Ashawagh Hall Writers Group Continues To Thrive Under New Leadership

The upstairs space at Ashawagh Hall in Springs speaks of an early era. Wooden walls and ceilings, creaky floors and old-fashioned radiators set the stage, evoking the feel of an old farmhouse that hasn’t been given a once-over in decades.

But over the years, this simple space has been the birthplace of ideas, characters and scintillating plot twists. Today, it is home to an eclectic set of protagonists—from a young Jewish girl struggling to survive Nazi occupation, to a parrot kidnapped from the rainforests of Central America who has a lot to say about his own life.

Welcome to the Ashawagh Hall Writers’ Workshop, a place long considered hallowed ground for serious writers on the East End looking for a bit of community and a lot of feedback.

For 10 weeks each fall and spring, a dozen or so writers gather around a big table in the upstairs space at Ashawagh Hall on Thursday nights to read from their writing projects and constructively critique the writing of others. It’s a tradition that began in September 1983 when author Marijane Meaker, who writes under the pen name ME Kerr, decided to help create a community of writers who could encourage and support each other and, most importantly, get their work out to a wider audience.

“Marijane’s motive was to teach people enough to publish their work,” explained Boris Riskin, a member of the group since 1990, at a recent Thursday evening session. “That was the driving force. It wasn’t to enjoy your own work, but get it published.”

By all accounts, Ms. Meaker’s mission succeeded. As of May 2014, a total of 31 books had been published by writers who have been members of the Ashawagh Writers’ Workshop for either part or all of the process. Many more articles, essays and short stories have also been published by the group.

Some writers joined the workshop just long enough to complete a specific project, while others, like Mr. Riskin, have been participating for years, either working on a single project or on a successive number of pieces. But the longevity award goes to Rob Stuart, a writer who lives in Springs and has been with the workshop since its inception.

Ms. Meaker, now in her 90s, no longer leads the Ashawagh writers. She stepped down about five years ago and handed the reins to longtime member Laura Stein, who ran the workshop until the conclusion of last spring’s session.

Now, the group has a new leader. Maryann Calendrille, who since 1999 has co-owned Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor with Kathryn Szoka, took over in September and in late November her first Ashawagh Hall Writers’ Workshop session will be a wrap. Ms. Calendrille comes well prepared for the role and is no stranger to these sorts of creative settings. She often offers writing workshops and has even convinced some of her own students to join the ranks of the Ashawagh group this fall.

Still, she realizes that, given the reputation of this group, she has big shoes to fill.

“I’ve been curious about the group,” Ms. Calendrille said in a recent interview. “I envisioned a shredder in the corner. It had a reputation for being a tough workshop.”

But what she’s found is a group of writers who know what they want to say and are already well-versed in how to tell a story, find a voice, or use specific plot devices. They also know one another very well and have built a level of trust and respect that can only come after years of working together.

“It’s been a wonderful challenge and I’m meeting new people. … These folks are working, working, working. There’s a sense of dedication and discipline I find impressive,” she said. “I don’t have to cajole them to do the work. Some have completed manuscripts and are making third or fourth drafts. I haven’t had an opportunity to work with a group so far along on a project.”

Part of the motivation can be found on the bookshelves along the walls of the workshop space, which are filled with published titles by former and current members. Ms. Calendrille notes there is also a lending library for research purposes, as well as copies of Publishers Weekly and other publication resources that are available.

“It’s like I’m running to catch a moving train,” she said when asked how she’s fitting into her new role. “The group has its own velocity. … They’re serious writers working away diligently on their projects, and I’m trying to meet them where they are.

“With my workshops at Canio’s, we seemed to gather at the station then board that train together.”

But when creativity is on a roll, there’s no stopping it, as was evident at the recent session where several longtime members took time out to talk about what brought them to the workshop in the first place and what keeps them coming back.

“I came with this germ of an idea for a story with no idea how to begin,” Carol Goodale said. “They said, ‘Write the first 10 pages,’ and it took me three times, but it’s been instrumental.

“That was seven years ago.”

Richard Lawless is working on a young adult novel set in early Southampton. He came to the workshop four years ago with a finished first draft already in hand.

“I read from it for the first time and realized I had a long way to go,” Mr. Lawless said. “I’m loving the criticism.’

“I cried every time I came here for the first six months,” admitted Erika Hecht, an eight-year veteran of the workshop whose memoir deals with her childhood in Hungary during World War II and its aftermath. “I realized how much work I had ahead of me.”

“It’s about learning about each other,” Mr. Lawless added. “You come to love each other’s work.”

As one of the Ashawagh Hall newbies, Amy Kurtz readily admits that she was scared about subjecting herself to the comments and criticisms that fellow workshop participants would level at her writing. But now that she’s well into the process, she finds the support invaluable.

“They’re not that mean at all,” Ms. Kurtz said. “They are wonderful and give fantastic feedback and are very constructive.”

“That’s the other thing that makes the workshop succeed and it has for many years,” said Mr. Riskin, an author of three books, several short stories and some New Yorker pieces. “The ethos is not to cause pain or build your own ego, but to help the other person do better. Even though it’s painful to hear criticism, it’s meant in a nice way.”

It helps that the group is on the same page, so to speak, in that they refuse to tolerate members who are mean-spirited or less than supportive in their critique of other’s writing.

“We’ve had people over the years who did not do it in a nice way or were vindictive,” Mr. Riskin said. “We edited them out … or they quit on their own.”

As the group now adjusts to Ms. Calendrille in the leadership role, they are finding that she has access to information on publishing houses and calls for writing submissions through Canio’s Books that makes this a very symbiotic relationship indeed.

“I think we’re all very pleased with Maryann,” Mr. Lawless said.

Going forward, it’s likely that members of the Ashawagh Hall Writers’ Workshop will soon be sharing their work in readings at Canio’s Books—a rather fitting venue given Ms. Calendrille’s connection to both.

“Having the book shop, I’m at the other end of publication,” she said. “I’m hoping to have some books on the shelves written by them.

“Canio’s had a long-running reputation when Kathryn and I took over,” she added. “It’s the same thing with Ashawagh Hall. Maybe that’s my role—continuing cultural institutions.”

Think you’ve got writing chops? The spring session of the Ashawagh Writers’ Workshop will begin in late February and welcomes new members with a maximum of 14 participants. The workshop meets Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. Each week, three members read from their work for 15 minutes and are critiqued. Fiction and memoir writers aiming for publication are invited to apply by submitting a writing sample. Prospective members should contact Maryann Calendrille at Canio’s Books, mac@caniosbooks.com, for more information and an application. The cost is $250 for 10 sessions.