Pen to Paper: Lounge Writers Imparts Professional Knowledge and Inspiration During the Pandemic

Oksana Marafioti conducting a writing workshop (2018)

With many people writing during the pandemic, writers needing to hone their skills is all the more important. That’s why one group, Lounge Writers, provides the writing community with affordable instruction to develop those skills.

Lounge Writers (formerly known as the Las Vegas Writers Lounge), is a local creative writing studio where writers of all levels come to enhance their craft and thrive. Founded in 2018 by Oksana Marafioti, the organization offers workshops, lectures, classes, and panels led by professional and award-winning writers.

According to Marafioti, writers often give up on their dream of writing before fully exploring it, adding that while talent and inspiration go far, writing is a craft that’s all about resilience and learning.

“We're here to help writers feel empowered and in control of their aspirations - to bring talent and craft together and inspire writers to keep creating,” she said. “Our goal is also to make creative writing education accessible to writers of all levels and economic backgrounds.”

An award-winning author, Marafioti has written titles such as American Gypsy: A Memoir and a paranormal thriller, Donatti's Lunatics, written under the pen name, ‘Ana Mara.’

She was the 2013 recipient of the Library of Congress Kluge Center Fellowship for her research, titled, Magical Realism in Russia: How Ancestry Worship, Shamanism & Christianity Shaped the Nation. She is also the current recipient of the Picador Excellence in Literature Award from the University of Leipzig, Germany.

Oksana Marafioti, Founder of LW

Living in Vegas for over 20 years and meeting many writers who sought ways to connect and learn about writing, she noticed there weren’t any local creative writing studios, only creative classes offered through the local colleges.

“Though [they are] great, higher education writing programs aren't always accessible or affordable to everyone,” said Marafioti, adding that she taught a four-day writing workshop back in 2018 to writers at the Henderson Writers Group.

“The experience was so enjoyable and enriching that I just continued teaching, and the writers kept on coming,” she said. “Now, Lounge Writers fills the need for more affordable and genre-inclusive creative writing education, not just locally but internationally.”

Marafioti expressed how the Lounge separates itself from other writing groups, being “all about the craft,” adding that while you can’t teach a talent, the craft is available for anyone interested in learning it.

“There are plenty of places where one can learn about creative writing, but often students learn theories without any applicable knowledge,” she said. “We give students the tools they can use right away to improve their stories and stay inspired. We provide these necessary tools to help writers become independent creators of their own stories - writers who, at some point, will no longer need a teacher.”

Due to the pandemic, the Lounge has moved its workshops online and quickly got comfortable teaching virtually. Since creativity is their focus, Marafioti said that the change didn’t jar them too much and actually opened up the world to them in “unimaginable ways.”

“Our students tune in from all over: [the] U.K., India, Taiwan, France, Russia, Brazil, New Zealand, [and so on]. The experience has created a stronger community of writers around the Lounge,” she said. “Not only has it enriched our teaching and learning, but it also helps all of us in those meetings think about creativity in ways we might not have considered in the past.”

With people coming together from all over the country and the world, it has created “rich soil for more creativity to thrive.”

Once it is safe to do so, the Lounge’s in-person classes will resume. Marafioti said that they plan to continue their online classes and videos with coursework and start a YouTube channel devoted to craft talks and author interviews.

According to Marafioti, while she herself teaches many of the workshops, the Lounge has had the honor of hosting several “highly accomplished guests and returning instructors” from the Las Vegas community and abroad. These guests include writers like:

• Brittany Bronson, a contributing writer for The New York Times, who has received awards and recognitions from TalkPoverty.Org, the Nevada Arts Council, Vegas Seven Magazine, and The Pinch Literary Awards;

• C. Moon Reed, a well-known staff writer for the Las Vegas Weekly;

• Adam Szymkowicz, two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, and Juilliard-trained playwright whose work has been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, Germany, and Lithuania;

• Dominic Biondi, a UNLV professor with over 25 years of experience as a writer, director, producer, and editor in Hollywood and Las Vegas; and,

• Veronica Klash, a regular contributor to the NPR publication - the Desert Companion, whose work has appeared in Cheap Pop, Ellipsis Zine, and X-Ray Lit.

