Testimonials

Bring writers together since 2018

Our classes, events, and professional opportunities change lives. Through pandemics and uprisings, Blue Stoop has remained steadfastly committed to supporting our diverse student body and pool of instructors, and the greater Philadelphia area.

Student stories

  • I definitely wouldn't be where I'm at now without the tools Blue Stoop gave me. Their financial aid options 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

  • [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

  • Our teacher walked us through story elements each week, with amazing examples, and exercises. It was a great blend of craft and composition that I've applied to my work ever since.

    Fajr Muhammad

  • Everyone in the class was so great, and I feel like I might not ever have met them all otherwise.

    Anonymous

  • 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

  • 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 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

  • Having this intimate space to really get into the craft of writing and hear about it in such realistic terms/discuss the subject matter with a group of likeminded people really helped to open the creative door again.

    Anonymous