Room is “Canada’s oldest literary journal by, for, and about women. Published quarterly by a group of volunteers based in Vancouver, Room showcases fiction, poetry, reviews, art work, interviews and profiles about the female experience…Room is a space where women can speak, connect, and showcase their creativity. Each quarter we publish original, thought-provoking works that reflect women’s strength, sensuality, vulnerability, and wit…” Good fit, eh?

I was so disappointed to have missed it (the first session I haven’t led in three years), but our amazing volunteer Sarah was there to facilitate and it was a super-successful day. The group wrote love letters and made collages for “community artists who make our city a better place”.

To learn more about World Community Arts Day, click here. And click here to learn more about CACV. Note: This isn’t the first time that Mary Bennett of CACV has reached out and made an effort to include “The Pens” in exciting community arts projects and events. We’re so grateful.

Below are some pics snapped by CACV intern, Elena:

I just know the group will be inspired by Jenn, who’s “the author of two collections of short stories: The Devil You Know (Anvil Press, 2010), and Sugar Bush & Other Stories (Anvil Press, 2006).

“Her stories have previously appeared in Prism, subTerrain, West Coast Line and Forget magazine. She has acted as reader and editor for several winning entries in the 3-Day Novel Contest, and in 2006, made her broadcast debut as a judge for Book Television’s coverage of the event.

“She is the two-time winner of the Vancouver Courier Fiction Contest, recipient of the 2002 Maclean-Hunter Endowment Prize for non-fiction, a former contributor to CBC Radio and former managing editor of subTerrain magazine. She is a board member of the B.C. Association of Magazine Publishers.”

She’s also one of the most talented local writers I know. Thanks Jenn!

For more on Jenn, visit her website @ www.jennfarrell.com

The group groaned when they heard it, but ended up producing some of their best work to date.

Read the comments section to see what they came up with.

* * *

“K” was one of the first IdeFix participants to write to us. She wrote one letter, and we sent her 12 replies. Incredibly, she wrote back to each member of Intrepid Pens individually. We couldn’t believe it!

So, we’re working hard to send an equally impressive batch of letters back to her. Here’s what she wrote to us. Below (in the Comments Section) are the Intrepid Pens responses.

* * *

Dear Amanda!

I was so happy about your replies.
I’ll answer your letters very quickly so that it doesn’t take so much time!

It’s beautiful to hear from you and Intrepid Pens, because I’ve wanted to have pen-friends in the USA a long time! Don’t ask me why, but I love North and South America since I can think! There’s no special reason!

I would like to speak the English language perfectly, but after my school I started using drugs, and my English-learning stopped for a long time, til I met Sonja a few years ago.

Maybe my biggest wish will come true and I can see, and live in North America! Okay Amanda, now I will start to write the replies for the other girls!

I thank you for this opportunity!

* * *

Dear Cookie

I was very happy about your reply, many thanks for this! You’re a very interesting person, because you’ve got a interest and beautiful past! You must be a lucky woman to have 3 kids!

I love kids and I always wanted to have children, but I wouldn’t get pregnant. God did I want this! It is very sad and I cannot change it. Now I’m 43 years old and live alone, and I’m in my menopause.

Unfortunately that age-problems begin slowly! And I cannot stop time. Dear Cookie, I hope you can read and write soon! Have fun! I hope that you can answer me and that we can have a pen-friendship.

All the best!

Yours,

“K”

* * *

Dear Joan

I am very happy about your reply and I would like to answer you right away! I’m excited about this, because my English isn’t so good. But I have to learn it, and sometimes I can look in the dictionary. And Sonia also helps me to improve my English.

Now I’ll tell you something about my life. I am a German woman, 42 years old, and I was born in Dusseldorf, the capital of Nordrhein-Westfalen, a federal state of Germany. I was 24 years old when I left my hometown and moved to Berlin. Since then I live here!

Berlin is a very big city; it’s like many small towns in one. Berlin is a city and a federal state of Germany. There are several subways, busses and trains, that will quickly take you to another part of the city.

I live with my dog in a multicultural neighbourhood, where I rent a one-bedroom apartment which is paid for by welfare. I live along with my dog because four years ago…sometimes he hit me. In 2007 he died of an overdose. In the next letters I’ll tell you more about this relationship if you want to know about it! Since then I don’t want to have another relationship. This caused me many problems and it’s very good for me and my self-confidence to live alone.

Every month I get welfare. The welfare office pays my salary. I work 5 days a week at IdeFix, where I get 1,50E/hour. In Germany, the welfare office has a program which allows welfare recipients to receive an additions 1,50E/hour in such projects as IdeFix. It’s not so much but there’s nothing I can do to change it, because this comes from welfare too.

I’ve worked at IdeFix for 5 ½ years and sometimes it brings a lot of fun. Mainly I work in the kitchen and back biscuits, muffins, cakes and more for dogs. Sometimes I bring my dog treats. It makes her very happy.

My dog is a female mutt, she’s a mix of German Shepherd, Collie, and Labrador. She’s called Maya, she’s very nice and so cute, and she listens to my every word. Unfortunately she’s almost 10 years old and has arthritis. I love her sooo much! I will send you a photo of her, so that you know how she looks.

So okay, back to IdeFix. There are approximately 20 people at IdeFix, who also work for 1,50E/hour from the welfare office. Most of them are substituted and it’s a relaxing job.

5 of these people take part in the English class. It’s so cool that it is a little class. That way, it makes it easier to learn this beautiful and sometimes difficult language. I hope that I can speak and write English perfectly in the future.

Dear Joan, don’t be so sad that I end this letter now. I can write so much, but I want to save it for the next letters. So I hope you write me back soon and I’m hoping to be your friend too! Maybe we can visit in the future!?

Your friend!? “K”

* * *

Dear Sonia,

Many thanks for your reply!

I’m very happy about having a Canadian pen-friendship! It makes me happy and stressed to get so many replies because I want to answer everyone. Because my English isn’t so good, I cannot write quickly. I must think about the letters, a few words, and so on! But still my English is constantly improving! It’s so nice of you to help me with my English. Thank you very much!!

So, now I have a few questions to you: How old are you? And how long have you lived in North America/Canada? I think that you lived in another nation before because you wrote that you only spoke German and Czech!

I want to live in the USA, North America, of Canada, too, but I don’t know how I could find a job and an apartment or a romm-mate there!

In addition I’m 43 years old and I think it’s too old to change my life alone! And I don’t have enough money to start all over again! I think it’s not easy to move to … everywhere is a new beginning!

Okay, Sonia, I think that I’ve written enough for now. I hope that we can maintain a pen-friendship, because your reply is very sympathetic to me! Have a good time!

Yours, “K”