Until We Meet Again . . .
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe (farewell to thee, farewell to thee)
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo (the charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers)
One fond embrace,
A hoʻi aʻe au (ʻere I depart)
Until we meet again
“Aloha ʻoe,” composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani in 1878
Gwen, your Yellow Arrow family wants to send you off with a heartfelt bon voyage! Thank you for everything you have done for the Baltimore writing community and for Yellow Arrow. Here’s to new adventures!
If you want to support Gwen, please purchase one of her incredible books in the Yellow Arrow Bookstore or send her your own farewell message on Instagram @gwenvanvelsor. Visit www.gwenvanvelsor.com to follow her adventures.
I can’t believe it’s been 16 years since I first met you! We had fun that summer in Greece and some exciting times building Yellow Arrow Publishing. Thank you for letting me volunteer with Yellow Arrow and for thinking I would make a good Editor-in-Chief.
We constructed a great foundation for something beautiful! Have an incredible journey and adventure.
Aloha nō, Kapua Iao
Gwen gave me the opportunity to pursue what I love and become part of the Yellow Arrow family and I greatly appreciate her for it. I hope for her safety and happiness in her move with her family and that they get to enjoy the new opportunities and experiences that come with it, especially after giving me the same. Thank you so much, Gwen!
Brenna Ebner
It is unbelievable to think that it was only a little over a year ago that I drove through a snowy winter night in order to sit and chat with Gwen about my potential involvement with Yellow Arrow Publishing. Upon meeting Gwen, I was immediately struck by her warmth and passion as she described her vision for YAP and ways to become involved. Her openness in listening to my own interests and ideas asserted that she saw YAP as not only hers but as a collaboration of many voices—an astounding notion in a society that is often focused on the individual rather than the community.
Now, that I know Gwen better, I am not surprised because I have learned that everything she does is undertaken for the purpose of helping others blossom. Because Gwen let me into her YAP family, I have been able to chat about poetry with a fellow writer across the Atlantic Ocean, learn the art of bookbinding, and edit stories from voices from all over the world. I wish Gwen and her family all the best as they continue on their journey.
Siobhan McKenna
One of the first things that I noticed about Gwen was her warm smile. I was a bit nervous coming to speak at an author’s event and her warmth made me instantly feel better. After another event, Gwen reached out to me to chat about life and we met up at Belvedere Square. We had an instant connection and shared conversation about some of the things we had in common: motherhood, teaching, our love of travel, passion for feminine wisdom, and of course, writing. That night she gave me a small gift. I cherish it as a thoughtful recognition of our connection. Later, Gwen welcomed me into her home to talk more about Yellow Arrow and it was there that she invited me to join the board.
Gwen, thank you for noticing the new expression that was blossoming in me and providing a safe and meaningful space to grow as a writer. I know this next adventure will provide you with many learning opportunities and the chance to emerge as an even more beautiful, loving, and fulfilled version of you.
Much love! Gina Strauss
Gwen, it’s been great working with you and getting connected to the Yellow Arrow family. I wish you and your family prosperity, joy, and love as you start on this next journey.
Jennifer N. Shannon
Gwen, thank you for the ways you’ve made me become more of the writer and resident of Highlandtown that I hope to be. Your ingenuity has opened doors I would have never dreamed of, let alone found a way to walk through. The opportunities you’ve given me through Yellow Arrow have forever changed me.
Kerry Graham
Gwen is someone who gathers good people around her—there’s something about her that makes you want to help out because it’s doing stuff you wanted to do all along AND it means you get to hang out with her and her good people. She has such neat, creative ideas, and wants to make good things happen for others—it’s an infectious cycle that brings out the best in all of us. Thank you, Gwen, for everything! May our connections be strong, wherever you are in the world.
love, Ann
Yellow Arrow, in its roots, is Gwen. Passionate and dedicated to helping others. Providing space and lifting up pride for those who may not know where their art belongs or to what direction it is trying to go.
Gwen has helped me realize over the past few years what it means to be a writer, as well as an editor, and a member of a community. It means getting dirt under your nails to help other’s flowers bloom, stapling 100s of pages to see other’s names in print, taking time to see someone past their writing to understand their work.
