Supporting writers and building community
PORCHLIGHT SUPPORTS WRITERS THROUGH COMMUNITY BASED, COLLABORATIVE, AND MULTI -DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO CREATIVE WRITING
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We provides a space for writers of all ages, income levels, and levels of experience to grow their practices, and find creative community.
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We offer readings, classes, sessions to talk process and set goals, critique groups, residencies and more. As a community of writers we help eachother stay current, finish projects, and build sustainable practices.
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Find out how you can become a member here.
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PROGRAMMING:
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OUTREACH (FREE FOR EVERYONE)
The Free Generative Writing Workshops, The Fairweather Writing Sessions, The Writing Garden, The Lights-on Salon, Happy Hour at the Greenhouse.
FREE PROGRAMS FOR MEMBERS
The Long Project Check-in, The Prose Exchange, The Poetry Exchange, Flash Forward, Write Now, The Queer Writers Check-in.
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CLASSES
PorchLight offers once-a-week month-long seminars that allow participants to significantly revise, or produce drafts from scratch. Our experienced teachers offer in-depth expertise, stimulating prompts, and personalized feedback on your drafts.
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We also offer pop-up generative workshops. Keep your eyes on the calendar for these!
OPEN HOURS
Come visit our community salon open 11-3 on Saturday. Inside you'll find information on local and regional literary happenings, a gallery for Image and Text creations, our Writer's Resource Library, deep chairs, and brewed coffee. Consider us your "Welcome Center" for the City of Literature.
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RESIDENCIES AND WRITER'S RETREATS
The Iowa Writer's Residency offers a fully funded two week stay at PorchLight. More details.
PorchLight provides a furnished apartment for DIY Writer Retreats. Discounts are given to Iowa Writers. Contact jennifer@porchlightliterary.org to book your stay.
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​​PROMPTPRESS
Our in house press, offering publishing opportunities, and volunteer opportunities.
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READING SERIES
The Rooftop Reading Series (May through September) The Writer Next Door Reading Series
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WHAT WE DO
Director
Jennifer Colville, Ph.D., M.F.A.
Jennifer Colville is a writer and community arts organizer. In 2013 she founded Prompt Press, a project connecting visual artists, book artists and writers. She speaks and leads creative writing workshops on “The Inventive Feminist Voice,” and the intersection of writing and visual art. Elegies for Uncanny Girls, a collection of short stories, was published in 2017 by Indiana University Press. She has taught at the University of Iowa, San Francisco State, Coe College, Cornell College among others; and published fiction and non-fiction in such places as The Iowa Review, The Mississippi Review, Diagram, The Huffington Post, and Longreads. Jennifer is a 2022/2023 Iowa Artist Fellow.
Board of Directors
Rachael Carlson, UNESCO City of Literature
Jennifer New, Author
Susan Fuchtman, Community Volunteer
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Advisory
Caleb Rainey
Lauren Haldeman, Author
Amy Margolis, Iowa Summer Writing Festival
Chuy Renteria, Author
Mark Rahe, Author
Shari DeGraw, Empyrion Press