• Olivia Clare, a writer and a poet who's won the 2014 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award and the 2014 O. Henry Prize;

• Gabino Iglesias, a professor at the SNHU's MFA program and the author of Coyote Songs and Zero Saints;

Marafioti added that she is excited about the Lounge’s lineup of future guests, including Andrew Buckley, author of young adult fiction and the co-founder of the Wordsmith Academy, and Octavio Quintanilla, the current poet laureate of San Antonio, Texas.

Just in time for Halloween, Gabino Iglesias taught a writer's workshop on Saturday, October 31st, discussing the elements of writing horror fiction.

Other past events have covered topics such as How to Plot a Novel, Book Editing Essentials, and How to Write Captivating Dialogue.

Starting the new year out strong, Lounge Writers’ has three classes this month open for registration with their first workshop, Writing Irresistible Story Beginnings, on January 10th, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This workshop is $25 and is being conducted through Zoom.

Speaking on the art community's underlying issues, Marafioti said that “Las Vegas is considered a city without culture, but this is untrue.”

“The biggest issue is that we do have a creative culture, but it's not tended to,” she said, adding that the pandemic has impacted all of our creative communities here, and “...unfortunately, the damage is great. ...our industries aren't considered important enough to support.”

“Our local creative family needs attention and care [in order] to help us survive and grow,” she said, suggesting that people check up on their creative friends.

Marafioti concluded by sharing ways that the community can help and support Lounge Writers. These include taking their classes, leaving reviews, and spreading the word by sharing their social media posts, telling friends about the group, and inviting the Lounge to speak on any platforms you may have - be it a radio show, podcast, or other media opportunity.

While the Lounge does not presently have their own website, you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, MeetUp, and Eventbrite to keep up to date with upcoming events, get writing prompts, and more.

You can also contact the group at writersloungelv@gmail.com.

The Purr-Fect Book - Copper Cat Books Offers a Friendly, Personal Shopping Experience

With more people reading this year, the need to find the perfect book brings new life and new customers to independent used book stores, including one local favorite - Copper Cat Books.

Copper Cat Books, a “shop for the curious - but not a curiosity shop”, is Henderson’s newest and only used bookstore, located between Valle Verde Drive and Arroyo Grande Boulevard. They house between 20-30 thousand books in-store, and about 60 thousand in their warehouse - half of which is inventoried and searchable, through a spreadsheet updated periodically. Gift items and reading accessories are also available in-store. Founded in 2017, they celebrate their third anniversary next month on December 9th.

Harry Potter-themed gifts available exclusively at Copper Cat Books

Wendy P. Marcisofsky, co-owner of the store alongside her husband Anthony Marcisofsky, explained how they meet as many reading “tastes” as possible and go out of their way to help readers find their “perfect book”.

“We are able to carry what customers ask for and are not restricted by what sometimes happens with "corporate" stores where the decision on what to carry is made without consideration to the regional tastes of a market,” she said.

Rarely unable to find the right book for someone, she said she will “search the entire globe” for free to find a book a customer is looking for if needed, only charging the price of the book itself. Due to their small size, they can closely track popular books and attempt to keep multiple copies on hand ready for purchase.

All of their efforts help the store develop its own niche, offering a personal touch to assist customers in finding what they’re looking for. New to retail, the Marcisofskys learn along the way and work to make sure everyone who comes into the shop enters a welcoming atmosphere.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the store closed for eight weeks and went through difficult times, like many businesses. For now, Copper Cat Books is “holding up okay”.

“We were fearful customers would seek other means of acquiring books,” she said, adding it was challenging to maintain their revenue stream to make ends meet. In response, Marcisofsky took pictures of books on the shelves to post on social media, and created a way for customers to search for titles.

“If they found something of interest, we would pull, clean, and price and let them know when [it was] available,” she said. While the store has reopened for in-person shopping, curbside pick-up is still available for those who want it.

The store also offers a wide variety of signed books, available to browse here, and recently added more than 70 Star Wars books to their inventory. To order a book or inquire about one you’re looking for, you can call the store at (702) 567-2666.

Some of the vendors that they buy from donate books to needy children in the U.S. and beyond, matching one-for-one what they buy. Marcisofsky said that as of the 10th of November, one of their vendors has donated 5,364 matching books since early 2018.

