creative writing classes in colorado springs

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Colorado Resources for Writers

Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Colorado, from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or simply a place to hang out with writers or submit your work, these are some Colorado writing organizations you might want to check out:

WriteByNight

For more than a decade, WriteByNight has helped writers in Colorado and beyond achieve their literary goals. And we want you to be next! Claim your free consultation to learn about WBN’s customizable one-on-one writers’ services , including:

Book Coaching :  If you’re writing a book and want some help along the way.

Manuscript Critique : If you’ve written a book and want a beta read, critique, or writing workshop.

Editing/Proofreading : If you’ve written a book and want someone to polish it for you.

Publication Assistance : If you’ve written a book and want help finding an agent or publisher.

Aspen Words

A cutting edge poetry conference and literary magazine, Aspen Words is one of the nation’s leading literary centers and a stage for the world’s most prominent authors.

AuthorU, based in the Denver area (Aurora), is a nonprofit membership of authors, writers and publishers. Offering seminars, webinars, writing workshops and more.

Brink Literacy Project

Devoted to fostering a love of literature, inceasing literacy rates, and using storytelling to empower underserved communities, this Denver-based nonprofit also published a literary journal,  F(r)iction.

Castle Rock Writers

Offers monthly workshops, writing groups, and training events, as well as an annual conference that includes agent pitches, breakout sessions, and tailored tracks for writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s/middle-grade.

Colorado Authors’ League

The CAL’s objectives are to foster the art and craft of authorship, to promote the interests of Colorado writers, to advance the esteem and recognition of its members, and to keep members informed of important publishing trends, changes and events.

Colorado Poets Center

A directory of writers who have published poetry and who live and work in Colorado or have strong ties to the state. This site contains Colorado poets’ biographical and bibliographical material, selections from published work, and availability for readings and/or working in schools.

Colorado Springs Fiction Writer’s Group

A nonprofit that welcomes writers of all levels to improve their skills through writing groups, lectures, seminars and retreats in a supportive setting in Colorado Springs.

Denver Writes

A nonprofit that creates writing spaces for kids aged 7 to 17 in and around Denver. Offers monthly themed writing workshops, summer writing camps, afternoon writing clubs, and more.

Fiction Foundry

A writing group for writers of all genres, meeting regularly in Colorado Springs for community and feedback.

Lighthouse Writers Workshop

Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the largest nonprofit literary center in Colorado and the Mountain West. It offers high-quality writing instruction in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting and many other genres.

Naropa University Summer Writing Program

A four-week-long summer convocation of students, poets, fiction writers, editors and others working in small press publishing. Programming includes writing workshops, lectures, panels, readings, special events and more.

Pikes Peak Writers

Offers an annual three-day flagship conference for fiction writers, as well as classes, readings, and other events throughout the year.

Poetry Society of Colorado

A Lakewood organization offering monthly poetry writing workshops and discussions, as well as several annual contests.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

RMFW is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization dedicated to supporting, encouraging, and educating writers seeking publication in commercial fiction.

“A bite-size experimental” journal out of Denver publishing work of less than 1,000 words and offering workshops, readings, a residency, and more.

Western Colorado Writers’ Forum

A nonprofit in Grand Junction and serving the Western Slope. Offers monthly writer’s nights, workshops, open mic events, poetry slams, and publication opportunities. All writers, all genres.

Writers Studio at Arapahoe Community College

A literary community open to writers of all experience levels, offering classes, writing workshops, contests, readings, open mics and more.

Writing Heights

Regular meetings, retreats, classes, and an annual conference for writers in and around Northern Colorado.

Help us add to this list, Coloradans! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a Colorado literary journal we should be aware of? Let us know here

WBN helped me sculpt my story in the best of possible ways, and for that I am eternally grateful. June Day Austin, Texas

Client Credits

WBN has helped writers publish with:

Simon & Schuster Little, Brown & Co. St. Martin’s Press Amazon Slate Threepenny Review Huffington Post

WriteByNight, LLC 235 West End Avenue, 6H New York, New York 10023

646.374.8174 [email protected]

Beginning Writer's Workshop

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

Requirements

Some of the best works of fiction and nonfiction were crafted in a writer's workshop. This online course will help you write your own creative piece. Like a true writing workshop, you will learn literary techniques, peer review a classmate's work, and receive constructive criticism on your work.

In addition, you will learn how to move your work from the prewriting stage to editing and final revision. You will also learn how to use literary devices, meaningful dialogue, and imagery in your different drafts. By the end of this online workshop, you will have a thoroughly developed creative writing piece. You might even be ready for publication!

Lesson 1 - Preparing to Write

Lesson 2 - brainstorming, lesson 3 - literary devices, lesson 4 - genres, lesson 5 - peer review/workshop, lesson 6 - story, plot, and narrative, lesson 7 - characters and dialogue, lesson 8 - points of view and tense, lesson 9 - descriptive writing, lesson 10 - overcoming writer's block, lesson 11 - editing vs. revision, lesson 12 - getting published.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word is recommended (not included in enrollment).
• QuickTime .
• Adobe Acrobat Reader .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Carmen Marquez

Carmen Marquez is a seasoned journalist, writer, and writing instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rutgers University and teaching certificate from Montclair State University.

