Educators, travel writer and chef, business writer, business owner. What do they have in common? Writing.

B. J. Carpenter, Maggie DeGennaro, Sherry Derus, Elsa Hofmeister, Mary Henrickson, and Elaine Voboril met in one of Mary Jean Port's memoir classes and formed a writing group in 2002.

B. J. went though major life transitions in the fall of 2002 and joined Mary Jean's class as a means to address them. While working on her memoir these past five years, Carpenter has done freelance checking/editing on several local food books and also completed an illustrated travel/food book on Minnesota coauthored with painter-photographer Shelley Holl, which will be published in March 2010.

Maggie joined the group in an ongoing quest for balance. The processes of reading others' words and writing her own provide sustenance. The absence of judgment creates an atmosphere in which she can take huge risks and be completely naked in words and emotions. Maggie explains, "Our friendships are grounded in a unique knowledge of each other from our writing that is trusted and revered. Our connectedness is a lifeline that continues to blossom as it is nurtured."

Read the rest of The Loft Literary Center's article here.