AAPI Writers
The Porch's AAPI meetups are designed for writers who identify as Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). This group has been active since October 2022, and we've had successful public showcases in May 2023 and May 2024. These meetups allow new and familiar AAPI writers to get to know each other, while coming away with some focused writing and fruitful discussions. Starting in July 2026, the Porch will start to charge a $5 fee for non-members (and free for members) to help sustain this program, continue compensating instructors, and keep offering low-cost, high-quality programming.
Join upcoming AAPI meetups on the third Sunday of the month from 3-4:30 PM at the Porch House:
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing the Illness Memoir: A Diversifying Writers Class (Online)
In this 8-session class, we will explore different methods of writing about our experiences with illness.
From science writing to historical fiction and diaries to essays, there are a multitude of approaches to writing about illness. Weekly readings will provide examples of these approaches. Writing exercises will guide us through ways we might incorporate these techniques into our own writing.
Approaches covered include using archival research, writing the personal essay, and forms like prose poetry and diary entries. As we explore a variety of techniques, we will learn how our experiences of illness can be contextualized, and the many ways we can tell our own stories.
Readings will include work by Audre Lorde, Susan Sontag, Virigina Woolf, Alphonse Daude, Anne Boyer, and others.
Register here for class! Financial assistance option available here.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing the Illness Memoir: A Diversifying Writers Class (Online)
In this 8-session class, we will explore different methods of writing about our experiences with illness.
From science writing to historical fiction and diaries to essays, there are a multitude of approaches to writing about illness. Weekly readings will provide examples of these approaches. Writing exercises will guide us through ways we might incorporate these techniques into our own writing.
Approaches covered include using archival research, writing the personal essay, and forms like prose poetry and diary entries. As we explore a variety of techniques, we will learn how our experiences of illness can be contextualized, and the many ways we can tell our own stories.
Readings will include work by Audre Lorde, Susan Sontag, Virigina Woolf, Alphonse Daude, Anne Boyer, and others.
Register here for class! Financial assistance option available here.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
AAPI Writers
The Porch's AAPI meetups are designed for writers who identify as Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). This group has been active since October 2022, and we've had successful public showcases in May 2023 and May 2024. These meetups allow new and familiar AAPI writers to get to know each other, while coming away with some focused writing and fruitful discussions. Starting in July 2026, the Porch will start to charge a $5 fee for non-members (and free for members) to help sustain this program, continue compensating instructors, and keep offering low-cost, high-quality programming.
Join upcoming AAPI meetups on the third Sunday of the month from 3-4:30 PM at the Porch House:
Writing Accountability Session
Join these free one-hour writing sessions via Zoom for accountability, community, and generative writing space.
AAPI Writers
The Porch's AAPI meetups are designed for writers who identify as Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). This group has been active since October 2022, and we've had successful public showcases in May 2023 and May 2024. These meetups allow new and familiar AAPI writers to get to know each other, while coming away with some focused writing and fruitful discussions. Starting in July 2026, the Porch will start to charge a $5 fee for non-members (and free for members) to help sustain this program, continue compensating instructors, and keep offering low-cost, high-quality programming.
Join upcoming AAPI meetups on the third Sunday of the month from 3-4:30 PM at the Porch House:
Experimentation with Hybrid Memoir (Online)
What if your story doesn't fit into a traditional narrative structure? In this generative course, you'll consider a fresh perspective on your stories. We will examine examples of innovative and hybrid essays by Jen Soriano, Lia Purpura and Roxane Gay and engage in exercises that explore structure, shifting POV, and flash essay. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing a new perspective and entry points into your memoir project.
In this 10-session generative course, you'll consider a new perspective on your stories. We will examine examples of innovative and hybrid memoirs by Jen Soriano, Lia Purpura and Roxane Gay and respond to creative nonfiction writing prompts. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing a new perspective and entry points into your memoir project.
This course welcomes anyone wanting to build community with other writers, hone their skills, read new works, and learn about new forms. It is best suited for intermediate writers.
Register here for class! Financial assistance option available here.
Experimentation with Hybrid Memoir (Online)
What if your story doesn't fit into a traditional narrative structure? In this generative course, you'll consider a fresh perspective on your stories. We will examine examples of innovative and hybrid essays by Jen Soriano, Lia Purpura and Roxane Gay and engage in exercises that explore structure, shifting POV, and flash essay. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing a new perspective and entry points into your memoir project.
In this 10-session generative course, you'll consider a new perspective on your stories. We will examine examples of innovative and hybrid memoirs by Jen Soriano, Lia Purpura and Roxane Gay and respond to creative nonfiction writing prompts. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing a new perspective and entry points into your memoir project.
This course welcomes anyone wanting to build community with other writers, hone their skills, read new works, and learn about new forms. It is best suited for intermediate writers.
