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.

No Time for Writer's Block: Writers of Southern Nevada Perseveres During the Pandemic

2017 Crystal Bookmark Award - WSN

As the pandemic has granted more time and opportunity to writers of both fiction and nonfiction, it has also increased the need for those writers to understand the writing industry's legal and business aspects. Which, is one of the goals of the local writing group, Writers of Southern Nevada.

Writers of Southern Nevada (WSN) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit literacy organization made up of both fiction and nonfiction wordsmiths of varied backgrounds working to advance their writing careers and businesses.

Eric James Miller, the President of WSN, shared how the group is equally split between fiction versus nonfiction members. They also discuss topics related to corporate writing, copywriting, and journalism.

Eric James Miller

Founded in 2010, WSN became a membership-based organization in 2014, changed its charter to accept members, and become a collective of like-minded authors. According to Miller, almost all 30 members they presently have are published, full-time working authors.

He also shared that the group won the 2017 Las Vegas Book Festival’s Crystal Bookmark Award. They won this as recognition for their community service through their ‘Painted Stories’ program, where authors read from their work while an artist paints what they hear, as the audience absorbs both the words and the art.

According to Miller, what sets WSN apart from other writing groups is that they focus a little more on nonfiction, whereas most writing groups predominantly lean more toward fiction writing. Miller himself, and some of the other board members, have a background in entertainment arts and law, legal writing, and accounting, and have used that experience in the organization to provide resources to writers on the business aspects of writing, in addition to the craft of writing.

“[We] have done workshops on basic contracts, discussions on the business of writing, how to file your LLC, the benefits of becoming a sole proprietor, how to run your business, how royalties work, [and so on],” Miller said. He added that running your business as a successful writer goes beyond whether you’re traditionally published or self-published.

“With writers having extra time to write in recent months, it’s more important than ever to understand the business aspects that come with being an author,” Miller said. “You have to have those cards stacked in place - it doesn’t matter how you’re published.”

As a result of the pandemic, WSN had to slow down or halt some of their programming; they lost some of their revenue streams, lost a few members, and started holding their ‘Writers Roundtable’ monthly meetings virtually. These meetings are usually moderated by the Programming Director and UNLV journalism professor, Greg Blake Miller (no relation).

They also look for outside guests to bring in who cover specialized topics. “Last year we had Minnesota Public Radio meteorologist Paul Huttner lead a discussion about different types of weather systems, weather phenomena, and weather jargon,” Miller said. “We plan to have more expert presenters on topics in the future so that writers can add new and interesting levels and language to their writing.”

Miller said that they are doing the meetings via Zoom now and that they have seen both a negative and positive outcome from that change. While they lost the person-to-person aspect, they now have members who can now join them who were unable to before.

“We have members across multiple states who weren’t previously able to join in on the in-person meetings, but with Zoom, they are now,” he said, adding that this ultimately has helped them expand their reach to their members.

One of the programs affected by the pandemic that presently would not be effectively transferred to a virtual setting is their ‘Painted Stories’ series mentioned previously. “Watching a person paint while listening to someone else read doesn’t have the same visceral magic in a virtual setting as it does in a live setting,” Miller said.

Miller also spoke of their ‘Dueling Artists’ program, where two different artists were painting simultaneously.

“What the artists hear is what they paint, and they interpret the words they hear differently which is what makes it so interesting to the audience,” he said, adding that they would then pay the artists for their time and give the painting to the author. This program has also been put on hold for now.

During the pandemic, WSN didn’t program any events or workshops, but they are actively keeping people optimistic about next year and have responded by looking to the future.

“We have to form a new path,” he said, adding, “We’ve adapted for this year, moved what we can online, and we’re reevaluating and looking at the future.”

Regarding the group’s outlook, Miller said that they are working on a new three-part publishing workshop series through their Writers Roundtable, called, "Publishing During The Pandemic", where people can access working authors who are “making it happen during the pandemic” and learn how they’re getting published. The first part of the series launched on October 20th.

Usually, the Roundtables are members-only or allow non-members to join by making a $5 donation. This series, however, is free.

“We want to use it as a membership drive,” Miller said. Writers can join WSN for only $45 for a twelve-month membership.

Memberships include perks like access to the WSN newsletter, discounts on workshops and seminars, inclusion in their Speaker’s Bureau, preference to be a ‘Painted Stories’ author, access to the monthly Roundtable, input on programming, and much more.

Until things can reopen and go back to a sense of normalcy, Miller said that arts organizations have to take the initiative to go out and “ask those with deep pockets - politely and with a plan” for support.

Some will be willing to donate, but you have to be organized, Miller explained, adding, “You have to make yourself known to those people and not be afraid to ask.”

“Keep on persevering and find new ways to adapt,” he said. “Turn the challenges into opportunities.”

Regarding how the community and others can support WSN’s endeavors, Miller said that becoming a member is the best way to help.

“We’re trying to be an organization where you help shape the writing community you want to see, and by getting involved, you can help shape things,” Miller said, adding that members get to share initiatives and ideas for activities, and practice their presentation skills if they have a workshop or topic that they want to present.

The Writers Roundtable usually meets at 6 PM on the second Tuesday of the month.

To learn more about WSN, you can visit http://nevadawriters.org/ or email them at nevadawriters@gmail.com. Follow WSN and get interesting writing information from them through their Facebook and Twitter.

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.