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SUMMARY:Book Launch for Writer Abby Reid
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes writer Abby Reid for a reading from her new book\, How to Write Like a Human: Writing for Work\, School\, and Life—Without AI.  \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nA keen editor and digital storyteller\, Abby Reid derives a great deal of joy (probably too much!) from turning complex content into easily digestible information for a wide range of audiences. Abby has over 15 years of experience as a communicator with the federal government\, and has earned a B.A. in English Literature from Ithaca College\, as well as an M.A. in Communication from Johns Hopkins University. How to Write Like a Human: Writing for Work\, School\, and Life—Without AI is her first published book. \n\nAbout How to Write Like a Human: Writing for Work\, School\, and Life—Without AI\nFrom texting friends to creating status reports at work\, writing is part of our daily lives. It can be tempting to do all that writing with AI\, but AI can never capture your voice\, your thoughts\, and your personality. Only you can do that. Learning to write well on your own is a superpower in today’s society. It will help you gain confidence\, succeed at work and at school\, and express yourself clearly and effectively. \nPractical\, approachable\, and refreshingly real\, How to Write Like a Human: Writing for Work\, School\, and Life—Without AI teaches you the basics of writing anything\, from business emails to slam poetry. It’s designed for real people\, not grammar experts. \nWhether you’re a young adult\, student\, early-career professional—or simply someone who’s interested in becoming a stronger writer—this book will help you gain a clear understanding of different types of writing\, how to adjust your writing to different audiences\, and which rules to follow (and which you can happily break). \nAbby Reid draws on extensive experience in writing and editing to break writing down into easy concepts\, provide examples\, and help you improve your writing—without AI. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/abby-reid/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260616T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260616T193000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260106T211615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T211615Z
UID:10005150-1781631000-1781638200@writer.org
SUMMARY:LGBTQ+ Writers Mixer
DESCRIPTION:Are you a writer who identifies as LGBTQ+? Let’s hang out and talk writing! Come join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center. Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend\, too. \nFREE & open to all DMV writers who identify as LGBTQ+. RSVP required below. \nAttending? We encourage you to become a member of The Writer’s Center for only $65/year »
URL:https://writer.org/event/lgbtq-writers-mixer-jun26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260429T135922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T135922Z
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SUMMARY:Writerly Happy Hour
DESCRIPTION:Join us for cocktails and writerly conversation at metrobar! \nCome connect with the local writing community! Hang with staff\, board\, and friends of The Inner Loop\, The Writer’s Center\, DC Writer’s Room\, and PEN/Faulkner\, and tell us how your writing is going! \nRegister here »
URL:https://writer.org/event/writerly-happy-hour-5/
LOCATION:metrobar\, 640 Rhode Island Avenue NE\, Washington\, 20002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T150000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260421T195333Z
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SUMMARY:***CANCELED** Fiction Book Club w/ Lauren D. Woods!
