from the blue stoop community

"[My Blue Stoop class] was a useful, warm, friendly, and inspiring space. I left feeling energized and ready to tackle some more prose projects, which was my goal going into class."

— Lillian Dunn

“I definitely wouldn't be where I'm at now without the tools Blue Stoop gave me. I also fully utilized their financial aid options that made the workshop more accessible to me as a young qpoc parent.”
— Corey Qureshi

“I took my first workshop in January of 2018, and I still workshop with some of my classmates.”

— Nikki Volpicelli 

”Our teacher walked us through story elements each week, with amazing examples, and exercises in how we might employee those techniques in our own work. It was a great blend of craft and composition that I've applied to my work ever since.”
—Fajr Muhammad

“Blue Stoop events have allowed me to hear directly from and connect with some of my favorite authors and have introduced me to the incredible work of countless poets, nonfiction writers, and novelists from across the country.”

— Sara Ray

“I encountered a level of academic rigor mixed with friendly care in my poetry workshop that made my work feel seen for what it is. As a female person of color who often encounters workshop spaces that can create harm and discouragement, Raena’s workshop at Blue Stoop created a space of creative health for me and my writing, allowing me to gain confidence and urgency in my voice.”
— Lauren Holguin

“I still refer back to the techniques she shared in our workshop when I'm trying to figure out why one of my stories is dragging, or why a character feels flat.”
— Ellen Rhudy