Dear Friends of MWC,

I hope this finds you safe and well as we prepare to turn the page on 2022. We’ve been fortunate to have a terrific year at MWC—from our partnership with WVIK to bring our These Interesting Times anthology into podcast form, to welcoming Ross Gay as our Writers’ Conference keynote speaker, it’s been an exciting year of celebrating the power of the written word. As I reflect and look forward, I’ve been thinking about two people very dear to MWC, both important to our history, who also made lasting contributions that will continue into the future—one of them a writer, and one of them an advocate: Richard “Dick” Stahl and Rochelle Murray.

This year, MWC Press had the privilege of publishing the final poetry collection from Dick Stahl, My Cancer Chronicle, which intimately documents his experience with cancer. Beyond the strength of the poems, we believe this powerful book will be a balm for those going through, or who have had, similar experiences. This holiday season, we are distributing free copies of Stahl’s book to cancer centers and organizations that support patients, their families, and caregivers.

Rochelle Murray was a champion of the written word and of local writers her entire life, and she was one of the first members of the MWC’s Board of Directors. Among her many lasting accomplishments and contributions, she was a founding member of our Legacy Society, a group of people who have committed to support our mission in the future with planned gifts. While we were heartbroken when she passed unexpectedly this summer, thanks to Rochelle’s gift to MWC, her contributions to writing in our community will make an impact for many years to come.

Like most nonprofits, we exist thanks to the generosity of people like Dick Stahl and Rochelle Murray; even though they are no longer with us, their gifts will continue to brighten people’s lives. I hope you will join them in supporting MWC’s mission this giving season. Starting on Giving Tuesday, November 28, and through the end of the year, every gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000, so every contribution goes twice as far.

Any donation $25 or more will receive a one-year MWC membership or renewal, donations of $50 or more will receive a copy of either My Cancer Chronicle by the late Dick Stahl, or the anthology These Interesting Times: Surviving 2020 in the Quad Cities. Just let us know which you prefer. Memberships, like books, also make great gifts for the writers and readers in your family, so there are plenty of reasons to give.

I hope the New Year will bring you much joy and light. Please stay safe, and on behalf of everyone at MWC, we hope you have a terrific holiday season…

Sincerely,

Ryan Collins
Executive Director

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