Upcoming Events
Just a note about the livestreams: these are generally posted on my Facebook author page and Instagram.
Events for fall 2022 and winter 2023 are being considered now. If YOU would like to have me talk with your book group or organization or class about writing -- poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, or zines -- I'd be happy to! I'm available in person (when we're not in the middle of a pandemic) or via video chat. Contact me and let's work out the details.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
Saturday, August 26th -- Author Indie Book Fair
This huge book festival will be held at the Spring Street Studios in Houston (1824 Spring Street #4056, 77007) and will feature dozens of authors and small presses (including Mutabilis Press, whose board of directors I work on) and other Creative Writing organizations (including Writespace). Click here to be taken to the Eventbrite listing for this event.
I also regularly teach Creative Writing workshops for professional organizations including Writespace, WAN Academy (Write About Now), and Grackle & Grackle. Click on the links to learn more about them and to register for these workshops. All classes will be generative in nature and include instruction, writing time, and feedback on your work.
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Happy Hour: Make You and Your Writing a Priority with Motivational Mondays
Mondays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (central time), starting September 11th, on Zoom
You’re already a writer. You’ve got a manuscript of some kind you’re trying to get down on paper, but finding the time to do it in this modern life is a challenge. Or maybe you know you want to write something, but you keep getting stuck. False starts, mushy middles, and fade-outs dominate your manuscript, preventing you from making the progress you want.
Do these dilemmas sound familiar? Most of us go through them at some point or another, but maybe we don’t have to. Join master teacher Angélique Jamail for a Creative Writing Happy Hour once a week to trouble-shoot whatever you’re working on and get some writing in. This is not a workshop. It’s not a class. There’s no specific homework. You won’t be given prompts (unless you ask for one) and won’t have to produce anything for formal critique. Just show up with your writing, your questions, and whatever snack or beverage you want for a one-hour Zoom session to start your week off with a creative, nurturing vibe.
Each session will adhere to a basic structure:
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15-20 minutes of trouble-shooting with a creative writing expert in which you can get your own questions answered and/or learn from others’ questions
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a 20-minute writing sprint in which everyone writes quietly on whatever they want to work on
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an optional 5-minute chat session in case any new questions have come up
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one more 15-20-minute writing sprint
You’ll be amazed by how much writing you can accomplish in 20 focused minutes!
All skill levels welcome. Writers can sign up for a one-, two-, or three-month subscription.
Email jamie@writespacehouston.org to register.
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Writing Characters Who Drive Your Story
Sunday, August 6th, 3:00-6:00 p.m. (central time), on Zoom
Have you ever written a story that just didn’t quite connect with its readers? Or have you ever finally found its resonance only once you were already three or four drafts in? One good way to captivate your readers from the outset is to begin with compelling characters. In this generative workshop, we’ll use tools from popular culture, narrative craft, and literary analysis to kickstart (or revamp!) your story with characters that seem so real. Come see why character drives plot, no matter the genre, far more than the other way around. Be sure to bring your preferred writing utensils (journal and pen, laptop, legal pad and box of sharpened pencils, etc.), a description of your favorite character from a book or movie, and an eagerness to look at character from a variety of angles. You can expect instruction, discussion, writing time, and the opportunity to share (if you wish) what you create in this class.
This class is appropriate for all levels of fiction writers and for writers looking to begin a new story or to revise an existing manuscript.
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Saturday, September 9th, 1:00-4:00 p.m. (central time), on Zoom
What do a darkly beautiful aesthetic, #WitchyGirlAutumn, and a tantalizing sense of foreboding all have in common? They can be part of the rich pageant of Gothic story elements that make so many “classic” -- or “forbidden” -- literary pleasures so deep. In this three-hour generative workshop, we will dip our feet into the chilling waters of Gothic literature to find out what that genre entails. Expect a multi-faceted exploration as we discuss a range of examples in visual art, film, music, and mentor texts. Our writing time will include the opportunity to use these Gothic elements to begin a story or enhance one you’ve already started. Students will have the option of sharing what they’ve written during the workshop. Come with your favorite writing utensils (a laptop, a legal pad and sharpened pencils, a leather-bound journal and a fancy feather quill – whatever works for you). Let’s kick off the Gothic season in writing style!
