In May, 2008, I was sitting in my apartment alone in Buenos Aires, having just turned 50 and run away from home (Canada), and I decided two things: I needed a tango partner and, I needed to start a writers’ group. I wanted a weekly ‘injection’, a place to go where I could network with other writers, share ideas, practice FreeFall writing and other exercises, and get feedback on my work in progress. I immediately went on-line to Craigslist and saw an ad by a writer looking for a Spanish conversation group (which I also needed). Brett Brune and I met for lunch at Clásica y Moderna to discuss our mutual interest and Karla Freeman joined us. Karla led us to (what continues to be) the perfect location for our group meetings on Avenida Corrientes. Two hundred meetings later, The Buenos Aires English Writers Group continues to meet weekly at Cafe Variete at the back of Centro Cultural de la Cooperación every Wednesday from 11:00 – 1:00PM.
The three of us have since scattered: Brett to Washington and beyond: Karla to Cuenca and beyond: and I returned to Calgary. Each of us became involved in other writers groups in our respective locations. The Buenos Aires Group remains strong with permanent ex-pats at the helm like Sally, Henry, and Helen (sorry if I missed anybody). Members have come and gone – some checking the group out for one meeting as they passed through the city and others attending more regularly when they could over the course of the four years.
Four books have been birthed by members over as many years: Street Logic by Steve Sundberg; Touching the Rainbow Ground by Paul Weiss; Happy Tango by Sally Blake; and, The Church of Tango by Cherie Magnus. Those authors now have their own page on this website. I’m very grateful to, and proud of, all of you who have helped keep this group together. I am especially proud of those of you who have published, and those of you still doggedly pursuing that goal. What started out being just a (selfish!) place for me to get some work done and have some fun has turned into a going concern and I hope it keeps on going for a very long time. Thank you to all!
Buenos Aires English Writers Group 