Plaza Branch and Central Library will open late at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 due to the Kansas City Marathon.
The Library’s free writing classes connect writers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Each week during the school year, the classes are taught by Master of Fine Arts candidates in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s creative writing and media arts program.
This year, UMKC awarded first-year screenwriting student Vicente Martinez the Writers for Readers internship to teach at the Library. The internship comes with a stipend from funds raised during the annual fall Writers for Readers banquet, which takes place this year on Friday, November 20.
Martinez’s lineup of courses includes Monsters as Metaphor, Nontraditional Poetry: So Much More Than Rhymes, Creative Nonfiction: Write a Richer Personal Story, and others.
“Teaching these classes,” he says, “is an opportunity to discuss topics I'm deeply passionate about with a community of writers I might not otherwise encounter.”
He also sees an opportunity to help people build valuable communication skills and improve his own writing. “It doesn't matter whether you're a beginner or an experienced writer; we can all learn from each other.”
First-year MFA candidate Rachelle Gardner-Roe joins Martinez, teaching three classes in the fall. She received the Maya Angelou Book Award fellowship through the Writers for Readers program and will assist Director of Readers’ Services Kaite Stover in the administration of the award.
"My goal in teaching is to offer a playful space suited to a wide array of interests,” Gardner-Roe says, “and I am excited to go on this journey with students as we explore and discover together."
RSVP to attend a free class. Watch the Library’s website for the announcement about who will be this year’s guest author at the Writers for Readers fundraiser.
- Wednesday, 8/26 Creative Nonfiction: Write a Richer Personal Story
- Saturday, 8/29 Write Like Mary Oliver
- Monday, 8/31 Nontraditional Poetry: So Much More Than Rhymes
- Saturday, 9/12 Monsters as Metaphor
- Wednesday, 9/19 Journaling Journey
- Saturday, 9/19 Writing for the Senses
- Monday, 9/21 Writing Flash Fiction
- Saturday, 9/26 Flash Nonfiction: Writing About Your Life
- Wednesday, 9/30 The Structure of a Story
- Monday, 10/5 (World)building Blocks
- Monday, 10/12 Creative Nonfiction: Write a Richer Personal Story
- Wednesday, 10/21 Nontraditional Poetry: So Much More Than Rhymes
- Monday, 10/26 Monsters as Metaphor
- Saturday, 10/31 Spooky Short Stories
- Saturday, 11/7 Journaling Journey
- Saturday, 11/14 Writing Flash Fiction
- Wednesday, 11/16 The Structure of a Story
- Tuesday, 11/17 Ekphrasis Writing for Poetry & Beyond
- Saturday, 11/21 (World)building Blocks
- Saturday, 11/28 Spoken Word Poetry
- Wednesday, 12/2 Nontraditional Poetry: So Much More Than Rhymes
- Monday, 12/7 (World)building Blocks
- Saturday, 12/19 Free Write