Cleveland Stories is a place-based writing program for people who live, work, or have ties in Mt. Pleasant and surrounding neighborhoods on Cleveland's east side.
For this three-month program, Literary Cleveland partners with Seeds of Literacy to offer free writing workshops to residents of the community. These workshops—led by Mt. Pleasant natives Charlotte Morgan, Kisha Nicole Foster, and DL Ware—provide an opportunity for residents to engage with poetry and storytelling, to share their memories of the past and dreams for the future, and to tell the rich and complex story of their neighborhood on their own terms.
In 2018, the program resulted in Cleveland Stories: Vol. I, a nearly 150 page collection of poems, essays, and stories written by workshop participants. In addition, oral history interviews were collected with longtime residents of Mt. Pleasant and other individuals with close ties to the neighborhood.
In 2019, the program built on the success and enthusiasm of the previous year. 2018 participants helped guide new participants through the writing process. Personal and historical photos from the neighborhood were used as prompts to inspire new writing. And the writing was once again be collected into a book—Cleveland Stories: Vol II—both expanding and deepening the story of the Mt. Pleasant area.
Learn more and purchase your own copy of Cleveland Stories Vol II here.
This program is made possible through the generous support of the St. Luke's Foundation as well as the Ohio Arts Council.
The 2019 Cleveland Stories program kicks off Wednesday, July 31 at 6pm at Seeds of Literacy (13815 Kinsman Rd, Cleveland, OH 44120) with a reading from Cleveland Stories: Vol I by 2018 workshop participants.
Over four sessions, participants will delve into their own personal stories through essays and poetry. We’ll cover such topics as how to get started, organizing your ideas, conducting research, getting to the heart of your story, and tips for polishing your writing. Participants will have a chance to hear each other’s stories and receive helpful, constructive feedback in a group setting. No writing experience necessary.
Over three sessions, participants will use photography as a starting point for writing stories and poems. Personal and family photos, as well as historical photos from the neighborhood (provided by the Cleveland Public Library), will prompt reflections and writing on the people and places of Mt. Pleasant and surrounding neighborhoods. This workshop will delve into techniques for ekphrastic writing as well as how to write pieces that capture the story and impact of an individual or a place.
This workshop series will focus on place-based writing that tells the story of your neighborhood. What is challenging about living in your neighborhood? What gives you hope? What have you learned that others might not know about your neighborhood? Workshop participants will complete at least one story, poem, or essay focused on an aspect of your community.
Cleveland Stories is a place-based writing program for people who live, work, or have ties in Mt. Pleasant and surrounding neighborhoods on Cleveland's east side.
For this three-month program, Literary Cleveland partners with Seeds of Literacy to offer free writing workshops to residents of the community. These workshops—led by Mt. Pleasant natives Charlotte Morgan, Kisha Nicole Foster, and DL Ware—provide an opportunity for residents to engage with poetry and storytelling, to share their memories of the past and dreams for the future, and to tell the rich and complex story of their neighborhood on their own terms.
In 2018, the program resulted in Cleveland Stories: Vol. I, a nearly 150 page collection of poems, essays, and stories written by workshop participants. In addition, oral history interviews were collected with longtime residents of Mt. Pleasant and other individuals with close ties to the neighborhood.
In 2019, the program built on the success and enthusiasm of the previous year. 2018 participants helped guide new participants through the writing process. Personal and historical photos from the neighborhood were used as prompts to inspire new writing. And the writing was once again be collected into a book—Cleveland Stories: Vol II—both expanding and deepening the story of the Mt. Pleasant area.
Learn more and purchase your own copy of Cleveland Stories Vol II here.
This program is made possible through the generous support of the St. Luke's Foundation as well as the Ohio Arts Council.
Charlotte Morgan holds a Masters in English (Creative Writing) from Cleveland State University where she has taught Composition and Intro to Fiction. Charlotte’s passion is helping people find their creative cultural voices. In 2018, she worked on Cleveland Stories, an anthology published by Literary Cleveland. Presently she is polishing "Glenville: My Side of Paradise”, a memoir on race and place.
Kisha Nicole Foster is a mother,nationally performing poet, and teaching artist. The author of Poems: 1999-2014 and Blood Work, Foster is also three-time Ohio for the Center for the Book fellow, Regional Coordinator for Poetry OutLoud/ Ohio Arts Council, and a two-time Pink Door Fellow. Foster uses her locution as a conduit towards healing and fostering truth within language; allowing mistakes and humility to guide her craft.
D.L. Ware is a community based poet, literacy advocate, and literary artist in Southeast Cleveland’s Buckeye, Woodland Hills, and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods. Since 2010, D.L. Ware has used his love for the literary arts as means to bring communities together. He has a Masters of English with a concentration in poetry from CSU. Husband and father of 3 boys, D.L. finds the act of writing to be healthy and therapeutic and makes time to write daily.