DESCRIPTION:This event has been canceled and will be rescheduled for another date.\nThe Writer’s Center welcomes author Lauren D. Woods\, to our monthly Fiction Book Club for a discussion of her most recent novel\, The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe\, at The Writer’s Center! Zach is joined by Book Club Host\, Hannah Grieco. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online directly from the publisher» \n***The above link will give you a 22% discount and free shipping*** \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nLauren D. Woods\, originally from the Dallas area\, now lives and writes in Washington\, DC\, where she was a 2024-25 Washington\, DC Arts and Humanities Fellow for Fiction. Her writing has appeared as a spotlighted story in The Best Small Fictions\, as well as in The Antioch Review\, The Normal School\, Passages North\, Hayden’s Ferry Review\, Red Rock Review\, Southern Humanities Review\, and Lunch Ticket\, among others. Lauren works in consulting and lives with her husband\, four children\, two cats\, and a guinea pig. The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe is her debut collection. \n\nAbout The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe\nWinner of the 2024 Autumn House Fiction Prize\, these lyrical\, haunting stories invite us to question the stories we tell ourselves and to imagine other paths—joyful\, whimsical\, even absurd—through the world. \nA wife finds herself literally shrinking in her house\, day by day; a mother recalls the surreal day when her infant daughter survives a close encounter with a bear; and\, inside her lover’s heart\, a woman discovers a secret nightclub populated by all the women he’s loved and left. \nIn the worlds Woods conjures\, childhood memories ripple through adult lives\, and characters test the limits of their self-created realities. The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe urges us to contemplate how we can escape loneliness and heartbreak and live on our own terms. \n\nAbout Book Club\nThis is no run-of-the-mill book club. Visiting writers will read excerpts\, join the discussion\, and answer your questions about craft\, process\, the publishing industry\, and getting advice for our own writing! We’ll hang and eat snacks with the authors and escape your doomscrolling. \nPoetry Book Club will meet on Zoom every second Wednesday of the month with a new poet. \nFiction Book Club will meet every third Sunday of the month in person at The Writer’s Center with a new author. \nCome build community and read amazing books that the Big 5 didn’t have the sense to publish! \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/lauren-woods/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260624T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260624T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T165448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T165448Z
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SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-jun2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260625T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260421T181418Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T181418Z
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SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Kay E. Bancroft
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Kay E. Bancroft to discuss their debut collection\, Bloodroom. Kay is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nKay E. Bancroft (they/them) is a queer nonbinary writer\, poet\, editor\, educator\, and artist based in Cincinnati\, OH. They hold an MFA in Poetry from Randolph College\, and a BA from the University of Cincinnati. You can find their writing in Poet Lore\, Pleiades Journal\, RHINO Poetry\, Passengers Journal\, The Rumpus\, & more. Explore more at kayebancroftpoet.com. \n\nAbout Bloodroom\n“Do you identify with any of the above terminology? Occasionally. Some days they feel appropriate. Others\, I resent these tools of our language. I reject and embrace\, synchronously.” \nBloodroom is a howling\, scorching debut collection of deftly formatted poetry—circling\, and delicately probing\, themes of familial debt\, legacy\, obligation\, and the matriline. Through an index of past wounds and inherited scars\, the speaker bleeds their histories together with the slow erosion of nostalgia. These poems offer an incisive and scalding interrogation of gender\, yet are often unbearably tender—a swirling emulsion of grief and anger poured into an intricately technical and beautifully challenging mold. Each piece draws out a tragic\, cyclical song of love and loss\, resentment and admiration\, as though drawing poison from a wound. Bancroft’s writing is meditative\, cleansing\, and compulsively readable: recounting a feminine childhood transformed into something monstrous until seen through a new lens. Bloodroom is a plea to identity\, to the process of searching for purpose and of seeking certainty in a broken world. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/kay-bancroft/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T153000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260114T202050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T202050Z
