Featured Artist: Liz Iversen

Liz Iversen is a writer to watch. Maine is lucky to have her talent and her community compassion.

“Maine’s writers are some of the most welcoming, generous, and humble people I’ve ever met. They’ve made it really easy for me to find my people.”

— Liz Iversen

𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏

Liz Iversen is a talented writer and community organizer in Maine, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, Creative Nonfiction, Gulf Coast, Passages North, and Fourteen Hills. Liz has been a Periplus Fellow, a Tin House Scholar, and a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow (just to name a few!). I first met her through our Ashley Bryan Fellowship with the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance but we became close friends after our families met after many run ins with mutual friends. She’s been a champion not only of my own work, but so many others. Her modesty, generosity, and passion for literature is infectious. Her writing is truly beautiful, timeless, and poignant. She’s currently at work on a novel (bless your heart), but you can find her writerly musings and updates on her Substack at Eternally Emerging.

This summer we chatted about her path to publishing and what’s made her success so far possible.

𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏

palet:

Tell us the basics: your favorite music, film, artist, and foods!

Liz:

Music: This is too hard! But a few of my faves are Bob Dylan, Mason Jennings, The Magnetic Fields, and Sharon van Etten

Film: The Last Picture Show

Foods: chicken tikka masala is my go-to comfort food

palet:

What do you do for community, work, and pleasure?

Liz:

Now, it's writing, writing, and more writing--I think I need to branch out! I work full-time as a copywriter for a radio and podcast advertising agency, write novels and essays when I'm off the clock, and have found an amazing writing community in Maine.

palet:

What drew you to writing and when?

Liz:

I was an avid reader as a child and began writing around age 11. Inspired by a teenager's published diary I'd checked out at the local library, I wrote in my own diary every day from age 11-12. I've always admired writers and wanted to be like them.

palet:

What has the path to creative writing been like since you started to think about publishing?

Liz:

It turns out publishing a novel isn't as easy as it appeared--at least for me! I landed an agent a few years ago for my historical novel, and when it didn't sell on the first round of submission, I took a step back to focus on revision and also started writing a second book. I still have so much to learn as a writer, and I'm enjoying that journey.  

palet:

What has been great about writing and/or fostering community in Maine in particular, compared to other places? Or perhaps more difficult?

Liz:

I moved to Maine from San Francisco nine years ago, and even though I'd attended graduate school for writing in SF and worked for an MFA program where I was surrounded by writers, it was hard for me to build a writing community there. Maine's writers are some of the most welcoming, generous, and humble people I've ever met. They've made it really easy for me to find my people.

Liz Iversen and palet spent an afternoon in Baxter Woods earlier this spring.

palet:

What are some other writers/non-profits/hikes/places in Maine you want to shout out?

Liz:

The Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance has been instrumental in helping me build community around writing. An MWPA workshop paved the way for my first writing group, and the MWPA was the first organization to provide monetary support for my writing, which was invaluable. It gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities like residencies, conferences, and fellowships--and their monetary support made accepting those opportunities more possible.

palet:

If you could design your perfect weekend in Maine what would it be? 

Liz:

A summer writing retreat with friends, either at a lake or on the coast. Someplace where we could also read in the sun and go for a dip.

palet:

What’s the best view in Maine?

Liz:

I love the view from Cliff House Beach. Being surrounded by rocky cliffs, I feel as if I'm tucked away on some hidden European beach. It's transportive, and I love it.

palet:

What advice were you given (or support) that changed things for you as a writer?

Liz:

I took my first fiction workshop as an undergrad, and my instructor was incredibly encouraging. For nearly a decade after I took her class, whenever I emailed her to ask questions about writing, she always responded quickly with long emails full of helpful information. I don't know how she was able to carve out that time for me while juggling her responsibilities with work and life, but I'm so grateful. In the early stages of a writer's life, that kind of support can be life-changing. 

palet:

If a young person, fresh out of high school or college asked you where they should start if they want to write, what would you tell them?

Liz:

Seek out other writers. Take multi-week, in-person workshops whenever possible. Attend literary events and guided writing sessions and book clubs. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to other writers. You might find someone who's on your same path, and finding your way is easier when others help illuminate it.

𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏

Thank you, Liz!

More of Liz’s writing can be found here

Eternally Emerging Substack

Sometimes, us writers just need to lie in the hollowed out husk of a tree.