This week on the Stoop
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Getting Started in Literary Translation
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
Translating literature into another language builds bridges and amplifies voices through shared stories. It's also a challenging but highly rewarding creative practice that draws on skills like knowledge of multiple languages and cultures, close reading and research, and problem solving. In this panel discussion and Q&A, members of Philadelphia's Transversal collective will present an overview of the literary translation landscape, discuss pathways into the field, and share excerpts from current works in progress. They'll also answer questions and share resources for those interested in learning more. Panelists include: Sean Gasper Bye (translates from Polish), Marianna Suleymanova (Russian), and Emily Hunsberger (Spanish).
Transversal is a grassroots collective of established and aspiring literary translators in Philadelphia. It was born as a virtual space during the pandemic and has since evolved to emphasize in-person connections. Our recent gatherings have included co-working sessions, mini peer workshops, and purely social hangs.
Featured panelists
Emily Hunsberger translates literature written in Spanish by authors from all across the Americas, including the United States. Her translation of Wonderland: Crónicas of Belonging in América, a collection of essays by Melanie Márquez Adams, was recently published by Mouthfeel Press. Her translations of shorter works have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, The Southern Review, PRISM international, The Common, Southwest Review, and forthcoming in Grist. She holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Spanish and has a professional background in the fields of immigrant rights, international sustainable development, and education. She lives with her family in Philadelphia.
Sean Gasper Bye is a translator of Polish literature. He focuses on contemporary fiction and reportage, and also works with historical texts, theater and video games. His translations of Małgorzata Szejnert, Szczepan Twardoch, Mikołaj Grynberg and others have won the EBRD Literary Prize and the Asymptote Close Approximations Prize; and been shortlisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, a National Jewish Book Award, the Sami Rohr Prize and the National Translation Award. He has been a National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellow and Translator-in-Residence at Princeton University, and also mentors emerging translators through the National Centre for Writing and the Yiddish Book Center.
Marianna Suleymanova is a literary translator from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, currently living in Philadelphia. She is a contributing translator to ROAR (Russian Oppositional Arts Review) Magazine, an anti-war publication founded by the writer Linor Goralik. She enjoys rendering the voices of contemporary feminist and queer Russian-language writers in English and is committed to amplifying suppressed narratives and dissident voices. She is the winner of the 2024 Words Without Borders Momentum Grant. Her translations are out or forthcoming in Washington Square Review, Words Without Borders, The Offing, The Kenyon Review and Khōréō. Her work has received support from Words Without Borders, Bread Loaf Translators' Conference, and the American Literary Translators Association.
I Can't Remember How to Do This — Writing Memory in Fiction and Nonfiction: A Masterclass with Rebecca Makkai
Registration for the live session will close on Tuesday, July 22, at 3:00pm ET.
Tuesday, July 22, from 6–8 PM ET (Online. Asynchronous option available)
Need financial aid? Apply here first.
Emerging writers often find it challenging to transition in and out of memory, "flashback," or narrative backstory. Given that most of our consciousness is memory (who we are, who we're married to, how we got here, what we're supposed to be doing today), it would seem to be an easier proposition to approach memory on the page — and it is! But writers tend to overthink things and either mimic unhelpful techniques or neglect memory altogether. Let's talk about how to avoid the pitfalls of transitioning into and out of memory, flashback, or narrative backstory; learn how to represent memory accurately, and how not to write yourself into a flashback corner.
Class date and time: 2 hour masterclass on Tuesday, July 22, from 6–8 PM ET. Asynchronous option available.
Location: Online, via Zoom. All registrants will receive 30 days of access to the recording. The recording will be distributed after the event takes place.
Rebecca Makkai is the author of the New York Times bestselling I Have Some Questions For You as well as four other works of fiction. Her last novel, The Great Believers, one of the New York Times’ Best Books of the 21st Century, was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award, and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize among other honors. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.