All levels of writing experience welcome.
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Zines: The Ultimate Adventure in Creative Control
Tuesday evenings in September, 6:00-9:00 p.m. (central time), at Writespace Studios in Houston, TX
Have you been looking for a way to share your short writings, including ones you’ve created in other Writespace workshops? The subversive, underground art form of the “zine” (short for fanzine) has been the literary world’s best-kept secret for nearly a century. From its roots in science-fiction and fantasy to its established presence in the modern world as a place for art, poetry, and politics, these informal magazines are the ultimate adventure in self-publishing. And best of all, zines are for everyone, every interest, every ability level, and every subject! You need not be a great or experienced artist. Come explore the wide and diverse world of zines through creative writing, art, and craft with award-winning published author Angélique Jamail, the creator of the popular zine Sonic Chihuahua. In this course, you will create your own zine filled with whatever your imagination will allow!
This class is appropriate for all skill levels. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in Zine Fest Houston, a welcoming mainstay of the zine community, later in the year.
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Past Appearances
2023
January 14, 2023 -- Sawyer Yards Arts Market (Houston, TX)
April 7, 2023 -- First Friday Poetry Reading (open mic) at Inprint (Houston, TX)
April 23, 2023 -- Lit Book Bar Book Festival (Richmond, TX)
May 5, 2023 -- First Friday Poetry Reading (open mic) at Inprint (Houston, TX)
May 26, 2023 -- Writespace Poetry Reading (Houston, TX)
July 22, 2023 -- Brookwood Community (Brookshire, TX)
2022
February 5, 2022 -- The Twig Bookshop (San Antonio, TX)
April 9, 2022 -- Sawyer Yards Arts Market (Houston, TX)
November 12, 2022 -- Zine Fest Houston (Houston, TX)
2021
January 26, 2021 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
February 11, 2021 -- Book Chat with Kara (online)
February 27, 2021 -- teaching Writespace class: How Characters Drive Stories (online)
March 11, 2021 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
March 19, 2021 -- Book Chat with Kara (online)
March 29, 2021 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
April 1, 2021 -- hosted The Mutable Hour (poetry reading by Mutabilis Press)
April 7, 2021 -- livestream: poetry reading from The Sharp Edges of Water
April 19, 2021 -- livestream: poetry reading of my work from various publications
May 29, 2021 -- livestream: 2 Scribbler unboxings, my new zine, and Writespace news
November 7-9, 2021 -- Kinkaid School Book Fair (Houston, TX)
November 13, 2021 -- Zine Fest Houston (Houston, TX)
2020
February 15, 2020 -- BrazCon (Manvel, TX)
July 11, 2020 -- livestream: my sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library
July 12, 2020 -- Poetry Super Highway annual poetry contest judges' chat (online)
July 22, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
August 22, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
September 22, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
October 3, 2020 -- Friendswood Public Library ekphrastic poetry reading (online)
October 4, 2020 -- Poetry Super Highway annual poetry contest winners broadcast (online)
October 24, 2020 -- Homecoming official launch through Blue Willow Bookshop (online)
October 27, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
October 31, 2020 -- Book Chat with Kara (online)
November 9-15, 2020 -- Kinkaid School Book Fair (Houston, TX)
November 20, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
November 27, 2020 -- Book Chat with Kara (online)
December 29, 2020 -- livestream: Scribbler unboxing
December 29, 2020 -- Book Chat with Kara (online)
2019
January 25, 2019 -- Mutabilis Press anthology launch; Jung Center (Houston, TX)
February 19, 2019 -- Poetry FIX; FIX Coffee Bar (Houston, TX)
February 23, 2019 -- BrazCon (Manvel, TX)
March 3, 2019 -- Spider Road Press Celebration of Women's Words (Houston, TX)
March 16, 2019 -- Austin Poetry Society (Austin, TX)
March 16, 2019 -- Malvern Books (Austin, TX)
August 10, 2019 -- River Oaks Bookstore (Houston, TX)
August 17, 2019 -- Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)
October 24, 2019 -- Kaboom! Books (Houston, TX)
November 11-12, 2019 -- Kinkaid Book Fair (Houston, TX)