16 Years & 6,000 writers. Shutting up and writing… Priceless

An aspiring novelist finishes reading an excerpt from her work-in-progress. Pens scratch against paper as the would-be novelist glances out the fourth floor windows that frame views of the lakefront and treetops from the surrounding neighborhood. When her fellow writers finish scribbling comments on photocopies of her work, she leans forward with anticipation. Another participant of the writers group opens the discussion by noting what he likes about the narrative style.

This type of buddy system has supported over 6,000 writers of all levels through the years at Redbird Studio, a writers center housed in the Marian Center for Nonprofits, 3195 S. Superior St. in Bay View.

Founded in 1993 by Judy Bridges, Redbird has offered various writers roundtable read-and-critique groups, the popular Shut Up & Write! motivational workshop for writers of all levels, and programs such as a “Hike Write” to Scuppernong Springs in the Kettle Moraine and Writing for Social Change. The Red Oak Young Writers group also grew from young author camps held at Redbird. 

For many years, Bridges said she earned her living as a writer, penning articles, stories, plays, and business communications for regional magazines and Fortune 500 companies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in writing and a master’s degree in adult education. She has also taught at Alverno College, The Clearing folk school in Door County, and other locations.

“By 1993 I had enough money stashed to rent an eight-by-10 studio on the top floor of the Marian Center. The artist next to me said, ‘Let’s teach a class,’ and Redbird was born,” Bridges said. “It was so much fun being around all these interesting writers and seeing them succeed, I couldn’t stop.”

The interesting writers include Laurel Landis, who leads the Wednesday evening writers roundtable group. Landis said she’s been writing her whole life and has participated in Redbird programs regularly since 2005.

“Writing is the output of the soul of a person,” said Landis. “Redbird is chock full of people excited by writing in all its forms. Writing can be lonely-there is nothing like a network of other writers to bounce ideas around with and be inspired by.”

Landis added that leading the group has given her the opportunity to be consistently surprised by others’ writing. “That’s inspiring in itself. We have many skill levels. The only requirement for membership is a desire to write-and then to write better.”

Dave Thome, a participant in Landis’ group, was a newspaper reporter for several years and currently writes freelance news and business copy. Having a longtime interest in screenplay writing and some success with options, Thome said he joined Redbird after his wife, Mary Jo Thome, attended a Shut Up & Write! workshop.

“I read my last screenplay at roundtables that first year. It ended up being a finalist in a national contest called Slamdance,” Thome said.

He added that attending the writers groups with prepared material to read helps keep him motivated. “I’ve written lots of stuff without deadlines, but being a journalist at heart, I find that having a deadline sharpens my focus and gets my adrenaline flowing.”

Kate Jurgens, a participant in the Wednesday evening writers group since October 2008, said she had always enjoyed creative writing and journaling, even when her nursing career and her four children had kept her busy.

“My daughter was born with a rare connective tissue disease that we did not know existed until she was almost 10 years old,” Jurgens said, and writing is what has kept her sane between mothering, working as a nurse, and attending to her daughter’s hospital needs over the course of 17 surgeries. “Writing has allowed me to empty my head when I need it most.”

Judy Bates said she heard of Redbird several years ago when her brother, Doug Jacobson, told her about it. He had written a first draft of his novel and asked Bridges to look at it. After a rewrite, Jacobson’s historical novel, Night of Flames, was published by McBooks Press. The novel is the story of a couple who flee their native Poland and become involved in British Intelligence and the Belgian Resistance. Bates was inspired by her brother’s success.

“I was not a writer. I am a scientist. But, deep down, there was the thought, ‘Maybe I could write a story.’ One day, it just built up and I decided to find out. I called Redbird, and signed up,” Bates said.

Success Stories

Jacobson is just one of the success stories that has blossomed from Redbird Studio. Shauna Singh Baldwin, Kirk Farber, Eric Hansen, and Mark Lucius are just a few Redbird participants who have had novels, short stories, articles, and memoirs published while participating in Redbird programs. Local authors such as Elaine Bergstrom and Ken Brosky have also led workshops and programs at Redbird.

“We have a 14-foot-long shelf full of books written by Redbird authors, and that’s not the half of it. If you added articles, stories, plays, business publications, and family gift books, you’d fill the room. At least,” Bridges said.

Bridges prominently displays the works of her pupils throughout the Redbird space, and there is usually a show-and-tell period at the beginning of the writers groups that gives nod to the accomplishments of Redbird participants.

Writers Workshops

Robert Vaughan leads the monthly Thursday evening writers roundtable groups and twice monthly Friday morning roundtables. He is also on the staff of the Red Oak Young Writers. Vaughan said he taught creative writing and his plays have been produced in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and most recently Milwaukee. He became involved with Redbird in 2004 when he saw a flyer for the Shut Up & Write workshop.

The Marian Center has a rich legacy of housing creative people and organizations, Vaughan noted, and writers fit right in. “Writers are an odd breed of people. One has to spend quite significant amounts of time alone in order to create pages, and yet, camaraderie amongst writers of all various genres is one of the benefits of Redbird Studio.”

Writer Jeannee Sacken leads the Tuesday afternoon writers workshops. Sacken said she started attending the Tuesday roundtables at Redbird in March 2004. “I was looking for a community of writers, and a friend recommended I check out Redbird. I found the people for whom I was looking,” Sacken said.

Sacken said that for many years, her writing was strictly academic. She decided to leave academia in 2000 to pursue creative writing and photography. The latter has led her to interactions with women in Zimbabwe, Guatemala, Argentina, and Botswana. Those experiences, Sacken said, have provided the moral core and focus of her writing. She currently writes short stories, novellas, and novels with strong female protagonists caught up in issues of social justice.

Marjorie Pagel is currently in Sacken’s group. Pagel has been involved in Redbird programs since the studio’s inception, and said Bridges is one of the few people she knows who can use words like Shut Up & Write and not scare people off.

“They know the ‘shut up’ part is gentle admonition for the people who want to ‘have written’ but think they can steer clear of the discipline and hard work of writing.”

After 16 years, Bridges said the studio is stronger than ever. Her book, Shut Up & Write! is coming out later this year. She’s also working on a book about family, You Drive, You’re Too Drunk to Sing. She continues to teach the Shut Up & Write class at Redbird and spends a lot of time at her “Redbird Cottage” near Waupaca.

“I think the main reason Redbird has been so successful is [that] our writers come first, before me, before the teachers, and before the bottom line,” Bridges said. “That’s one of the gifts I brought to Redbird from the business world. I honestly believe the best, strongest, most successful businesses worry very little about growth and a big name-they worry a lot about the people they serve. You don’t need to get bigger every year; you just need to get better.”

Sheila Julson has been an active participant in the Redbird Studio writers roundtable groups since 1997. She hopes to soon add her novel to the 14-foot-long shelf full of books written by Redbird authors.

Redbird Writers’ 16th Anniversary Showcase Celebration

Redbird hosts a celebratory writers’ showcase Thursday, April 30 at 6:30pm in the Main Floor Social Room, Marian Center, 3195 S. Superior St.

The event is free and open to the public, featuring studio founder Judy Bridges and Red Oak director Kim Suhr; writer/teachers Robert Vaughan, Jeannee Sacken, and Laurel Landis; and writers Tom Biel, Marjorie Pagel, Carol Wobig, Dave Howard, Jeri Smith, and Mike O’Keefe.

This Milwaukee Book Festival Event also includes authors Roi Solberg, Stephen Boehrer, Cari Taylor Carlson, and Judith Zukerman, who will be available to chat and sign books. Light refreshments served before and after the program. Info: (414) 481-3195.