Winter Sampler: Creative Nonfiction with Marianne Manzler
Want to try your hand at writing creative nonfiction? Perhaps you'd like to take a creative nonfiction class, but you're not sure if it's a great fit for you—or you're not sure if taking an online writing class will be the experience you're hoping for. If you're new to the Loft, online classes, or creative writing—or you'd just like the opportunity to try a nonfiction/memoir class for a brief time, meet other writers, and find a writing community while finding your own voice—this Sampler Class is the place for you! For one specially reduced price, you'll get an hour of instruction on craft and engaging discussion. If you enjoy this sampler class, you can sign up for Marianne's generative nonfiction class later this season or another Loft class!
The CRAFT of Writing at 826MSP
Do you love to write, and also love to craft? In this hands-on, creative class, we’ll spend half our time writing and the other half crafting our words into pieces of art. We’ll write a series of poems and then compile them into zines or chapbooks using beautiful papers, all as a means of self-publishing our words–craftily!
Join local writer, editor, and Loft Literary Center education manager Marianne Manzler for this workshop at 826MSP, where we’ll discover the power of personal and collective storytelling. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
University of Minnesota's Medical School Center for the Art of Medicine
Writers group with current medical students, physicians, and residents
Art Club With Walker Art Center and Loft Literary Center
Art Club invites you to join Marianne Manzler from the Loft Literary Center for a night of dynamic interactive writing workshops. Enjoy drop-in activities connected to the Walker’s permanent collection This Must Be the Place and creative opportunities for writers to participate in purposeful free-writing.
Materials are provided and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; supplies are limited. Activities are designed for all skill levels. No prior registration is required for Art Club. The more you visit, the more you’ll discover.
Gallery admission is free on Thursday nights, 5 to 9 pm. Save time and reserve your gallery admission tickets online. Please note: Individual events during Free Thursday Nights are first-come, first-serve
Photo by Walker Art Museum
Walker Art Center x Loft Literary Center Present: Teen Maker Break
From books and memories to the world around us, inspiration for a story can come from anywhere. Join this Teen Maker Break workshop in the Art Lab between 2 and 5 pm to explore the power of the personal and collective narrative with Marianne Manzler, local writer, editor, and education manager at the Loft Literary Center. Participants are encouraged to share their work in writing and verbally in response to prompts and artwork on view in the galleries. Co-hosted in partnership with the Loft Literary Center, this program is open to teen writers of all genres and levels. Free, no registration required.
Photo by Walker Art Museum
https://walkerart.org/visit/teen-program/
University of Minnesota's Medical School Center for the Art of Medicine
Writers group with current medical students, physicians, and residents
The CRAFT of Writing at 826MSP
Do you love to write, and also love to craft? In this hands-on, creative class, we’ll spend half our time writing and the other half crafting our words into pieces of art. We’ll write a series of poems and then compile them into zines or chapbooks using beautiful papers, all as a means of self-publishing our words–craftily!
Join local writer, editor, and Loft Literary Center education manager Marianne Manzler for this workshop at 826MSP, where we’ll discover the power of personal and collective storytelling. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Experimentation with Hybrid Memoir (Online)
Writing a memoir requires self-examination and honesty, which can be challenging when writing about trauma or from a marginalized perspective. By offering generative prompts that encourage a fresh perspective on your stories, we aim to make this process less daunting. We will explore the writing process, examine examples of innovative and hybrid memoirs and essays, engage in exercises that explore characterization, personal archives and history, and speculative elements. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing entry points for developing your writing and uncovering hidden stories from within.
This course welcomes anyone wanting to hone their skills and receive feedback in a supportive environment, and it is best suited for intermediate writers but writers from. You do not need to submit anything in advance to join.
Exploring Place Through Creative Nonfiction for Ages 14 to 18
Welcome to the Loft's Summer Youth program at Open Book! Join us for a week of writing, creativity, and exploration!
In this multigenre class, we’ll use outdoor spaces to inspire essays, poetry, and prose. The creative process is shaped by environment, so we'll use Minneapolis as our muse. We’ll write on-site at iconic locations like the Stone Arch Bridge, Mill City Museum and Ruins, the Guthrie Theater, the Minneapolis Central Library, and City Hall. Each setting offers unique inspiration, from riverfront serenity to urban energy.
Our days will begin at the Loft Literary Center before we venture out for daily walking or metro trips.
As part of class, students will read works by established writers who incorporate nature and wildlife, analyzing how these elements shape deeper themes. Through in-class exercises and discussions, students will create their own work, integrating the natural world into personal narratives.
By the end of the week, students will have a portfolio of work reflecting their connection to nature and place. Join us for a dynamic week of creativity and community!
Comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate gear are essential, as we’ll write rain or shine.
Experimentation with Hybrid Memoir (Online)
Writing a memoir requires profound self-examination and honesty, which can be challenging when writing about trauma or from a marginalized perspective. By offering generative prompts that encourage a fresh perspective on your stories, we aim to make this process less daunting. We will discuss the writing process and examine examples of innovative and hybrid memoirs and essays, engaging in exercises that explore structure, constraints, archives, and speculative elements. These experiments will open new pathways for expression, providing entry points for developing your writing.