish their work.

Special Events

The Hudson Valley Writers Center hosts readings where guest authors come in and read sections of their work. Additionally, there is an annual benefit gala, the biggest fundraiser of the year. [26]

Notable Guest Author/Poet Readers

Julia Alvarez, author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies

John Ashbery, Pulitzer Prize winner

Anne Carson, poet, translator,  and essayist, author of Autobiography of Red: a Novel in Verse

Chen Chen, winner of the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize

Billy Collins, author of The Art of Drowning and Questions About Angels

Junot Díaz, former Pulitzer Prize chair and author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Denise Duhamel, author of Blowout

Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize winner

Karen Finley, performance artist and poet, author of City Lights: Shock Treatment: Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition

Louise Gluck, former US Poet Laureate

Donald Hall, author of Without

Katherine Holabird, author of Angelina Ballerina

Philip Levine, former U.S. Poet Laureate

Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis

Rick Moody, author of Garden State and The Ice Storm

Toni Morrison, author of Beloved, Song of Solomon, and The Bluest Eye

Pamela Paul, New York Times Book Review Editor

Seamus Scanlon, Irish playwright

Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars

Sharon Olds, Pulitzer Prize winner

Jacqueline Woodson, Newbery Honor winner, author of Brown Girl Dreaming

Courses

The Hudson Valley Writers Center offers a wide variety of courses ranging from Memoir Writing for Adults, Essay Writing, Screenplay, Fiction Workshops, How to Publish Your Work, and Poetry Workshops. The courses can run up to seven weeks, but the center also includes intensive classes and workshops.

Scholarships

The Writers Center offers four scholarship opportunities for intensives and writing workshops. The Altman Writers of Color Scholarship, The Need-Based Scholarship, The Karen Finley Need-Based Scholarship for Women and Non-Binary Writers, and The Limp Wrist LGBTQIA+ Scholarship. [28] Scholarship applications and awards occur four times a year.

Community Outreach

Since the origin of the Hudson Valley Writers Center, some writers have engaged in outreach work in underserved communities. [11] The board of directors and affiliated writers in the community created a group that travels to nursing homes, residential homes for at-risk children, battered women's shelters, and homeless shelters to present one-day writing workshops. The center established a workshop at ARCS (Aids-Related Community Services). [3] Additionally, the center created another long-term workshop at the Clear View School in Scarborough. [29]

Children's Workshop Children's Workshop.jpg
Children's Workshop

At the largest family homeless shelter in Westchester County, the Coachman Family Center, Margo Stever created the Comprehensive Literacy Program (CLP), which continued for over a decade. The program consisted of after-school homework help, writing and special art workshops, and a computer lab created by the center's outreach teachers. [13] [30]

In 2017, the Writers Center added to its outreach program with writing workshops at RSHM Life Center in Sleepy Hollow and the creation of workshops at Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers and at Children's Village in Dobbs Ferry. They continue to run programming at LIFE and Children's Village. [31]

Children Writing at the Hudson Valley Writers Center Children Writing.jpg
Children Writing at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

The Center realizes that the overwhelming influence of the internet, television, and other media make so many young people not get the benefit of literary work and are not learning the art of self-expression through creative writing. [32] HVWC's past programs have included educational components for underserved children and people with special needs. The Board and Staff are committed to expanding this initiative. HVWC outreach volunteers are discussing with the Sing Sing Correctional Facility and other underserved communities to develop opportunities for teaching writing workshops within those venues.

The HVWC is working to buy, restore and modernize its historic building. In doing so, they launched the Foundation for the Future capital campaign, hoping to secure its legacy as a place to bring writers together. [33]

Hudson Valley Writers Center website https://www.writerscenter.org/.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester County, New York</span> County in New York, United States

Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population of 1,004,456, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 55,344 (5.8%) from the 949,113 counted in 2010. Westchester covers an area of 450 square miles (1,200 km2), consisting of six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. Established in 1683, Westchester was named after the city of Chester, England. The county seat is the city of White Plains, while the most populous municipality in the county is the city of Yonkers, with 211,569 residents per the 2020 census. The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleepy Hollow, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hastings-on-Hudson, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It's a suburb of New York City, located approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of midtown Manhattan, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Hastings-on-Hudson is the village of Dobbs Ferry, to the south, the city of Yonkers, and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh. As of the 2020 US Census, it had a population of 8,590. The town lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarrytown, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Tarrytown is the village of Sleepy Hollow, to the south the village of Irvington and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh. The Tappan Zee Bridge crosses the Hudson at Tarrytown, carrying the New York State Thruway to South Nyack, Rockland County and points in Upstate New York. The population was 11,860 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philipse Manor station</span> Metro-North Railroad station in New York

