Beltway RESOURCE BANK Membership Organizations and Organizations That Offer Writing Classes in DC, MD, VA, WV and DE American Independent Writers Organization for freelance fiction and nonfiction writers and journalists. Offers an annual conference, development seminars, workshops, publications. job referrals, and group insurance plans for members. Located in DC. Associated Writers and Writing Programs Umbrella organization for individual writers and for colleges and universities offering the Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Publishes The Chronicle, AWP Job List, hosts an annual conference, web conferencing, and a members directory. Web site also contains a helpful list of writers conferences. Blackout Arts Collective A grassroots coalition of artists, activists and educators working to empower communities of color through the arts. A national organization with chapters in DC, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, New Haven, New Orleans and New York, BAC raises awareness and catalyzes action around critical issues that impact local communities to foster positive social change. The DC Chapter has hosted poetry open mics and other performance events at Cafe Mawonaj and Sankofa Books. Black Women Playwrights Group A service and advocacy group for African American playwrights writing for the professional theater. Black Writers' Guild of Maryland, Inc. Offers free monthly workshops andd speakers, an annual conference, and special showcase events for members. Cave Canem Commited to the discovery and cultivation of new voices in African American poetry. Offers an annual summer workshop/retreat, a first book prize, readings, and more. Beltway poets associated with Cave Canem include: Elizabeth Alexander, Holly Bass, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Tara Betts, Remica L. Bingham, Derrick Weston Brown, Carleasa Coates, Jane Alberdeston Coralin, Teri Ellen Cross, Kyle Dargan, Hayes Davis, Joel Dias-Porter, Cornelius Eady, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Jay Frazier, Brian Gilmore, Aracelis Girmay, Monica Hand, Reginald Harris, Yona Harvey, Randall Horton, Valerie Jean, Brandon Johnson, A. Van Jordan, Carolyn Joyner, Alan King, Toni Asante Lightfoot, Ernesto Mercer, John Murillo, Greg Pardlo, and Venus Thrash. City Lit Project Baltimore-based organization that coordinates writers workshops, author readings, publication seminars, book festivals, youth events, and publishes books by regional authors through its Pagoda Press imprint. The Creative Alliance Membership organization of writers, visual artists, scholars, educators, and businesses. Located in Highlandtown in Baltimore. Sponsors a wide range of performances. Creative Writing Center of Delaware Sponsored by Delaware Tech, the center, located in Lewes, DE, offers classes, free internet connection, and a library of journals and writers marketing books. Also offers workshops in other locations, including Millsboro and Bridgeville. Shelley Grabel, Director. Creativity in Plume Writing Retreats Offers 3-4 day "niche, destination writing retreats wrapped in luxury." Gwen Mayes, Director. The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington Umbrella organization for non-profit arts groups and individual artists in the region. Programs include: JoBank, Ticket Connection, Business Volunteers for the Arts, trainings, advocacy, bimonthly newsletter, ArtsWashington, annual members' guide. Good source for group-rate health insurance for individual members. Also sponsors an online calendar on arts and culture in DC, MD and VA called "Culture Capital" which has a literature category. Delaware Literary Connection Hosts readings, workshops, master classes, discussion groups, writing contests. Publishes a quarterly online newsletter. Annual dues. Coordinator, Barbara Gray. Eastern Shore Writers' Association Headquartered in Easton, MD, this organization serves writers from the tri-state area of the Delmarva Penninsula. Hosts monthly meetings, mentorships, speakers, critique groups, and a journal, the Delmarva Review. Modest fees charged. The Federal Poets Hosts an open monthly poetry workshop and publishes a semi-annual anthology of poems by members. "The oldest continuously active poetry group" in DC, founded in 1944. Hosted by Nancy Allinson. Members who are also associated with Beltway Poetry include: Dean Blehert, Judith McCombs, Miles David Moore, and Bonnie Naradzay. Fire & Ink Advocates for GLBT writers of African descent through a biennial conference, workshop, and publications. Headquartered in Hyattsville, MD. Footlights The Modern Drama Discussion Group of Washington, DC. Each month 25-35 members meet to discuss modern drama at inexpensive restaurants near Metro stations. The group attends half the plays they discuss, often with the director in attendance. Membership and meetings are free, group rates arranged with local theaters. Offers an E-newsletter to members. Frostburg State University Center for Creative Writing Located in Frostburg, MD, this center aims to serve Western MD, parts of PA and WV with workshops, readings, slams, exhibits, a library, and more. Sponsors an annual Small Press Festival, a One-Act Play Competition, the Nightsun Writer's Conference, the Spring Into Writing Retreat, workshops for youth, and the journal Backbone Mountain Review. Harford Poetry and Literary Society Hosts weekly discussions with occasional guest readers, workshops, and critique sessions. Sponsors Manorborn, an annual anthology. Howard County Poetry & Literary Society HoCoPoLitSo hosts readings and events, and "The Writing Life," a cable TV series. Knowledge Commons DC Hosts workshops and events in public spaces, taught by and for DC residents. Most classes last one month and are held in such locations as cemeteries, galleries, cafes, grocery stores, museums, and parks. Maryland Writers' Association Hosts