Instructor Interaction : The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

UNDERGRADUATE

Research & artistry, alumni & giving, a college of liberal arts department, creative writing, fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, creative writing concentration, be creative.

The Creative Writing concentration gives students the opportunity to strengthen their creative writing skills and infuses their analytic reading skills with imagination. Students take beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in one or more of the following genres: fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Intermediate and advanced courses are primarily workshop classes in which students read and critique one another’s work. At the center of all creative writing courses is the study of craft.

Students in the Creative Writing concentration also take a wide variety of English and literature courses that prepare them to be writers by instructing them in literary traditions and styles. An internship program for all English majors offers Creative Writing students positions that may lead to employment. In addition, the Creative Writing program runs a vibrant reading series that gives students the chance to meet visiting writers.

To find out what classes you take in this concentration, take a look at the Creative Writing Advising Checksheet:

What Are Students Saying?

“I felt comfortable connecting with professors on a personal level which allowed me to feel comfortable when stretching my creative boundaries – because I did not fear being criticized or discouraged by professors. Their overall focus wasn’t to teach us one way of learning or one school of thought but to expand our horizons and allow us to discover the terrain on our own.” ~ Teal Vickrey, BA English: Creative Writing

“When I took my first creative writing class in the department, I knew it was my home. My favorite part of the English program was my professors. They were an amazing group of people and I wouldn’t be the same without their support, encouragement and critique.” ~Whitney Pratz, BA English with concentration in Creative Writing and an MFA: Creative Writing

“I initially started out as a Business Major, but it was only in my English classes that I felt completely and wholly stimulated by everything I was engaged with. I think you have to devote yourself to that feeling when you are lucky enough to find it.” ~Justin Goodfellow, BA English: Creative Writing

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Featured Classes

Summer Camp: Nature Writing for ages 8-10

June 17, 2024

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Featured events.

Queer Creatives Meetup

June 19, 2024

Book Launch: Sarah Gerard’s “Carrie Carolyn Coco”

July 19, 2024

Writing in Color Meetup

September 26, 2024

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Below, you'll find a complete Nonfiction Writer's guide to  Lit Fest

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Some people have always known they wanted to be a writer.

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Creative Writing

Bachelor of Arts

Minor, Emphasis

Communication Arts, Language & Literature (CALL) Department

Creative writing explores the cultural, historical and interpersonal influence of  the written word. A creative writing background provides a dynamic foundation for a career in teaching, grant writing, advertising, publishing and public relations.

Program Overview

Learn how to express yourself through creative writing.

Western Colorado University’s Creative Writing emphasis provides a supportive community of writers who collaborate rather than compete. In this environment, you’ll feel comfortable sharing your creative work and honing the skills needed to write original poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and scripts. In the comprehensive curriculum, you’ll take a variety of courses including Media Writing, Scriptwriting, and Literary Theory and Criticism.

At Western, you also have a wide variety of opportunities to present, perform, and practice your skills. Join our Creative Writing student organization, WordHorde, or work as a consultant in the Writing Center. Before you graduate, you’ll gain experience editing a book published through Western Press Books, Western’s undergraduate publishing company, and preparing your own work for submission to magazines and publishers.

The skill of writing

Creative Writing graduates leave with hands-on experience in editing a book published through Western Press Books and preparing your own work for submission to magazines and publishers.

Program Requirements

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog . Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

• Degree Plan

English majors and minors must complete the required course ENG 250 Critical Approaches to Literature with a minimum grade of “C” before registering for upper-division courses in English.

A minimum of 54 credits is required, including three credits of an upper-division literature elective, and the following:

Faculty & Staff

Steve coughlin, mfa.

Professor of English

Cindy Petito

Administrative Assistant III

Jonathan Rovner, MFA

Visiting Writer in English

• Communication
• Copywriting
• Public Speaking
• Proofreading

Career Pathways

• Creative Writer
• Literature Teacher
• Proofreader

Take the first steps toward your academic and personal growth.

Fostering your intellectual development is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling and enriched life after graduation. Wondering how you can apply your program of choice to your intellectual and personal journey? Check out our “What Can I Do With This Major?” tool to explore the diverse opportunities and pathways within any degree program.

Scholarships

• Program-based Scholarships
• Institutional Scholarships

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

• This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
• Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
• GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

• This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
• Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
• The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
• The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
• GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round . If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

• Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
• The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
• The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ).

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp— and are eligible for a Pell Grant .

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page .

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Get Involved

Expand your community and your network.

