Thanks to a partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s creative writing program, the Library is pleased to offer another semester of writing classes taught by three of the program’s graduate students.

In November 2024, Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects, headlined the annual Writers for Readers fundraiser, which pays for the internships. 

Master’s candidate Brandon Allen teaches both fiction and nonfiction classes at the Library. He says, “I'm grateful to be part of such a unique community collaboration. Writers for Readers has been a highlight of my MFA program so far.”

Proceeds from the event also support an intern who, in addition to teaching, helps with the Maya Angelou Book Award (MABA), a national literary prize recognizing outstanding new contributions to literature and social justice in fiction and poetry. That intern manages the reading committee, submissions, and the award’s social media presence.

The Library, UMKC, and five other state universities established the award in 2020. Jamel Brinkley’s book, Witness: Stories, won the 2024 award, which includes a $10,000 stipend and speaking tour of the partner institutions; the announcement was made during Writers for Readers.

Check the events calendar for details and to RSVP: 

Tuesday, Jan. 21 Character Building: How to Breathe Life into Your Characters 
Saturday, Jan. 25 Flash Nonfiction: Writing About Your Life 
Tuesday, Jan. 28 The Contrapuntal Poem: More Than One Way to Read (and Write) 
Wednesday, Jan. 29 Figurative Language: Making Your Writing Sparkle
Thursday, Jan. 30 Scribble Sprint: Narrative Techniques/Freewrite
Wednesday, Feb. 5 Poetry on the Page        
Saturday, Feb. 8 (Re)Writing as Therapy    
Tuesday, Feb. 11 Flash Fiction: The Short-Short Story
Thursday, Feb. 13 Back to the Future: Writing Your Family History
Wednesday, Feb. 19 The Magic of Poetry        
Thursday, Feb. 20 Write What You See in this Picture
Saturday, Feb. 22 The Modern Sonnet: Bending and Breaking a Tradition
Thursday, Feb. 27 Writing Horror and the Supernatural
Monday, March 1 Convincing Your Audience: The Art of Persuasion
Wednesday, March 5 Building a Character        
Saturday, March 8 Beginning a Novel        
Thursday, March 13 Journaling Journey        
Saturday, March 15 Flash Nonfiction: Writing About Your Life
Wednesday, March 19 Figurative Language: Making Your Writing Sparkle
Thursday, March 20 (Re)Writing as Therapy    
Tuesday, March 25 Experimental Poetry: The Wild and Strange and Difficult
Thursday, March 27 Writing about Your Life: Flash Nonfiction
Saturday, March 29 Poetry on the Page        
Wednesday, April 2 Flash Fiction: The Short-Short Story
Saturday, April 5 Scribble Sprint: Narrative Techniques/Freewrite
Wednesday, April 9 The Magic of Poetry        
Thursday, April 17 Beginning a Novel        
Saturday, April 19 Flash Nonfiction: Writing About Your Life
Tuesday, April 22 Character Building: How to Breathe Life Into Your Characters
Thursday, April 24 Back to the Future: Writing Your Family History
Friday, April 25 Experimental Poetry: The Wild and Strange and Difficult
Tuesday, April 29 Poetry on the Page        
Thursday, May 1 Writing about Your Life: Flash Nonfiction
Wednesday, May 7 Figurative Language: Making Your Writing Sparkle
Saturday, May 10 Writing Horror and the Supernatural
Thursday, May 15 (Re)Writing as Therapy