Dear Writers,
As we reflect on 2021, we cherish the transformative connections across the SF Creative Writing Institute. Our treasured teachers, talented writers and interesting collaborative partners make our beloved community possible.
Like so many organizations figuring out how to pivot and prioritize safety during the pandemic, we continue to learn how to cultivate resilience and persistence.
At one point in the year, we were on the brink of closing our doors, but we never gave up.
Instead, our leadership pursued opportunities and was accepted into two accelerator programs to improve operations, build capacity for long-term planning, and develop trusted relationships with fellow entrepreneurs.
Instead of backing away from the challenges or scaling down, we asked for help, we expanded our network and we stayed open to what’s possible.
Alongside our established instructors, we welcomed in several new instructors*, all working artists and debuted various dynamic new courses:
Sarah Bush* - Body Language: The Poetry of Movement
Cassandra Dallet - Manuscript Intensive - Poetry Mentor
Hollie Hardy - Poetry IV: Generative Poetry Workshop
Hollie Hardy - Drop-In Workshop on Love Poems - Valentines Day
Alexandra Kostoulas - Lyric Poetry: The Poetry of Healing
Manuscript Intensive - Now Accepts Poetry
Sam Sax* - Queer Poetics
Gina Tron* - Writing the Personal Essay, Memoir Writing
Alissa Valdez* - Novel Writing Workshop
Elena Shapiro* - Manuscript Intensive - Prose Mentor
We are thrilled to celebrate with our instructors and students in their many achievements this year:
Notable Highlights
Tongo Eisen-Martin was named Poet Laureate of San Francisco
SFCWI alumna Brianna Williams got a full-time lecturer position at MIT in Creative Writing.
Alexandra Kostoulas was interviewed by KALW Arts + Culture, on Sights & Sounds sharing about forthcoming books from the Institute’s instructors.
Publications - Instructors
Blood on the Fog by Tongo Eisen-Martin on City Lights Press
The Second Shooter by Nick Mamatas, distrubed by Simon & Schuster just released in paperback and e-book.
Saint 1001 by Daphne Gottlieb on MadHat
Bone Moon Palace, Poetry Collection by Paul Corman-Roberts on Nomadic Press
Alexandra Kostoula’ Op-Ed “I have a Dream is the American Dream” in Ergon literary journal, gor reprinted in Neos Kosmos, the largest Greek newspaper in Australia.
The Devil Takes You Home, a novel by Gabino Iglesias sold to Mulholland Books, Little Brown and Company in a 2-book deal.
Publications - Students
Our student, K.R. Morrison published her first book of poems Cauldrons on Paper Press and received great press in KALW’s New Arrivals.
Elisa Salasin offered a contract by Finishing Line Press for her chapbook She Watches Wild Horses.
Joanne Nelson offered a contract by Vine Leaves Press for her chapbook “My Neglected Gods.”
Jan Holliday self-published her heart wrenching and unbelievably beautiful and heartfelt chapbook about the life of her son, Christie called “Fragile.”
Mark Sullivan published a cover story in Fast Company called “Silicon Valley Wants to Power the US War Machine.”
Han Raschka received her first publication credits in the magazines Eunoia and Anti-Heroin Chic
Aideed Medina was a featured poet with work published in Split This Rock and in the Nueva York Poetry Review.
Keith Mark Gaboury had his first chapbook published with Pedestrian Press called, “Oakland I’m Not Dead.”
Maureen Morrison self-published by hand a collection of poems in the form of a notebook.
These are just a few highlights. Likely there are more. Send me your publications so we can celebrate with you and promote your projects!
We also have BIG PUBLISHING news about another SFCWI alumn that we can’t share yet. Stay tuned! But once we can, believe me we will be singing it from the rooftops. But for now, sorry for the vagary. ;)
New Presses
Also, our instructors are engaged in interesting literary endeavors of their own.
Tongo Eisen Martin with Alexandria Jones launched Black Freighter Press
Paul Corman-Roberts and Lynn Alexander launched Collapse Press
--Each published and launched a first book of poems by a beloved Bay Area Poet and hosted a live reading series.
Drop-In In-Person Classes at CounterPulse
As our courses and readings continued connecting students across time and space in the online realm, we also dipped a toe back into the in-person world with a summer collaboration and in-person workshop, following COVID-19 protocols.
We brought back the City Stories workshops in partnership with CounterPulse Theatre for TenderArts, a program for Tenderloin artists and neighbors to engage in safe, hospitable, and creative activities and share their stories.
This Fall, I’m grateful to return to CounterPulse as November/December artist in residence to continue offering these community storytelling workshops. We have two more drop-in workshops left on Dec. 1 & 8. They are at the lunch hour at CounterPulse Theatre. All levels welcome. Vaccination proof and masks are required for entry. Our final reading is coming up on December 15! It will be live at CounterPulse in San Francisco 12-2pm. We will try to livestream it for those who would like to attend virtually.
Giving writers a platform to share their new work in front of a live audience is a key part of our mission. To that end, we expanded our audience through a collaboration with the San Francisco Public Library, co-hosting two virtual readings with them this year:
The first was Dispatches from Quarantine--which featured participants from our responsive community story sharing project from around the world and our blog.
Next, we hosted City Stories Project--with special guests and voices that highlight the history and diversity of San Francisco stories.
We also hosted two virtual readings of our seven-year-running series 'Write from the Gut!’
With a third Write From the Gut scheduled for Dec. 11, 6pm online. In that reading, we will feature the work of the Fall workshop participants. So, mark your calendars and join us in zoom!
Also in the last part of 2021, we have brought back our blog Dispatches from Quarantine and will be publishing all the catch-up poems and stories in our queue as well as soliciting new work.
Amidst the uncertainty of 2021, I am so proud of the resolve of our creative community, and grateful to my current and former students near and far.
We remain dedicated to delivering meaningful writing resources and premier instruction to help our writers hone their craft.
In celebration of their many accomplishments and our growing alliances, we invite you to join us.
Take a class, attend a reading, share our work with friends and colleagues, or make a tax-deductible gift that would allow this community to keep nurturing imaginations and driving new and groundbreaking creative writing that chronicles our time for the generations to come.
We are so grateful for the support we received from the state and local governments, our community partners and our current and former students. I am eternally grateful for the work of our talented teaching artists and our hard-working staff.
We would have closed if it was not for you.
I am so grateful that we get to stay open to live and write another day.
If you are in a position to give this holiday season. If you admire the work that we do, we urge you to make a donation today to help sustain the future of the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute.
With Deep Gratitude,
Alexandra
Alexandra Kostoulas,
Founder & Executive Director,
SF Creative Writing Institute
