In 2023, our team members at Project Write Now have been immersed in a diverse tapestry of passions and obsessions. Whether it’s exploring the emotional depth of TV shows, delving into the art of writing through literary works, or finding inspiration in the tranquility of nature, our team’s diverse interests reflect a year filled with creativity, growth, and personal revelations. Check out what captivated our team members in 2023:

PWN’s community outreach instructor Meredith Z. Avakian said:

“What’s truly captivated most of my time, energy, and interest this year has been Project Write Now. From Poetry & Plants to Firefly: Stories Out Loud to the Spoken Word Project at Asbury Park High School to our partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters and so much more, I’ve felt like a kid in a candy store. My passion and purpose finally have a home under one roof. Sharing the rooms and hallways in this home with fellow instructors, some of whom are becoming more like family, has been a blessing.”

PWN’s co-founder, executive director, and Memoir Intensive instructor (she does it all!) Jennifer Chauhan said:

“This year, I’ve been obsessed with personal and professional development. I have always wanted to become a certified yoga teacher, and this past summer I received a 200-hour trauma-informed, inclusive yoga, mindfulness, and SEL certification. My intention in doing the training was to see how I could incorporate yoga philosophy into my teaching of creative/expressive writing. It turns out that the way PWN teaches writing aligns beautifully with trauma-informed, inclusive yoga teaching (meeting you where you are, no judgments, choice). I’m also incorporating what I’ve learned about yoga philosophy into my fiction writing, specifically the young adult novel I’ve been working on in book inc. I even discovered one of the yamas of yoga, Satya (or truthfulness) is the main theme of my novel! But even more, the yoga training has had a profound impact on my emotional well-being. I’ve been living in the present moment more and focusing on gratitude. And while I’m still dealing with the many challenges that erupt on a daily basis, I know I can always turn to my breath.”

Gay Edelman, who will be teaching the six-week class Listen, Observe, Gather for our Winter 2024 session, said:

“For me, 2023 was the Year of the Haiku. I couldn’t get enough of writing, reading, studying, talking, enjoying, and absorbing this form. And, with the encouragement of my son, Andrew, I’m creating a book of my, ahem, haiku gems. He’s designing it, and he’s even encouraging me to illustrate it myself. Who knew? 2024, here we come!”

PWN’s Extraordinary Ordinary Stories instructor and book inc’s peer artist leader Jennifer Gaites said:

“This year, I was totally captivated by the show The Bear. The writing and the intensity (along with some surprising cameos) blew me away. However, what I really loved about the show was that my 19-year-old recommended it. As I binged, he checked in, eager to discuss plot points and character arcs—we spoke in literary terms with excitement. I loved this shared interest and connecting over what drew us both into the story. We’re both looking forward to season 3, but I think my reasons and his might be a little different!”

book inc peer artist leader Tina Goodyear, who is teaching Creative Writing Intensive in the new year, said:

“I’ve been captivated by (a.k.a. obsessed with) reading books about writing. It’s my new form of writing resistance. My favorite so far is Marion Roach-Smith’s The Memoir Project. A close second is Dani Shapiro’s Still Writing, followed by yet another reread of Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir. Just when I thought I was done putting off my writing, I realized I have yet to read Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life. It’s on my list!”

PWN instructor and PWN’s Debut Review cohost Courtney Harler said:

“I’m 100% obsessed with Floyd Lamb State Park at Tule Springs here in Las Vegas, Nevada. In fact, I’m currently working on a queer, hybrid, ecolit collection about the park and my experiences within it. In truth, I’ve been writing this book for a long time and just now realized I’ve been writing it! I think all writers should follow their passions—find what gives you life and pursue it with your whole being. That’s the truest, most authentic work you can produce!”

PWN’s program coordinator, Lunchtime Write-In instructor, the heart & soul of PWN, Lisa Hartsgrove said:

“Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with cats. Aside from spending daily quality time with my preferred feline, Dunkin (whom you can follow on Instagram @dunkin_thecatnotthecoffee), this year I also taught two insPURRational writing classes at Catsbury Park AND my partner and I traveled all the way to Pasadena, California, so we could attend the 2023 Cat Con! I ain’t KITTEN around, this was a PAWsome year!”

PWN’s operations and communications manager Liz Jannuzzi said:

“What was I captivated by in 2023? I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast, so it’s hard for me to think back on a whole year. Actually, that’s not true. I had a smoothie for breakfast. I know that because I have a smoothie EVERY day for breakfast. My husband Chris and I have a very strict morning routine. We set the coffee pot the night before to go off at 5:15 a.m. every morning. Then, in the morning, one of us nudges the other to go downstairs and bring the coffee upstairs to our bedroom. Then we sit in bed, sip our coffee, read Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American, and then complete two games, Wordle and Connections. We share each other’s results. I always say, ‘It’s not a competition!’ when he wins. 😉 Then, we venture downstairs, where I make the kids’ sandwiches (yes, my kids are in high school, don’t judge!), and he goes over ‘the books.’ Then, we make a smoothie to enjoy for our breakfast. So maybe I’m captivated by my morning routine. It’s a great way to start the day.”

