Olive tree on a sunday
A short poem, a writer's rooftop party, and your biggest writing challenge
Hi friends!
Usually, I reserve weekday evenings for reading or writing, but the past few evenings, I’ve made an exception to watch the New York Knicks’ playoff run.
I’ve been a basketball fan for my entire life, growing up in Toronto, the Raptors are my team. I lived in Toronto when they won the chip back in 2019, an experience I wrote about on my daily blog. The Knicks’ current run is giving me the same energy.
Super excited to see the Knicks play in the Finals!
During last Sunday’s OTWC session, Manan sent me a poem he wrote about Olive Tree. I thought I’d share it in today’s Substack :)
Olive tree on a sunday
by Manan
It’s raining and it’s a Sunday morning on a long weekend. Yet, some thirty of us have left our homes at 9:30am to come here. Why do we keep showing up? There’s no dearth of fun activities or communities in this grand old city.
A desire to create? A ritual that is sacrosanct? A community that fosters friendship?
I think it’s also a place where we really see each other. And see ourselves in each other: through our writing, through our conversations about writing, and because of a shared curiosity about the world that binds all writers.
Upcoming Events
🥳 Club Writing: A Writer Rooftop Party
Sunday June 21st 1pm-5pm | Verci Rooftop
It’s the end of our Spring ’26 season and the first day of Summer, let’s celebrate with an afternoon of sun, vinyl, and matcha! A special OTWC matcha menu curated by Ren is included with every ticket. DJ Maximilian will be setting the vibe with some vinyl tunes. You must have a Substack, have published a piece (blog, magazine, video essay), or have a work in progress (novel, screenplay) to join.
✍️ OTWC Spring ‘26: Part VIII
Sunday May 31st 10am-1230pm | Verci Flatiron
✍️ OTWC Spring ‘26: Part IX
Sunday June 7th 10am-1230pm | Verci Flatiron
📚Reading for Writers: Zadie Smith
Thursday June 25th 7pm-8:30pm | Nolita
A Brief Parting Question
Hit reply to this email or comment below on Substack to share any thoughts or just to say hi. I’d love to hear from you.
<3 James Q from Olive Tree Writing Club