Category: In The Media

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In The Media News

Author Spotlight | John T. Price | Oct 9th 7 PM

Join the Ames Writers Collective & KHOI Community Radio Station for an evening with John T. Price—live at Fifth Street Writers on Thursday, October 9th at 7 PM.

This free community event features a reading, book signing, and conversation with John T. Price,  author of the novel, Goethe’s Oak–A Holocaust Story. Hosted in partnership with KHOI Community Radio, the evening celebrates literature, community, and creative storytelling.

About John T. Price: He is is the author of four creative nonfiction books: Not Just Any Land: A Personal and Literary Journey into the American Grasslands, Man Killed by Pheasant and Other Kinships, Daddy Long Legs: The Natural Education of a Father, and All Is Leaf: Essays and Transformations. He is the Regents/Foundation Distinguished Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he directs the English Department’s Creative Nonfiction Writing Program, and is a faculty member in the Goldstein Center for Human Rights.

Visit KHOI to tune in!

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In The Media News

Member Open Hours | Mondays in Sept | 5 to 7 PM

This month, join us for Open Hours at Fifth Street Writers. Open hours are available for members only! Interested in becoming a member? Click here for more information!

Looking for a space designed for writers by writers? Or are you looking for a quiet area to focus on your most recent project? At Fifth Street Writers, we aim to provide just that from 5pm – 7pm on Mondays in September. There are a few exceptions, please check our events calendar for specific dates!

We have seating areas spread throughout the building at Fifth Street Writers that run the gamut from comfy club chairs to benches with tables, to larger tables with chairs. Limited parking is available in front of the building, with plenty of street parking. Our site host is communications intern, Acacia Coates.

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In The Media News

Octagon Third Thursday Poetry Slam

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The Octagon in partnership with the Ames Poetry Slam & the Ames Writers Collective is hosting its first ever poetry slam!

Come hear original work from local poets of all ages and styles. The event on Thursday, August 21st will begin at 5:30 and poets will take the stage at 6:00. This is a free event, for attendees and poets alike. We prefer that poets sign up in advance at this link: Poet Registration. However, we will allow same-day sign up at the event.

We hope you’ll join us, as a poet or a spectator, and support the poets in our community.

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In The Media News

Ames Writers Collective in the News – Grand Opening

The Ames Tribune recently published an article featuring Fifth Street Writers’ grand opening. Ana McCracken discussed her desire to create community for Ames writers through the new space, highlighting the need for a “quiet and inspiring environment” for writers of all skill levels.

The article written shortly after the grand opening discusses the benefits of membership at the Ames Writers Collective, including an online portal, connection to other writing groups and a platform for shared resources. See more information on memberships here.

Click this link to read the full article.

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In The Media News

Tumbling Words Event

Join us for Tumbling Words on June 19 at The Dot Café! Enjoy a fun and therapeutic evening of cocktails, mocktails, and creative self-expression through Wild Writing. No experience needed, just come ready to silence your inner critic and let the words flow. Your $35 ticket includes a handcrafted drink, journal and pen, a guided writing session with founder Ana McCracken, and a post-workshop mingle.

Spots are limited, get your ticket now before it sells out!

Click to sign up! 

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In The Media News

Generative Writing Workshop

Do you dream of writing “someday,” but don’t know where to start? Perhaps you already write, but you’re stuck.

Join this FREE monthly writing workshop for adults, which provides a safe space for writers of all stages and genres to generate stories inspired by poetry. We will read our stories to one another and share only positive feedback.

These workshops are inspired by the Amherst Writers & Artists Method, which believes that everyone is a writer, and the Wild Writing Method, which encourages writers to write as fast and as badly as you can to out-write the inner critic.

This workshop is held at the Ames Public Library from 10 to 12 PM upstairs in the PEO Room.

Presented by the Iowa Center for the Book and Ames Public Library in partnership with the Ames Writers Collective.

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In The Media News

Join Us for Our Write Togethers

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Join Us for Our Write Togethers
Open to Fifth Street Writers Members &
FREE to Community Writers
Working on a Writing Project

  • 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month (3:30 to 5 PM)
  • 1st Saturdays (10 to Noon)

What’s a Write Together?

1. Bring your laptop or whatever you write with to work on your creative writing projects—novels, memoirs, poems, project outlines, your to-do list
2. We have seating areas spread throughout the building at Fifth Street Writers that run the gamut from comfy club chairs to benches with tables, to larger tables with chairs—some tables are shared spaces
3. We’ll write in community for ~1.5 to 2 hours after sharing a brief comment about our creative project
4. We have wifi
5. We write, write, write in silence
6. Only RULES: Cell phones MUST BE SILENCED, as well as laptop “alerts.” No phone calls allowed in the building.

There’s plenty of street parking (metered) with a CyRide stop in front of our building at 612 5th Street in downtown Ames, Iowa. A few spaces are available in our front lot.

This event is FREE and open to all as part of the Ames Writers Collective Community Outreach Programming. Show up or click here Zoom links only good on Tuesdays. To ensure you always know about our Write Togethers, click here.

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In The Media News

Swift Youth Writers Workshop

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The Ames Writers Collective is committed to Youth Outreach Programming.

FREE Writing Workshop for youth grades 6 to 12.

The Swift Youth Writers Workshops are designed to nurture creative writing and in-person connections among youth.

The 4th Annual Swift Youth Writers Workshop—a week-long writing workshop scheduled for June 23 to 27, 2025, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM at the Ames Public Library.

Click here to register.

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In The Media News

Register for the 4th Annual Swift Youth Writers Workshop from June 23 – 27

Unlock Your Creativity This Summer!

Join us for the Swift Youth Writers Free Creative Writing Workshop — a five-day experience for students in grades 6–12 to explore their voice, meet fellow young writers, and grow their storytelling skills in a supportive, fun environment. Whether you love poetry, fiction, or journaling, this workshop is your chance to write, share, and shine.

Held at the Ames Public Library from June 23 – 27 daily at 10 AM – 12 PM. 

Sign up by emailing [email protected]

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In The Media News

Fifth Street Writers Grand Opening

Join Us for Our Grand Opening!

We’re excited to invite you to the grand opening of our new space at 612 Fifth Street, Ames, IA on Friday, May 23, 2025!

Come explore the space, connect with local writers, enjoy appetizers and drinks in a welcoming creative atmosphere, and hear submission read by community members.

  • Doors open at 6:30 PM
  • Program begins at 7:00 PM

Interested in reading your work? Submit a piece that fits the theme Hit the Road Writing – New Beginnings Real or Imagined. Priority will be given to current members.

Submit your piece Here. 

We can’t wait to celebrate this new beginning with you!