Philipse Manor station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, located in the Philipse Manor area of Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philipsburg Manor House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

Philipsburg Manor House is a historic house in the Upper Mills section of the former sprawling Colonial-era estate known as Philipsburg Manor. Together with a water mill and trading site the house is operated as a non-profit museum by Historic Hudson Valley. It is located on US 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Philipse Manor may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow</span> Historic church in New York, United States

The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow (Dutch: Oude Nederlandse Kerk van Sleepy Hollow), listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Dutch Reformed Church (Sleepy Hollow), is a 17th-century stone church located on Albany Post Road (U.S. Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States. It and its three-acre (1.2 ha) churchyard feature prominently in Washington Irving's 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The churchyard is often confused with the contiguous but separate Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Philipse</span> American colonial merchant (1626–1702)

Frederick Philipse, first Lord of the Manor of Philipseborough and patriarch of the Philipse family, was a Dutch immigrant to North America of Bohemian heritage. A merchant, he arrived in America as early as 1653. In 1662, he married Margaret Hardenbrook de Vries, a wealthy and driven widow. Together, and variously in league with slavers, pirates, and other undesirables alongside the prominent and respectable, the couple amassed a fortune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocantico Hills, New York</span> Hamlet in New York, United States

Pocantico Hills is a hamlet in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, New York, United States.

Historic Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit educational and historic preservation organization headquartered in Tarrytown, New York. The organization runs tours and events at five historic properties in Westchester County, in the lower Hudson River Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philipsburg Manor</span> Manor in the Province of New York

Philipsburg Manor was a manor located north of New York City in Westchester County in the Province of New York. Netherlands-born Frederick Philipse I and two partners made the initial purchase of land that had been part of a Dutch patroonship owned by Adriaen van der Donck. Philipse subsequently bought his partners out and added more land before being granted a royal charter in 1693 for the 52,000 acres (21,000 ha) estate, becoming its first lord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site</span> Historic house in New York, United States

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is a historic house museum located in the Getty Square neighborhood of Yonkers, New York. Originally the family seat of Philipse Manor, it is Westchester County's second oldest standing building after the Timothy Knapp House. Located near the Hudson River at Warburton Avenue and Dock Street, it is owned and operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocantico River</span> River in the United States of America

The Pocantico River is a nine-mile-long (14 km) tributary of the Hudson River in western central Westchester County, New York, United States. It rises from Echo Lake, in the town of New Castle south of the hamlet of Millwood, and flows generally southwest past Briarcliff Manor to its outlet at Sleepy Hollow. Portions of the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining are within its 16-square-mile (41 km2) watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davidson Garrett</span> American poet


Davidson Garrett, also known as King Lear of the Taxi, is an American poet and actor living in New York City, New York. He drove a New York City yellow taxi cab from 1978 until 2018 to supplement his acting and writing career. Garrett has authored six books of poetry, and has been published in many literary magazines, and poetry reviews.

There are numerous nationally and locally designated historic sites and attractions in Westchester County. These include architecturally significant manors and estates, churches, cemeteries, farmhouses, African-American heritage sites, and underground railroad depots and waystations. There are sites from pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary times, as well as battlegrounds. Westchester County also played an important role in the development of the modern suburb, and there are many associated heritage sites and museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Quesada</span> American poet

Ruben Quesada is an American poet and critic. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon is an American poet. In 2009, she was a National Book Award finalist for her book, Open Interval.

Margo Taft Stever is an American poet, whose poetry collections include The End ofHorses, winner of the Pinnacle Achievement Award in Poetry, 2022; Cracked Piano, shortlisted for Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize; Ghost Moose ; The Lunatic Ball ; The Hudson Line ; Frozen Spring and Reading the Night Sky.