There are so many ways that you can maximize your educational experience at Western. Take advantage of these opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

• Contemporary Writer Series: Emerging and established literary artists visit campus and community venues.
• Sigma Tau Delta: Join the international English honor society.
• Teaching Assistantships: Students help fellow students in challenging writing courses.
• WordHorde: This group hosts slam poetry and fiction at open mic nights.
• Writing Center: Work as a writing consultant for the greater campus community.
• Pathfinder Magazine : Publish your poems, stories, and essays in Western’s undergraduate journal of the arts.
• Western Press Books: Gain experience in copyediting through Western’s undergraduate literary press.
• Story Catcher Writing Retreat: Take a week in the summer to strengthen your skills by studying with some of the country’s best writers.

Open mic night

WordHorde member Taj Butler discusses the background of her poem during MLK Open Mic Night.

News & Research

Western professor Kevin J. Anderson co-produces DUNE, Part Two

Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Western Poetry Faculty Member Chosen for Prestigious Poetry Prize

Teaching into the Firetower

Western’s CMarie Fuhrman Releases New Anthology & Public Radio Podcast

Nature Writing and Western Press Books to Produce Inaugural Book

Western Instructor Named to Top Writer’s Honor

Nature Writing Concentration Welcomes New Faculty

Poetry reading to spotlight Mark Todd, Natalie Giarratano

Award-winning author Helen Thorpe to speak on campus

Additional resources, western press books.

Western Press Books is housed in the undergraduate Creative Writing program in Communication Arts, Languages & Literature Department and is distributed through the University Press of Colorado.

Related Programs

Communication Arts

Major | Minor

Major | Minor | Secondary Licensure

Film Studies

Minor | Emphasis

Graduate Program in Creative Writing

Master of Arts | Master of Fine Arts

Humanities & Diversity

Major | Minor | K-12 Licensure

Strategic Communication

Major | Minor | Emphasis | Secondary Licensure

Writing Certificates

Certificate

Department Information

Department chairperson.

Professor of Communication Arts, Director of Film Studies, Chair of CALL Department

Administrative Assistant

Contact information.

970.943.2025

[email protected]

Campus Location

Western Colorado University Taylor Hall 216 1 Western Way Gunnison, CO 81231

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We keep the Mountaineer spirit going strong within our alumni community. Whether getting together with friends at an annual event, making a donation or mentoring a student, graduates continue to play an important role in the Western community.

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Creative Writing

Visiting Creative Writer’s Residency

The Inaugural Heller Visiting Creative Writer's Residency in Colorado Springs is open for application!

The 2023 Visiting Creative Writer will receive an honorarium and travel compensation, as well as room and board. The dates for the Residency are slated for November 5-12. Complete the application here .

Additional Information

Writers of all genres are welcome to apply! Please include a writing sample of no more than 500 words as part of your application in addition to your CV or a description of your writing experience(s). We seek to highlight the richness of experience that comes from engaging diverse perspectives, so writers of marginalized backgrounds, including women and veterans, as well as people from disability, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and/or Latine communities are especially encouraged. Primary selection criteria include writing sample and writing/publishing/teaching experience(s); secondary criteria include writer's location and identity. Selection announcement will go out on Friday, August 18, 2023.

Facilities and Grounds

The Heller Center sits on 34-acres of pristine Colorado landscape. The Pueblo-Revival style Guest House provides access to WiFi, good cell phone reception, kitchen, bathroom, as well as individual and communal workspaces.

Both the Guest and Main Houses will serve as tranquil location for a week-long experience of writing, teaching opportunities, and public readings.

Application

Please complete the application form linked below, and contact Dr. Catherine Grandorff at [email protected] with any questions regarding the Visiting Creative Writer's Residency. Complete the application here .

UNDERGRADUATE

Research & artistry, alumni & giving, a college of liberal arts department.

CSU's CREATIVE WRITING MFA

Poetry, fiction & nonfiction.

3 Years | 3 Genres | Infinite Possibilities

Full funding opportunities available

The  Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing  is for students with advanced abilities in the writing of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Our three-year program offers a balance of intimate and intensive writing workshops with courses in literature, form and technique, and related electives both in and out of the English Department. Writers work closely with a distinguished faculty of publishing writers that includes winners of prestigious national awards and fellowships. Coursework culminates in a thesis—a collection of poetry, short stories, or essays; or a novel or memoir—and the completion of a comprehensive portfolio. A dual-genre thesis option is available to students with exceptional promise in a second genre of writing.

Applicants should familiarize themselves with the program and the department, including course offerings and degree requirements. A complete application includes a two-page statement of purpose; a writing sample (12-20 pages of poems; two short stories or a chapter or two of a novel; two short essays or a chapter or two of a memoir); three letters of reference; and transcripts. Those applying for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship must also complete a separate GTA application.

The application deadline is January 1.

The MFA Program at CSU is a WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program . Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible for in-state tuition.

For information about the application process  click here .

To apply now,  click here .

Learn More About Our Program

The Creative Writing Program at CSU recognizes and affirms the value of, and the need for, stories from people of all backgrounds. We believe that a healthy literary culture must seek out and support work from communities whose voices have historically been marginalized. Our pedagogy, including close mentoring in a supportive community and an embrace of wide-ranging approaches, strives to hear these stories, to respect them, and to bring them into the world.

