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Author Spotlight Featuring Anna Jinja Mather

The Ames Writers Collective & KHOI Community Radio
are thrilled to feature debut author, Anna Jinja Mather on Tuesday, December 17th.

Anna will discuss and read from her novel, Adopting Grace, which follows the journey of Grace, a 39-year-old Korean-American woman who was adopted as an infant from South Korea by a Norwegian family in Iowa. As Grace grapples with her husband’s affair with his high school sweetheart, her therapist suggests exploring deep-rooted issues tied to her adoption. This poignant story delves into Grace’s struggles as a wife, mother, and adoptee, exploring what it truly means to be part of a family.

Following the reading and discussion, books will be available for purchase and signing.

Join us at KHOI Community Radio Station
622 Douglas Avenue in Ames from 7 to 9 PM.

Presented by The Ames Writers Collective and KHOI Community Radio, and supported by Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA).

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Seeking New Board Members

Join Our Board

Are you interested in serving as an Ames Writers Collective board member? If not you, do you know of someone who might like to join our board? The Ames Writers Collective is accepting “rolling” applications for new board members.

Founded in 2021, the Ames Writers Collective is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) committed to creative healthy communities through the art of writing.

How Can I Help?

We are seeking individuals who can help broaden our current board. Our current priority is to recruit candidates with experience in marketing and social media, financial management or accounting, law, or fundraising—a general interest in making Ames and Central Iowa a literary destination.

Why Serve and What’s Expected?

This is a great opportunity for individuals who value writing and advancing the literary arts in Ames, Story County and Central Iowa.

Board member tasks include:

· Be an advocate for the mission of the Ames Writers Collective

· Set an annual budget

· Ensure there are necessary resources to meet the organization’s mission

· Evaluate services and programs

· Serve as ambassadors with prospective and active donors

· Work to grow and diversify the organization’s audience

Board members are asked to serve on board committees. The Board meets ~three times per year, in person and via Zoom as needed. In support of the charitable nature of the organization, board members are asked to make an annual financial contribution of any amount that is meaningful to them.

Board members serve no less than one three-year term and no more than three consecutive three-year terms.

How to Apply

Please complete and submit a brief application by clicking here.

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Ames Writers Collective Receives Grant for Upcoming Fifth Street Writers Co-Working Space

The Ames Writers Collective is thrilled to announce the receipt of a generous grant from the Story County Community Foundation! This grant will be instrumental in helping us accomplish our goals for the Fifth Street Writers Stage at our new space on 612 5th Street. With this support, we’ll be able to equip the stage with a podium and sound system, creating a venue for local writers in the Ames community. Our goal is to empower Ames and Central Iowa writers, host events, and continue to connect our community with the literary arts.

Thank you Story County Community Foundation!

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2024 Swift Literary Festival Author Spotlights

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Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!

Follow us on social media to meet our authors who participated in our 3rd Annual Swift Literary Festival held at the annual Octagon Art Festival on September 22nd. Our weekly Author Spotlight will feature author tid-bits, their book titles, and direct you to their websites to learn more about them.

3rd Annual Swift Literary Festival
Authors, Poets & Indie press

Marilyn Baszczynski – poet
William Bortz – poet
Stephen L. Brayton – mystery & horror
Paul Brooke – poet
Shannon K. Evans – spiritual nonfiction
Deb Kline – memoir
Charles R. Kniker – nonfiction
Jennifer L. Knox – poet
Kim Mosiman – nonfiction – poet
Eva Newcastle – magical realism
Charlie R. North – poet
Steve Semken & Ice Cube Press – indie press
Dawn Terpstra – poet
Pat Underwood – poet

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2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group & Clair Kruesel

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Hey Youth Writers! Let’s Write at the Ames Public Library.

Join our talented and fun-loving writer and facilitator, Claire Kruesel for our 2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group. Click here to read about Claire and her writing philosophy.

Youth writers meet upstairs in the P.E.O. Room from 2 to 4 PM. Do check the monitors incase of room changes. We supply notebooks and pens, and other supplies to prompt and inspire stories.

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups are offered as an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program in partnership with the Ames Public Library.

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Facing Pain With A Pen

Exuberant writers during a recent Writing Circle Wednesday.
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We are thrilled that Writing Circle Wednesday writer, Lori Holliday is featured in Health Connect magazine, a publication of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa.

For the past year, Lori has been writing with others who have, or are still receiving treatment through the William R. Bliss Cancer Center.

Writing Circle Wednesdays are held on Zoom from 3 to 5 PM, unless otherwise noted. This writing program is held in partnership with the William R. Bliss Cancer Resource Center. For questions and to join a community of writers, email founder, Ana McCracken. Click on the image below to read the article. Hardcopies can be found at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

 

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Fifth Street—A Co-Working Space For Writers

COMING SOON at 612 5th Street, Ames, Iowa!

Fifth Street is a membership co-working space, meant exclusively for writers.

