Workshops &
Manuscript Consultations
Trio House Press editors Kris Bigalk and Natasha Kane have extensive experience as
creative writing professors and workshop facilitators, and as editors of poetry and creative nonfiction titles for Trio House Press. Check out our current offerings, which include Manuscript Consultations and Zoom and in-person classes and workshops.
I cannot imagine Dressing the Bear and More Flowers existing in their final forms without the insight, handiwork, and generous guidance of Kris Bigalk. As an editor, she possesses an intuitive understanding of a collection’s heartbeat and is both sharp and swift in her attention, able to see the finer details of each poem as well as identify how they cohere and best augment one another. Kris brings a rare combination of objectivity and deep care to her craft, too, honoring the heart and mind of the poet as much as the work. Her editorial instincts and savviness truly elevate a collection’s vision while always preserving its core motivations and desires. With Kris, you are in exceptionally good hands. Susan L. Leary, author of Dressing the Bear and More Flowers
I feel profoundly fortunate to have had Natasha Kane as the editor of my debut collection. Daughter of Salt would not be the book it is today without her care, guidance, generosity, and close attention. Natasha is an astute reader and a deeply skilled writer and editor whose sole aim is to elevate and champion a writer’s work. As a poet, it was essential for me to collaborate with someone who understood the spirit of my poems and guided them with both insight and compassion, and with Natasha I found exactly that. I am forever in gratitude.
Leila Farjami, author of Daughter of Salt
Kris is generous. She reads manuscripts the way every poet hopes to be read. When she called to tell me she wanted to publish Public House, I could tell immediately. In what she asked, what she shared, and what stuck out to her. That quality of attention is what every writer needs, and few get. Dylan Weir, author of Public House
I've had the wonderful experience of working with Natasha as my editor. She's kind, considerate, thoughtful, and professional. These qualities establish the supportive conditions necessary for healthy relational work, which significantly contribute to a successful editing process. On a technical level, Natasha is detail-oriented and precise; she works to understand the workings of each poem and how those poems knit into the fabric of a whole collection. Her editorial choices are clearly driven by a desire to bolster the success of the poems--she works to amplify what's there, thereby shepherding collections into their absolute brightest versions. I trust Natasha's eye and look forward to working with her again on my next manuscript!
Emily Hyland, author of My Wise Little Ghost
Whether you've just finished your first manuscript or you've been submitting a manuscript for awhile, maybe you could use some feedback on individual poems and the manuscript as a whole -- along with some tips on where you might submit it and how to improve your network of readers.
For ethical reasons, we will not do paid consultations on manuscripts currently under consideration for publication by Trio House Press.
Pricing is as follows:
poetry or creative nonfiction chapbooks or manuscripts up to 50 pages: $500
poetry manuscripts 50 - 120 pages: $1000
creative nonfiction manuscripts 150 - 400 pages: $1200
If you'd like to submit your manuscript for review by Kris or Natasha, please click here for full information and guidelines
Two Hour Zoom Workshops: $150
Wednesday, May 13, 6 pm - 8 pm CDT
Bring your problem poems to this workshop, and we will give them a makeover! Participants will share poems with the group and learn techniques to add tension, imagery, and structure to poetry they can take forward into their drafting and revision practice, and will also create some new work.
Making an Entrance and an Exit (Kris Bigalk)
Tuesday, May 19, 3 pm - 5 pm CDT
This class focuses on creative nonfiction and memoirs, specifically on how the opening to an essay collection or creative nonfiction book is essential to its success. Participants will submit their manuscripts a week ahead of the workshop, and bring their current "entrance" and "exit" for critique and guidance.
Four Week Zoom Classes: $500
Memoir or Essay Collection? Let's Edit (Kris Bigalk)
Sundays, 4 - 6 pm CDT, May 31, June 7, 14, and 21
Many of the creative nonfiction submissions we receive are somewhere between an essay collection and a memoir - they don't seem to know what they want to be. If you have a manuscript like this, we can help. This small workshop will involve analyzing which format works best for your topic and your style, and then implementing editing techniques to move it towards either an essay collection or a memoir. Both group workshops and individual meetings are included.
It's in Your DNA: Researching and Writing Family Stories in Every Genre (Kris Bigalk)
Wednesdays from 6 pm - 8 pm CDT, July 10, 17, 24, and August 1
So many of Trio House Press' books are inspired by family stories or traditions, including War Boys by Jason Prokowiew, Sing Me a Circle by Samina Najmi, Mele by Kalehua Kim, Glassful of Prayer by Anthony Ceballos, and Dressing the Bear by Susan L. Leary. This class involves reading some of these books and delving into the techniques used to write about family stories, research the background of these stories, and explore different genre options.