Read our FAQ
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Give Them Flowers: A Special Reading Celebrating the 2024-25 Blue Stoop x Jennifer Weiner Fellows
Please join us on on Saturday, July 26th at 6:30 PM for Give Them Flowers: A Special Reading Celebrating the 2024-2025 Blue Stoop x Jennifer Weiner Fellows
Join Blue Stoop and Jennifer Weiner in celebrating their inaugural fellowship cohort with a reading. On Saturday, July 26 from 6:30-8:00 PM at Head House Books, hear writing and reflections from Jennifer Weiner and six talented emerging writers: Reema Rao, Tori Lee, Colette Walker, Alexandra Naughton, Liz Moorhead, and Larissa Pahomov.
Entry is free with limited seating. Please RSVP below using the webform. Head House Books is ADA accessible, but please note in your RSVP if you require any special accommodations. Paid street parking is available, as well as a garage on Lombard and 3rd Street.
The Jennifer Weiner Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to nurturing and empowering woman-identified emerging prose writers. Established through the generous support of acclaimed author Jennifer Weiner, in partnership with Blue Stoop, the fellowship aims to elevate voices that often go unheard in the literary world. Nearly 1000 writers applied for this unique opportunity. The final six fellows benefited from financial support, professional mentorship, networking opportunities, educational resources, and the camaraderie of their cohort.
Founded in 2018, Blue Stoop provides high quality classes, inspiring events, and transformative professional opportunities to creative writers in the greater Philadelphia area. Blue Stoop envisions a radically inclusive literary community where Philadelphia readers and writers are thriving and supported. Blue Stoop is a fiscally sponsored 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization through CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. Learn more about their work here.
Poetry Club
A peer-led poetry reading & discussion group, powered by Blue Stoop volunteers. Sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 sessions! This is a free public program.
Poetry Club meets monthly over zoom to discuss a selection of poems. The meetings will be facilitated but informal, focused primarily on fostering community around a shared love of poetry and a mutual interest in learning.
This month’s meeting will focus on legendary local poet, Sonia Sanchez. We’ll be reading and discussing the pieces linked in this document.
Poetry Club is a space to shake loose from the idea that poetry is too academic or inaccessible, and is an opportunity to celebrate the beating heart of this art form with peers. Each meeting will close with short, optional writing prompts and ways to carry the spirit of these poems into the world with you.
If you'd like to sustain community programs like these, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Blue Stoop: bluestoop.org/donate
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Writing News-Style Satire
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
News-style satire is exploding into different forms and markets. In this free hour-long workshop, humor writer Jeff Bender will break down the key elements of satirical news stories, from headline to punchline. Participants will leave with a few headlines of their own and concepts for future articles.
Jeff Bender writes for McSweeney's, The Hard Times, Electric Literature, Reader's Digest, and other comedy sites. His fiction has appeared in The Iowa Review, Fence, Electric Literature, and Guernica. He recently completed his first headline trial for 'The Onion' and is a Senior Writer for Sports Riot. He grew up in Philadelphia and lives outside the city.
The Stories You've Never Seen Before: A Masterclass with Alexander Chee (HYBRID)
Registration for the live session will close on Friday, August 1, at 5:00pm ET.
Monday, August 4, from 6 – 8 PM ET (Hybrid. Asynchronous option available)
Need financial aid? Apply here first.
In my 25 years of teaching, I have seen many students who struggle to get past writing what they believe the status quo wants from them, and who have not yet tapped into the stories they want to tell. This is a class created from the insights, techniques, and writing prompts I've created to help these students break that down inside of themselves. It is a class on how to push yourself to write the stories you’ve never seen anyone write but that you know exist, or should exist, because they tell themselves to you.
We will talk about listening to intuition, tuning in to your imagination in order to both move past the limits of what is familiar and to reach for what you know to be true, on the page. This advice is often given to writers — write the story only you can tell — but usually not with a plan. So for this class, we’ll talk about how to make the plan. This is a generative class, with a lecture, writing prompts, and suggested readings.
Class date and time: 2 hour masterclass on Monday, August 4, from 6 – 8 PM ET. After the event, all registrants will receive 30 days of access to the recording.
