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• RAGDALE WRITERS' RETREAT

  • Start
    February 17, 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • End
    February 20, 2026
  •  
    5:00 PM
  • Location
    Ragdale - 1260 N. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest, IL
  • Spaces left
    0

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  During our four days together, Rowan will do a deep dive into “Origins and Openings,” which will center on beginnings—the foundation of any piece of fiction, whether that means giving writers an opportunity to start something new or to bring a fresh perspective to existing work.  

  What’s Included: Private room and bathroom, daily craft sessions led by accomplished writing instructor Rowan Beaird, three meals a day - 2 provided by Ragdale’s own Chef Linda - and plenty of space and time to create.

  NOTE: If the retreat sells out, priority will be given to first-time attendees; previous participants may apply for the waitlist.
  

  ABOUT ROWAN BEAIRD:  An award-winning writer whose debut novel, The Divorcées, was named a best book by Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, People, The Independent, and the Chicago Review of Books, she worked at the literary nonprofit GrubStreet as program manager. She's taught English as a second language, helped teen writers find their voice at 826CHI, and facilitated countless brand workshops for companies and nonprofits. She has received scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and StoryStudio, and her short stories have appeared in Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review, and The Southern Review, among others. She currently works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her second novel, Tenderness, will be published in July 2026.

  • Learn more about Ragdale:
  • Note: Attendees: Please direct all questions and communication regarding registrations, overnight accommodations, special dietary restrictions or other concerns to  Tara Maher.

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• THE RED CAR TO HOLLYWOOD

  • When
    February 26, 2026
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Remote
  • Spaces left
    9

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  Join Pump Up the Volume, the OCWW member book club for an all-remote discussion of THE RED CAR TO HOLLYWOOD. Lovers of relevant, lively history, of relatable storylines and rich, atmospheric writing will  fall in love with protagonist Ruby Chan, a sixteen-year-old Chinese American struggling to find her place in the world of 1920s Los Angeles without leaving her family behind.
  The setting serves as a perfect backdrop to Ruby's struggles with racial prejudice and familial tradition. The blending of history and fiction through Liu's choice of including real-life film star Anna May Wong as a character who helps Ruby find her way. makes for historical, coming-of-age, socially conscious, epic adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy.  
  
  PURCHASE:

  • AMAZON
    
    
  • BARNES & NOBLE
    
    
  • BOOKSHOP. ORG
    
    

  BIO:  JENNIE LIU is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Her contemporary YA novels Like Spilled Water and Girls on the Line were recognized by the Freeman Book Awards of The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. Enly and The Buskin’ Blues, a middle-grade story inspired by her sons, was called “a recommended fiction title with humor and depth” by the School Library Journal.  
  

  Click here to learn more about Jennie, her publications, and her events.

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