On the first Tuesday of each month, the Wilds Are Calling blog on PAWilds.com will feature one story and its related image from an edition of The Watershed Journal.
This once-a-month feature is called A Watershed Moment, highlighting the talented writers and artisans in our rural PA Wilds region. These images, poems, short stories, and other creative pieces come from people of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds with ties to the western PA Wilds area.
A Watershed Moment will feature one story and image from each edition of The Watershed Journal, starting with its first edition and continuing from there. The Watershed Journal releases a new edition each season. The first edition was released in summer 2018, and they have faithfully continued to publish a new edition each season since then. You can find more information and find where to buy printed copies here.
The Watershed Journal Literary Group is a multi-faceted organization. They publish a literary magazine, run Watershed Books and Literary Center, host monthly Writer’s Block Party meetings, publish books, promote local authors, create a podcast, write blogs, and provide writing resources.
It all began in 2017 when Brookville, PA freelance writer and reporter Jess Weible started the Writer’s Block Party. The mission was to provide an open, supportive space where writers could share work and benefit from encouraging feedback. The Writer’s Block Party is free and open to the public, with meetings held on the last Sunday of each month. The event has remained the same while expanding to generate ideas for events and collaborations.
Then in 2018, a few members of the Writer’s Block Party began a publishing project called The Watershed Journal. They knew there were challenges for writers in the PA Wilds rural area to get published so the magazine was born out of the goal to create an opportunity to publish creative works. A plan was set to publish a quarterly, custom-printed and designed magazine that combines the written word and photography of our region in a way that enhances all of our stories and empowers our readers.
Watershed Books is also a Literary Arts Center which is open to the public to support readership and authorship in the community. Enjoy the quiet reading room while you sip a complimentary cup of tea, meet a friend to work on your latest writing draft, or take advantage of their free literary resources. Check their website (TheWatershedJournal.org) for the calendar of events which includes seminars and workshops. They will even post your literary event on the calendar, free of charge. Also on the website and social media pages, you will find online exclusives, podcasts, and professional development content. Membership to The Watershed Journal Literary Group costs $75, which includes a subscription to the quarterly magazine, quarterly newsletters, behind-the-scenes materials from the staff and other extras.
Sarah Rossey stated, “Writing can be very isolating as a practice. But having a community like The Watershed Journal Literary Group can be invigorating and inspiring. It was never the intention of The Watershed Journal to compete with big-city publishing, but to better represent the experiences and perspectives of the people in their PA Wilds region. What is happening here is beautifully diverse and fascinating. They are ready to literally ‘spread the word.’”
Photo Credit: The Watershed Journal Literary Group
Businesses, nonprofits and communities featured on this page are all located in the 13-county Pennsylvania Wilds region and are members of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania (WCO). In addition to being promoted on PAWilds.com, members gain access to branding and marketing resources, networking and professional development programs, opportunities to sell handmade products on the PA Wilds Marketplace and at PA Wilds Conservation Shops, and referrals to regional resource providers. Perhaps best of all, there are no annual membership dues. Details here.
