Butler University is partnering with local libraries and bookstores to host free writing workshops this spring and summer.
The Butler University Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program will host a series of 10 workshops running from April to June. The workshops will be hosted at partner sites — including bookstores, nonprofits and public libraries — throughout the Greater Indianapolis area, and aim to connect adults at all stages of their writing journeys to experiences facilitated by alumni of Butler’s program, according to a press release.
“My time in the MFA program was the best gift I ever gave myself, and I just think anyone who might be excited about the craft of writing deserves the chance to try it out,” Sam Ferrante, Butler MFA Community Workshop Director and MFA alum, said in a statement. “This Community Workshop series is an opportunity for adults who have been practicing in Indy’s vibrant literary scene for years and for adults who are just now discovering their voices to come together and build their creative practices.”
This pilot initiative is supported by a generous donation by the Efroymson Family Fund, and hopes to “guide and enrich local writers in creative practice” through a series of workshops covering the program’s concentrations in poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction. Adult Hoosier writers are encouraged to attend any or all of the workshops throughout this inaugural spring and summer season.
“It’s an effort by some of the brightest, kindest, and most unique educators around to share their craft with others, as it has been informed by graduate-level study,” Ferrante added. “We are so grateful for the absolute dream literary organizations, libraries, and bookstores partnering with us as venues this season. If you’re a writer of any level who wants to try something new: come write with us in some of the loveliest spaces in the city!”
Workshops
Writing True Stories: An Introduction to Creative Nonfiction with John Strauss
Indianapolis Public Library–Lawrence, 7898 Hague Road
May 2, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Dystopia 101: Learning to Write the Future with Vinny Corsaro
Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, 543 Indiana Ave.
May 9, noon to 4 p.m.
How to Have Ideas: A Fiction Writing Workshop with Logan Taylor
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library — Zionsville | 250 N. 5th St., Zionsville
May 24, 2-4 p.m.
When Forms Collide: A Poetry Comics Workshop with Scoot Swain
Indy Reads, 1066 Virginia Ave.
May 30, 4-6 p.m.
Writing the Body: A Poetry Workshop with JD Amick
Indy Type Shop, 2621 Shelby St.
May 31, noon to 2 p.m.
Writing Poetry through Word Games with Chris Speckman
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library — Whitestown, 6310 Albert S. White Dr., Whitestown
June 6, 2-4 p.m.
Writing YA: A Generative Workshop for Adults Writing Young Adult Fiction with Annie Sullivan
The Whispering Shelf, 414 N. College Ave.
June 7, 1-3 p.m.
Writing for Wellness with Dominique Weldon
Indianapolis Public Library, Franklin Branch, 5550 S. Franklin Road
June 9, 3-5 p.m.
Writing Tiny Truths: Unearth Your Story with Flash Creative Nonfiction with Susan Lerner
Hamilton East Public Library — Noblesville, One Library Plaza, Noblesville
June 28, 1-3 p.m.
For more information about the workshop series, visit butler.edu/arts-sciences/master-fine-arts/community-workshop-series.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
