“There are Secrets that you shall always keep… part of my Heart is one of them,” said Risa, reading from her Grand Canyon: A River Trip. She wrote the book to accompany her vivid watercolor depiction, alive with rusty tans of the cavernous canyon that transition into a periwinkle sky. Today, Risa reads this as the inspirational message to all of us at the Denver Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. These inspirations—a rhythm and tradition that have been a defining mark of our monthly meetings for decades—exemplify our purpose: to create and share.

As a writer, author, and artist, I’ve found a home within the Denver Pen Women. Sitting in front of the computer screen no longer feels lonely, scribbling edits on my reMarkable tablet feels like a promise, and where every doodle in a sketch pad has a place to be shared. This is what it means to be a Pen Woman.

“The Birds seem to wave goodbye and wish us a Good Life as we go from this Special Place… more in tune with them,” Risa continues. We all listen with our hearts, clearing our minds, breathing in inspiration, readying ourselves to feed our passions in writing, poetry, painting, and music. Through our monthly meetings and presentations, we share and we grow. I have learned about the Japanese poetic form called Tanka and Blackout Poetry, in which you take a body of text and distill it into poetry. The topics of these presentations vary month to month and provide dedicated time to learn or simply garner your first glimpse at what might be your next passion.

Our group holds biweekly in-depth critiques for members. It is a place to surrender your tangled first draft into eager hands who want to read it, who cherish it as much as you, and whose wide range of experience and expertise sees all angles. It’s a place where growth and improvement happen.

As Risa ends her Farewell to the Grand Canyon: “Carrying it Within our Hearts Within our Bones Within our Souls. The umbilical cord of spirit remains strong.” I invite you, creative women, to come visit this empowering women-led league, since 1897…

Written by Rachel Seekamp
Artist & Contributor Risa Waldt
Editorial Contributors by D. Chambers, K. Compton, & E. Binnings

The National League of American Pen Women is open to all creative women. The Denver branch carries forward a tradition that began when women journalists were excluded from professional organizations and formed a league of their own. Today, members continue that legacy by sharing their work, learning from one another, and seeing opportunities for women in writing, art, and music.

We would love to hear from you, and guests are welcome! denverpenwomen.org/contact