By Mark Ambrogi
Jill Fairhurst Hall hopes Carmel will add another form to its growing artist community.
“We got visual arts and the fabulous music at the Paladium,” Hall said. “Maybe writing would be another aspect of the artist community to support and maybe see what happens.”
The Carmel Creative Writers will hold an organizational meeting at 7 p.m. on March 2 at Peace Water Winery, 37 West Main Street, Carmel. Those who attend are encouraged to bring in a sample of their work.
“It’s an opportunity to share one’s work,” said Rosaleen Crowley, who joins Hall in starting the group. “Down the road we hope to bring in speakers and reach out with workshops and seminars. Right now we’re just getting our heads together and see who would like to meet once a month.”
Crowley met Hall when Crowley was sharing her poems at Peace Water Winery. Crowley said Hall came up with the idea.
“We’re both passionate about writing,” Hall said.
Crowley said they ran the idea by Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard and got a positive response.
“There is all kinds of writing and we hope to gather and hear other people’s writings,” Crowley said.
Crowley, who has lived in Carmel for 24 years, has taught acting and poetry recitation classes at the Monon Community Center and ran an after-school program at St. Richard’s School in Indianapolis. Crowley moved to the U.S. from her native Ireland in 1990.
Hall, a Carmel resident who teaches at Brownsburg’s Brown Elementary School, has co-authored two children’s books and written another that have yet to be published. She was named to USA Today’s All-USA Teaching Team in 2004. She wrote a booklet after a third-grade girl in her class died of cancer.
“To commemorate her life, I volunteered at Riley Hospital and they published a booklet called ‘The Empty Desk’ which was a resource for teachers who have lost a student,” Hall said.