The atmosphere at Fifth Street is quiet (silence-your-cell phones/no-phone-call rule), and you won’t feel nervous leaving your computer on your café table when you get up to refill your coffee or stretch your legs. No glaring baristas suggesting with their glances that it’s time to leave.

Fifth Street is about community where we encourage writers to gather at 12:30 PM around a big table for lunch (bring your own) and conversation.

We offer Wi-Fi, monthly member Happy Hours, and bi-monthly member readings open to guests and the public, and writer-driven craft groups that schedule their own meetings. Fifth Street members have the opportunity to GET INVOLVED with our literary community and to give back to our community at large. Such engagements include:

  • Attend a bi-monthly planning meetings to contribute to our mission
  • Maintain the Ames Writers Collective Little Free Library and our Writers’ Resource Library
  • Qualified writers may lead community Open Writes to engage more writers and attract new members

Members are given access to the Fifth Street online platform to interact with one another, to create writing groups, and to share publishing “good news” and community announcements.

The staff of Fifth Street personally meets with every prospective member to ensure they’re a good fit for our congenial and supportive working environment.

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

FULL MEMBER—$125 / Month

  • Full-time members have unlimited use of the Fifth Street space (except during occasional evening events and weekend workshops)
  • Complimentary coffee and tea
  • Priority participation in Fifth Street bi-monthly public readings
  • Access to the Fifth Street online community platform

HALF-TIME MEMBER—$80/Month for 8 visits

  • Half-time members are invited to use the Fifth Street space up to 8-times/month (usage tracked using a smart keypad)
  • Complimentary coffee and tea
  • Participation in Fifth Street bi-monthly public readings
  • Access to Fifth Street online community platform

DROP-IN MEMBER—$40/Month for 4 visits

  • Drop-In members are invited to use the Fifth Street space up to 4 times/month (usage tracked using a smart keypad)
  • Complimentary coffee and tea
  • Participation in Fifth Street bi-monthly public readings
  • Access to the Fifth Street online community platform

REMOTE MEMBER—$5/Month

  • Offers access to our online community platform

FELLOWSHIPS—We offer a number of fully-funded fellowships to BIPOC, differently-abled, and other underserved writers. We encourage you to apply

To apply for membership or to make inquiries, contact, Ana McCracken, Ames Writers Collective founder.

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Swift Literary Festival | Sunday, Sept 22nd | 10 to 4

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Join the us this Sunday, September 22nd from 10 to 4 at the Octagon Art Festival for our 3rd Annual Swift Literary Festival in Ames, Iowa. Meet our authors, and learn about Ames Writers Collective exciting upcoming news. Look for our tent on the corner of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in front of AVEC Design+Build.
Featured Authors & Poets
10 to 11:30
Marilyn J Baszczynski—Poetry
Paul Brooke—Poetry
Charlie R. North—Poetry
Dawn Terpstra—Poetry
Pat Underwood—Poetry
11:30 to 1
Paul Brooke—Poetry
Charlie R. North—Poetry
Dawn Terpstra—Poetry
Pat Underwood—Poetry
Deb Kline—Memoir
1 to 2:30
Stephen L. Brayton—Mystery & horror
Shannon K. Evans—Spiritual nonfiction
Kim Mosiman—Christian nonfiction
Ice Cube Press
2:30 to 4
William Bortz—Poetry
Charles R. Kniker—Nonfiction
Jennifer L. Knox—Poetry
Eva Newcastle—Magical realism
Ice Cube Press
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3rd Annual Swift Literary Festival

On Sunday, September 22nd, the Ames Writers Collective will host the 3rd Annual Swift Literary Festival—a pop-up event held annually at the Octagon Art Festival.

During the festival, festival-goers can visit with and purchase books from local Iowa authors and poets.

 

Current List of 2024 Swift Literary Festival Authors

Marilyn J Baszczynski | Stephen L. Brayton | Paul Brooke
William Bortz | Shannon K. Evans | Deb Kline
Charles R. Kniker | Jennifer L. Knox
Kim Mosiman | Eva Newcastle
Charlie R. North | Dawn Terpstra | Pat Underwood
Ice Cube Press

Thank You
Octagon Art Festival for hosting us at your annual event
Authors and poets, who joined us
Ames Community and visitors to Ames, who purchased books and dropped by to say hello

 

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2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Group & Linea King

Hey Youth Writers! It’s almost fall and time to write at our monthly Swift Youth Writers Groups held on the 2nd Sundays of the month at the Ames Public Library.

This month, join our talented and fun-loving writer and facilitator, Linea King. Click here to read about Linea and her writing philosophy.

Youth writers meet upstairs in the P.E.O. Room from 2 to 4 PM. Do check the monitors incase of room changes. We supply notebooks and pens, and other supplies to prompt and inspire stories.

2nd Sunday Swift Youth Writers Groups are offered as an Ames Writers Collective FREE community outreach program in partnership with the Ames Public Library.