Location: Online via Zoom, or in-person at Asian Arts Initiative (1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107). Nearby public parking lots are located along Vine Street as well as on Callowhill between 12th and 13th Streets. Street parking is available throughout the neighborhood.
Accessibility: AAI’s building and restrooms are ADA compliant. Masks are recommended, but not required. Both masks and COVID tests will be provided free of charge at the event. Please note any access needs at check-out and we’ll do our best to accommodate. If you have questions about accessibility not addressed by this page, please contact us at info@bluestoop.org
Alexander Chee is the bestselling author of the novels Edinburgh and The Queen of the Night, and the essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel, all from Mariner Books. A contributing editor at The New Republic and an editor at large at VQR, his essays and stories have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, T Magazine, The Sewanee Review, and the 2016 and 2019 Best American Essays. He was guest-editor for The Best American Essays of 2022. He is a 2021 United States Artists Fellow, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow in Nonfiction, and the recipient of a Whiting Award, a NEA Fellowship, an MCCA Fellowship, the Randy Shilts Prize in gay nonfiction, the Paul Engle Prize, the Lambda Editor’s Choice Prize, and residency fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the VCCA, Leidig House, Civitella Ranieri and Amtrak. He is a full professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College and lives in Vermont.
We are proud to announce that this masterclass is co-sponsored by Asian Arts Initiative. Located in Philadelphia’s Chinatown North neighborhood, Asian Arts Initiative is a multidisciplinary arts center where all people — across experience and skill levels, age, race, and class backgrounds — can view and create art that reflects our lives, as well as think critically and creatively about the future we want to build for our communities.
Read our FAQ
Thursdays on the Stoop: Who Let the Dogs Out? Writing About Pets
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
From early cave paintings to Poe's raven, animals have always played an important role in humanity's stories. In this free hour-long workshop, we'll take inspiration from our domesticated companions. After digging into examples by writers like Margaret Atwood, we'll "paws" to write our own pet poems using a series of generative prompts. Participants will leave with a collection of images and memories to continue developing after the session.
Yasmine Ameli (she/her) is a queer biracial Iranian American writer and fiber artist whose publications appear in Poetry Magazine, The Sun, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. She teaches creative writing workshops and the business of thriving as an artist through Assets for Artists and Grub Street as well as independently. She is the author of the monthly newsletter Word Play: Your Guide to a Sustainable Writing Life, and she makes and sells crafts in Philadelphia, where she lives.
Poetry Club
A peer-led poetry reading & discussion group, powered by Blue Stoop volunteers. Sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 sessions! This is a free public program.
Poetry Club meets monthly over zoom to discuss a selection of poems. The meetings will be facilitated but informal, focused primarily on fostering community around a shared love of poetry and a mutual interest in learning.
A few days before the event, we’ll email you a link to this month’s featured reading(s). Please be patient with us, as this is a volunteer-run initiative.
Poetry Club is a space to shake loose from the idea that poetry is too academic or inaccessible, and is an opportunity to celebrate the beating heart of this art form with peers. Each meeting will close with short, optional writing prompts and ways to carry the spirit of these poems into the world with you.
If you'd like to sustain community programs like these, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Blue Stoop: bluestoop.org/donate
Thursdays on the Stoop: WHOOSH—From Prose to Comics!
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
You don't have to be a professional artist to write comics, but strong storytelling skills are crucial. This free hour-long session will explore the key differences between writing prose and comics, covering the craft of pacing with visual cues, the power of juxtaposition, and mapping out beats on the page. Participants will have the opportunity to practice writing scripts and, time permitting, gain insight into the business side of comics.
Kelley Skovron is the author of more than 15 novels and comics for kids, teens, and adults across a range of genres, including fantasy, horror, and adventure. Her work has been translated into 6 other languages, published in 9 countries outside the US, and adapted for audiobooks, including a free serialized version of Hope and Red on Apple Podcasts.