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SUMMARY:Melanie McCabe & Brad Barkley Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes writers Melanie McCabe and Brad Barkley for a reading from their respective novels\, Road Longer Than Memory and The Reel Life of Zara Kegg. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP below. \n\nMelanie McCabe is a writer of poems\, essays\, memoir\, and most recently\, fiction. She is a lifelong Virginian and was a high school English and creative writing teacher in Arlington for twenty-two years. Her debut novel\, Road Longer Than Memory\, will be published by Oceanview Publishing on June 2\, 2026. Her forthcoming book of poems\, All The Signs Were There\, won the Longleaf Poetry Prize and will be out in the winter of 2026. Her memoir\, His Other Life: Searching For My Father\, His First Wife\, and Tennessee Williams\, won the 2016 University of New Orleans Publishing Lab Prize and was published in the fall of 2017. Previous books of poems include: The Night Divers (Terrapin Books)\, What The Neighbors Know (FutureCycle Press) and History of the Body (David Robert Books.) Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post\, Reader’s Digest\, Shenandoah\, Cumberland River Review\, Sweet\, Forge Literary Magazine and elsewhere. \nBrad Barkley is the author of the novels Money\, Love and Alison’s Automotive Repair Manual\, two collections of short stories\, and three YA novels with Penguin (including Scrambled Eggs at Midnight).  His work has been translated into five languages. His short stories have appeared in 40+ magazines\, including Fractured Lit\, The Southern Review\, The Virginia Quarterly Review\, Glimmer Train\, and USA Today.  He’s won numerous awards\, including Four Individual Artist Awards from the State of Maryland\, and a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. \n\n\nAbout Road Longer Than Memory\nSometimes the road home runs through everything you tried to forget \nAfter  a failed relationship and an unsettled teaching career\, Sara Barlow  returns to her childhood home in Arlington\, Virginia\, hoping for a fresh  start. But when she applies for a job at her old high school\, a chance  glimpse into the gymnasium shakes her to the core—she spots the man she  suspects was involved in a classmate’s violent death a decade earlier. \n\nHaunted  by the past\, Sara confronts the memories she’s spent years trying to  suppress: her sister Suzanne’s fatal car crash\, her secret summer with  the reckless Devlin Barrie\, and the anonymous 911 call she made after  witnessing what she believes was a murder. As the construction of  Interstate 66 physically fractures her community\, Sara grapples with  emotional fault lines of her own—guilt\, silence\, and buried truth. \nSet against the backdrop of suburban upheaval in the 1970s and ’80s\, Road Longer Than Memory is a compelling story of memory\, reckoning\, and the cost of what we leave unsaid. \n\n\nAbout The Reel Life of Zara Kegg\nLove\, grief\, Godzilla\, and one very weird winter at the beach… \nThree years after her mother’s death\, 16-year-old Zara is still settling into life in Carolina Beach\, N.C.\, where she knows almost no one. Working as the lone projectionist at the Palace Theatre—a rundown movie house that shows only vintage ’50s sci-fi and horror flicks—Zara spends her nights in a dusty booth\, fueled by coffee\, pushups\, and the occasional existential crisis (with popcorn). \nThen she meets Zachary\, whose “Z” name feels like fate. His clothes don’t match\, his stories don’t always add up\, and he might be the most interesting person she’s ever met. As their friendship deepens into something more\, Zara learns about the struggles Zachary hides beneath his charm—and wonders if trust is possible. \nWhen her boss tasks her with organizing a Valentine’s Day Godzilla marathon—complete with 150 inflatable Godzillas on the roof—Zara must confront the chaos in her own life. Like any good Godzilla movie\, the big question remains: who will survive\, and who will be crushed? \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/mccabe-barkley/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T180000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260416T135710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T100458Z
UID:10005204-1782640800-1782669600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Washington Writers' Publishing House Capital Love LitFest
DESCRIPTION:Join us at The Washington Writers’ Publishing House’s Capital Love LitFest!\n\nThe Capital Love LitFest is an 8-hour literary salon of writing workshops\, deep-dive literary discussions\, and poetry and prose readings from the new WWPH pocket-sized anthology\, Capital Love. The Capital Love LitFest\, and our anthology\, are dedicated to all those who believe love is the antidote to hate\, and that love is action\, intent\, healing\, and hope. \nThis event is a pay-as-you-can literary event designed to inspire and generate your writing\, deepen your craft\, introduce you to your Washington Writers’ Publishing House’s community\, and raise up our collective voices in literary solidarity. Attendance will be limited to 120 people\, which is the capacity for the theater at The Writer’s Center\, so reserve your seat now. \nWriters scheduled to appear include co-presidents Caroline Bock and Jona Colson along with legendary Grace Cavalieri and E. Ethelbert Miller\, plus\, Kim Roberts\, Bernardine ‘Dine’ Watson\, Samantha Neugebauer\, Jason Gebhardt\, Emily Holland\, and over 25 more! A dozen literary presses from across the DMV will also be there. A reception for all will culminate the day. A complete schedule of the day’s events can be found here »  \nAll monies from this pay-as-you-can donation will be shared between your WWPH and the Writer’s Center of Bethesda\, two nonprofit literary organizations dedicated to supporting the DMV literary community. The Washington Writers’ Publishing House is grateful to The Writer’s Center for their partnership and support with the Capital Love LitFest. \nThe Capital Love LitFest is made possible by generous grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