MFA Program Information

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• Completion of forty-eight (48) semester credits
• E640—Graduate Writing Workshop: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, or Poetry (12 credits)
• E513—Form & Technique in Modern Literature: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, or Poetry (3 credits)
• One pre-20th Century literature course at the 500-level or above (3 credits)
• One course (300-level or above) outside the English Department (waived if your undergraduate degree is not in English or Creative Writing—3 credits)
• E699—Thesis (12 credits)
• Completion of portfolio
• Additional requirements for dual-genre thesis option
• For more details, consult the Guide to CSU’s MFA Program .

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) are available on a competitive basis and are the primary funding opportunity for our graduate students. To be eligible you must complete the separate application. These positions are fully funded and come with a tuition waiver and monthly stipend for the 9-month academic year.

A required orientation and pedagogy seminar provide GTAs with extensive training in teaching college composition. The GTA application includes a written statement that should speak to your qualifications and enthusiasm for college teaching. Emphasize any formal or informal teaching experience, such as tutoring, writing-center counseling, or even coaching. In addition, remind your references to speak to your potential for college teaching in their letters.

All applicants who are not awarded a GTA will be automatically considered for a number of other available fellowships. Other options for financial support are detailed in the Guide to CSU’s MFA Program .

Most MFA students, regardless of whether they hold a GTA, are given the opportunity to teach a (paid) section of Beginning Creative Writing during their third year in the program.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We offer a variety of for-credit internships (some paid) in such areas as college teaching, public education, arts administration in literature, and literary editing – including the Center for Literary Publishing and the Colorado Review . A paid internship as editor of Greyrock Review , a literary magazine staffed by CSU undergraduates, is also available to a first-year student selected by the faculty.

Click here  for Colorado Review internship information.

Back to top

“My MFA has helped me realize the value of my voice and the importance of giving myself permission to create art.”

– colin raunig, 2018, “my teachers taught me invaluable lessons in craft that i carry with me in my writing to this day.”, – andrew mangan, 2016, “my mfa degree taught me different ways of thinking, of approaching, of making… a large part of the reason why i loved the mfa program at csu was because of the people i got to work with.”, – melissa hohl, 2016, “not only did i learn an incredible amount about writing and poetry from my classes, professors, and the reading i did because of these, but i learned about the necessity of community building and literary citizenship that comes with being a poet.”, – cl young, 2018, “the m.f.a. degree was essential to my artistic and professional life… my craft deepened and focused during my time at csu, and the professors and the work helped me refine my voice and develop an artistic aesthetic.”, – claire boyles, 2018, “my mfa connected me to a group of writers who continue to nurture me and my work, who push me and my work in ways that make us both smarter and better.”, – aliceanna stopher, 2019, “great training for my life as a teacher, writer, and person. three years to concentrate on study was a gift that allowed me to grow and challenge myself to see if i could be a writer.”, – devin murphy, 2009, “i teach writing now and think often of my csu professors… i learned plenty about craft at csu, but more importantly i learned about practice and process.”, – cornelius fitzpatrick, 2015, creative writing mfa faculty.

Andrew Altschul

• Associate Professor

Ramona Ausubel

• Assistant Professor

Dan Beachy-Quick

• Assistant Chair & Undergraduate Coordinator
• University Distinguished Teaching Scholar

Harrison Candelaria Fletcher

Matthew Cooperman

• Professor of English

Camille Dungy

• University Distinguished Professor
• Director, Creative Writing Program

Stephanie G'Schwind

• Director, Center for Literary Publishing

Nina McConigley

Todd Mitchell

• Associate Professor, Director of Creative Writing Teaching Program

Sasha Steensen

• Full Professor of English

Vauhini Vara

• Visiting Assistant Professor of English

Debby Thompson

Creative writing reading series.

Each semester at Colorado State University, the Department of English welcomes major literary voices to the Lory Student Center to share their work live and to engage with the local community. Visiting writers hold audience question and answer sessions, book signings, class visits and other outreach activities.

The series features Pulitzer Prize winners, U.S. poets laureate, National Book Critics Circle Award winners, Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winners, NAACP Image Award nominees, Oprah’s Book Club selections, National Book Award finalists and recognized voices in young adult literature among others.

Recent visitors include: Dorothy Allison, Julie Carr, Ross Gay, Eduardo C. Corral, Jennifer Egan, Robert Hass, Brenda Hillman, Pam Houston, Yusef Komunyakaa, Dinty W. Moore, Gregory Pardlo, Khadijah Queen, Susan Steinberg, Cheryl Strayed, Ira Sukrungruang, Mary Szybist, and Brian Turner.

Click in the events calendar for author information and details about upcoming readings.

Recent Books

Below is a selection of recent books by Creative Writing MFA Faculty in the Department of English at Colorado State University. Click on the book cover for more information about each selection.

What do CSU Writers Do?

