Sophfronia Scott

Virtual Book Launch Party, Zoom
2021-03-16 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Join Sophfronia Scott in conversation with Sarah Arthur and editor Valerie Weaver-Zercher to celebrate the publication of Sophfronia’s new book, The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton. Register here.

Book Launch You Tube Interview with Brian Allain
2021-03-16
Sophfronia will be interviewed by Brian Allain in a recorded interview. Link to the recording will be posted here and in social media.
Brian Allain leads Writing for Your Life, a resource center for spiritual writers, and provides marketing services for authors and companies through Who Are You Trying To Serve? His work includes the Publishing in Color conference series, which is intended to increase the number of books published by spiritual writers of color, who have been under-represented in terms of the number of books published. Brian also leads the team that produces Compassionate Christianity. Previously Brian served as Founding Director of the Frederick Buechner Center where he led the launch of Mr. Buechner’s online presence and established several new programs and strategic partnerships. Brian has developed and led spiritual writers conferences at Princeton Theological Seminary, Drew Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, Belmont University, New Brunswick Seminary, and several churches. He led the DIY-publishing effort for the book Buechner 101: An Introduction to Frederick Buechner, in collaboration with Anne Lamott. All of this is a second career, coming after successful business and technology leadership in high-tech. Brian has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was designated a Palmer Scholar, their highest academic award.

Spark My Muse Podcast
2021-03-14 - 2021-03-31
From Lisa Colón DeLay, author of the forthcoming The Wild Land Within and host of the “Spark My Muse” Podcast: Enjoy my conversation with Sophfronia Scott today as we converse about her book “The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton”. This is an enriching and down-to-earth interaction with the private journals of the famous author monk of the mid-20th Century in conversation with Sophfronia’s own life and spiritual growth. We also talk about the Lenten online retreat Pilgrimage of Renewal she and writer Lisa Deam are offering and the resources available for anyone interested. Listen using the audio player below.

Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
2020-10-29 - 2020-10-31 | University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469-2904, United States
Sophfronia will teach a memoir writing bootcamp at the workshop.

Glen Workshop, St. John's College, Santa Fe, NM
2020-07-26 - 2020-08-01
At the Glen, daily morning workshops offer artists at all skill levels an opportunity to develop their craft in a wide variety of genres with acclaimed faculty. Meanwhile, morning seminars offer substantive conversation and engagement with art, mystery, and faith. Afternoons and evenings feature a smorgasbord of readings, field trips, panel conversations, concerts, open mics, and worship services incorporating the arts.

Sophfronia will be on the faculty teaching a workshop for this year’s event.

Mark Twain Writers Weekend, Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
2020-07-10 - 2020-07-11

Campus Visit, Wabash Center for Teaching Theology and Religion, Crawfordsville, IN
2020-02-29 - 2020-03-03
Sophfronia is visiting the Wabash Center in preparation for the workshop she’ll teach there in June.

Raising Children of Faith, St. John's Episcopal Church, Stamford, CT
2020-02-23 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Tain Gregory will preach his first sermon and then he and Sophfronia will lead a workshop on raising children of faith in a secular world.

Tell Me a Story, Reading and Discussion, East Hartford Public Library, East Hartford, CT
2020-01-30 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join Sophfronia for a panel discussion and reading with Connecticut authors (and fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts alums!) Suzanne Farrell Smith and Ben Woodard. They will discuss the writing of kind words and talk process.
East Hartford Public Library says registration is recommended but not required.

The Art of Nonviolence, All Souls Episcopal Church, Washington, DC
2020-01-19 - 2020-01-20
Sophfronia and Tain and will be in Washington DC over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend for the Art of Nonviolence event at All Souls Episcopal Church. For Sunday Sophfronia is preaching the sermon at the 8:30 and 11 am services, then she and Tain are doing a talk at 2pm. On Monday Sophfronia is on the 11am panel about art and nonviolence

Winter Residency, Mile-High MFA at Regis University, Denver, CO
2020-01-03 - 2020-01-12
Sophfronia will do a workshop, lecture, and public reading as part of the Mile High MFA winter residency at Regis University.

Private Retreat, Abbey of Gethsemani, Trappist, KY
2019-12-13 - 2019-12-17
Sophfronia will be on a private weekend retreat at the abbey and afterwards visit the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University to work on her book about her engagement with the writings of the famous Trappist monk.