URL:https://writer.org/event/capital-love/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260706T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260706T203000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260105T201559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T201559Z
UID:10005143-1783364400-1783369800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Cafe Muse Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers Greg Luce and Burgi Zenhaeusern. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/cafe-muse-literary-salon-july-26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T165631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T165631Z
UID:10005127-1783537200-1783544400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-july2026-1/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260421T180554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T180554Z
UID:10005208-1783623600-1783627200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Jake Rose
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Jake Rose to discuss their debut collection\, JOAN. Jake is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nJake Rose is the author of JOAN\, winner of the 2026 Phoenix Emerging Poets Book Prize\, published by the University of Chicago Press in March 2026. A poet\, artist\, and educator living in California’s Central Valley\, Rose teaches at the University of California\, Davis\, and has work published in West Branch\, The Atlantic\, The Academy of American Poets\, Foglifter\, Coach House Books\, and elsewhere. Other literary works include The Art of the Death\, a book-length erasure poem; Spectropoetics\, a location-based series of interspecies writing; and The Month Books\, a collection of handmade chapbooks exploring chronic illness and hybrid form. \n\nAbout JOAN\nA narrative sequence of lyric poems reimagining Joan of Arc as a framework for queer identity\, transformation\, and poetic voice. \nCollapsing biography and autobiography\, the poetry of Jake Rose’s debut explores queer identity\, grief\, and desire through the historical framework of Joan of Arc’s life. Moving through rural landscapes of the speaker’s youth\, contradictions of faith\, consequences of desire\, and fragmentations of trauma\, JOAN is structured as an excavation of the speaker’s most intimate moments\, combining poetry with historical quotations\, visual collage\, and a sequence of film stills. Through vivid lyric moments\, the poems construct a speaker and world both intimate and charged­—“I have to touch my farthest feeling\,” “the sapphire dusk draping its lace arias”—with clarity and vibrant intensity. Refusing resolution\, these poems dwell in rupture\, reinvention\, and fluid forms of gender that come to life outside of inherited boundaries. This collection speaks from the margins\, searching for a body the self might inhabit and asking what it means to transform through language\, gender\, and desire. \nJOAN is the winner of the Phoenix Emerging Poet Book Prize. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/jake-rose/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jake-Rose-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T165816Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T165816Z
UID:10005128-1784746800-1784754000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-july2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260331T160142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T160142Z
UID:10005192-1784833200-1784836800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Arielle Hebert
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Arielle Hebert to discuss her debut poetry collection\, Bottom Feeders. Arielle is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nArielle Hebert is a queer poet based in North Carolina with roots in Florida and Louisiana. Her debut poetry collection\, Bottom Feeders\, was a finalist for the St. Lawrence Book Award and is forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press in June 2026. She holds an MFA in poetry from North Carolina State University. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net and have appeared in Southern Humanities Review\, Poetry Daily\, Best New Poets\, Grist\, Great River Review\, Nimrod\, and Redivider\, among others. Arielle believes in ghosts and magic. \n\nAbout Bottom Feeders\nA vibrant and gritty debut from poet Arielle Hebert\, Bottom Feeders is a queer coming-of-age collection set in late 2000s Florida\, during the height of the opioid epidemic. Here\, overdoses\, red tide blooms\, and hurricanes are as much a part of growing up as fleeting teenage desires\, beach parties\, and prom. \nThis is a landscape of glitter and grime\, where young queer love is tested by the tides of addiction and recovery. The collection thrums with a sense of spectacle and surreality\, accented by Sarasota’s history as a circus town and Florida’s deadly wildlife—alligators\, needlefish\, invasive snakes. The heat\, humidity\, and salt air of the Gulf become characters in their own right\, as haunting as the love\, grief\, and loss found here. Despite the long shadows cast over these poems\, there is beauty\, friendship\, chosen family\, and hope in Bottom Feeders. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/arielle-hebert/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Arielle-Hebert-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260428T161345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T161345Z
UID:10005287-1785438000-1785441600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Author Haili Blassingame
