New Dawn Arts Center Writers Group

A weekly writing workshop, taught by three local published writers as instructors, in-person, weekly on Tuesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 pm. The workshop instructors will be Melissa Dorval, Fred Gerhard, and Kevin Scott Hall.

The first Tuesday will focus on fiction (Dorval), the second Tuesday, non-fiction/memoir (Hall), and the third Tuesday, poetry (Gerhard). The fourth Tuesday will be an “open mic” where all writers can come together and share what they’ve written.

The workshops will be offered for free, but donations will be accepted.

Melissa Dorval has had her poems, short stories, and articles published in various journals. Her new micro-essay will be featured in the inaugural issue of The Sixpence Society Literary Journal and her latest poem will appear in Creative Zine, both this fall. Her debut novel, When You Lose Control, has just been accepted by a New Hampshire publisher. Dorval graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Creative Writing from UMass-Lowell and was mentored by acclaimed author Andre Dubus III.

Fred Gerhard leads the Poetry Workshop, and is one of the open mic hosts for the New Dawn Writers’ Group. His books include Drifting to “Hello” (Khotso Publishing, 2023) and Lilacs Still Bloom in Ashburnham: Songs of Spring (Local Gems Poetry Press, 2023). His poems appear in numerous magazines including Entropy Magazine, Friends Journal, Pif Magazine, POETiCA REViEW, and Sylvia Magazine. A 2023 winner of Poetry in the Pines, and 2024 winner of Art on the Trails, he is also an editor at Quabbin Quills and Smoky Quartz. Visit his virtual reading room at FredGerhard.com

Kevin Scott Hall is the author of the highly regarded memoir A Quarter Inch From My Heart (Wisdom Moon) and the self-published novel Off the Charts!. He is also a singer/songwriter and recording artist; his music can be heard on streaming platforms, including YouTube, where he also has a few music videos. Hall taught theater, writing, and literature for 17 years at two City University of New York campuses. He holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The City College of New York.

All three have deep local roots: Dorval grew up in Gardner and currently lives in Leominster; Gerhard lives in Ashburnham with his wife and son and his work was recently featured at Creative Connections in town; Hall attended Oakmont Regional High School and relocated to Ashburnham in late 2020 after spending over three decades in New York City.

Interested writers can follow @NewDawnWriters on Twitter.

For media inquiries, please contact Kevin at kevsco76@gmail.com or call 646-708-1647.