THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19: The Redeemed Writer: The Call and the Practice

I just returned from a fantastic time teaching at the Hobart Festival of Women Writers, and now this Saturday is the writing retreat The Redeemed Writer: The Call and the Practice. I was one of the organizers of the one-day session of panels, and I’m thrilled with the fantastic lineup we have scheduled. All our welcome to attend. Info below.

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Join Christian writers and industry leaders for a day of professional and spiritual development hosted by the Redeemer Writers Group. Aspiring and accomplished authors, poets, journalists, playwrights, novelists, and wordsmiths of all sorts are welcome to embrace and hone their God-given gifts.

When: September 19 @ 9:30AM – 4:30PM

Where: Redeemer Offices, 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor

Cost: $10, to cover food

Registration: here

Program

9:30 : Registration

10:00-10:20:  Opening remarks

Maurice Boyer

10:20 – 11:00: Seed to Harvest

Opening sermon by Pastor David Sung of Christ Resurrection Church

Opening prayer by Anita Sung of Christ Resurrection Church

11:00 – 11:30: The Call to Write

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of thy wondrous works.” ~Psalms 26:7 (KJV)

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” ~ Matthew 10:27 (NIV)

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”~ I Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Panelists:

Thomas Estler, graphic novelist to help homeless people avoid being trafficked

Brooke Obie, digital editor for GuidePosts.org

Ted Scofield, novelist

Moderated by Margo McKenzie

11:30 – 12:00: The Practice of Writing

The Parable of the Talents ~Matthew 25:14-30

Panelists:

Jakki Kerubo, on MFAs

Jane Park, on writing colonies

Ted Scofield, novelist

Moderated by Angela Allmond

12:00 – 12:30: Idea Lab 

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” ~ Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)

Moderated by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm    Lunch

Grace and timekeeper: Maurice Boyer

1:30 pm – 2:15 p.m.  The Business of Writing: Submissions and Rights

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.” ~ II Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Panelists:

Liz Davis, associate editor at Workman Publishing

Carl Dobrowolski, rights management

Paul Glader, journalism professor at King’s College

Moderated by Maurice Boyer

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm   Finding Your Flock: Marketing

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6  (NIV)

Panelists:

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, on readings

Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, on the power of being a member of a collaborative

Greg Wong, on social media

Moderated by Stephanie Nikolopoulos

3:30 pm – 4:30 p.m.: Themed breakouts

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.” ~ Proverbs 19:20 (NIV)

Nonfiction: Maurice Boyer

Fiction: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Writing exercises: Peter Kong

Moderated by Stephanie Nikolopoulos

4:45-5:00 p.m.: Closing remarks and prayer

Maurice Boyer

About our Moderators & Panelists

Angela Allmond is an educator and artist, as well as a writer.  She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.  Her dissertation topic and scholarly writing are related to examining the intersections of art classroom design, optimal learning environments, and human flourishing.  As a Christian, she also enjoys personal reflective writing as a means of processing through her faith, life events, and relationships.

Maurice Boyer is one of the coleaders of the Redeemer Writers Group. He is a content coordinator for the corporate marketing unit at Simon & Schuster. Previously, he served as a digital editor/producer for FOX News.com, AOL News and Essence.com. He is also a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Publishers Weekly and the Network Journal business publication. He has attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church since 2007.

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is one of the coleaders of the Redeemer Writers Group. She is the author of Powder Necklace, which Publishers Weekly called “a winning debut.” Named among 39 of the most promising African writers under 39, her short fiction was included in the anthology Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of Sahara. Most recently, she was shortlisted for a 2014 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship. She has contributed fiction to African Writing, Los Angeles Review of Books, Sunday Salon, and the short story collection Woman’s Work. Her think pieces have lent page views to online destinations including EBONY.com and TheGrio.com; and she has contributed commentary on everything from Michelle Obama’s role in the US President’s campaign to Nelson Mandela’s legacy on MSNBC, NY1, Sahara TV and ARISE TV. In April 2015, she was the opening speaker at TEDxAccra. Also noted for her personal style, a host of photographers have captured her looks for the street style slideshows and print editions of outlets including New York Magazine, Essence Magazine, TheSartorialist.com, and The New York Times. She is currently at work on her next novel.

Liz Davis is an Associate Editor of adult non-fiction at Workman Publishing, an independent, family-run publishing house in the West Village. She is the editor of the New York Times bestselling cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day, but her list is comprised of a wide range of lifestyle books, from inspirational gifts (100 Illustrated Bible Verses) to quirky science humor (WTF, Evolution?!), and even a wall calendar featuring the adorable sloths of Lucy Cooke’s bestselling The Little Book of Sloth.