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Haili Blassingame for a discussion of her new publication\, They All Fall in Love at the End. Haili is in conversation with Amy Freeman\, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org » \n\nHaili Blassingame is a producer for the NPR program 1A. She has written for publications like The New Republic and The New York Times\, in which she published the essay “My Choice Isn’t Marriage or Loneliness” for “Modern Love”. She was one of twelve essayists selected to write a follow-up piece for the column’s 20th anniversary in October 2024. Her debut novel is THEY ALL FALL IN LOVE AT THE END. She lives in Washington\, DC. \n\nAbout THEY ALL FALL IN LOVE AT THE END\nCat St. Clair is ready for her messy love triangle era now that she’s in an open relationship. But she didn’t foresee a forbidden love triangle with the only two people who are off-limits: her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend. Being a twenty-something writer who lives for plot\, she falls for them anyway\, with deliciously disastrous consequences\, in this electric literary debut for fans of Xochitl Gonzalez\, Coco Mellors\, Lily King\, and Raven Leilani. \nIt’s the fall of 2024\, and twenty-four-year-old Cat isn’t asking for too much: all she wants is three boyfriends\, to write her little novels\, and to survive another chaotic presidential election. She’s in an open relationship with her college sweetheart Jay\, but nonmonogamy isn’t just a hot trend she’s trying. It’s her sliver of freedom in a world eager to wrestle it from her for being a Black woman going after what she wants with reckless abandon. \nWhile political tensions roil the campus where Cat is slowly earning her creative writing degree\, she finds herself drawn to Jay’s best friend\, Tristan\, who’s smart\, super hot\, and…in a monogamous relationship. And then she meets Tristan’s girlfriend\, Nia\, a captivating art student with her own gravitational pull. \nFriends and family urge her to just be happy with Jay\, but Cat is determined to have it all—or blow up her life trying. As she falls for all the wrong people\, racking up lies\, betrayals\, and terrible drafts of her novel\, she tries to write her way to a happy ending. But in art\, politics\, and love\, true liberation may take more than rewriting the old scripts. It may mean inventing something entirely new. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/haili-blassingame/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Haili-Blassingame-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260812T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260812T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T170026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T170026Z
UID:10005129-1786561200-1786568400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-aug2026-1/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260826T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260826T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T170216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T170216Z
UID:10005130-1787770800-1787778000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-aug2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260331T164936Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T164936Z
UID:10005194-1788462000-1788465600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Diana Cao
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by author Diana Cao for a discussion of her debut poetry collection\, Slipstream. Diana is in conversation with Brandon Johnson\, poet and Events Director at The Writer’s Center. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or directly from the publisher \n\nDiana Cao is the author of the chapbook Relational. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares\, The Kenyon Review\, The Yale Review\, The Threepenny Review\, and elsewhere. She has received support from MacDowell\, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference\, and the Just Buffalo Literary Center. \n\nAbout Slipstream\nThe poems in Slipstream deal with the slippery concept of home\, with robots and the internet and other human inventions\, and with what we can learn from the natural world around us.  \nWinner of the Berkshire Prize\, Slipstream is a bracing\, intimate\, and formally adventurous debut that moves with equal grace through personal memory\, inherited history\, myth\, and the ambient technologies of contemporary life. Diana Cao’s poems braid ancient Chinese legend\, family migration\, illness\, love\, and grief with moon landers\, algorithms\, privacy policies\, and online ritual\, creating a lyric field where the ancestral and the digital speak fluently to one another. The book is formally restless and assured. Sonnets\, sestinas\, villanelles\, fables\, and linked sequences feel conversational rather than ornate\, their intelligence worn lightly\, their music precise and unforced. Throughout\, Cao writes with a clarity that never flattens complexity: humor and vulnerability coexist with philosophical rigor. Tenderness is sharpened\, not softened\, by attention to politics\, history\, and care. \nWhat emerges is a voice attuned to relational life in all its registers—daughterhood\, friendship\, desire\, citizenship\, species—asking how to live\, love\, and remain lucid inside systems that both sustain and estrange us. Slipstream is a book of uncommon range and emotional intelligence\, one that feels fully of this moment while remaining in deep\, living conversation with the past. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/diana-cao/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Diana-Cao-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260909T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260909T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T170517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T170517Z
