BWJ for Minnesota Fringe Festival
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Minnesota FringeHelp preserve our freedom of expression and keep the performing arts accessible to all.
$230
raised by 4 people
$500 goal
New update
Thank you to all who've given so far! We're nearly halfway to my arbitrary goal, and I owe a few folks special words. So here we go!
Paul Reyburn- your word is "faff". A British word, either noun or verb, but the version that's my favorite is the verb. Basically, it means to create and enact unnecessarily time-consuming actions, usually just to waste the time in a way that feels productive. I often faff about, and I suspect you do too.
Mickaylee Shaughnessy- your word is "lethologica". It means "not being able to think of the word you mean", from the Latin 'logic' for word, and the Greek 'Lethe' for the river in Hades that souls were dipped in to make them forget their lives. So not only is it a word for a concept I experience often (although, ironically, I can always remember THIS word), but it has mixed Latin and Greek roots, so you can use it to drive away linguistic pedants like they're vampires.
Mel Thorne- your word is "syzygy". It's the fancy word for when celestial bodies align, and it makes the favorite list because... I mean, look at it. All those y's, staggered by varying consonants. The visual way it lands, the jagged way it speaks... that's a word you can really hang a hat on.
Phaea Crede- no word for you! Only cross-promotion! Hey y'all, Phaea writes kids' books, you in the market for kids' books? Maybe check this out:
https://www.phaeacrede.com/
There's our first round of words. I gots more on my list, so if you know someone who's got a few bucks, a love of theater, and sorely need a single word, you know where to send them.
No, I...
No, this page. Context, c'mon.
When I moved to Minnesota in 2003, I timed my arrival to be the day before my training as a volunteer at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Since then, I've taken part in 11 (?) productions, won two golden lanyards and an encore or two, and seen an uncountable number of shows from the audience side. Suffice to say, the Fringe is a core part of my artistic life.
And, like a lot of arts organizations, the Fringe is in financial trouble right now.
The pandemic reduction of in-person attendance, rise in cost of rental space and materials, and current administration's reduction in arts grants have all taken their toll. And when the going gets tough, the tough band together and take care of each other. So please, if you have a few bucks to spare, throw them to the Fringe, so it can keep being a place for artists to try new things, experiment, and grow.
"Yes, yes, ideals and community support. But what's in it for me?"
What a mercenary question. I respect that.
Anyone who gives thru my fundraising page gets a little extra from me. And since the majority of my Fringe experience has been as a writer, they're all writing rewards. So if you give:
$10- I will dedicate one of my favorite words to you in a campaign update.
$25- I will write a short poem on a subject of your choosing and send it to you
$50- I will write a (probably very bad) joke on a subject of your choosing and send it to you
$100- I will write a short (1-2 page) horror story on a subject of your choosing and send it to you
$500- Uh... I dunno. Something bigger. Try giving this, force me to commit to something worthy of your generosity
Caveats: Gift must be given thru this page; gifts directly on the Fringe page only count for your karma. If your gift is anonymous, send me a copy of your receipt showing it was given here to redeem writing. Everyone who gives at least $10 gets a dedicated word, but other rewards don't stack, so if you want a poem AND a joke, give $75. Gifts do stack, though, so if you give $50, then another $50, and haven't already gotten a joke, you can get the horror story. Timeline depends on life busyness, but all writing WILL happen.