Ames Writers Collective
If you missed the Facebook Live event in October, you can still watch Ana’s conversation with author/memoirist Tom Geraty.
Live at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines, Iowa, they discuss Tom’s new memoir, Where the Trees Dance, and swap stories about being adopted children searching for their birth parents.
Watch the video here:
On Wednesday, September 27th, 30 writers filled the Dan Foss Room at the Ames Public Library to capacity to write and listen to author, Tom Montgomery Fate. Tom led a workshop titled, Writing a Life Into Memoir—An introductory workshop on craft.
If you aren’t familiar with Tom, he is a professor emeritus at College of DuPage in suburban Chicago where he taught creative writing. His Most recent book is, The Long Way Home Detours and Discoveries, and his essays have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Orion, The Iowa Review, among others.
A big thank you to Tom, the writers who attended, and the Ames Public Library, who partnered with the Ames Writers Collective to offer this FREE workshop to local writers.
On Sunday, September 24th, the Ames Writers Collective hosted the 2nd Annual Swift Literary Festival—a pop-up event held annually at the Octagon Art Festival.
At the event, festival-goers visited with and purchased books from local Iowa authors.
2023 Swift Literary Festival Authors
Bi Ayers | Hallie Baur | Paul Brooke | Joe Geha | Tom Geraty | Jackie Haley | Stephanie Hansen | Pattie and Kevin Kimle | Deb Kline | Dennis Maulsby | Clara McKenna | Pamela Riney-Kehrberg | Moriah Rose.
Information about all these authors can be found here.
Additionally, we hosted two Community Stories where passerby’s contributed a story-thread to both of our stories. Below is an example of one:
Thank you to our authors who participated, the Ames Community and visitors to Ames, and the Octagon Art Festival for hosting us at their annual event.
Thank you, Ames City Council
for the City of Ames Arts Capital Grant!
On Tuesday, September 26th, the Ames City Council heard a request from the Ames Writers Collective to alter the purpose of a grant they received in 2022 and decided to allow the Collective full use of the grant.
“The grant amounted to $5,590 to purchase furnishings for their property at 409 Douglas Ave. The renovations that were supposed to occur in the building did not happen due to failed attempts to communicate with the landlord.
Because the grant was not used, Ana McCracken, the founder and president of the Ames Writers Collective, is asking that the money be spent on chairs, tables, a moveable stage and one small free library for a total of $3,223. Another alternative was to refund the money for a tent purchased last year that cost $2,642.
The council approved the motion for full payment up-front.” (This article can be found by clicking here. Thank you, Iowa State Daily for reporting City Council Meetings.)
The Ames Writers Collective is immensely grateful to the City Council of Ames, Iowa for granting us a City of Ames Arts Capital Grant. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a mission committed to creating healthy communities through the art of writing, the Ames Writers Collective offers FREE community outreach programs to individuals living the cancer journey, Swift Youth Writers Groups held at the Ames Public Library, and the Over 50+ writers who attend OLLI-ISU programming. Grants, corporate sponsorships, and donors are the life-line that keep our programming FREE. For a list of sponsors and donors, click here.
Thank you, Ames City Council for believing in and supporting the Ames Writers Collective.
October 16, 2023 – October 18, 2023
Most of us give little thought to how we would like to be remembered in our obituaries. The thought of writing it may be scary. But writing your obituary does not signal the end of your life. Instead, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect, receive feedback from others, and to plan how you wish to live the rest of your best life. And, wouldn’t you rather be the author of your obituary as opposed to leaving the writing of your life to someone else?
This two-and-a-half-day workshop will help demystify writing about ourselves and explore the history of obituaries—both newspaper and online versions. Step-by-step exercises will help each of us gather our own anecdotal and biographical data, and easy writing exercises will produce draft obituaries, both online and newspaper versions. During our final evening celebration, everyone will be invited to read their obituary to the group.
Join Mary Lou Nosco and Ana McCracken for a fun-filled and reflective writing retreat at Prairiewoods. You don’t have to be “a writer” to join us. During our time together, we will gather in community for walks, good food and conversation, and time to reflect and write. And, of course, there will be wine!
Ana McCracken received her B.S and MFA in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University, and she the founder of the Ames Writers Collective. Ana enjoys reading a well-written obituary, and wants to be the author of her own.
Mary Lou Nosco has a B.A. in history, an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, and is a retired Army officer. While in the Army, Nosco wrote too many obituaries for soldiers. Additionally, she has written obituaries for five family members and would like to spare her own family that duty.
DATES
Arrival: October 16 (Noon)
Departure: October 18 (by 1 pm)
COST: $295 includes lodging (single rooms) and meals, materials and wine! Click here for payment instructions or to make inquiry. Pre-assignments and itinerary will be sent closer to the retreat date. Plan to bring a notebook and pen and/or your laptop for writing and taking notes.
Our founder, Ana McCracken was thrilled and honored to participate as a plenary panelist at the annual Peace & Justice Studies Conference at Iowa State University (Sept 15-17, 2023). The plenary topic: “Peace in Place: Building Community.”
Ana was joined by Alice McGary (Mustard Seed Community Farm) and Sharon Stewart (Lockwood Cafe).
Additionally, she led a Writers Studio. During their time together, writers wrote reflections on peace.
Our founder, ANA MCCRACKEN is thrilled and honored to be a part of the Unity Point John Stoddard Cancer Center Metastatic Cancer Series.
The Ames Writers Collective is proud to have founder, Ana McCracken featured in “Cost of Living Diaries” in the current issue of Livability Ames.
Click here to view the entire story and issue. Please note that our story begins on page 17 of the digital magazine!
Livability Ames is sponsored by the Ames Chamber of Commerce.
We are grateful for the opportunity to be featured among the awesome businesses and organizations that make living
in Story County, Iowa great.
The Swift Youth Writers Workshop is back!
In partnership with the Ames Public Library, our Swift Youth Writers Workshops offer kids an escape into creative writing and the opportunity to connect with other youth writers.
Regardless of genre, for five days writers will come together in a safe space to read an inspirational piece of writing and write together to timed-writing prompts. At the end of each session, writers will be invited to read aloud to the group to receive positive feedback.These FREE sessions will be held at the Ames Public Library.
We are honored to be the recipient of the Veronika Ruedenberg Cultural Entrepreneur Award this year, recognizing our founder, Ana McCracken, for starting the Ames Writers Collective in 2021.
This award is meant for a community-minded pioneer who has shown the vision and courage to break ground for some new institution for the enrichment of Ames’ cultural life, creating something where there was nothing.
Veronika Ruedenberg was an inspiration to many. She supported individual creative efforts in those who wanted to try something new, regardless of how unusual or difficult. She was open-minded and encouraged this in others. Her good intuition, her unflinching good will, her selfless enthusiasm and her confidence in other people, made her an effective cultural pioneer and the institutions she built up grew and prospered long after she was gone. She was living proof of the joy in the creative journey, rather than the safety of the bandwagon.
Many thanks to a board member for accepting the award while Ana was out of the country!