Our graduates have appeared in a vast array of prestigious publications including The Atlantic, McSweeny's, Cincinnati Review and many others. They have found success in equally many exciting fields including communications consultant, college dean, professor, research administrator, journal editor, and many others. And their accolades include awards like the Pulitzer Prize, Colorado Book Award in Poetry, Chicago Writers Association book of the year, and more!

"If there's a book that you want to read but it hasn't been written yet then you must write it"

- toni morrison, organization of graduate student writers.

The OGSW consists of representatives from the Creative Writing MFA and is dedicated to providing students with opportunities to practice, enjoy, and participate in the creative writing community. We do this by organizing readings, workshops, visiting speakers, and other free events and services for the MFA/CSU community.

Creative Writing MFA Blog

The Creative Writing MFA blog is written by graduate students at various stages of degree completion and features posts by writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction about their lives as writers and members of the CSU community. Scroll through the carousel of entries below or click the button for a full listing of blog submissions.

Beginning to Remember

By Jake Friedman It’s been over ten years since I was in the academy. Though I’m beginning to remember now. The last couple of days I’ve been sick. I’d forgotten how hard the end of semester is—the Sisyphean incline of […]

On Not Writing About My Father by Dorothy Angle

I promised myself I was done writing about my father. What feels like a lifetime ago, I took my first Creative Writing class to satisfy an elective for a Masters in education. Nearly all my stories were about a young […]

On Ambition, Vision, and Voice by Henry Dykstal

One of the things that most separates my MFA experience from the workshops I’ve taken before, from undergraduate to conferences to private classes at literary centers or what have you, is voice. At all of the places but the MFA, […]

Writing as Letting Go

I knew getting an MFA would entail, well, writing a lot — and that this would hopefully make me a better fiction writer. (I mean, duh.) Maybe it’s because I don’t come from an English background, but what I didn’t […]

RELATIVE TIME: A RELFECTION ON THE FIRST YEAR(?) OF MFA

Somehow, it is spring. The branches wear shriveled green promises. The undergrads have, for the most part, abandoned pants. The birdcalls along the Spring Creek trail have swelled to cacophony. Somehow, in a few short weeks, the first year of […]

On Friendship

To 2021 recently graduated me (one year ago): You get a phone call from Harrison letting you know that you got into this program. It is wild, I know: you get the opportunity to focus on your writing, your craft, […]

The Ice Persists

It’s been winter for a long time now. It’s been winter in the insistent way of Colorado, snow weighing over the earth like the X-ray apron at the dentist. I crunch to the bus stop over thick, complicated patterns of […]

An Exceptional Day in the Life

You’re living with a poet who is also in the MFA program. She taught you how to make ice cream out of peanut butter, frozen bananas, cocoa powder, and honey when you’re craving something sweet late at night. You’re making […]

And to the West, Mountains

In Fort Collins, the mountains usually mean west. As I walk to campus, I walk north, west, then north again. True north is usually Eddy Hall – home of the English department. I suppose I will not yet stop having […]

When You Know, You Know

“The biggest mistake you can make is going before you’re ready.” I remember feeling absolutely crushed when someone who I looked up to, someone who I admired, said those words to me. We were on the phone, I was asking […]

Writing Program

The writing program at colorado college.

Believing that students write more forcefully about subjects that interest them, the faculty has decided against requiring a conventional composition course. Instead, Colorado College offers a multilevel program designed to help students improve their writing.

Colorado College wants its graduates to be able to write clear and cogent analytical prose. We encourage CC undergraduates to view writing as a means to develop understanding across the liberal arts curriculum. Faculty members from many fields offer Writing Intensive and Writing in the Discipline courses, grounding writing instruction in disciplinary practices.

Aaron Stoller, Ph.D.

Director, Academic Programs

Tutt Library 230b (719) 227-8291 [email protected]

38 Cool Colorado Classes For Adults

From learning to scuba dive or brew beer to building a guitar or joining a curling league, we found a plethora of local ways to nurture your intellect, challenge yourself, or just have some fun as you continue your coursework in Life 101.

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An MBA—perhaps the most classic and practical of master’s degrees—is one way to pad your resumé and climb the next step on the corporate ladder. But forget about your CV for a moment. Heck, forget about that ladder, too. Instead, ask yourself,  What have I always wanted to learn how to do?  Maybe it’s scuba diving; maybe it’s beekeeping. Maybe you want to figure out how to brew beer or captain a sailboat. No matter what you’re curious and passionate about, you’re in luck: Colorado’s vast and varied cultures and geography allow for countless ways to indulge your desire to learn. (Yes, even if you’re into water sports.) Whether you want to work with your hands in a pottery class or hope to break out of your self-conscious shell by studying public speaking or feel like trying something  way  outside your comfort zone—burlesque, perhaps?—you can do it right here.

