Left Margin LIT: A Creative Writing Center in Berkeley

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.

08/25/2026

Our fall classes are enrolling! Work with Grant Faulkner, Jackie Thomas-Kennedy, Mia Ayumi Malhotra, Rick Barot, and others. Lots of fun classes in nonfiction, fiction, and poetry...

Left Margin LIT is a creative writing center offering classes, community, and mentorship to East Bay writers of all backgrounds and experience levels. We also offer online classes and programs.

07/17/2026

We're beyond excited to welcome poet and editor Keetje Kuipers to Left Margin LIT! Keetje will teach our year-long poetry workshop running from September-June.

Keetje’s fourth collection of poetry, LONELY WOMEN MAKE GOOD LOVERS (BOA Editions), won the Isabella Gardner Award, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and was recommended by Ron Charles for the Washington Post Book Club.

If you're interested in an immersive online poetry workshop, click the link and apply.

This class is intended for those who are prepared to commit to the deep work of exploration within a supportive community of writers. Whether you are in the midst of a book project or simply looking to sustain an ongoing writing practice, this intensive course will provide the structure and home you...

07/09/2026

We're offering our first year-long nonfiction class! Check out Faith Adiele's "Writing the Real: A Year-Long Memoir and Essay Workshop," which will run on Zoom from September through May. Registration is now open.

This intensive workshop is for writers who want to go deeper — into memoir, personal essay, hybrid prose, or researched narrative — with expert craft instruction, workshop, and community. Over eight months we’ll explore the innovative forms and structures that can hold your particular story, d...

07/06/2026

Poet Tyler Mills returns to Left Margin LIT on July 21st to lead a class she's calling "Poetry Sprint: Three Poems in Three Hours." Why not join this online class and catalyze your lyric energy!

What happens when you stop overthinking and just write? In this lively, generative three-hour Zoom workshop, you’ll draft three brand-new poems using inventive prompts and focused bursts of writing time. Designed to bypass overthinking and invite creative risk, this session emphasizes momentum, di...

06/22/2026

Come out to see LMLers Eleanor Vincent and Preeti Vangani at The Writers Grotto on Thursday night!

06/10/2026

LMLer Marianne Lonsdale's new novel, WHEN THE ROAD CURVES is OUT in the world! Come to her book event at Clio's on Saturday, June 20th, 4pm. Click the link to get your tix.

AIDS, women, and the power of friendship.

06/04/2026

Check out painter Irene Nelson's work at East Bay Open Studios this weekend! Saturday and Sunday, 11-5.