Wednesday, August 6, 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET

Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom)

Writers, Journalists, Editors: AI is scary–we're worried about its impact on creativity, jobs, and copyright. But it can be a powerful tool for enhancing productivity, it's revolutionizing content creation, and it's here to stay. If used smartly, AI offers new possibilities for storytelling and content development, tools that enhance creativity and productivity, and provides practical application for workflow automation and efficiency.

How can you tap into AI as a collaborative tool that complements human skills in the editorial process? Here's your chance to hear from industry expert Erin Servais and ask her anything! Please submit your questions by July 31, 2025 and she'll answer them live! 

Bonus: Erin will share a discount code to her AI for Editors courses with all attendees. And she'll be raffling off a free enrollment in her Introductory AI for Editors class to one lucky guest!

About the speaker: 

Erin Servais helps editors upskill with artificial intelligence. She is the founder of AI for Editors, featured in Jane Friedman’s The Hot Sheet and Mignon Fogarty’s AI Sidequest newsletters. Erin has written about AI and editing for the Editorial Freelancers Association and the Independent Book Publishers Association, taught copyediting for the University of California, San Diego, and served on the board of ACES: The Society for Editing. A frequent speaker about AI in content development, Erin has presented for the Book Industry Study Group, the Center for Information-Development Management, the Canadian Association of Learned Journals, the Professional Editors Network, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Media, among others. Since launching the AI for Editors courses and Servais Strategic Business Solutions AI education programs, Erin has trained more than 1,000 editors across 20+ countries on how to use AI tools safely and effectively in their publishing workflows.

This is a ✏️WMG Lunch & Learn✏️ event! WMG Lunch & Learns are part of a series of midday events designed to help you learn, grow, and connect in only 60 minutes. This presentation is fully interactive to give participants opportunities to share their voices. 

Refunds available up to 24 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 24 hours of the event.

Tuesday, August 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Beasts & Butterflies (2nd floor of the M Social Hotel), 226 W. 52nd St., New York

WMG members only; cash bar, guests are responsible for their own food and drink

Don't miss this marvelous, memorable meetup where we connect, inspire and rise! Hosted by WMG President Emerita Kathy Sandler at the quirky Beast & Butterflies overlooking Times Square, this social is guaranteed to build and deepen meaningful connections with fellow members of the WMG community. Please bring cash or be prepared to Venmo to cover your portion of the bill.

WMG’s Small Group Socials are a long-standing tradition and remain one of our most popular program series. This is a wonderful way to facilitate meaningful connections among members. If you have any specific questions, please reach out to the host directly. All member contact information can be found in the Member Directory.

Friday, August 22, 11:49 a.m. ET

LIRR Long Beach Train Station, Long Beach

WMG members only; each guest is responsible for their own train fare, beach entry ($15), and any food or drink purchases

Let's enjoy the sunshine, books, and each other’s company this summer with a beach day at Long Beach, Long Island! Attendees will join WMG Co-President Jodi Brockington and Membership Co-Chair Jodie Cohen just a short train ride from the city for a day of tanning, swimming, and ice cream at Marvel on the boardwalk. We recommend you bring a towel, sunscreen, picnic lunch, and your favorite summer book.

Getting There from Manhattan: The Long Island Rail Road offers a 10:54 a.m. departure direct trip from Penn Station to Long Beach. You can also catch the 10:45 a.m. from Grand Central that includes a transfer at Jamaica. The cost is $21.50 roundtrip.

Getting There from Brooklyn: There is a 10:17 a.m. train from Atlantic Terminal with a transfer at Jamaica. The cost is $21.50 roundtrip.

WMG’s Small Group Socials are a long-standing tradition and remain one of our most popular program series. This is a wonderful way to facilitate meaningful connections among members. If you have any specific questions, please reach out to the host directly. All member contact information can be found in the Member Directory.

Wednesday, September 10, 12:00 p.m. ET

Barbetta Restaurant, 321 W. 46th St., New York (an iconic woman-owned restaurant on Restaurant Row)

$65 for members; $75 for non-members; $35 for active Scholars

Lunch included

Join WMG for a very special luncheon featuring outspoken journalist, political commentator, columnist, and podcaster Molly Jong-Fast. Jong-Fast returns to WMG to discuss her New York Times bestselling book, How To Lose Your Mother: A Daughter’s Memoir. Usually taking the role of asking questions, this time Jong-Fast turns her journalistic inquisitiveness inward.

The only child of the groundbreaking feminist writer Erica Jong, whose influential 1973 novel, The Fear of Flying, influenced the founders of WMG, Jong-Fast examines her childhood of privilege set against the backdrop of an erratic mother who was often inaccessible and focused primarily on herself. When her mother slips into dementia, Jong-Fast struggles with “the bereft, broken feeling of something ending before it ever got the chance to start,” while looking for ways for mother and daughter to reclaim a bit of each other.

This unique in-person event continues WMG’s tradition of dining at the legendary woman-owned restaurant, Barbetta, where you’ll enjoy a three-course lunch and have time for networking before Jong-Fast's author talk.

About the speaker:

Molly Jong-Fast is a New York Times bestselling author, political commentator, and cultural critic known for her fearless honesty, sharp wit, and unfiltered take on the world around us. As a contributing writer for Vanity Fair and the host of the podcast Fast Politics, she brings clarity, urgency, and humor to some of the most complex issues in American life today. Her latest memoir, How to Lose Your Mother, is a candid, moving, and often funny reflection on caregiving, grief, and the tangled relationships between mothers and daughters—striking a chord with readers across generations. Molly’s writing has appeared in The Forward, The Bulwark, Playboy, and Glamour, and she is a regular contributor on MSNBC, where she offers sharp, on-the-ground political analysis. Whether she's unpacking national news or reflecting on the messiness of modern life, Molly creates space for honesty, connection, and courage. She reminds us that storytelling isn’t just a tool—it’s a lifeline.