When In Colorado…

Classes and activities every Centennial Stater should try—including a few you might be surprised to find here. —Jordyn Siemens

• The Authors Next Door
• Visit Portland Without Leaving Colorado
• Mikaela Shiffrin Makes Her Move
• Denver Plans Its Future, Neighborhood By Neighborhood
• The Hipsterfication Of Denver
• Lift Your Spirits With Telluride Distilling Company’s Newest Addition
• Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson’s Big Change

  Victoria Sailing School :  303-697-7433

Colorado may be landlocked, but that doesn’t mean there’s nowhere here to set sail. With course offerings that range from an introductory class to the more complex Celestial Navigation, Victoria can school landlubbers about the basics of four-person racing sailboats as well as tune up salty sailors’ skills (advanced students have the option to take the helm of bigger cruisers). Six expert instructors work out of four locations: Lake Dillon, Lake Carter, the Cherry Creek Reservoir, and the Chatfield Reservoir. Once you’ve achieved  Basic Coastal Cruising  certification, allowing you to charter in any U.S. waters, you can sign up for  Victoria’s Why Buy Club , which grants you seasonal, shared access to a fleet of sailboats (a one-person membership is $539 to $944).

Colorado Springs Astronomical Society :

Plenty of low light-pollution spots (see: wilderness areas, designated dark-sky communities Westcliffe and Silver Cliff) make the Centennial State an ideal place to stargaze. To find out more about what you’re looking at, attend one of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society’s free, open-to-the-public monthly meetings. You’ll learn to identify galaxies and star clusters while CSAS members answer questions about constellations, naming stars, and more. Plus, monthly star parties feature guidance on how to use telescopes and related equipment, such as refracting mirrors and telescope mounts.

REI’s Backpacking Basics Level I :

Backpacking through Colorado’s wilderness can be an intimidating prospect for those new to the activity:  How much water do I need? Will my sleeping bag be warm enough? And should I be worried about bears?  At this free 90-minute REI class (offered several times a year at many local stores—check the ones near you for specifics), participants can ask their most pressing questions and learn about proper gear, trail etiquette, Leave No Trace principles, trip planning, and more—all in a refreshingly judgment-free environment.

Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery’s Brewery Immersion Course :  970-626-5333 (Ridgway); 970-240-2790 (Montrose) 

You, after a few craft pints at the neighborhood pub: “We should start a brewery.” Your friend: “We should  definitely  start a brewery!” Sound familiar? Maybe it’s time to do something about it—and that something is letting the Western Slope craftsmen at Colorado Boy school you on the business of making beer (including how to get into brewing with minimal up-front investment). Owner Tom Hennessy says 60 percent of his course’s participants have gone on to start their own operations using his newbie-friendly program. The course ($2,500 total) is designed for two, and after the three-day immersion, you and your drinking buddy just may be ready for your next (ad)venture.

Denver Divers :  303-399-2877

Once you’ve completed a two-hour introductory scuba class, during which you’ll get your fins—and the rest of a full set of diving gear—wet in Denver Divers’ Cherry Creek pool, you can move on to the Open Water Diver course ($350 to $550, depending on class size, and available year-round). If you’re thinking,  What use is this in Colorado? , well, that’s why Denver Divers specializes in organizing group travel experiences (eight to 10 each year) to scuba destinations around the globe where you can show off your new skills with new friends.

Survive the Wilderness :  970-669-9016

Coloradans tend to make light of our backcountry pastimes (e.g., summiting 14,000-foot mountains is considered routine)—so it can be easy to forget how quickly these adventures can turn into life-or-death situations. Make sure you’re prepared for worst-case scenarios with mountain safety education from Loveland’s Wilderness Survival Institute, which was launched in 1970 by late search-and-rescue pioneer Robert “Papa Bear” Whitmore. Today, Don Davis of  Larimer County Search & Rescue  continues Whitmore’s work with two-day public classes that teach lifesaving skills such as signaling techniques, water purification methods, and fire starting. Courses are $100 per person for 16 hours of instruction.

School Is Back In Session

I may have finished school years ago, but I’ll never stop going to class.  —Natasha Gardner

Even though I completed my last academic degree (probably) about eight years ago, each fall, I find myself craving that student’s thrill: getting a new class schedule, buying books and supplies, and opening my mind to foreign, potentially worldview-shifting topics. But between work, commuting, preschool pickups, family dinners, and everything else that fills a working parent’s life, I probably have about 15 minutes a day of me time.

This isn’t a complaint per se: I love my busy life and how nearly every second is filled with reporting and writing and time with my family. But I will always try to use any spare moments I can carve out for learning. While I stroll the grocery store, squeeze in a run, or wait in a doctor’s office, I put on my earphones for a quick hit of a nonfiction audiobook (the Abraham Lincoln biography  Team of Rivals  is my current history lesson). Hardly a month passes when I don’t manage to attend a lecture or sign up for a workshop. I’ve learned how to needle-felt ornaments, make pajamas, roll tamales, stuff sausage, and take (good) photographs.