She co-hosted the Kid-Lit Writing Forum at the Arlington Public Library for several years, and was given the privilege of lecturing at the Library of Congress on the life and works of Mary Shelley. She has taught classes at Thurber House, Atlas Obscura, and led workshops at libraries and book festivals across the country. Before beginning her career as an author, she graduated from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon School of Drama conservatory program, and briefly worked as a professional stage actor.
Kelley lives in Philadelphia, and enjoys the occasional visit from her offspring, when they can spare the time from their busy college lives.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Miracle Workers & Porch Prophets — Myth in Poetry
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
For better or for worse, myths have taught cultures across time what to value, what to aspire to, and what to avoid. In this free hour-long workshop, we'll use poetry to explore how myths continue to shape the modern world — from the personal to the social to the political. After unpacking myths' power to both oppress and liberate, we'll analyze Nikki Giovanni's poem, "Ego Tripping" and begin to write our own personal mythologies.
Michael J. Ivory, Jr. is a writer from Miami, FL raised by street-side sages, porch-front poets, and off-hand oracles. The queer son of two Pentecostal preachers, Michael began writing to find out who he was outside of the confines of harmful theology. Michael’s writing spans genres. He has performed as a featured poet at venues across the country. He has published narrative nonfiction work with O, Miami Press. He is also a fiction writer and is currently querying his debut novel. Thematically, Michael is always trying to reveal the magic in the mundane and the beauty in the everyday. In his poems, his loved ones become epic heroes. In his stories, conjure is as common as a cold. He holds an MFA from North Carolina State University and currently lives in Philadelphia, PA. When not writing, he is probably laughing way too loudly, napping, or being a nerd.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Blue Stoop Happy Hour
Join us on Thursday, 6/26, from 5:00-7:00pm at The Post bar & restaurant for a happy hour with Blue Stoop community members and friends. RSVP requested.
Useful details
There will not be a reserved seating area — consider wearing something blue to make it easier for people to find us.
This is an ADA accessible venue. Restrooms are available on site.
No purchase required. If you would like to buy something, drinks start at $4, and food ranges from $6-16. Here's the menu.
This is an air-conditioned environment. Masks are not required.
Feel free to arrive early and/or stay late — karaoke starts at 8:00pm!
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Poetry Club
A peer-led poetry reading & discussion group, powered by Blue Stoop volunteers. Sign up for 1, 2, or all 3 sessions! This is a free public program.
Poetry Club meets monthly over zoom to discuss a selection of poems. The meetings will be facilitated but informal, focused primarily on fostering community around a shared love of poetry and a mutual interest in learning.
This month, we’re reading the May 2025 issue of Poetry Magazine, which is available for free online. Don’t worry if you can’t finish reading the whole thing; just explore and see what sticks with you.
Poetry Club is a space to shake loose from the idea that poetry is too academic or inaccessible, and is an opportunity to celebrate the beating heart of this art form with peers. Each meeting will close with short, optional writing prompts and ways to carry the spirit of these poems into the world with you.
If you'd like to sustain community programs like these, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Blue Stoop: bluestoop.org/donate
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Office Hours with Julian Shendelman
Got questions about Thursdays on the Stoop proposals? Join this brief Q&A session with Blue Stoop co-director Julian Shendelman. BIPOC writers and those based in our service area (Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Camden County) are highly encouraged to pitch a session.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Creative Coworking (Virtual)
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group.
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Writing with the Stars
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
In this free hour-long workshop, we'll explore ways to use astrological symbolism for writerly inspiration and insight. Participants will learn how astrology has shaped several famous writers' work, and then apply these frameworks to their own practices. The session will also include a general introduction to astrology, a discussion of the significance of Mercury (the planet of communication), and a Q&A, time permitting.
Marjorie Sarah Cottrell is a writer, astrologer, mom of two, explorer and creative small business entrepreneur with a personal motto of: learn. create. share. Her lively practice includes individual chart consultations, couples’ readings, astrology reading events for small groups, workshops, research, and writing centered on introspection, motherhood, paradox and more. Through events and workshops she marries her professional event planning experience with her passion for ancient astrological wisdom.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Body Snatchers
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
A woman keeps her heart in a box on her bedside table. A father severs his hand and gives it to his daughter. Whether they adopt incomprehensible costumes or leave literal pieces of themselves on the train, when characters reject what it means to look and act human, they take steps toward embodying something greater. In this hour-long generative workshop, we'll explore how flash fiction writers dissect and transform the body misplaced. Through prompts and discussion, participants will begin crafting uncanny stories that resonate with readers.