Copper Cats Books, 1570 West Horizon Ridge Pkwy, Suite 170.

“It means we sometimes pay a little more for books [or] charge a little more, but in the end, we are helping others with just a little extra expense,” she said.

When they opened back up, the store offered 50% off of everything in-store as an incentive to their readers, and to help customers during a financially difficult time. “We continue to offer 40% off most books in the store and all books in the warehouse and will do so as long as we are able,” Marcisofsky said. Active teachers also get 5% off their purchase every day.

The store runs many other small promotions and sales much of the time, including a “Riddle Me This” contest on their various social media pages where the first three people who answer correctly win a discount certificate good for 30 days.

They also introduced their ‘Reader’s Club Card,’ given to customers when they purchase an in-stock used book. Purchase amounts get recorded on the back of the card (not including tax).

For every $40 spent, customers get $5 off their next purchase of an in-stock book whether they’re in the store or in the warehouse. Any book that’s not discounted, qualifies to go on the club card and may be used as a credit off any purchase in the store without restriction. Any balance over $40 is carried over to a new card.

On the matter of running a bookstore in Las Vegas, Marcisofsky shared that there’s a unique market here, with a community of real people living real lives, and how there’s more to the area than just The Strip. “Realizing that people here want and need the same things as everywhere else is important to success,” she said.

“By recognizing that Las Vegas is not really all that different once you set aside the gaming and tourist aspect, [you’ll see that] people are people - families with personal tastes and desires, and hopefully, our bookstore fills some of those needs.”

Moving forward, Copper Cat Books continues to rely on the support and patronage of the community. With the difficulty in competing against large bookstores and online sellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, people can help independently owned bookstores by visiting them in person.

“Come see us, shop the store and give us a chance to show you why many times, we are the best option for book buying, especially used books since you can't hold an online image in your hand and have to trust a vendor that you do not know,” Marcisofsky said.

“Sit awhile and enjoy the quiet of a retail bookstore and join in on the conversations we find ourselves in "up front" by the register,” she said, adding, “Human interaction is vital to our success.”

Dilbert, their original store cat.

“We would LOVE to see you in our store to share our enthusiasm for reading and show you our shop. We love when people come in that have never been before.”

Those who visit the store for the first time will find that, per its name, the store has a cat theme to it. While initially named after a trucking company the couple previously ran, they also had a tabby cat named Dilbert who became the store’s mascot of sorts, as a “sometimes-store-cat”, as Marcisofsky said.

“Dilbert was a gentle soul that helped us set up the store and gave it the ‘Dilbert seal of approval’,” she said. “He was a super mellow boy that we miss every day.” Dilbert unfortunately passed away in March 2018 after a long battle with cancer. The Marcisofskys have a new semi-resident store cat named Riley.

Visit the shop and see Riley and the Marcisofskys, at 1570 West Horizon Ridge Pkwy, Suite 170, across the street from the US Post Office. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Copper Cat had planned book signing events in November and December, but had to put them on hold for the time being, most likely until early 2021.

Marcisofsky concluded by saying, “Remember this...if the lights are on, even after hours, the door is open - come on in. If it is locked, give it a knock for your own "private shopping experience.”

Visit Copper Cat Books on their website, and follow them on Facebook.

Spread the Word Nevada - Changing Lives One Book at a Time

Reading is an important part of a child’s development, but not all children have equal access to literacy. That’s why one local organization is working hard to close the literacy gap for kids here in Nevada.

Spread the Word Nevada (STWN), the state’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit, is dedicated to advancing childhood literacy in low-income communities and actively serves at-risk families who are at or below the poverty line. Founded in 2001 and nearing their 20th anniversary, the organization has helped more than 650,877 at-risk children by providing them 5.8 million books and counting, and by providing resources that fill in educational gaps and help improve literacy achievement.

Samantha Picazo, STWN’s Events and Marketing Manager, spoke of the co-founders, Laurie Hartig and Lisa Habighorst, and their inspiration for the organization and how it began.

“I have learned that a simple dream can turn into something extraordinary,” she said. “Laurie and Lisa started with a garage full of books, and now we're in a 5,000 square foot warehouse serving over half a million children since 2001.”