It’s not quite a full-on return to the classroom, but it gives me the same charge I felt as a young student every time I cracked open a new textbook, sharpened a pencil, and dived into a subject I couldn’t wait to explore. It’s my self-nurturing and, dare I say, healthy addiction—one I am certain I will never be able to kick.

An Old Hub For New Ideas

While Chautauquas elsewhere have withered, Boulder’s outpost of the  19th-century movement  to edify the masses remains vibrant.

It may come as a surprise, but lovers of the Colorado Chautauqua—most famous for its Flatiron-adjacent hikes and summer concert series featuring hippie favorites like the  Indigo Girls —have Protestants in western New York to thank for Boulder’s iconic National Historic Landmark. In the late 1800s, before ideas could be widely disseminated via radio, film, and television, the Methodist church founded the national Chautauqua Movement in an effort to educate the working class. Think of it as the 19th century’s version of TED Talks: Families would travel to assemblies—which began popping up across the country—to hear teachers, musicians, religious leaders, and other orators enlighten them about the issues of the day.

In 1898, a group of Texas educators wanting to escape the summer heat approached city officials in Boulder about starting an assembly there. By then there were some 20,000 permanent and temporary Chautauquas nationwide, and seeking to bolster Boulder’s claim of being the “Athens of the West,” the city’s citizens quickly voted to approve the proposal. Within four months, organizers built the (still-standing) auditorium for $6,700 and wisely included a dining hall. “At the time, there was as high a demand for these assemblies as there is today for having a football stadium,” says Ann Obenchain, the Colorado Chautauqua’s marketing and development director. “The citizens of Boulder voted to set aside 80 acres for the assembly, which was the first time Coloradans had allocated open space for public use.”

The arrival of radio and film, along with the  Great Depression , largely neutered the Chautauqua Movement, and today the only remaining permanent assemblies are on the original site in New York; in Lakeside, Ohio; and in Boulder. Obenchain credits the legacy of the original founders for carrying the local assembly through lean years. “We still have guests from Texas here every summer whose families have been visiting Boulder for eight generations,” she says. The site also served as the University of Colorado Boulder’s first accredited summer school in the 1920s and hosted veterans on the  GI Bill  after World War II; more recently, it’s become a popular site for weddings, graduation parties, and reunions.

One thing hasn’t changed, however: Visitors can still choose from dozens of talks each year with authors, scientists, and other intellectuals (Al Gore and Stephen King are past lecturers). “People have always come here for respite and enlightenment through nature and the arts,” Obenchain says. “It’s endured largely because of where it is.”

Chautauqua’s New Old-School Classes

In January, Chautauqua launched a monthly series of history lectures “dedicated to exploring our regional sense of place.” Go on March 7 for a discussion about some of the Boulderites who are in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. All events begin at 7 p.m., and tickets are $12 for nonmembers (members get in for $9).  303-442-3282

Learn, Build, and Grow

Front Range colleges, universities, and continuing education outlets offer a host of adult classes. Find the one that fits you best.

1. If you’re an intellectual polymath…

Check out:  University College’s College of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Denver Course Catalog: Single-night lectures from area politicians, businesspeople, and academics; courses in art history, event planning, political science, and history Our Pick: Hunger, Food and Health—A study of the impact of globalization on world health, in a socioeconomic and political context Contact: 303-871-2291

2. If you’re looking for more vocational skills…

Check out:  Red Rocks Community College Course Catalog: Automotive service and engine repair, carpentry, emergency management and planning, fine woodworking, welding Our Pick: Classical Guitar Construction—How to build a Spanish-style guitar Contact: 303-914-6600

3. If you’re trying to advance or change your career…

Check out:  Colorado Free* University *Note: Classes are not free, but most cost less than $100 Course Catalog: Computer skills, money management, nonprofit leadership and administration, real estate fundamentals, languages, digital marketing Our Pick: Get in Bed with Your Audience: Public Speaking Made Easy Preaches stripping formality to make a more personal and engaging connection with an audience Contact: 303-399-0093

4. If you’re a hands-on creative type but not necessarily a working artist—yet…

Check out:  The Art Students League of Denver Course Catalog: Mixed media, jewelry, fiber arts, screen printing Our Pick: The Costume Studio Teaches students 16 and older how to make professional-grade costumes for any occasion Contact:  The Art Students League of Denver

5. If You’re after some self-help-style ways to better yourself…

Check out:  The University of Colorado Boulder’s Continuing Education program Course Catalog: Nutrition, interpersonal communication, popular culture, painting, drawing, ceramics Our Pick: Nutrition for Health and Performance—A hybrid—classroom and online—or online-only course about the “basic anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of nutrition” Contact: 303-492-5148

6. If you’re interested in adding some avocations to your repertoire…

Check out:  Arapahoe Community College Course Catalog: Soap making, micro-farming, green design, genealogy, photography, drawing Our Pick: Horse Training and Horsemanship Lab—From breaking to finishing, techniques for handling equines of all ages and types Contact: Arapahoe Community College

Off The Beaten Path

These esoteric, specialized, and occasionally oddball endeavors will teach you skills you don’t necessarily need—but will most certainly enjoy.