UID:10005131-1788980400-1788987600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-sep2026-1/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260914T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260914T203000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260105T201822Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T201822Z
UID:10005144-1789412400-1789417800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Cafe Muse Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers  Luther Jett and Julia Kolchinsky. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/cafe-muse-literary-salon-sep-26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260319T145131Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T145131Z
UID:10005188-1789671600-1789675200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat on Fiction w/ Bret Anthony Johnston
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by author Bret Anthony Johnston for a discussion of his new collection\, Encounters with Unexpected Animals. Bret is in conversation with Varun​ Gauri\, novelist and Board member at The Writer’s Center. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org » \n\nBret Anthony Johnston is the author of the bestselling novels We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This\, the award-winning Corpus Christi: Stories\, and the editor of Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer. His work has appeared in The New Yorker\, Esquire\, The Paris Review\, Thrasher Magazine\, The Best American Short Stories\, and elsewhere. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship and the Sunday Times Short Story Award\, he was born and raised in Texas and is the director of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. \n\nAbout Encounters with Unexpected Animals\nAn imaginative\, moving collection of stories infused with the magic and enigma of the human condition and drenched in Texas heat\, from the best-selling author of We Burn Daylight. \nEncounters with Unexpected Animals takes readers deep into the heart of bestselling author Bret Anthony Johnston’s home state of Texas\, where teenagers search for love\, parents grasp at connections with their children\, and animals—real or imagined\, familiar or unexpected—are reminders of the mystery\, danger\, and beauty of being alive. \nIn “Caiman\,” a father buys a baby alligator in hopes of keeping his family safe. In “Soldier of Fortune\,” a teenage boy dog-sits for his neighbors after tragedy strikes\, and his innocent snooping uncovers the family’s most guarded secret. And in the luminous “Half of What Atlee Rouse Knows About Horses\,” an elderly man’s heart is laid bare with the raw and breathtaking power of wild horses. \nJohnston’s humor\, empathy\, and mastery of prose ring out through each story\, bringing every finely-drawn character to radiant life. Individually\, the stories are by turns suspenseful\, poignant and exhilarating. Taken together\, they reveal the abiding connections that lead us from sorrow and impermanence back to ourselves and\, ultimately\, to each other. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/bret-anthony-johnston/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bret-Anthony-JohnstonEvent-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T171043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T171043Z
UID:10005132-1790190000-1790197200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-sep2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260421T182632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T182632Z
UID:10005210-1790276400-1790280000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Poet Aldo Amparán
DESCRIPTION:Poet Lore and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of poetry! We’re joined by Aldo Amparán to discuss their new collection\, THE HOUSE HAS TEETH. Aldo is in conversation with Emily Holland\, poet and editor of Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry journal. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern. \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from the publisher » \n\nAldo Amparán is the author of Brother Sleep\, a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry in 2023. They have received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts & CantoMundo. Born & raised in the border cities of El Paso\, TX\, USA\, & Ciudad Juárez\, CHIH\, Mexico\, Amparán’s work has been featured in the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day\, Best New Poets\, Gulf Coast\, Kenyon Review Online\, New England Review\, Ploughshares\, Poetry Magazine\, & elsewhere. \n\nAbout THE HOUSE HAS TEETH\nAldo Amparán returns with a collection of surreal borderland poems about the queer and Latinx body as a site of politicization. Haunted by the author’s personal ghosts of violent trauma and the insidious pain of refusing to heal\, THE HOUSE HAS TEETH (September 2026\, Alice James Books) asks whether it’s possible to unknow—and transcend—the nightmares that creep around the edges of our adult psyches. Amparán writes with tenderness and impressive vulnerability about unlearning gendered cultural expectations of cruelty and brutality in order to break patterns of aggression and finally heal the shattered self. \nInfluenced by horror films\, ghost stories\, and the fever dream of violence on TV screens and in the media\, THE HOUSE HAS TEETH is a poetic haunting about how to survive childhood assault in order to embrace love. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/aldo-amparan/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aldo-Amparan-Event-Header-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T203000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260105T201930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T182414Z
