LitArts RI

LitArts RI’s monthly B/I/POC Coffee Hour + Write-in continues throughout the summer! Writers of color are invited to gather, write together, and learn about a communal project on Sat, Aug 29 from 4-6pm at the LitArts RI Center on Harris Ave.

Congrats to Mx. Asher on the release of their debut chapbook titled (allegedly) you don't have to be in pain to be in love! Their poetry confronts the intensity of romance and shame with the honesty of complicated endings. You can take a look when you stop by the LitArts RI Center to browse our growing local author library!

One week from today: LitArts RI will be tabling in the Writers’ Resource area of the Rhode Island Authors Expo on Sat, Aug 15 between 10am - 3pm at Crowne Plaza in Warwick RI. Stop by to learn about community, resources and creative workspace to support your writing!

Or, for those attending Providence’s Necronomicon, look for LitArts RI Writing Group Facilitator Christopher Walker who will be representing the organization and his Horror, Thriller and Weird Fiction Writers Group at the event!

Cheers to LitArts RI Member and Romance Authors Group Facilitator Lydia Loomis on the publication of her new book The Wolf Who Cried Girl, just launched The Little Bubblegum Bookshop where you can find it on the shelf! You can also take a look at our signed copy at LitArts RI’s local author library, and stay tuned for more…the book is just the start of a trilogy!

Announcing LitArts RI’s Fall 2026 Workshops! We’re thrilled to offer a stacked line-up of craft workshops designed by local teaching artists to allow you to hone your writing among a supportive cohort of fellow writers. To register for the following day and multi-week workshops, go to www.litartsri.org/writing-workshops.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE: CONSTRUCTING THE SCAFFOLD with Courtney Denelle
Thursdays | Sept 17 + 24 | 6-8pm�2-week craft intensive
Fiction | Nonfiction

WRITING THE CONTEMPORARY GOTHIC with JD Scott�Saturdays | Sept 19 + 26 + Oct 3| 2-4pm
3-week craft intensive
Fiction

30 DAYS TO FREELANCE with Kassondra Cloos
Thursdays | Oct 1 + 8 + 15 + 22 | 6-8pm�4-week craft intensive
Nonfiction

SCRIPTING LIFE: SHAPING OUR STORIES FOR THE SCREEN with Sylke Rene Meyer
Wednesdays | Oct 14 + 21 + 28 | 6-8pm�3-week craft intensive
Screenwriting

HISTORICAL FICTION: FAMILY HISTORY AS CATALYST with Cynthia Elder
Saturdays | Oct 17 + 31 + Nov 7 | 2-4pm
Fiction

THE WORLD AND I: REPORTED AND RESEARCHED PERSONAL NARRATIVE with Ethan Gilsdorf
Thursdays | Oct 29, Nov 5 + 19 + Dec 3 + 10 + 17 | 6-8pm
6-week craft intensive
Nonfiction

POETICS OF SILENCE with Sloan Asakura
Thursday and Wednesday | Nov 12 + 18 | 6-8pm�2-week craft intensive
Poetry

BLOCKBUSTER BOOK REVIEWS with Marissa Gallerani
Saturday | Nov 21 | 1-4pm�3-hour craft intensive
Nonfiction

We love seeing our writing groups trying out new things…like when the Multilingual Writers Group decided to make vision boards together! Here’s what the group’s facilitator Jessica Araújo had to say about the role this community has played in her writing life:

“I am so grateful to LitArtsRI for fostering the community that is vital to writing! Writing is not a solitary act, and the Multilingual Writers Group and the BIPOC Coffee Hour allow me to engage in conversations that have helped me grow as a writer, educator, and socially conscious human being.”

Writing groups are at the heart of our mission to build Rhode Islands’ writing community. You can help build that creative community today by contributing in any amount towards our goal of $20,000!

Follow this link to support this work, and thank you: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/summer2026appeal

This Friday! LitArts RI is back to co-host a community Open Mic at Riffraff Bookstore + Bar Fri, Aug 7 beginning at 7pm, with the opportunity to put your name in the jar to share work until 6:45pm. Drop by to check it out!

What do goats, ice cream and writers have in common? This month, we find out! LitArts RI will be hosting an Analog Write-in with our friends at Gather Farm in Johnston from 1-3pm on Sat, Aug 22. RSVP to write with us here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/analog-write-in-at-gather-farm-tickets-1992014473915

Then head to Gather Farm’s website to book your ticket for a goat hike or cuddle on either side of your writing time! Gather’s ice cream will be available for purchase onsite. Hope to see you!

Last month our Q***r Writers Group hosted LitArts RI’s 5th Annual Q***r Writers Showcase. Here’s what one participant had to say:

“I joined LitArts as a writer who had never shared anything I had written before…This event…was the first time in my life I felt a sense of community. That’s why you do this. The meaning and purpose and sense of safety to share and be seen in your truth—sometimes for the first time—is miraculous.”

You can help keep this meaning and purpose going by giving in support of writing groups like the Q***r Writers Group and programming that continues to build community through shared stories. Give now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/summer2026appeal

Ready to share your work with the world? We know just the venue! We’re gearing up for another Open Mic Night at Riffraff Bookstore & Bar on Fri, August 7 at 7pm. Arrive early to put your name in the jar for the chance to share 5 minutes of your work with us!