Aerial Cirque Over Denver Attention, Cirque du Soleil fans: Here,  you  can hang from silk pleats of fabric, on a suspended hoop, or from a Spanish web (a type of rope).

Boulder Circus Center Run away with the circus—without leaving the Front Range. Boulder Circus Center offers classes in Cyr-wheel tumbling, aerial arts, youth acrobatics, and even juggling.  303-444-8110

Gunsmoke School of Taxidermy So you bagged an elk—now what? Learn how to skin, salt, tan, and mount your prize over a three-week course in the small town of Craig.  970-826-4293

Backyard Hive Beekeeping is about more than jars o’ honey. In Eldorado Springs, you’ll also learn about these insects’ special place in the food chain.

Vivienne VaVoom Hone your skills in the art of (tasteful) seduction with performer Vivienne VaVoom’s monthly burlesque classes in Baker.  720-308-5091

The appeal of performing physical tasks in our increasingly disembodied age.

With every release of the latest iPhone or a new app comes the promise of being able to do things in a “better” digital way—or at least in a more fun, and possibly addictive, manner. (See: the Apple Health app’s newly redesigned suite of  wellness tools .) So why are so many people these days interested in completing tasks—such as spinning wool into yarn or writing in calligraphy—in ways that even their grandparents might consider to be antiquated?

Perhaps it’s a reaction to the way technology has overrun our daily lives, a desire to prove that each of us can indeed create tangible things using only raw materials, basic tools, and our own 10 fingers. “The power of working with your hands can have a tremendous impact on people,” says Elizabeth Uhrich, founder of the  Living Arts School  in Boulder County.

Living Arts is a folk school that preserves and teaches traditional methods for a wide variety of crafts, music, and life skills such as furniture-making and blacksmithing, canning and pickling, and animal keeping and organic gardening. The school partners with experts from all over Colorado to create seminars (for adults and children, including programs targeted at home-schooled kids) that show students how they did things in the good ol’ days.

Even those who aren’t inclined to, say, carve a spoon can produce beautiful or utilitarian keepsakes while reaping a sense of personal accomplishment that’s often missing from our increasingly digital days. Christine Kortsch, who teaches creative writing at the  Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design , has partnered with  Denver Botanic Gardens  to lead “ink and stem workshops”—seminars that combine writing with planting succulents into living frames, which participants nurture and use for inspiration. “We focus on one frame or scene per person and go back and forth between planting, building the frame, and writing exercises,” Kortsch says. “I actually don’t think this embrace of the old-school is new at all.  The Arts and Crafts  movement in the late 19th century was a radical response to industrialization. We’re in a similar moment now in the return to guilds and artisans and an anti-factory trend. People want to feel connected to other human beings in a more embodied way.”

Give Gym Class Another Chance

So you’ve mastered mainstream Colorado athletics: skiing, biking, hiking. Why stop there?

Apex Movement :  Go full ninja with an intensive eight-class program that will teach you the basics of strength, flexibility, gymnastics, and “free running” (a version of parkour that emphasizes aesthetics).  720-295-7279

Denver Fencing Center :  First a military training exercise, then a sport for aristocrats, fencing is now a weekend-warrior activity.  303-922-7288

Colorado Budokan :  Seventh-degree black belt Isao Gary Tsutsui teaches basic self-defense techniques using the Kubotan key-chain weapon (definitely cooler than a pocket knife).  720-253-7473

Denver Curling Center :  You know you watch curling in the Winter Olympics and think,  I could do  that !  Find out via the Golden-based center’s classes and increasingly popular league play.  303-321-1107

I Built That

Unleash your inner creativity through arts and crafts.

Face it: There’s not much  need  for DIY projects in an age when you can buy just about anything for your home or garden from Amazon or IKEA. But even if you’re inclined to justify shortcut purchases by saying things like “I’m not creative” or “I’ve never made anything,” you might be surprised at what you could produce with a little guidance.

As a burgeoning hub for foodies of all stripes, the Front Range has never had more ways to learn about cooking, dining, and drinking.

For: Home Cooks Cook Street School of Culinary Arts This training ground for family meal-makers offers one-time and extended food classes.  303-308-9300

For: Food Network Fans Stir Cooking School At Stir in Highland, students work with professional chefs during two- to three-hour classes that cover niche topics (e.g., gluten-free or holiday foods, cocktail-making).  720-287-4823

For: Social Butterflies Kitchen Table Cooking School Affiliated with the Colorado Culinary Academy and the Espressolé Caffe, this Greenwood Village school’s couples-only and girls’-night-out courses are especially popular.  303-220-9769

For: Leftover Lovers Dream Dinners Watch how meals are prepared online, then come into the store and cook them yourself. You’ll end up with multiple items to take home.  Multiple locations

For: Party Planners Wine & Whey Wine & Whey provides instruction in cheese- and wine-making as well as classes about how to pair them at your next get-together.  303-325-3831

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