The Writer’s Center hosts a series of FREE affinity mixers for writers of the DMV.

Whether you’re new to the area, new to writing, or just looking for more ways to expand your writing network, a Writer’s Center Mixer is the place to find your community! Join us for an informal gathering at The Writer’s Center to hang out, talk, and maybe even do some writing! Please bring a drink or an appetizer that serves six. You’re welcome to bring a friend, too.

Mixers are limited to those who identify with the affinity noted in the title. RSVPs are highly encouraged.

BIPOC Writers Mixer Organizer

Brandon Blue

Brandon Johnson (Blue) is a black, queer poet, translator, and educator from the D(M)V. They hold a MFA in Poetry from Arizona State University and their work sits at the intersection of the ekphrastic, the body, the erotic, and the contemporary Black experience. He also holds a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland and has worked with elementary and high school-age students in French and Creative Writing. His work has or will appear in Foglifter, Frozen Sea, &Change, and more. Their work is also featured in the Capital Pride Poem-a-Day event and has received support from Tin House, the Virginia G Piper Center for Creative Writing, and the Aspen Words Conference. His chapbook, Snap.Shot, has been published by Finishing Line Press and was named in Poetry Mutual’s Best Books of 2023. Keep up with their work at brandonbluepoet.com. Contact Brandon for questions surrounding the BIPOC Mixer.

Disabled Writers Mixer Organizer

Claude Olson

Claude (she/they) is a graduate of Smith College and a writer whose work has appeared in two anthologies, Awakenings: Stories of Bodies and Consciousness and Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, as well as in The Massachusetts Review . She is passionate about literary education, disability justice, and zine-making. Contact Claude with questions about the Disabled Writers Mixer

LGBTQIA+ Writers Mixer Organizer

Emily Holland

Emily Holland (she/they) is a genderqueer lesbian writer. Their poems appear in publications including HAD, Shenandoah, Black Warrior Review, and the chapbook Lineage. They are the recipient of multiple fellowships from DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She is the editor of Poet Lore, the chair of OutWrite, and an adjunct instructor at GWU. She has an MFA in Poetry from American University. Contact Emily for any questions about the LGBTQIA+ Writers Mixer.

Recent Grads Writers Mixer Organizer

Charlotte Van Schaack

Charlotte Van Schaack (she/they) is an early career writer and editor whose work has been featured in AmLit Magazine and WWPH Writes. She hails from Greensboro, North Carolina, but has spent the last few years in Washington D.C., studying Literature and Education at American University. In 2024, they were an Inner Loop writer-in-residence at the Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey Houses. Contact Charlotte for questions about the Recent Grads Writers Mixer.

Women’s Writers Mixer Organizer

Amy Freeman

With years of experience raising funds for nonprofits large and small, Amy brings her trademark zest to growing The Writer’s Center’s vibrant literary community. When not at TWC, Amy’s a freelance writer, with bylines in The Washington Post, Parents.com, Santa Fe Writing Project, HuffPost, Furious Gravity anthology etc. Contact Amy with questions about the Women’s Writer’s Mixer