Avitus B. Carle (she/her) lives and writes outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her stories have been published in a variety of places including Fractured Lit., X-R-A-Y Litmag, JMWW, SoFloPoJo, Necessary Fiction, The Commuter (Electric Lit.), and elsewhere. Avitus' stories have been included in the Best Small Fictions anthology, Best of the Net, and Wigleaf Top 50. Her debut flash fiction collection, "These Worn Bodies," was published by Moon City Press. She can be found online at avitusbcarle.com or online everywhere @avitusbcarle.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
![Creative Coworking [Masks required]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/605a1a824816323264308f90/1745000972291-NTYDAQYQ9108ATWBFSGT/image1.jpeg)
Creative Coworking [Masks required]
Drop-in, mask-required, creative co-working with peers in-person at Philly Typewriter in Philadelphia. Unlike our usual cowriting sessions, this one requires face masks and negative COVID tests — BYO or use one of ours.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life. We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. In between will be quiet time to work. (5:40-7:20 pm). Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
We’ll provide the wifi. You bring the materials you need to do your creative work (notebooks, laptop, chargers, headphones, books, snacks, etc). This event is free and open to participants 18+. Limited seats available; RSVP below.
Access Info
COVID SAFETY
A well-fitting KN-95 or N-95 mask must be covering the mouth and nose at all times. Extra masks will be provided.
If you need to unmask, please do so outside.
Please bring a photo that confirms proof of same day negative Covid test, or take a Covid test upon arrival. Extra tests will be available.
We will have an air filter running.
Please stay home if you or others in your household have symptoms of illness, or if you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID. We would love to see you next time!
PARKING
There are two disability reserved parking spots on the same block as Philly Typewriter, one on either side of the street.
There is plentiful additional general street parking with a two-hour limit.
ENTRANCE
There are no steps to enter the building.
Manual pull/push door.
BATHROOM
Accessible via ramp.
Manual pull/push door.
Grab bar by toilet.
Large space to maneuver.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS/REQUESTS
Please reach out to development@bluestoop.org to request other accessibility accommodations or additional venue information by 4/25. You can also share your needs/questions in the RSVP form.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: From Query to Collaboration — How to Get an Agent
Saturday, April 26th is the last day register for the nonfiction session of From Query to Collaboration: How to Get an Agent. The fiction section is now sold out. Details below:
Thursdays on the Stoop: The Magic in the Void
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
Journaling can help us move through pain and better understand the nature of life, loss, and joy. In this free hour-long journaling workshop, participants will spend time reflecting on grief, respond to writing prompts, and optionally share their responses or stories with the group. The sharing portion of the session will not be recorded to ensure privacy.
Adriana (she/her/ella) is excited to facilitate a space where stored emotions can be released. The power of gaining that inner confidence and voice is what lights her up. She also enjoys pilates, dancing salsa, somatic breathwork, laughing and exploring new things with a curious mindset. Her happy place is the beach. She recently has found a joy in her life again and it started with a pen, paper and a lot of rage.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Writing a 10-Minute Play
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
Successful short plays can captivate the audience in mere minutes. In this free, hour-long workshop, we'll cover the basics of writing 10 minute plays — the key elements of dramatic scenes, strategies for streamlining stories, crafting compelling characters — and begin outlining new scripts of our own.
