Chat with Ruth Harkin and friends

Please enjoy this podcast that includes candid conversations about the origin of some of the essays in Ruth Harkin’s first book, When My Husband Ran for President and Other Short Stories. Yes, Tom Harkin did run for president during the 1992 cycle (Bill Clinton was the eventual nominee). Readers of Ruth’s book will be taken behind the scenes of the decision to end the campaign. The story of how Ruth met her husband in a Tokyo shrine is one of the many stories told in this series of vignettes that offer a brief glimpse of what went on in the private lives of Tom and Ruth Harkin, and those of their children, Amy and Jenny. The book will be released at an event held at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy on September 5, and you are invited to join the celebration. You may also attend a party at the home of Roxanne Conlin on September 8.The time and location address are listed on the RSVP form below. You are encouraged to let organizers know if you can come. https://forms.gle/uQnu5CUAxRwNW5gd8This coming Monday, we will have an ‘open’ show - so come ready to share what’s on your mind or listen to others do so. New Subscriber? I call this column a ‘potluck’ because sometimes I host interview calls via Zoom, such as this one with Ruth Harkin. The Zoom calls are more like an invitation to a potluck in my home, usually featuring a guest who is often a friend (such as Ruth). And, like a potluck, everyone on the call brings something to the table. As a subscriber, you will receive a Zoom link from me on Monday morning. Would you happen to have any opinions? Today, I’ll single out just one of the dozens of offerings during the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat: Opinion.Surely, you have opinions. Right? Let former Des Moines Register columnist Rekha Basu and former New York Times editorial writer Maura Casey teach you how to be persuasive in your writing. Rekha is holding a two-part session, and your writing will be a part of a workshop critique in the second one. Also, you could take a session with the managing editor of Iowa Capital Dispatch, Kathie Obradovich, who will share what she looks for in publishing guest posts. Robert Leonard will tell you how to get published in local papers, Time magazine, and the New York Times.Yes, you can. Many publications are looking for new voices from the Midwest. Now that you feel confident and able to tackle the world of column writing, attend a basic workshop on launching a Substack column and a second session on using the advanced tools offered on the platform. Substack consultant Sarah Fay will be holding two virtual sessions. If you have compelling content, you could earn from $2,000 to $50,000 a year. Keep it up, and maybe you’ll catch up with Heather Cox Richardson, whose income from her daily Substack column is in the millions. But be sure to attend the panel discussion with Phoebe Wall Howard - a former auto reporter for The Detroit Free Press, and the newest Iowa Writers’ Collaborative member. Her fellow panelist will be Jay Stahl, who is an entertainment reporter for USA Today. These two writers are obsessed with earning top metrics for their writing, and you’ll find out why and how. Voila. You are ready to fly. All it took was a magical three days of attending workshops on the shores of West Lake Okoboji, listening to birds, following a butterfly, and making new friends in the dining hall. That, and an investment of a few hundred bucks, and you have a new identity, voice, and passion. I could review this exercise with each topic domain we offer during the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat. In my next column, I’ll go through this process for the topic of Memoir. Then, fiction. Followed by children’s book creation. Poetry. Nonfiction. Songwriting, performing, etc.Do you think you'll have to have lofty publishing goals to attend? No. Just come and see what inspiration, if any, takes hold of you. Ruth Harkin came last year and found her publisher, Ice Cube Press, LLC. Her first book will be available at OWR, too. Sign up for the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat while you still can! https://okobojiwritersretreat.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit okobojiwriters.substack.com/subscribe