Our Story
A’Ja Lyons reading poetry at Words Meet Art
The Ames Writers Collective (a nonprofit 501(c)(3)) was conceived while founder Ana McCracken studied for her MFA at Iowa State University. Prior to enrolling at Iowa State as a “late-in-life” memoir candidate, McCracken considered herself a non-traditional student of writing. To support the twenty-plus years she has spent writing her memoir, she studied memoirs of favorite authors and attended their writing workshops and retreats, while also attending continuing education writing programs. Always longing for a writing community, McCracken received a certificate from the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) in order to lead her own generative writing workshops—for both writers seeking community and for cancer support groups.
When McCracken was invited to teach at OLLI—ISU during her second year as an Iowa State MFA candidate, she welcomed the opportunity. Most of her classes are based in the AWA method, which believes that everyone is a writer, everyone has a strong and unique voice, we are all born with creative genius, and writing as an art form belongs to all people.
While teaching at OLLI, McCracken realized that her “Over 50+” writers craved opportunities to write in community like she had. Thus was born the Ames Writers Collective.
Since its inception in the fall of 2021, the Ames Writers Collective has provided outreach writing programs to cancer patients and survivors, adolescent and Over 50+ writers. For writers wishing to write in community, the Ames Writers Collective offers Tuesday Open Writes.
Swift Youth Writers
Programming also includes partnerships with the Octagon Art Gallery and Iowa State University Museums, Words Meet Art, where writers use art as writing prompts and read their stories or poems publicly. The Author Spotlight series co-hosted with KHOI Community Radio features local and visiting authors. And, the pop-up Swift Literary Festival features local and regional authors and their books.
Our Mission
The Ames Writers Collective is committed to
creating healthy communities through the art of writing.
Board of Directors
Jennifer Brockpahler
Jennifer Brockpahler is the director of the Ames Community Arts Council. With an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies (music, education, business) and a master’s degree in Community Arts Management, she is thrilled to put her passion for community building, outreach, and creative collaboration to work for the artists of Ames. In addition to her work with the Arts Council, Jen is an administrator with the Critical Materials Institute of the Ames Laboratory.
Jennifer Drinkwater
Jennifer Drinkwater, a Mississippi native, is an artist, an associate professor of art and visual culture and the community arts specialist for extension and outreach at Iowa State University. Jennifer explores how we bring artwork from the studio into the world, and how art-making can both build and shape community. Jennifer’s also the creator of The What’s Good Project, which celebrates the meaningful stories from where we live through community conversations and painting.
Ellyn Grimm
Ellyn Grimm is a co-owner of Dog-Eared Books. She holds a degree in English from Iowa State University and previously taught English Language Arts at Williamsburg Jr./Sr. High School and Ames Middle School. She is passionate about building community in the downtown district, particularly around reading and writing.
Jennifer L. Knox
Jennifer L. Knox is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently, Crushing It. Knox received her bachelor’s from the University of Iowa, and her master’s of fine arts in poetry writing from New York University. Her poems have appeared five times in the “Best American Poetry” series, and in publications such as the New York Times, The New Yorker and American Poetry Review. www.jenniferlknox.com.
Ana McCracken
Executive Director
Ana McCracken received her Bachelor of Science and MFA in Creative Writing and Environment degrees from Iowa State University. Her personal essays are published in The California Writers Club Literary Review, the anthologies Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God and The Joy of Adoption, and her poetry in Telepoem Booth®Iowa. She has served as a board of director for Litquake in San Francisco, and was recently elected to the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors. Passionate about building and uplifting communities through the art of writing and storytelling, she founded the Ames Writers Collective in 2021.
Mikesch Muecke
Mikesch Muecke aka polytekton, teaches architecture and interdisciplinary design courses at Iowa State University, and holds two degrees from the University of Florida—a Bachelor of Design with a Major in Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Architectural History and Theory from Princeton University. When not teaching, he edits, designs, and publishes books for Culicidae Press (peer-reviewed since 2005) and for the non-profit publishing houses Hog Press, Musca Press, and Zanzara Press, all located in Ames, Iowa.
Our Supporters
Corporate Sponsorship
 10FoldAmes Writers Collective is grateful to have the support of 10Fold Architecture + Engineering. |
 Integrity ConstructionWe are proud to have Integrity Construction as one of our most dedicated supporters! | |
 Stephens AuditoriumStephens Auditorium at Iowa State University is a great supporter and partner to Ames Writers Collective. |
Grants
 City of AmesThe Ames Writers Collective is proud to be a grantee of the City of Ames Arts Capital Grant Program |
 Rotary Club Of AmesThe Ames Writers Collective is proud to be a grantee of the Rotary Club of Ames. |
Individuals
Holly and Don BeermannThank you for your generosity! Donors such as you help us maintain our community outreach programs. |
Lynne CareyThank you for your generosity! Donors such as you help us maintain our community outreach programs. | |
Nancy and John HayesThank you for your generosity! Donors such as you help us maintain our community outreach programs. |
Community Partners
 Ames Chamber of CommerceWe are a Proud Member of the Ames Chamber of Commerce |
 Ames Community Arts CouncilAmes Writers Collective is pleased to have the unwavering support of the Ames Community Arts Council. | |
 Octagon Center for the ArtsThank you to Octagon Center, who has been an enthusiastic partner with Ames Writers Collective, hosting and promoting our events. |
Foundations
 Mary Greeley FoundationWe are proud to have the Mary Greeley Foundation supporting our Cancer Writing Circles. |
 Thistlewood FoundationThe Ames Writers Collective is thrilled to have the support of the Thistlewood Foundation. |
Special Thanks to You!
Without you, we couldn’t support our community of writers and audience who enjoys listening to the written word. We thank our students, members, audience and donors. Please consider giving today.