Four-Eyed Frog with Write Up the Coast Presents “We Are All Connected!” An Evening of Readings and Writings 11.26.24
Four-Eyed Frog, our cozy, community-owned bookstore, was packed to capacity on a chilly but dry evening following a week of storms. As the clock struck five—the usual closing time—the space remained open, alive with energy. Thanks to the collaboration between Write Up the Coast and Four-Eyed Frog, it was a night of stories, connection, and writing. The event invited everyone—community members, visitors, and passersby—to take part in a multi-faceted evening of reading, writing, and connection.
A Night of Reading and Writing
The evening began with a public reading featuring twelve writers, both newcomers and returning Write Up the Coast participants. After the readings, the atmosphere shifted to a more interactive setting. All folks were handed pens and notebooks, and everyone was invited to engage in a free-writing exercise.
The prompt for the exercise was provided by Mark Sanford Gross more on this later), founder of Write Up the Coast and the long-running KGUA Writers program on KGUA-FM. A passionate advocate for building community through writing, Mark has long been a fixture in our town, encouraging people to write, whether through monthly events at The Sea Ranch Lodge or spontaneous encounters where he asks folks to respond to timely questions. He also collaborates with non-profits in our community to foster creativity and engagement.
What makes Write Up the Coast unique is its emphasis on participation rather than formal instruction. It’s not a writing club nor a “how-to-write” program. Instead, it’s an open invitation for anyone to join in, whether at scheduled events or surprise pop-ups around town. The concept is simple: gather, receive a prompt, and start writing. No time for overthinking. As Mark says, “We don’t need time to think about it. Our stories are right on top of our minds, waiting to be told.” And that evening, the energy was palpable as people of all ages and backgrounds wrote and shared their stories with enthusiasm and immediacy.
A Special Community Connection
This evening had an extra layer of meaning, as the prompt for the first part of the evening was shared in advance with those who had registered to read. The visual prompt—a photograph of a billboard in Wyoming—was sent to participants ahead of time via email. The billboard was created by artist Helen Banach, studio manager for renowned New York artist Hank Willis Thomas. This piece was part of For Freedoms, a national artist-led initiative designed to encourage civic engagement and social justice through art. Artists Eric Gottesman in Washington, DC, Michelle Woo in Los Angeles, and Hank Willis Thomas in New York spearhead this art movement.
Helen Banach, who was in attendance that evening, works closely with Hank Willis Thomas as studio manager of production. The For Freedoms national billboard project is known for transforming commercial advertising spaces into platforms for public discourse. As part of the For Freedoms project, artists design billboards to provoke thought and conversation about social and political issues. Helen’s billboard, which was part of the project in Wyoming, became the spark for the evening's prompt. It was serendipitous that she and her partner, Will Sylvester, operations manager at Hank Willis Thomas’s studio, were visiting family in nearby Gualala. The connection between the billboard prompt and local stories was a beautiful, full-circle moment.
Writing from the Heart
After the “We Are All Connected” readings, Mark introduced another spontaneous writing prompt for everyone: “Who is someone you wish you would have thanked?” Participants wrote for five minutes and then shared their thoughts aloud. What followed was an intimate and heartfelt exchange. Every voice was heard, and the room was filled with deep emotions as each person read their piece, revealing personal reflections that left an impression on the group.
Mary Mobert, most frequent KGUA Writers Writer and Write Up the Coast Regular, Reads her "We Are All Connected" Piece
Serendipitous Connections
The magic of the evening wasn’t just in the writing—it was also in the unexpected connections that formed. Suzanne Saroff, a photographer also from New York, is visiting her father in The Sea Ranch. She had been photographing mushrooms for an upcoming project, which connected her with Helen, whose work with For Freedoms often explores similar themes of nature, art, and connection. They had never met before in the New York art community. These kinds of shared experiences and common threads were everywhere that night. Neighbors and newcomers alike found common ground through their words, reinforcing the idea that we are all connected. Suzanne, Helen, and Will live in neighboring communities in Brooklyn. Both are visiting close relatives right here.
One of the most meaningful moments of the evening came when a framed photo of the Wyoming billboard taken by fellow artist and neighbor Pam Powell—signed by all the writers and participants—was gifted to Helen and Will. The image, which had sparked so many stories, is only one small random piece of For Freedom’s mission of using art to create social change. Helen's aunt and uncle were also participants and helped in making the event special.
Four-Eyed Frog special-ordered copies of the book Where Do We Go from Here? A stunning collection of photographs and stories from the For Freedoms national project, Where Do We Go from Here? This book had recently launched in London and captured the spirit of the For Freedoms movement beautifully. This installation is currently on view at The Corcoran in Washington, DC, and was the writing subject of a recent monthly "Write Now! event at The Write Up the Coast series at The Sea Ranch Lodge. Daeylin Short Farnham, a newcomer to our community, recently landed here from the New York and San Francisco art gallery community as well. And participated in our evening.
Closing Reflections
As the evening wrapped up, it was clear that this was much more than a writing event. It was a reminder of the power of stories to connect us all. Through sharing our words, through chance encounters, and through the shared experience of writing together, we were all reminded that our voices—both individually and as a community—are powerful. We are not a small, faraway group here. We are our billboard of community and connection.
A big thank you to Jill Blew and the team at Four-Eyed Frog for making this evening possible, to Physical Gym for their support in loaning us six more folding chairs, and to everyone who took part in the event—whether you wrote, read, or simply absorbed the energy of the room. You are now all part of Write Up the Coast Writers. Always welcome. Always encouraged. Stay tuned for future events. Your voice matters.
Special thanks to our participants: Jill, Elizabeth, Jason, Mary, Shari, Dan, Rhonda, Tom, Steve, and Karen. Suzanne, Will, Helen, Mary, Paul, Randy, Kit, Daeyln, Garret, Al, Vanessa, Mary Ann, Pam, and all the browsers in the bookshop are looking over at us. And to Helen and Hank for making the long journey to us the inspiration for the evening event and the work they continue to do to bring voices out from all communities.
For more on For Freedoms, visit forfreedoms.org. For more on Hank Willis Thomas, https://hankwillisthomas.com. If you would like to be on the writeupthecoast mailing list, send a note to [email protected]