Toby Tieger is a Philadelphia-based playwright and screenwriter. Toby writes LGBT+ coming-of-age fantasies about well-intentioned humanists figuring out what they value in a world that’s hard for them to navigate. His fantasy script THE ILLUMINATI KID about a girl who accidentally joins the Illuminati and must save the world from an army of lizards disguised as humans was selected as a Finalist for the 2024 ScreenCraft Animation and Family Competition (top 10/900). His work has recently placed in other contests including Stowe Story Labs, PlayPenn Foundry, and the Roadmap Writers’ Kids' Television Competition. His scripts are available on the New Play Exchange and on his website at www.tobytieger.com.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
UPDATE 4/16, 3:30pm ET: Zoom is experiencing widespread outages today. We are meeting via an alternative platform; email info@bluestoop.org to request the new link. We should be back to business-as-usual for tomorrow’s Thursdays on the Stoop session. Thank you for your patience.
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Retaining the Roving Reader
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
In a world of short attention spans, authors must employ a variety of techniques to keep the reader engaged. In this free, hour-long workshop, we'll experiment with alluring openings, suspenseful scenes, and punchy endings to form the building blocks of your next short story. Expect multiple writing prompts and illustrative examples from film and literature.
A first-generation, Latinx/POC writer, Ernest Langston is the author of two novels, Born from Ashes and Beyond Everyday Secrets. His short fiction has appeared in Litro Magazine, The Plentitudes Journal, Oyster River Pages, and other publications. He holds a BA in English and a certificate in Professional and Technical Communications from San Jose State University, a certificate in Writing from University of Washington, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. For more information, please visit: ernestlangston.com; Instagram: Ernestlangstonmedia.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Beyond the Page w/ Dimitri Reyes
Friday, April 4th is the last day to register for Beyond the Page: Performance Skills for Poets, a 3 week class with Dimitri Reyes. Details below:
Thursdays on the Stoop: Intro to Technical Writing
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
Technical writing — the art of translating complex information into simple terms — can be a lucrative skill. But breaking into the field is easier said than done. Many existing resources fail to offer practical advice, or assume that the aspiring technical writer has no writing experience at all. In this free and interactive hour-long session, technical writer Lisa DellaPorta will explain the different types of technical writing jobs, demonstrate a few industry best practices for software and hardware writing, and share resources for continued learning.
Lisa is a former high school teacher with a decade and a half of documentation and knowledge management for a variety of startup companies. She lives in Philadelphia. Her work, both personal and professional, can be found here.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.
Thursdays on the Stoop: Writing for Young Readers
Thursdays on the Stoop is a series of free, virtual writing workshops led for and by our community members. With topics ranging from generative prompts to editing strategies, these informal workshops are sure to shake up your Thursday routine. RSVP below to get the link.
As an adult, writing for young people can be challenging. But tapping into our own adolescent experiences can help. In this free hour-long session, middle grade novelist Eric Bell will provide several prompts designed to help you see the world from a younger POV. There will be time to write, optional sharing, and an inside look at Eric's Kidlit Playground writing group.
Eric Bell (he/him) is the author of ALAN COLE IS NOT A COWARD (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins) and ALAN COLE DOESN’T DANCE (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins), two middle grade novels about a gay seventh grade boy dealing with bullies, crushes, the power of art, and coming out. The first book was nominated to the Rainbow Book List for LGBTQ Books for Children and Teens. The books have also been translated into multiple languages. Eric is also featured in the queer middle grade short story anthology THIS IS OUR RAINBOW: 16 STORIES OF HER, HIM, THEM, AND US (Knopf). Eric has taught courses on writing middle grade and young adult novels. He is a packet exchange instructor at Drexel University’s Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program. Eric has also run numerous virtual workshops and writing groups, including the Kidlit Playground, a group geared toward writers working on children’s books.
Creative Coworking: Hybrid
Drop-in, creative co-working with peers over Zoom or in-person at CultureWorks in Philadelphia.
Stop by for a few minutes or stay for the whole session — it’s totally up to you. You can use this time to write, edit, read, daydream, or whatever best serves your literary life.
We will open and close the session with 10 minutes to check-in about our writing goals, obstacles, and accomplishments. Mics will stay off during the silent working portion of the event (3:40-5:20 pm ET).
Note: we do not workshop or read our work aloud to the group but encourage connecting with other participants to do so on your own!
This event is free and open to all.