I first met Gwen when I was invited to read at a First Friday Art Walk. Her energy was contagious. I immediately knew she was someone I wanted to learn from and work with by the excitable yet professional energy she was emitting.
We’ll miss Gwen but, with Yellow Arrow, she’ll still be a piece of Baltimore.
Bailey Drumm
Dear Gwen,
The first time we met was pure serendipity. Yellow Arrow was hosting a series of writing workshops at the Y:ART Gallery, and since I happened to be on the gallery’s email list, I received an invitation. I was not familiar with Highlandtown, but I had gone to an exhibit at Y:ART several months before, when one of my friends was showing some paintings, and visitors were asked to sign in. It was coincidental that the invitation arrived just when I’d decided to make more room for creative writing in my life. What a lovely accident of fate led me to follow those yellow arrows to Highlandtown—and to you—and embark on a new chapter in my life!
When I arrived for my first class, I felt your welcoming warmth like a physical presence—a hug or a blanket. You were at home in the space, with your fellow teachers, with yourself. I remember that you brought coffee, donuts, and fresh strawberries for the students, a kindness I found incredibly comforting. And at each place around the writing table, you had set out yellow-covered booklets for taking notes and doing writing exercises—another homey touch that drew me in. When you talked about Yellow Arrow, your vision for nurturing women writers, and your own writing journey, I was swept along on the current of your enthusiasm, joy, and hopefulness. By the time the series of classes was complete, I was not only more confident in pursuing my own writing journey but also sure that you—and Yellow Arrow—would play a part in my success.
Gwen, I am so thankful to you for opening the door to so many “firsts” in my life. For starters, introducing me to the artsy vibe of the Highlandtown neighborhood. I remember having lunch at DiPasquale’s with you and Cija Jefferson after her class, and the thrill of feeling welcomed into the “club” of local writers. Helping you hand-bind the Yellow Arrow Journal, stapling and stitching care, love, and pride into every copy, was a uniquely joyful way to experience the process of producing printed works. When I joined the board of Yellow Arrow, you gave me the opportunity to manage grant writing, learn new skills, work with Kapua and the rest of the board members, and ultimately connect with other arts organizations and resources in Maryland that will help us reshape Yellow Arrow in the future. You invited me to join a live poetry reading at the Highlandtown Literary Night event, which was my first time reading my poems in public. You introduced me to Ann Quinn, whose poetry class this past year has helped me hone my craft and form relationships with local poets. You encouraged me to submit to Yellow Arrow Journal and my poetry publication in HOME was my first, a milestone moment for me that not only encouraged me to submit new work to other journals but to see the potential in my old, “dormant” poems—and to revisit, rework, and submit them as well.
Through my relationship with you and Yellow Arrow, I’ve come to appreciate the term “publishing house.” Even though we had to close the Yellow Arrow House, Yellow Arrow Publishing remains a “house”—and more importantly, a home—for women writers to be supported, nurtured, gain confidence, grow, and thrive in their creative endeavors. Gwen, your vision, your optimism, your hard work, and your faith have made our house a home—and whether we downsize, renovate, reconstruct, or move away, the Yellow Arrow home that you envisioned will live on inside us—a spiritual, creative, and loving space where we can nurture each other, ourselves, and our creativity. You leave us this precious gift, for which I will always be grateful.
Gwen, as you prepare for the next steps on your life’s journey, I wish you and your family many blessings—safe travels, health, love, and happiness. I wish you new friends, fresh ideas, the pleasure of exploring a new landscape and culture, novel inspirations for your writing, and the joy of watching your daughter grow up and learn about the big, wide world. No doubt, there will be many challenges, but I’m sure you will meet them with your unique blend of courage, curiosity, optimism, and faith. Follow your arrow, Gwen!
With love and gratitude, Sara Palmer
Thank you to everyone who supports women writers and publishers. Please show Gwen some love in the comments below or on Yellow Arrow’s Facebook or Instagram. If interested in joining Yellow Arrow Publishing as a staff or volunteer, email staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com for more information.
Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. To learn more about publishing, volunteering, or donating, visit yellowarrowpublishing.com.