PWN’s community outreach instructor Susan Kuper said:

“I’ve been obsessed with finding ways to share my passion for teaching English with my student teachers at Monmouth University. As an adjunct professor this year, digging through my digital and paper files to uncover and revisit strategies for implementing writers’ workshops and independent reading in the classroom has been rewarding for both my students and me. This year, two of my favorite books were translated from French—Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin and The Postcard by Anne Berest. The beauty and power of these stories were not lost in translation. And if you need a gift for a child or young adult, check out Maybe by Kobi Yamada—beautiful lessons for all of us.”

Personal Essay instructor Mark McDevitt said:

“At the end of a year, I always think about those people whose work has meant a lot to me, now gone from us. In the last couple of months, we lost two musical icons in the shape of Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowan (The Pogues). Both of them were a part of the soundtrack to my youth, and exceptional lyricists in their own right. As a wordsmith, I have always admired the economy and effectiveness of musical lyrics, their ability to tell a story in only a few lines. If there is a better Christmas song than ‘Fairytale of New York,’ I’m not sure what it is. This past year, I dove into the songbook of Stephen Sondheim, and became obsessed with his music and lyrics. How, in only three or four minutes, he can get at the root of the human experience, in all of its complexity, joy and pain, is a marvel to behold. For the uninitiated, watch this clip of Adam Driver (in the movie Marriage Story) singing ‘Being Alive’ from the Stephen Sondheim musical Company. It never fails to give me goosebumps.”

Katie Morgan, who is teaching A Meditative Writing Practice: Turning Trials Into Teachings starting in January, said:

“This year has been all about grounding practices. Being a student again in a Master’s program has left me feeling aware of my need to remain present and firmly rooted here on the ground! To aid in this, I have leaned into sensory practices with the aid of a new favorite (and natural) skincare line called Earth Harbor. It feels great to have an established and sustainable routine that looks and feels good both morning and night. I have also been relying upon jigsaw puzzles (here’s the one I am solving right now) and the good ol’ (new to me) Suits series that has truly captivated my attention.”

PWN’s community outreach instructor Shatiera Porte’e said:

“I’m obsessed with two things that share my first name’s initial, the letter ‘S.’ Starbucks (hot matcha with two pumps of vanilla) and Sweet Green, where I can build my own salad. I had three salads this week!”

PWN’s KidLit guru and book inc peer artist leader Michele Prestininzi said:

“This year, I’ve been consumed with moving my kids into their first apartments and freshman dorm room and moving my husband and I out of our rental and into a new house. Now that I live by the beach—or ‘The Shore’ for all the native Jersey folks—I’m obsessed with watching sunrises and sunsets and going for walks at Sandy Hook National Park. The natural beauty calms me and sparks my creativity. On the reading front, I recently finished David Grann’s narrative nonfiction The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder and found it utterly fascinating.”

book inc writer Dr. Lou Storey, who is teaching The Psychology of Character Development in our upcoming winter session, said:

“The end of December 2023 will complete our first full year in Savannah since my husband Steve and I retired and moved from NJ. So, a cornucopia of obsession: getting established in a new home, a new state, and a new life; starting volunteer work as a docent in the Telfair Academy Art Museum; writing and submitting work with some luck; and a guilty obsession that makes me appreciate how Zoom just reveals my head and shoulders—EATING! Savannah has some of the most decadent and delicious food. On restaurant menus, Mac’n Cheese is listed as a vegetable. And, my biggest and longest obsession, on December 10, Steve and I will celebrate our 35th anniversary—together that long, and, in 2013, legally married in NJ when gay couples were granted the right. Hallelujah!”

PWN’s generative writing teacher, Eileen Whitener, who will be teaching Just Write in our winter session, said:

“I‘m in the thick of reorganizing my office, my home, and my life in general; I vacillate between excitement about what my home could look like in the future and feeling completely overwhelmed about the long journey ahead getting things in order. This year, I discovered KC Davis’s How to Keep House While Drowning, A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing. I was immediately struck by the kindness Davis shows her readers from page one. Her philosophy (‘You don’t exist to serve your space; your space exists to serve you’) is a reminder that I don’t need matching furniture or a color-coded bookshelf (or whatever else might look great on Pinterest); I owe myself a space that supports and reflects my joy! Reading her book felt like getting a hug.”