medical bills | Dogpatch Writers Collective

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by Jilanne Hoffmann | August 25, 2021 · 10:39 am

Steve Almond – Special Class Offer

Hello, everyone!

An update to announce that author and teacher extraordinaire, Steve Almond, has generously offered to give a 2-hour virtual class on Creating An Irresistible Narrator, with all proceeds going towards Dogpatch co-founder Laurel Leigh’s medical bills. YAY!!! In this class, Steve will upend what you thought you knew about narrators and make you reconsider how you go about creating characters that drive your story. Both Laurel and Sabine Sloley (another one of our organizers), have benefited from previous classes taught by Steve. He’s been teaching writers for years, including workshops for Seattle’s Hugo House and Portland’s Tin House Summer Writer’s Workshop. He is a gifted teacher who enjoys coloring outside the lines.

Instructions on how to donate and register for the class are on the GoFundMe page set up by some of Laurel’s friends.

Class date/time: Wednesday, September 22, 5-7pm PDT (8-10 pm EDT)

I’ve registered, and am looking forward to seeing you all there!

Let’s raise a glass to Laurel’s health!

Dogpatcher – Laurel Leigh

Hello, Dogpatch watchers, readers, and writers. I’m dropping in to let you know that one of our founders, Laurel Leigh, has been diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer.

She’s never been a smoker, so this hit quite unexpectedly. We in the patch are doing our best to lift Laurel up and help her make it through this illness and out the other side with a clean bill of health. But that’s not going to happen for awhile, because her treatment is extensive.

She’s getting chemo and radiation simultaneously, which makes it nearly impossible to work. This is pretty much how she’s feeling right now—on a good day:

And although she has health insurance, as a freelance editor and writer, her insurance doesn’t cover the bills, and her income has been hit hard.

We in the patch would be ever so grateful if you could do one or both of the following:

Help out with her bills by donating to the Go Fund Me page some of her friends have made for her.
And/or please send good vibes, prayers, healing thoughts, and maybe some chocolate in her direction. Right now, she’s in North Dakota, where her mother grew up.

Updates on Laurel’s progress will be made on the Go Fund Me page.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! From the bottom of our hearts.