“[They] knew that children should not be without the magic of books and sought to change that.”

Collecting books for preschool up to the fifth-grade, STWN, with the help of their volunteers, takes the donated books, cleans them, and then sorts them by grade level. With the funds collected from generous donors, the organization is also able to purchase new books as well.

Boxes are then packed with enough books to accommodate each student at the 62 schools that they delivered to on a monthly basis. Since the pandemic, however, these deliveries are now contact-less and are done quarterly instead of monthly, but still reach the same number of students.

Picazo shared that books at all levels they collect are always needed, chapter books for the fourth to fifth grade levels are sometimes in short supply.

“We accept book donations at our Henderson and Reno warehouse year-round, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM,” Picazo added. “We also have a handful of book collection sites throughout the valley.”

Despite the obstacles the pandemic has thrown at STWN, they are successfully continuing the delivery of their programs.

“Now more than ever Nevada students need books to stay engaged and learning which is why we were determined not to interrupt our services while distance learning is in place,” Picazo said. “Donations help keep the flow of books going and may help add more schools from our waiting list.”

According to Picazo, the organization quickly adapted when schools switched to distance learning, having already made a contingency plan to be ready to include any health and safety restrictions that would be implemented and continue to serve children here in the community.

“With students at home, we were faced with limited distribution points for our students to receive books,” she said. “We adjusted all of our programs to comply with safety protocols and school district restrictions.”

When the schools closed in March, STWN partnered with Communities In Schools of Nevada and The Public Education Foundation to form the “Direct Care to Kids" program.

“This initiative distributed over 25,000 kits to children and their families,” Picazo said, adding that Three Square and the Boys and Girls Club have both been strong friends, and have been helpful in reaching kids not physically in school. “Our community supporters have been amazing in locking arms and getting the work done for the children of Nevada,” she said.

She went on to say “Our family literacy program, Breakfast and Snack Time with Books, was modified to a virtual program. We offer our stories to the public via Facebook Live as well as directly to classrooms.”

Picazo then discussed a major misconception about children’s literacy. “ It is assumed that all children have books. We know that they do not,” she said. “Children living in low-income neighborhoods and attending at-risk schools seldom own books and don’t have these necessary tools to learn and become confident readers.”

“We often ask people to imagine not having books when they were growing up and it’s difficult to fathom but so many of the children in our community know that as reality,” she added.

Regarding ways to help, Picazo shared that there are many ways to get involved with STWN.

“We LOVE book drives—they're super easy to organize and it brings the community together,” she said, adding that they also collect adult books that help the organization in another way.

According to Picazo, those books are resold on their Amazon store, where the proceeds are then put right back into their children’s literacy programs.

To organize a drive, or make a book donation, please visit https://spreadthewordnevada.org/book-drives-and-donations/

Picazo also spoke of how people can help by volunteering. “Our volunteer room hosts book cleaning sessions twice a week,” she said. “Every children's book we distribute should feel as good as new, so volunteers make sure they are free of dust, stickers, torn pages, [and so on].”

Learn more about volunteering at https://spreadthewordnevada.org/volunteer-options/.

“Knowing that children in need rely on our programs even more than ever before, we urge community members to visit our website and volunteer to clean books or donate,” Picazo said, adding “Just two dollars can purchase a brand new book for a child. You can even become a monthly donor and make sure that a child receives a book every month!”

To make a monetary donation, please visit https://spreadthewordnevada.org/donate-today/.

Lastly, Picazo spoke of STWN’s signature fundraising event - The Storybook Gala.

“This past February we hosted the 18th annual event at the Bellagio with over 500 guests, raising much-needed funds for our programs,” she said, adding that even though things are always changing, “we have a few tricks up our sleeves that we can’t wait to share.”

On the importance of the work STWN is doing, Picazo stated, “I can't imagine working with another organization that can deliver the life-changing programs STWN offers with the same amount of heart and passion I see every day.”

“The magic of books is something no child should be without, so I’m elated that after 20 years, we continue to keep the spark alive during this difficult time.”

Get more information on STWN at www.SpreadtheWordNevada.org, or call (702) 564-7809.