Oak Park Writers Group

01/30/2025

New book store in Oak Park.

01/29/2025

February workshops:

In Person at the OP main library on Thursday, February 6 and 20, 2025 at 7pm.

Zoom on Wednesday, February 5 and 19, 2025 at 7pm.

12/22/2024

January workshops:

In-Person - Thursdays - January 2 and 16.

Zoom - Wednesday - January 15.

11/20/2024

Here are the dates for the remaining OPWG workshops through 2024:

In Person -

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Thursday, December 19, 2024

All workshops will be held in the main OPL on the first floor in the community room at 7pm.

Please limit submissions, to no more than 5 pages, double spaces. Bring at least 8 copies.

Zoom -

Wednesday, November 20 2024

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

All meetings will be at 7pm.

11/13/2024

On Saturday, the Oak Park Writers Group held their annual 'Writers Read'. It was successful with the writers (picture below) reading to an appreciative audience. A fun time was had by all.

10/22/2024

Writers Read

The Oak Park Writers Group will host Writers Read, its annual presentation of original stories, poems, flash fiction, and novel excerpts, on Saturday, November 9, 2024, in the Veterans Room of the Main Library in Oak Park. The reading begins at 2 p.m and will last until 4 p.m.

Writers Read has a long history of conviviality, a great buffet table, and the opportunity to enjoy polished and well-rehearsed writing by writers serious about sharing their literary talents with a larger audience. We have every expectation that this year's celebration will live up to that tradition.

Please tell your friends.

10/16/2024

Means the world to me to get a good review

The World Needs More Indie Books Like This One

09/28/2024

Upcoming OPWG Schedule:

In Person Workshop - Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 7pm in the 'small meeting room' at the OP main library.

In Person Workshop - Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7pm in the 'small meeting room' at the OP main library.

Zoom Workshop (the only zoom in October) - Wednesday October 16, 2024 at 7pm.

Writers Read, our annual fall public reading will be on Saturday, November 9, 2024 from 1 - 4:30 in the 'Veterans room' at the OP main library.

08/30/2024

September Workshops

In-Person Workshops at the Oak Park Library:

Thursday, September 5, 2024 - 7pm

Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 7pm

Zoom Workshops:

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - 7pm

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 7pm

For more information, contact us.

08/12/2024

As a young boy, my 90-year-old friend Fred fled Stalin and Hi**er during WWII. He and his mom ended up sheltering under the Berlin train station during intense bombing. After they survived all that trauma, they lived in a Displaced Persons Camp for some years until a sponsor helped them gain entry into the United States. His memoir is published on Amazon:
https://a.co/d/ceuz8At
The following is his perspective on today's events.

Will They Ever Learn? (The Kingston Trio song)

By Fred Natkevi

On July 29th, 2024, I caught a moment of news media coverage of Donald Trump, the presidential nominee of the so-called conservative party, at a campaign rally. I cannot call it G.O.P. because G.O.P. is now the Trump party.
The Donald thanked Christians for their support, profusely, and proclaimed that he too is a Christian.
Trump's self-disclosure triggered me to gag. He elevated himself to be viewed as one of his audiences, one of the “Religious, Righteous Right.” But he chose not to disclose himself as the blatant racist, and anti-Semite, that he truly is.
A few moments later, however, the news cast moved on to other coverage, and I resumed my household chores. But the vision of Trump reappeared to me, again, later in the evening. In my solitude and in the dusk of a warm July evening, with my eyes closed, I saw him again. I heard him, again, and disgust churned my stomach, again.
As I struggle to contain my outrage, I feel obligated to voice a protest in favor of the meek, sincere, obedient, but misinformed, and exploited fellow citizens.
I wonder how much of blind faith it takes to reach a point, where the believer becomes a danger to himself and others.
At that rally, Trump asked Christians to turn out to vote for him. He said that if he's reelected, they would not have to vote again in the next presidential election, four years later. What was he telling his audience? Was he telling them that somehow, they will be relieved, or possibly deprived, of their civic obligation of electing their government? Was he revealing a plan to eliminate elections? After all, elections are not necessary to extend the term of a dictatorship.
If that is not a threat to our Democracy, then, only an insurrection would be more convincing. But we already had that on January 6, 2021.
In the 2016 election, American Christians failed to heed the warning to “Beware of false prophets” Mathew 22:15-20. The question is: Will they repeat their error? Will they prove that they will never learn? (The Kingston Trio song).

A Time Capsule: Years 2013 to 2023

07/31/2024

Oak Park Writers Group In-Person Workshop

This Thursday Evening at 7pm

August 1, 2024

At The Main Oak Park Libtary.

This Will Be The ONLY August In-Person Workshop

See You There!

Oak Park Writer's Group | Oak Park Public Library

Oak Park Writer's Group | Oak Park Public Library

07/02/2024

The next Oak Park Writers Group workshops will be as follows:

Zoom - Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 7pm

In Person - Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 7pm at the at the Maze Branch (this workshop only) at 845 Gunderson Avenue.

Main Library (708) 383-8200 834 Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60301 See map: Google Maps Sun: 12:00pm-5:00pm Mon-Thu: 9:00am-9:00pm Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm Sat: 9:00am-5:00pm Maze Branch Library (708) 386-4751 845 Gunderson Ave. Oak Park, IL 60304 See map: Google Maps Sun: 12:00pm-5:00pm Mon-Thu: 10:00am-9:00pm....

06/10/2024

The next Oak Park Writers Group workshops will be as follows:

Zoom - Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 7pm

In Person at the OP main library on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 7pm

05/28/2024

We are sorry to announce, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Oak Park Writers Group Spring Reading and Open Mike, scheduled for this Sunday, June 2 at 2pm at the main library

HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Our Zoom workshop scheduled for Wednesday June 5 and In-Person workshop at the library scheduled for Thursday June 6, will go on as previously scheduled.

More information about the workshops will be forthcoming.

05/22/2024

Everyone is invited to

The Oak Park Writers Group

Summer Reading and Open Mic



An afternoon of featuring all writing genres

Poetry, Flash Fiction, Memoir,

Short Story, Essays, Novel Excerpts, Non-fiction Writing.



Share your writing at the Open Mic.



Sunday, June 2, 2024 (During Day In Our Village)

2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Second Floor Meeting Room

Oak Park’s Main Library





Lite refreshments will be served.



If you are interested in reading

contact Sheila Elliot at [email protected]

05/21/2024

June OPWG workshops:

In Person, Thursdays, June 6 and 20 at the OP main library - 7pm.

Zoom, Wednesdays, June 5 and 19 at 7pm. Contact us for details.

04/30/2024

May In-Person Workshops:

Thursday May 2 and Thursday May 16. 7pm.

Back in the main library.

04/08/2024

Our next in person OPWG workshop will be on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7pm.

THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR THIS MEETING ONLY.

We will be meeting at the Dole Branch meeting room: 255 Augusta Street, Oak Park.

https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/oak-park-writers-group-67886

The next Zoom workshop will be on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7pm.

Main Library (708) 383-8200 834 Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60301 See map: Google Maps Sun: 12:00pm-5:00pm Mon-Thu: 9:00am-9:00pm Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm Sat: 9:00am-5:00pm Maze Branch Library (708) 386-4751 845 Gunderson Ave. Oak Park, IL 60304 See map: Google Maps Sun: 12:00pm-5:00pm Mon-Thu: 10:00am-9:00pm....