Madeleine L'Engle Conference: Walking on Water, All Angels' Church, New York, NY
2019-11-15 - 2019-11-16 | All Angels’ Church, 251 West 80th Street, New York, NY, 10024, United States
“In art we are once again able to do all the things we have forgotten; we are able to walk on water; we speak to the angels who call us; we move, unfettered, among the stars.” Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art
In celebration of Madeleine L’Engle’s centenary year, this inaugural conference brings together a diverse group of artists and seekers to explore, challenge, and deepen our creative lives. Just as Madeleine spoke fluently across boundaries that frequently divide us, the conference features speakers and welcomes attendees who are guided by the desire to ask questions rather than prescribe answers. The conference has a combination of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and workshops that will be of interest to people across faith traditions who are interested how faith and art inform each other. There will also be sessions on the works and influence of Madeleine L’Engle, and opportunities for alumni/ae of her workshops to reunite and share stories.
Sophfronia will teach a breakout session at 2:15pm on Saturday entitled “Feeding the Lake: A Journaling Workshop.”

Workshop and Sermons, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Fairfield, CT
2019-11-03 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fairfield, CT, 661 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT, 06824, United States
Sophfronia will preach at the 8am and 9:30 am services in addition to speaking, along with her son Tain, about their book, This Child of Faith and raising a spiritual child in a secular world.

River Pretty Writers Retreat, Tecumseh, MO
2019-10-04 - 2019-10-06

River Pretty Writers Retreat Reading Extravaganza, Pagination Bookshop, Springfield, MO
2019-10-02 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Pagination Bookshop, 1150 E. Walnut St., Springfield, MO, 65806, United States
Join us at Pagination Bookshop Wednesday, October 2nd, at 6 PM for a reading featuring internationally-renowned guest writers Robert Vivian, Richard Jackson, Sophfronia Scott, Katch Campbell, and Barbara Siegel Carlson. Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, maybe a song … we got it all! Come join us as we ready for our 17th River Pretty Writers Retreat, happening October 4-6 at Dawt Mill Resort in Tecumseh.Miss

Panel, The Redeemer Writers Group, The Center for Faith and Work, New York, NY
2019-09-24 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | The Center for Faith and Work, 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, United States
Sophfronia will speak on a panel entitled “On Sensitive Topics: How Do We Contribute in Love and Truth to Controversial Trending Topics?”

The Write of Your Life Writers Retreat, Veneto and Venice, Italy
2019-09-08 - 2019-09-15
Join Sophfronia in the idyllic countryside of Italy for ‘The Write of Your Life’ – A one week Writers Retreat
For details go to:

‘A Personal Invitation’ to a Writer’s Retreat in Venice, Italy – 08-15 Sept, 2019

Summer Residency, Mile High MFA at Regis University, Denver, CO
2019-07-26 - 2019-08-04
Sophfronia will do a workshop, lecture, and public reading as part of the Mile High MFA summer residency at Regis University.

Summer Course, Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, NJ
2019-06-24 - 2019-07-03
Sophfronia Scott and Rev. Nancy Lynne Westfield, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Education at Drew Theological Seminar will co-teach a summer course offering:

Writing as Persuasive Faith: Wielding the Power of Your Words
Do you have something to say? Issues of the life of faith, justice in times of tyranny, love in the face of despair, and dignity for the smallest person needs to be voiced on the written page. This intensive course will focus upon the craft and interplay of developing creative non-fiction essays and deepening the study of personal narrative. We will read examples of forward thinking, bold writers of our time in an effort to expand our understanding of the power of what’s possible with the written word. Our time will be spent producing essays with an eye toward developing personal voice, clarifying theological perspectives, wielding the power of your words and honing a persuasive rhetoric. No previous creative writing experience is required.

Publishing in Color Conference, Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, NJ
2019-06-12 - 2019-06-14
Sophfronia Scott will be a keynote speaker and present a pre-conference workshop at this conference devoted to encouraging writers of color.

Writing For Your Life Conference, Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, NJ
2019-06-10 - 2019-06-11
Sophfronia Scott will present breakout sessions at this conference devoted to spiritual writing.