Sleepy Hollow High School (SHHS) is a high school located in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, New York. It is part of the Union Free School District of Tarrytowns. The mascot is the Headless Horseman. It is consistently ranked in the top 5-10% of high schools in New York State. Its diverse student body is reflective of the village's wide array of cultures, socioeconomics, and inclusiveness and is often recognized for excellence in this regard.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Levine, Ronnie (2012-09-21). "A Profile of Poet and Hudson Valley Writers' Center Founder Margo Taft Stever of Sleepy Hollow". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Adler, Paul (2019-04-17). "An Inside Look at the Hudson Valley Writers Center". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  3. 1 2 3 Hershenson, Roberta (1994-06-19). "Writers' Center Turning Philipse Manor Station Into Its Office". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  4. ↑ Ames, Lynne (1990-10-14). "THE VIEW FROM: THE HUDSON VALLEY WRITERS' CENTER; Creating a Place for Writers Who Want to Make Connections". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  5. 1 2 "National Archives NextGen Catalog". catalog.archives.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  6. 1 2 "POSTINGS: New Role for an Old Station;A Restoration For Writers". The New York Times. 1996-01-07. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  7. ↑ Hershenson, Roberta (1995-11-05). "Vibrant and Irreverent, Poet Reads at Caramoor". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  8. ↑ Independent, Hudson (2017-04-05). "Warner Oral History: Vital Arts Organizations of 10591". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  9. ↑ Hershenson, Roberta (2005-07-24). "A Small Press Serves Up Poets With Your Coffee". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  10. ↑ Vizard, Mary McAleer (1994-04-24). "In the Region/Westchester; Transforming a Waterfront Eyesore Into an Asset". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  11. 1 2 "The Daily Item from Port Chester, New York". Newspapers.com. 1993-11-23. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  12. ↑ Singer, Penny (1996-07-28). "Construction Firm Makes Savings a Hallmark". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  13. 1 2 Lombardi, Kate Stone (1999-06-27). "At Shelter for the Homeless, Children Find Their Voices in Writing Poetry". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  14. ↑ Foderaro, Lisa W. (2003-01-12). "With the Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, as a Neighbor, the County Is Rife With Readings, Slams and Open Mikes". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  15. ↑ Charles, Eleanor (1996-06-09). "WESTCHESTER GUIDE". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  16. ↑ "Mount Vernon Argus from White Plains, New York". Newspapers.com. 1996-09-27. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  17. ↑ "Oldest Poetry Press in Westchester Publishes Elizabeth Alexander & Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon". 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  18. ↑ "Happenings @ The Writers' Center". 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  19. ↑ "Meet the Author: Helen Barolini visits the Historical Society on October 25th". Hastings Historical Society. 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  20. ↑ "Seven New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set – African Poetry Book Fund". africanpoetrybf.unl.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  21. ↑ "Association of Writers & Writing Programs". www.awpwriter.org. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  22. ↑ Independent, Hudson (2019-05-02). "Save The Date (May 18) for the First-Ever Sleepy Hollow LitFest". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  23. ↑ "Oh, the Possibilities | ArtsWestchester". 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  24. ↑ "Gala 2023". Hudson Valley Writers Center. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  25. ↑ ""The Hudson Independent"" (PDF). The Hudson Independent. January 2019. p. 20. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  26. 1 2 Independent, Hudson (2017-10-31). "Heard Around the Watercooler". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  27. ↑ "Open Mic Events Offer a Voice to Local Talents". White Plains, NY Patch. 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  28. ↑ "The Poetry of Place with Natasha Rao in person at HVWC". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  29. ↑ "The Reporter Dispatch from White Plains, New York". Newspapers.com. 1996-03-08. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  30. ↑ Cornachio, Donna (1992-03-08). "A Class Brings Poetic Secrets to Life". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  31. ↑ Independent, Hudson (2017-09-05). "Notes from the HVWC: Bringing Writing to LIFE". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  32. ↑ Independent, Hudson (2017-07-31). "Our Neighbors - Madsen Living a Dream as Managing Director of Writers' Center". The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News -. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  33. ↑ "HUDSON VALLEY WRITERS CENTER GALA CELEBRATED 30th ANNIVERSARY". Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow, NY Patch. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2023-05-25.

41°05′41″N73°52′10″W / 41.0946°N 73.8695°W / 41.0946; -73.8695

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.