Carl Dobrowolski has 29 years of experience in religious publishing, with the last 19 focused exclusively on rights sales, acquisitions, publisher relations and contract development.  Carl’s specialty is bringing publishers together through leveraging relationship asset management and creating opportunities for the publication of theologically inspiring content.  For over 12 years, he has served as President of Goodwill Rights Management Corp, www.goodwillrights.corp, a leading rights agency, working with over 15 publishers , ministries and Bible Societies.

Thomas Estler is Founder and Director of Freedom Ladder an organization whose mission it is to protect children.  He collaborated with the FBI to create the comic book series, Abolitionista! which educates children about human trafficking and empowers them with tools to protect themselves.  He takes his comic book workshops into schools, libraries, homeless shelters, and churches.  His passion for ending human trafficking has also energized his novels, plays, and screenplays, and he was recently named one of New York’s New Abolitionists.  When he’s not writing, Thomas teaches yoga, Zumba, and other fitness disciplines.

Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy is an actress, playwright, and producer. As an actress, she was most recently seen in Resonance Ensemble’s world premiere of The Truth Quotient at Theatre Row, and Retro Productions’ An Appeal to the Woman of the House. As a playwright, her work was most recently featured #StandUp: The Street Harassment Plays and in “Flux ForePlay” (both with Flux Theatre Ensemble) in NY Madness’ “Radical Bias” (with guest Chisa Hutchinson), Flux Theatre Ensemble’s “ForePlay” (appearing before Jane the Plain), and in The Brick Theatre’s “Cleverbot Plays.” Shaun is also, a contributing writer for NY Theatre Review, was one of WRITEOUTFRONT’s 2014 playwrights, and is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog, Bentley. AEA, DGA  www.shaunbfauntleroy.com.

Associate Professor Paul Glader teaches writing, journalism and business-related courses at The King’s College. He also directs the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute, The NYC Semester in Journalism program and is adviser to the student online newspaper/ print magazine/ video platform, The Empire State Tribune. An award-winning journalist, Glader spent 10 years as a staff writer at The Wall Street Journal, covering a variety of beats including technology, travel, metals/mining, health/science and finance. He’s worked for and written for countless other publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, TheNewYorker.com, The Indianapolis Star, The Associated Press, Der Spiegel Online, FastCompany.com, USA Today and ESPN.com. He’s appeared on national TV and radio programs including CNBC, Fox Business, and WSJ Radio. He currently writes for several national magazines including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, ChristianityToday, The American Legion and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com. Glader received an MS from Columbia University in New York as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and Graduate School of Business in 2007-2008. He is currently an executive MBA candidate at The Berlin School of Creative Leadership at Steinbeis University in Germany. He lived in Germany from 2011-2013, first as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow and then as a European Journalism Fellow at Freie Universität in Berlin. His research and writing interests include the startup economy / technology innovation; journalism ethics and history / the new journalists; urban planning / transportation; Europe / Germany / Scandinavia; parenthood / fatherhood; creativity in leadership and media entrepreneurship. He enjoys surfing, reading and traveling with his wife and daughter.

Peter Kong is one of the coleaders of the Redeemer Writers Group. He is a writer, musician, and software developer living in New York City. His current literary project is an epic adventure novel that takes place in post-war Nepal and the Near East. His EDM band, Lava Levels, released their first single, ‘Just Let Me’, in August 2015 (lavalevels.com).

Margo McKenzie is a wife, mother and grandmother with two adult daughters and two grandsons. She retired as an educator after thirty-two years of service and now channels her creative passion for writing to bring hope and light to others while putting a spotlight on God. She is currently working on a novel entitled When Anchors Sway about how the loss of support systems cause the smooth-sailing life of an immigrant family from Barbados to turn upside down. Her other faith-based writings can be found at: www.giftofletters.blogspot.com, www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=54907, and http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/thomas-dorsey. She is a member of Bethany Baptist Church, Brooklyn, Rev Dr Adolphus C. Lacey, Pastor.

Brooke Obie, JD, MFA, is the Senior Digital Editor for Guideposts.org. She was the first Editor-at-Large for EBONY.com where she wrote the column, “The Spiritual Life.” Brooke is also the creator of the two-time Black Weblog Award-winning blog DistrictDiva.com, named one of Essence Magazine’s “Best Online Sites.” Brooke is a graduate of Hampton University, summa cum laude and Mercer University School of Law where she was the Eleventh Circuit Survey Editor of the Mercer Law Review. She also received her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School, was a 2014 finalist for the Fulbright Fellowship award in Creative Writing and is the author of a forthcoming novel series and essay collection. Brooke has a certificate in advanced legal research, writing and drafting and has worked for CNN Entertainment and on HLN’s Showbiz Tonight. She has written for NBC BLK, TheGrio.com, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The National Book Critics Circle, and Vibe Magazine, among other publications. Before becoming editor-at-large for EBONY.com, she served as a contributing editor (2013-2014) for the site and its interim News & Lifestyle editor in spring 2013.

