What Has Debra Leigh Been Up To?

....a professional writer, playwright, singer, film-maker, educator, dramaturg, editor, publisher, arts administrator, public speaker and activist, often all at the same time. 

In addition to her own creative work, Debra Leigh is passionate about working with other artists.  She founded Hidden River Arts way back in 1995, and grew the organization to include gallery events, an independent small press, yearly writing competitions, outreach and educational activities.  Wanting to be a "creative catalyst" for other artists, Debra is dedicated to helping other creative people to grow and develop their own art. In addition to Hidden River's activities, Debra also works individually with fellow writers, with manuscript consultation, all levels of editing, and developmental support at all stages, from concept through to publication and on to promotion.  It's all about creative growth and discovery.  

One of her recent projects is a documentary film and companion book, both called 'Junct: The Trashing of Higher Ed. in America, which addresses the corporate colonization of academic culture in the U.S. - and now increasingly happening around the world.  She continues with her fiction and dramatic writing; there are always many projects in development at the same time. 

As if that isn't enough, Debra Leigh also provides an expansive list of communication, writing and editing services for a select group of clients in various business sectors, with her company, DLS Communications. She has worked widely with corporate clients for whom English is a second language, helping with their personal and specific communication needs. 

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Appearances and Activities
 
The year 2025 will an important one for me and for Hidden River.  
For me, I'll be continuing work on the documentary film and book, 'Junct: The Trashing of Higher Ed. in America. My new novel, Blue Roses,will launch on September 27.  I'm at work on two new collections of short stories, Crossing the Line and Ouroboros. There are several other novels in process as well.  Regarding the short stories, several have been published with literary magazines.  There are links to some of them in the "Other Writing" section of this website, if you would like to read them. 
As for Hidden River:  It is our 30th anniversary, since our organization was founded in 1995.  It is also the 15th anniversary of our independent small press, Hidden River Publishing, which we launched in 2010. Following our blog at Hidden River Arts provides the most updated information on our celebrations and activities.  
My traveling stopped for nearly three years during COVID.  Before the shutdowns, I traveled to Spain and Portugal, further expanding my exploration of the arts communities and the culture of Europe.  I've now been to Italy, to the UK, to France, to Croatia, to Bosnia Herzegovina, to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Spain and Portugal.  I am hoping to resume work now that the pandemic has died down, to weave that network of artists and begin work on opportunities for arts collaborations and activities between Hidden River and European artists.  I've resumed some travel, going to D.C., NYC, and Nashville in 2023. We also had a wonderful 2-week stay in Italy in Verona and Rome....with a short stay in Bologna. In 2024, I had a chance to return to New Orleans for the first time in far too many years.  
Back home in Philadelphia, my time will be spent, between now and the end of 2024, in completing the several large projects in process, in launching several new titles in our publishing catalogue, redesigning and rewriting our websites and blogs.  Post-pandemic, I am also taking a hard look at the progams, the awards, the publishing activities of Hidden River, and redesigning them.  I'll be making plans for 2025. But as ever, I am available for readings, for speaking engagements, for class and school visits, for screenings.  All you have to do is email me at debraleighscott@gmail.com and we can talk details and dates!