Ahead Of Its 10th Year, C.V. Writers Guild Receives $25K Gift From The Fousts
unexpected donation comes at a serendipitous, 'soul-searching moment' for the local writers organization
McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Just before the the holiday season, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild received what is likely the most significant gift in its history: In honor of Brady Foust, a longtime patron of the arts and area educator, the local organization has accepted a $25,000 donation.
This October, the Guild announced the incredible gift from Jeanne Foust, and the deep impact it will have on the organization’s continued programming – with specific support to local literary journal Barstow & Grand.
The trajectory-changing donation comes at a serendipitous moment for the Guild, which is fast approaching its 10-year anniversary in 2026. In a community like Eau Claire and the wider Chippewa Valley – which has seen the fruits of the local arts scene time and time again – support of the arts is imperative, though not always the easiest to come by.
In contrast, the Fousts' love and support of the arts is an enduring treasure, and is one not only displayed financially.
“Throughout our long friendship, it has often been (Brady's) commitment to seeing people who are doing hard, good work and asking himself, 'How can I make their work easier?' ” ... I can't tell you how many times he reached out to me just to check in on the Guild,” B.J. Hollars, director of the Guild, recalled warmly.
“One of (the Guild’s) very first donors 10 years ago (were the Fousts),” he noted.
Neither Hollars nor Eric Rasmussen, founder of Barstow & Grand and board member of the Guild, had any inkling their meetup with Jeanne earlier this year would result in anything more than, hopefully, her blessing.
“We had no other agenda than we wanted to dedicate the next issue of Barstow & Grand to Brady, and we wanted to make sure she was comfortable with that,” Hollars said. “A few minutes in she said, ‘Well, what if I donated $25,000 to continue to fund Barstow & Grand and the Guild?’ ”
“It was totally unexpected,” Rasmussen said.
“There was no ask,” Hollars continued. “I think that generosity is very much on par with the Fousts' long history of giving.”
With Barstow & Grand’s ninth issue – dedicated to Brady Foust – released in November, the literary journal has now published 300 authors. The milestone exemplifies the core values of the journal’s founding, under the umbrella of the Guild, years ago.
“The mission has always been to support community writers, and I basically wanted to do for others what I wish someone could have done for me when I was getting started. A little bit of guidance, a little bit of an incubator-type thing; to write and get published and feel like someone gives a shit,” Rasmussen shared.
“This is where I always wanted it to be, given the resources up to this point,” Rasmussen added.
Those resources, for Barstow & Grand, have largely relied on the dedicated volunteerism of local authors and creatives. The journal receives about 100 submissions each annual cycle; those are reviewed and winnowed by the journal’s masthead; and, after being printed, a celebratory release party for each new issue is held in person.
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THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A SOUL-SEARCHING MOMENT FOR US.
B.J. HOLLARS
DIRECTOR OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY WRITERS GUILD
“I think on our website it says, ‘someday we’ll pay writers,’ but there’s a lot of journals who say that and wish to do that,” Rasmussen said. “As someone who hasn’t been able to pay a lot of people who have produced creative work for (Barstow & Grand), it sounds disingenuous but I do really feel strongly that people should get paid for their efforts.”
If that line – “someday we’ll pay writers” – hasn’t already been removed, the Barstow & Grand team will have to get on that. Thanks to the Fousts’ donation, the local journal will be able to start paying its published creatives.
“That will be one of the big changes (the donation will allow). The next issue, we’ll start paying writers,” Rasmussen said. “It won’t be a huge thing but it will be something, and that raises this all up to the next level.”
Now held within the Guild’s fund – stewarded by the Eau Claire Community Foundation – the gift will allow the wider nonprofit to earn significantly more interest and help fund programming in the long-term.
What is next for the Guild – beyond its continued organizing and hosting of writers retreats, local social events like The Rough Draft Reading Series, platforming of area writers’ works and more – is something of a question mark.
“This is really kind of a soul-searching moment for us,” Hollars said.
In reflecting, Hollars listed a number of influential local lits who shaped the platform which the Guild would later find its footing upon: Bruce Taylor, Max Garland, Karen Loeb, John Hildebrand and others.
“A lot of folks laid the groundwork that allowed folks like me to take a bit of the torch and a bit off their hands, and try to push forward,” Hollars said. “I think the next step here is to continue to pass that torch and for the next generation to keep it all going.”
"It feels like there's something simmering, and sometimes that yields a great meal and other times it's on the back burner until it's ready."
ERIC RASMUSSEN
FOUNDER OF BARSTOW & GRAND, ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF LOCAL WRITERS
A decade ago, the local writing scene was in a very different place; ten years ago, the Chippewa Valley was a very different place. Rasmussen said the great glimmers and convergence of literary and musical artistry of 20 years ago continues to make an impact today – and the younger generations are forging paths of their own.
“I feel like people are connected; they’re coming out to readings, they’re writing, they’re forming writing groups, and none of that is new but it does feel like something is going on,” Rasmussen mused. “It feels like there’s something simmering, and sometimes that yields a great meal and other times it’s on the back burner until it’s ready.”
At a time when the area writers organization had begun looking to the future – and to the community around it, for continued inspiration and support – the Fousts' gift offers a rejuvenated spark. You'll want to keep an eye on the Guild – if you aren’t already – as it enters the first of many double-digit years.
Learn more about the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild online at www.cvwritersguild.org and keep up with the organization on social media • Find additional information about and purchase your copy of Barstow & Grand's ninth issue online at www.barstowandgrand.com
