Left Margin LIT: A Creative Writing Center in Berkeley

10/02/2026

Hey writers, Maw Shein Win returns to LML on November 1st for a class titled "New Patterns, New Work: A Generative Poetry & Prose Lab." Sign up here:

https://www.leftmarginlit.org/challenge-page/new-patterns-new-work-shein-win

10/02/2026

Memoirists and personal essayists--did you know that we've got an upcoming 4-week class with Kelly Ramsey, author of "Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West"?

Here's the class's cheeky title: "I'm the Problem, It's Me."

It starts on October 14th and has a few spots left. Click the link to read more!

One of the great challenges of personal narrative is to write about yourself honestly. How to avoid saying, “I was great, and everyone else behaved monstrously,” while also skirting the overcorrection that would paint you as a rotten villain? At the same time, while we’d love to be purely “o...

09/30/2026

Come on out to our co-sponsored Litquake event here in North Berkeley next Friday night (October 9th) at Vintage Berkeley & Solano Cellars. This is a ticketed event!

Back by popular demand, with an all-new lineup! S*x and death are central human concerns, but older women poets often find themselves silenced or sidelined on the first of these subjects. Here, in an event curated by Rebecca Foust, five women aged 40 and better: Dr. Mahogany L. Browne, Prageeta Sharma, Jen Siraganian, rougherhoney, and Barbara Jane Reyes—will share frankly erotic work that refuses to be muted or mooted and makes a bulwark of bodily sensuality against death, time, and our aging selves. Alongside the reading, emceed by poet Tracey Knapp, winemaker Emily Fernwood will be on site to introduce O S A M A J O R W I N E S wines, which will be available for purchase by the glass. This event will take place on Vintage Berkeley’s secret garden patio—dress accordingly! Doors at 5:30pm.

Again, reserve tickets now: https://litquake2026.sched.com/event/2WC1n/i-took-the-lake-between-my-legs-women-of-a-certain-age-read-poems-on-sex-and-death

09/21/2026

Come out to see LML advisor/instructor Laleh Khadivi at The Mechanics Institute on Tuesday night. With Margaret Wilkerson S*xton. Laleh's new book is FEMALE LIFE ON PLANET EARTH.

Mechanics’ Institute is one of the oldest institutions on the West Coast. Our mission is to connect people from all ages and backgrounds through art, history, and culture by providing a cultural hub in San Francisco. 

09/14/2026

Hey writers! Need some inspiration at home? Try getting 10 flash prompts in 10 days with instructor and author Susie Meserve. It's FUN. And easy. And you'll get some writing done this week and next. Susie's "FLASH IN THE FALL" will lead you right back into your writing project. Either that or inspire you to get started. Sign up NOW so that you don't miss out on the fun.

"Flash in the Fall" is for all lovers of the short prose form. “Flash" is just what it sounds like—you write it in a flash. Some people call these "short-shorts" or "micro-stories.” What about prose poems? All are welcome. This class is asynchronous, so you can join from any time zone and any ...

09/14/2026

LML Instructor Maw Shein Win is featured at California Poets. Read some poems and her interview here.

https://davidgaryan.wixsite.com/ladige/post/maw-shein-win-california-poets-part-2-five-poems

09/09/2026

Congratulations to our pal (and recent Bootcamper) Gil Duran for the release and success of his new book, THE NERD REICH! Gil has been laboring over this project for a long time, and it’s vital that we listen to his message about how fascistic ideology has penetrated (and is now being perpetuated by some of the biggest players in) Silicon Valley.

#3 on The New York Times nonfiction best seller list. 🤩 Go Gil!

Simon & Schuster

08/29/2026

We offer writing scholarships. The deadline looms! Submit or rue.

Left Margin LIT is a creative writing center offering classes, camaraderie, and mentorship to East Bay writers of all backgrounds and experience levels.

08/26/2026

If you're looking for an inspiring online (and community) writing experience, consider Susie Meserve's upcoming LML program "Flash in the Fall: 10 Writing Prompts in 10 Days."

This is Susie's update to the very popular "Late Summer Shorts" program she's offered with Rachel Sarah for the past several years. It's going to be a fantastic 10 days of writing. Check it out.

"Flash in the Fall" is for all lovers of the short prose form. “Flash" is just what it sounds like—you write it in a flash. Some people call these "short-shorts" or "micro-stories.” What about prose poems? All are welcome. This class is asynchronous, so you can join from any time zone and any ...

08/25/2026

Plus, we offer scholarships for our short classes. Deadline is September 1st. Apply now!

Left Margin LIT is a creative writing center offering classes, camaraderie, and mentorship to East Bay writers of all backgrounds and experience levels.