Author: Erin Popelka

I am a writer. Fiction, nonfiction; long and short; books and one-page sips of story. I'm delighting in the journey.

Reading, writing, and teaching at Get Lit!

Erin Popelka

Spokane’s amazing Get Lit! – an annual reading and writing festival – happens at the end of April every year. This year was fantastic! I taught two classes. I facilitated “Conversations Over Coffee.” I read my fiction to an enthusiastic audience. And I met so many other great readers and writers from the area.

There was so much happening, I called in extra help. My dear friend Emily, who is also an avid reader, joined me to tell people about Must Read Fiction and to cheer me on. She encouraged everyone to share book recommendations. We’re all looking for more great reads.

I was also invited to write a short fiction piece. The Scoop, a local ice cream shop, joined with Get Lit! to do an ice cream-themed letterpress book: Poetry Prose Pints. My story, “Hopefully Someone Will, Someday” celebrated their Chocolate Buttercup flavor (which is amazing!). All fiction should have its own ice cream.

Reading and Teaching at Get Lit!

Erin Popelka

Calling everyone in Spokane – Get Lit!, our annual literary festival, is in two weeks, and I’m going to be there. I’m leading two talks, facilitating virtual and in-person conversations, and I’m reading my fiction! Oh, and Must Read Fiction will have a table, too. All the events are linked below. Please swing by! I’d love to see you!

https://getlitfestival2022.sched.com/speaker/erin_popelka.23jbc4i7

One year later

Erin Popelka

It is March 2021. Each time I look at the calendar this week, I can’t help but think about last March and how the novel coronavirus unfolded worldwide: symptoms, travel bans, asymptomatic carriers, masks, ICU capacity, case and death counts. It’s been an incredibly challenging year.

I have also been thinking about where I was a year ago. Exactly one year ago today, I was debating whether or not to get on a plane to fly to visit friends across the country in Washington, DC, and then to proceed on to New York City for a wedding on March 15.

In the remembering, I decided I wanted to reflect on this experience, and to do so using my pandemic skill: making stop motion movies. I’m delighted to present my longest film yet, “COVID Unfolding: A Love Story.”

https://youtu.be/HlOPkuBcA8c

Please give it a watch!

And good luck this March. Grief anniversaries are hard, and this month will be full of them. I hope the pandemic skills you learned along the way – baking bread, taking long walks, unmuting yourself on Zoom – will offer some comfort. We’re still in this together.