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The mission at Charlie’s Queer Books is “to provide a unique bookstore experience that is dedicated to creating community connection through queer literature.” A range of books are offered covering topics and genres such as poetry, fiction, YA, graphic novels, memoirs, cookbooks, and LGBTQ+ studies. Inside the space, as well as online, the store hosts events including but not limited to author talks, book clubs, readings, and writing workshops.
This literary arts center is located in western Massachusetts. Founded in 1992 by author Dori Ostermiller, the center offers a variety of weekly, half-day, and one-day writing workshops and retreats, craft development, editorial services, and a year-long manuscript intensive. Workshops are taught by published authors and take place both virtually and in person—in a bright, seven hundred-square-foot studio located in the historic Brushworks Arts and Industry Building. They also host a Community Writing Workshop series and a Live Literature Series, which are both free and open to the public.
Literary Cleveland is a nonprofit organization and creative writing center that empowers people to explore other voices and discover their own. They provide workshops, events, and multiple levels of classes which allow writers and readers of any experience to participate. In 2017, Lit Cleveland introduced a Cleveland Stories, a neighborhood-based writing program; a staged reading series with Cleveland Humanities Festival; and Gordon Square Review, an online literary journal.
Blip Roasters is a café in a sunny, brick urban building in Kansas City, Missouri, which hosts weekly open mic nights, writing workshops, and bike nights for motorcyclists. Their Poetry Underground series features seasonal showcases and an annual poetry slam, typically requiring a cover fee for entry. There is also a conference room available for booking offering a quiet environment with a conference table, Wi-Fi access, and tinted windows for privacy.
Alternative Field is a poetry library, reading room, resource center, and tiny press dedicated to fostering dialogue, discourse, and cooperative thinking. Located in Los Angeles, they curate a diverse collection of books by local poets, writers of color, and poets from around the world. The library offers a wide range of mainstream and experimental journals from the 1960s to the present, along with multilingual literature representing Los Angeles and beyond.
Larksong Writers Place is a nonprofit organization operating out of a remodeled Cornhusker Bank building in Lincoln, Nebraska. Larksong’s mission is to help shape the next generation of Midwestern writers to continue the tradition of storytelling through their writing workshops, educational community events, individual manuscript consulting, and co-working space. Sessions are offered online and on-site, where experienced mentors provide tailored advice, feedback, and guidance to help writers develop their skills and refine their work to become published.
The Writers Grotto is a coworking space for writers located in San Francisco. Writers, literary agents, and content producers are able to sublease or rent the mezzanine or office space by the hour. Workshops with teachers from different disciplines and industries are offered for several genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, journalism, and screenwriting. Writers may apply to become members to teach classes and attend events. Events are frequently held by the community, such as readings and write-ins, and classes are available daily.
The Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center is a 501c3 organization located at 1510 Laurens Street, Columbia, South Carolina, (formerly the Southern Electric building) that officially opened in the summer of 2022. This new center is home to African American culture, art, and expression. It is also a long-awaited gathering place for community conversations.
Trinosophes is an independent arts venue and café, located in the historic Eastern Market district of Detroit. The vegan-friendly café features locally sourced fare and the art space hosts live music, art exhibits, and poetry readings. The space also houses Trinosophes Projects, a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization that presents hundreds of concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, literary readings and other art events per year by international artists.
AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop, LLC is an international creative writing studio located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. AllWriters’ offers online and on-site classes in all genres and abilities of creative writing, as well as coaching and editing services. All are welcome into the community, especially at the Free For All at Café De Arts, where three student readers present poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction works.