classes and critique groups, readings, contests, an annual conference, and community outreach projects. Publishes bimonthly newsletter, Pen in Hand, and biannual literary journal, Scribble. Covers poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Based in Annapolis. National League of American Pen Women, DC Branch Organization for women writers, artists, and composers. Men welcome to participate. Hosts readings, concerts, panels, contests. National Writers Union, Washington Chapter UAW Local 1981/AFL-CIO. Offers guidance on contracts, legal consultation, and grievance services. Sponsors readings and workshops. Members can qualify for medical benefits, college scholarships, personal, home equity, and car loans, and press passes. Dues based on annual writing income. Nightwriters Offers writing seminars in such locations as Napa Valley, CA, Isle of Mull, Scotland, and Tuscany, Italy. Based in Bethesda, MD. Playwrights' Forum Runs writers' groups for playwrights, public and in-house readings at cooperating theaters and universities, a publishing program, and free theater ticket privledges for members. Poetry Instigator Online community devoted to sharing writing prompts and the poems that come out of them. Members must register in order to post poems; membership is free. Edited by Eleanor S. Tipton, Lucy Biederman, and Alison Strub. Poetry Society of Virginia State-wide organization that hosts readings and member events, a newsletter, competitions, and an annual festival. Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild Nonprofit fostering the literary arts in southern coastal Delaware. Hosts workshops, discussions, readings, and the annual "Writers at the Beach: Pure Sea Glass" conference. Members volunteer at local schools and hospitals. Smithsonian Resident Associates Classes, lectures, travel, performances on diverse subjects, including literary topics. Members get discounts on classes, Smithsonian Magazine, and other discounts. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, MD/DE/WV Branch Hosts conferences, a list serve, and a newsletter. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Mid-Atlantic Branch Hosts conferences, a list serve, and a newsletter. Serves DC and VA. The Spoken Word An ensemble featuring poetry, storytelling, and African percussion, The Spoken Word offers performances, workshops, seminars, and family and school activities. They also offer an adult double dutch jumprope group, and the Lens & Pens project for forensics patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Coordinated by Joy Jones. Solas Nua This non-profit organization, located in DC, is dedicated to bringing contemporary Irish arts and culture to America. Events include plays and a monthly book discussion club. Spark Matches visual artists with writers to create collaborative works that are showcased at four events a year. Created by Amy Souza, an Arlington-based writer. Towpath Haiku Group DC-area group associated with the Haiku Society of America. Partners with others to deepen the understanding and enjoyment of haiku and related forms. Virginia Writer's Club, Northern Virginia Chapter Serves writers living in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudon, and Prince William counties. Monthly meetings, workshops, speakers, critique groups. Washington Book Publishers Informal, all-volunteer "salon" of individuals in the publishing industry. The Washington Friends of Walt Whitman Founded over 20 years ago by Martin G. Murray, the Washington Friends sponsors tours, book signings, and readings on Whitman, the Civil War and post-war period (the years when Whitman lived in DC), and his continuing influence. Members who are also associated with Beltway Poetry include: Patricia Gray, Saundra Rose Maley, Kim Roberts, Dan Vera and Rosemary Winslow. West Virginia Writers Non-profit literary organization that sponsors an annual writers' conference and an annual writing competition. Web site lists information on writing groups and workshops throughout the state. Women's National Book Association, Washington Chapter Nonprofit professional association of women and men who work with and value books (including publishers, librarians, booksellers, writers, editors, agents, illustrators, marketing and promotion professionals, and teachers). Offers a monthly newsletter, networking brunches, and programs covering both literary and professional development topics. Writer House Non-profit membership organization that offers classes, writing space, and readings in the Charlottesville, VA area. The Writers Center Non-profit, tax-exempt membership organization for writers. Workshops in all genres for both beginning and experienced writers, led by local authors, in several locations: Bethesda, Arlington, Germantown, Leesburg, Centreville, Ft. Washington, and Olney. Also offers: readings, performances, and staged readings of plays; a visiting writers series; a book gallery, with an excellent selection of local authors and literary magazines; and an annual small press book fair. Publishes Writers Carousel (newsletter, 6 times a year) and Poet Lore (biannual literary journal with national distribution). Additional member services include discounted legal fees and group health insurance. Stewart Moss, Executive Director. Staff and Board Members also associated with Beltway Poetry include Sandra Beasley, Jody Bolz, Sunil Freeman, and E. Ethelbert Miller; many instructors have also been published here. Writers Foundation Online community for sharing poems and fiction, as well as words of inspiration. Members must register with the site. Located in MD. Benjamin and James Harrell, co-founders. Writing the Body A series of workshops in Takoma Park, MD for "those who have experience with life threatening illnesses or chronic conditions, as patients, care-givers or family members" led by Anne Becker.   Last update: 12/28/11