Upcoming Classes

To Put It Lightly: Writing Poetry

  • Monday, March 1-Monday, April 4, 2021
  • This is an asynchronous class with a live workshop on Wednesday evenings

The past year has begged for an attention to levity, to lightness, to praise — to the ways we might be opened to joy, if we push ourselves to see it.  This multisession generative workshop will explore writing and writers that champion delight and joy amidst (and because of) the melancholy, and some of the poetic forms that help us to take stock of the small things worth dancing over.

This class will include self-guided materials for writers to engage and generate independently, but students will get the most out of the course by attending the live sessions to read work, discuss craft and share editing and publishing practices on Wednesday evenings.

Dr. Adam Falkner (he/him/his) is a multi-hyphenate artist, educator and equity & inclusion strategist. He is the author of The Willies (Button Poetry, 2020) and Adoption (Winner of the Diode Editions Chapbook Award), and his work has been featured on programming for HBO, in The Guardian, The New York Times, and elsewhere. A former high school English teacher in New York City’s public schools, Adam has over a decade of cross-industry experience developing creative diversity strategies and cultural programming for corporate, nonprofit and academic partners, and was the featured performer at President Obama’s Grassroots Ball at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. He holds a PhD in English & Education from Columbia University. 

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Writing for Self-Discovery

  • Monday, March 29-Sunday, May 2, 2021
  • This is an asynchronous class.

Find your own thread and jumpstart your personal writing practice with this five week-course. You’ll use ideas, characters and inspiration from your lived experience, as well as time-honored inspiration passed down from other well-loved writers —  to explore your interests and generate fresh new work. Before you know it, you’ll be writing your memoir (or your novel, or your cookbook, or your family history, etc.) in manageable, bite-sized pieces. 

Kim MacQueen is a writer, editor, publisher and educator with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Bay Path University (2018). She has taught journalism, creative writing and publishing at the college level since 2012, and has been featured, most recently, in The Inquisitive Eater, Wisdom Daily, Seven Days and The Morning News. The author of two novels: Out, Out and People Who Hate America, and she’s currently at work on a food-based memoir forthcoming from Process Media in 2022. Come and visit at kimmacqueen.com.

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Registration & Payment

Because times are extra tough right now, ACW is offering this class at a Pay What You Can rate, thanks to the generous support of the Lake Placid Education Foundation. If you are able, please consider selecting the $150 or $200 rate to ensure ACW can continue bringing classes like this one to community members like yourself. Registrations are limited, so make sure to register early!

Prefer cash or check? Select deferred payment in the registration form and send a check made out to Adirondack Center for Writing, P.O. Box 956, Saranac Lake, New York 12983.

Did you know? You can give a class to a loved one! Simply enter your payment info and select “gift option.”

Give the gift of an online writing class!

Coming in May 2021

  • Nitty Gritty: The Craft Basics of Prose Part II, an extension of the wildly popular course offered by Leah Hampton

Leah Hampton is the author of F*ckface and Other Stories and a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers. She has held fellowships at Hedgebrook, the Adirondack Center for Writing, and the Stadler Center for Poetry, and her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Ecotone, The Los Angeles Times, McSweeneys, LitHub, and elsewhere. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

About the classes

Each season welcomes a new batch of talented teachers and developing writers from all over the world. The Adirondack Center for Writing’s online classes are easy for you to participate in from your own computer. All you need to participate is a web browser — there’s no technical software involved, so you can work whenever is convenient for you.

Interactive readings, resources, and assignments are the heart of each class. Every student will receive personal feedback from the instructor on their weekly assignments. We welcome any level of writer to join the online writing classes, and offer courses for a variety of genres. Visit the FAQ page for more info about the online writing classes.

Student Testimonials

“Before this class, I had a “loose almost lost” assortment of fiction stories and because of Leah, I pulled the old ones together, re-worked them and wrote a few more.”

“I was a teacher for thirty years, and I can tell you that Julia Shipley knows her stuff and is willing to share her knowledge. She works to better student writing. She’s efficient, friendly and enthusiastic.”

“I have taken 8 online courses from One Story, Grub Street, and Gotham City. Julia Shipley’s preparation and presentation were the most thorough of all.”

“The class was the perfect amount of challenge, stimulation and fun.”

“I loved this course. It forced me to work at my edge. Jessica Hendry Nelson gave detailed feedback. I took risks and learned a lot.”

Previously Offered Courses

The Adirondack Center for Writing has offered a series of online writing workshops with an amazing group of teachers, including the following:

Let’s look forward to the future together

Help ACW continue to support you through the coming months. The future might feel overwhelming, but ACW is committed to infusing joy into your life with upcoming programming! With your continued support, ACW can offer new online classes every month, story nights, a discussion series, writing workshops for teens, and more for all ages.

Make this winter amazing for the ACW family. Be a part of ACW. Give now.

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