Jakki Kerubo has an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU. She’s currently working on her first novel, and moonlights as a PR person in the healthcare industry.

Jane Park lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Prior to 2015, she lived in Brooklyn, New York, and worked in the fashion industry. Her fiction has appeared in Echoes Upon Echoes: New Korean American Writing and Han Kut: Critical Art and Writing by Korean Canadian Women. She has attended residencies at the Banff Centre and the Macdowell Colony and is working on her first novel.

Ted Scofield: St. Martin’s Press published Ted’s debut novel, Eat What You Kill, in 2014 and released the trade paperback in May 2015. Described as “American Psycho meets Wall Street,” Eat What You Kill is one part financial thriller and two parts morality tale. Famed Hollywood producer Edward R. Pressman (Wall Street, American Psycho, The Crow, etc.) purchased the film rights and is developing the screenplay. Ted is currently writing the sequel and releasing, in serial form, a book on greed. Much to his dismay, when he is not writing, Ted is a securities attorney, with an MBA in finance thrown in for good measure. He is a three-time graduate of Vanderbilt University. Ted lives in Manhattan with his wife, contemporary artist and consumer products genius Christi Scofield, their palm tree, Spike, and their little money tree, Benjamin. They have been attending Redeemer since 2002. www.tedscofield.com.

Anita Sung began to journal her thoughts and feelings sometime in elementary school when her family was living in Long Island, because her mother told her that if she journaled every day, she would become a good writer. Then in middle school, she began to write poetry, because it was hard to connect with people, and the sunsets in Atlanta were like seeing the glory of God. While in high school in New Jersey, one Catholic teacher loved her poems, because she thought it was unusual for a teenager to grapple with spiritual topics. She also encouraged her to continue developing her fiction writing. At Wheaton College, Anita received a B.A. in English Literature, and then received an M.A. in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2006. In 2011, as she and a mentor were praying regularly about a Korean drama she wrote, she learned how prayer brings God’s children close to the heart of the Creator and to the Father. Today, she continues to grapple with theological / spiritual topics and ideas in her fiction writing.

David Sung: After having worked in finance for several years and witnessing the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, it was a time for David to rethink his passions and what he believed life was worth living (and dying) for.  At that time, Anita was working in publishing and doing all that “artsy” stuff, but after the attacks on NYC, the grind of “making it” had lost its luster and the glamour of the city faded.  They decided to take a 6-month missions trip abroad to re-evaluate their lives. It was during that time, David and Anita decided to pursue theological degrees, where David got his Masters of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After many transitions since then, from seminary to working as a hospital chaplain, his passion to love and build up the beauty and culture of the NYC, to seek its renewal and shalom through the Gospel of Jesus Christ has led him to church planting, starting Christ Resurrection Church (www.christresurrectionyc.com) in the Upper East Side.

Stephanie Nikolopoulos is one of the coleaders of the Redeemer Writers Group. She has worked as an editor in the publishing industry for more than a decade and is the author, with Paul Maher Jr., of Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” She has an MFA in creative writing, nonfiction, from the New School, a certificate in editing from New York University, and a BA in English from Scripps College. Visit her at www.StephanieNikolopoulos.com.

Greg Wong is passionate about creativity, innovation and growth hacking. As an art director and social catalyst, he activates brands to grow with real impact. Greg works in digital healthcare advertising as a Vice-President, Art Supervisor at CDMiConnect and consults as a Creative Director to startups and non-profits. Greg has consulted to a wide range of Fortune 100 corporations, small business boutiques and non-profit organizations across the country. Greg has degrees in mass communications from U.C. Berkeley and graphic design from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Reaching beyond agency creative, Greg consults on social innovation. He serves on the Strategic Advisory Board for Restore NYC, a non-profit that is dedicated to the holistic life rescue of internationally sex-trafficked women in New York City. This summer, Greg married his wife Liz, in a pop-up wedding on the High Line. They now call Long Island City home and are raising their two Aussie dogs, Olive and Ozzy. You can follow Greg on the internet everywhere at @gregwong.

Our Volunteers

Angela Allmond, Disen Huang, Michelle Kaskel, Margo McKenzie, Jacquelynn Osoro, and Ellen Stedfeld