Readings on Hope, Oak Vino Wine Bar, Beacon, NY
2019-05-19 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Oak Vino Wine Bar, 389 Main Street, Beacon, NY, 12508, United States
Join us for a special book reading on the subject of Hope with authors Sophfronia Scott, David Hicks and Lauree Ostrofsky!
An evening of hopeful stories and finding hope in surprising places, sometimes in spite of ourselves.

About the readers:
Sophfronia Scott is author of the novels All I Need to Get By (St. Martin’s Press) and Unforgivable Love (William Morrow) and the essay collection Love’s Long Line (The Ohio State University Press/Mad Creek Books). Sophfronia holds a BA in English from Harvard and an MFA in writing, fiction and creative nonfiction, from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Currently she is working on her next novel as well as a nonfiction book about her virtual mentorship with the monk Thomas Merton. www.Sophfronia.com
David Hicks grew up in Harrison, NY, dreaming of becoming a writer, and although it took him a while, he finally made his dream come true. His debut novel, WHITE PLAINS (Conundrum Press/Bower House Books) was a finalist for the 2018 Colorado Book Awards, named Arapahoe Libraries’ 2018 “Village Read,” and was the #1 selection of Westword Magazine’s “Top Ten Books by Colorado Writers.” It has been called “a captivating debut” by Leni Zumas, “an extraordinary novel” by David Lazar, and “a glowing set of stories that reads like late-night messages from a friend” by Ron Carlson. A graduate of NYU’s PhD program, David has been an English professor for years, first at Pace University and currently at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. www.david-hicks.com
Lauree Ostrofsky is an author, speaker and hugger who helps women leap into more meaningful careers and fulfilling businesses. She is the founder of HV Women in Business with 2,400 members throughout the region, and the international #hugtour Movement. Her books are, “SIMPLY LEAP,” a happy how-to about facing fear and enjoying the crap out of your life, and “I’m scared & doing it anyway,” the unbelievable story about how a brain tumor changed everything for the better. SimplyLeap.com

North American Review Writing Conference, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
2019-04-19 - 2019-04-21

Lenten Homily and Forum with Tain Gregory, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA
2019-03-31 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 634 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA, 30308, United States
Sophfronia will preach a homily at the 9am and 11:15am services. In between she and her son Tain will speak in a form on Formation discussing the questions of: How do you help a child or a teenager have real faith in the world we live in today? Why bother with religion in this increasingly secular world?
Tain was at Sandy Hook Elementary the morning of the tragic shooting and as part of the healing process, was asked, “What’s the most important thing in the world to you.” His response? “God.” That began a profound journey, leading to a deep experience of God, tackling the question about how faith prepares and bolsters us not just for life’s joys but its tragedies as well.

AWP Conference, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR
2019-03-27 - 2019-03-30

Lenten Homily and Forum, St. James's Episcopal Church, West Hartford, CT
2019-03-24 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | St. James’s Episocopal Church, 1018 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT, United States
Sophfronia will preach a homily at the 8am and 9:30am services. Afterwards she will speak in a forum discussing the baptismal covenant promise to “persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.” She’ll connect this to her experience of the shooting in Newtown and her work that followed highlighting the spiritual lives of children in a secular world.

Alumni Writers' Retreat, Crowley Center, Montpelier, VT
2019-03-15 - 2019-03-18
Sophfronia Scott will be on retreat with alumni from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. This event is not open to the public.

Writing For Your Life Conference, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, IN
2019-03-13 - 2019-03-14
Sophfronia will deliver two breakout sessions and meet with participants in one-on-one sessions at this conference devoted to providing support and resources for spiritual writers.

Discussion Forum with Tain Gregory, Camp Washington, Morris, CT
2019-02-20 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Camp Washington
How do you help a child or a teenager have real faith in the world we live in today? Why bother with religion in this increasingly secular world?
Join us Wednesday, February 20, 11:00 a.m. at Camp Washington for a moving and compelling conversation with author and Episcopalian Sophfronia Scott and her son Tain Gregory during an intergenerational formation experience.
Tain was at Sandy Hook Elementary the morning of the tragic shooting and as part of the healing process, was asked, “What’s the most important thing in the world to you.” His response? “God.” That began a profound journey, leading to a deep experience of God, tackling the question about how faith prepares and bolsters us not just for life’s joys but its tragedies as well.
