We are proud to Announce Aaron Quinn of Walnut Street Publishing as one of our presenters at our upcoming Fall Writing Workshop.
Aaron is a Chattanooga-based writer and a former Literature Major at UTC. He has published a comic, two novels, one poetry collection, and miscellaneous other poems. Aaron is inspired by the mad, rad off-kilter moments of life. His works are all about creating a snapshot that lingers and haunts. Inspired by Flannery O’Conner, Wiley Cash, and Harry Crews, Aaron’s mind constantly wades in the dark hope of the south. Massive contradictions and bigger questions drive his narratives while he asks his reader one question: “Will you stay with me until the end?” Learn more at his website HERE.
Walnut Street Publishing originated as a side project for the two owners when a pastor friend from Pakistan needed help printing, distributing, and formatting some of his writings. The desire to further their involvement in the publishing industry continued into 2020 when they brought Aaron into the business, leading to the formation of Walnut Street Publishing (WSP).
Two driving forces pushed them in their early days: WSP loved Chattanooga and believed all stories matter. As they have grown, their emphasis has remained on Chattanooga and creating space for all creatives, not just writers.
Some of the ways they do this are:
- By hosting an artist retreat: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwiml8ivJoh/
- With traditional publishing: https://walnutstreetpublishing.com/our-titles/
- On Discord: https://discord.gg/fCCeyknE5F
- By hosting Creative Spaces every other Friday. First Friday of every month, they go to an Art Gallery. Here is the post for a recent one: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwnrloGvUg-/
- With Art Fusion in October (still accepting artists/writers): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu4k2ZvuT3G/
- Publishing The Walnut Branch (their magazine which includes all art): https://www.instagram.com/thewalnutbranch/
- Attending All Voices Heard at Wanderlinger every Tuesday
- With their Market Place which is open to any artist: https://walnutstreetpublishing.com/walnut-street-publishing-market-place/
WSP’s belief is that writing, and art in general, is better with community, so they strive to continually provide space for creatives to connect, grow, and share. The titles they publish are an extension of their commitment to community and safe space. Whether it is an upcoming Horror Chapbook written by an 8th grader or a memoir by the courageous Kyle Coon, a Paralympian that had both of his eyes amputated by the time he was seven, WSP is committed to bringing a quality experience to both the reader and writer with diverse voices and events.
Aaron’s role is to continue to enact the vision laid forth and cultivated by the incredible team at WSP. He is the first reader of all submissions, and he formats the books and creates their covers. He typically plans and host events. Over the last year, he has taken a more active approach to their online presence by creating and moderating their Discord and updating and expanding their website.
Aaron’s presentation will be “Reimagining Publishing as Community Building.” In an ever-changing environment that can be unfriendly to independent publishers, how can an independent publisher reimagine their interactions with authors and community? The talk will focus on the following points and include plenty of time for a Q & A:
- Who is Walnut Street Publishing?
- How does one reimagine publishing in a post-COVID world?
- How to get involved with WSP.
The cost for the Workshop is $35 for members and $50 for non members if registered by October 16th. This includes lunch. To sign up for the Workshop visit HERE, or to become a member of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild, go HERE.