National League of American Pen Women, Iowa City Branch

The mission of the NLAPW is to encourage, recognize, and promote the production of creative work of professional standard in Art, Letters, and Music. Members are journalists, painters, choreographers, sculptors, illustrators, songwriters, and poets. The NLAPW offers a place for women artists, writers, composers and choreographers to and enrich their professional lives through networking, professional development, exhibits, concerts, publications and service to the community. The NLAPW offers Membership-at-Large, providing women artists in remote areas full membership benefits, as well as associate and student memberships. The NLAPW publishes a nationally-distributed quarterly magazine, The Pen Woman, which includes features, poetry, and artwork by members from all over the country.

Porchlight

Porch Light is a space for interdisciplinary and socially engaged literary activity in Iowa City and surrounding areas.

Free Generative Writing Workshop

– Provides a space for career writers, curious beginners, writers of all income levels and stages of life. Our goal is to make it easy to meet and learn from some of the most talented writer/teachers living in or passing through Iowa City. Every month a new writer leads a generative workshop, presenting a prompt inspired by their own preoccupations, passions, or interests.

The Writers’ Rooms

– We strive to encourage and foster community-based knowledge to help lead literary sessions and provide a safe, positive writing environment. Community-led sessions tap into the wealth of our collective knowledge, allowing our writers to both share their own experiences and learn from other attendees. Currently available rooms are: The Parchment Lounge, The Violet Realm, The Rainbow Room, The Cedar Room, The Scarlet Boudoir, The Golden Attic, and The Lightless Corridor.

The Writing Center’s Creative Writing Group

– This group is designed as a space for writers of all genres to practice and strengthen their creative writing and workshopping skills. Through exercises, prompts, readings, and group critiques, we will explore successful literary techniques and discuss ways we can apply them in our own work. Meetings are during school semesters on Fridays from 2:00-4:00 p.m.