UID:10005145-1791226800-1791232200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Cafe Muse Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers Lola Haskins and Mary Sesso. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/cafe-muse-literary-salon-oct-26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T171507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T171507Z
UID:10005133-1792004400-1792011600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-oct2026-1/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T171644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T171644Z
UID:10005134-1793214000-1793221200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-oct2026-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261111T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261111T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T171816Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T171816Z
UID:10005135-1794423600-1794430800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-nov2026/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T200000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260407T163757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T163757Z
UID:10005196-1795114800-1795118400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Craft Chat w/ Author Mathangi Subramanian
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center presents a FREE virtual chat about the craft of nonfiction! We’re joined by author Mathangi Subramanian for a discussion of her new publication\, Our Periods\, Ourselves: An Empowered Teen’s Guide. Mathangi is in conversation with Amy Freeman\, author and Development Director at The Writer’s Center. \nRSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public\, all times Eastern \nWe encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local\, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org » \n\nMathangi Subramanian\, EdD\, is an award winning neurodiverse\, South Asian American author\, educator\, and advocate who has been a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award\, longlisted for the Pen/Faulkner Prize\, and a winner of the South Asia Book Award. She is the founder of Moon Rabbit Writing Studio\, an online writing workshop that supports socially conscious authors with seriously busy lives\, and serves on the Denver Library Commission. She currently lives in Denver with her child\, a gerbil named Ham\, and way too many picture books. \n\nAbout Our Periods\, Ourselves: An Empowered Teen’s Guide\nAn inclusive guide to menstruation and what makes everyone’s experience unique \nDespite what you might have been taught\, periods do not happen in a vacuum. While it’s important to know the facts of menstruation\, it’s just as important to take a holistic\, inclusive\, and deeper look into the ways in which everything around us—from our genetics and culture to religion and society—influenceshow we each experience our periods. \nIn Our Periods\, Ourselves\, Mathangi Subramanian covers how society shapes our monthly cycles just as much as science. She discusses how neurodiversity\, disability\, gender\, adoption status\, and immigration status can impact our periods while offering healthy\, concrete recommendations forcoping with these realities. Subramanian additionally examines how important issues such asreproductive rights\, culture and religion\, capitalism\, and climate change affect access to the information and resources menstruators need to manage their physical and mental health. \nOur Periods\, Ourselves is an empowering resource for every body. It provides the information\, encouragement\, and support menstruators need to make informed decisions about their periods\, and reminds us that ourbodies and our identities are sources of power and strength. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/mathangi-subramanian/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T203000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20260105T202101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T202101Z
UID:10005146-1796670000-1796675400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Cafe Muse Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:The Writer’s Center welcomes the Café Muse Literary Salon for a reading featuring writers from Washington Writer’s Publishing House reading from the America’s Future Anthology. The evening begins at 7 PM with Michael Davis live on classical guitar. The readings begin at 7:30 PM with opening remarks by a Café Muse co-host. \nFREE & open to the public. RSVP on the Cafe Muse Website. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/cafe-muse-literary-salon-dec-26/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T210000
DTSTAMP:20260613T081818
CREATED:20251216T171944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T171944Z
UID:10005136-1796842800-1796850000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
DESCRIPTION:Prose\, poetry\, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. \n\nSign-up starts at 6:45pm\, and readings begin promptly at 7pm.\nLimited to 20 readers\, so arrive early if you plan to read.\n\nSponsored by Poet Lore\, America’s oldest poetry magazine. \nFREE and open to the public. Please note that we no longer offer advance sign-up. \n\nIf you need an accommodation for this event\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\nEnjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »
URL:https://writer.org/event/open-mic-dec2026/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Open-Mic-1400.jpg
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END:VCALENDAR