The Writing Salon

Congratulations to Jen Siraganian, winner of the 2025 Jane Underwood Poetry Prize!

Final judge Matthew Olzmann says her prizewinning poem, "To the Purple Dye Inserted into My Uterus," "captures something mysterious about the unknowable aspects of being in a body, and it renders this experience in a way that feels expansive and poignant."

Jen has received a cash award ot $500, and you can read her wonderful poem via the link in our bio.

A round of applause as well for our 2025 finalists: Molly Thapviwat and Reed Turchi!

We're grateful to all poets who entered our 2025 contest. Our screeners and final judge truly enjoyed reading your work.

With just 2.5 weeks left until the submission window closes for the 2025 Jane Underwood Poetry Prize, we wanted to share this beautiful sentiment from final judge Matthew Olzmann: "While it may seem contradictory, we often turn to poetry specifically because words fail us. There are limitations to language, things we can’t express adequately and things we can’t express at all. So we turn to metaphor; we turn to poetry."

Olzmann is the author of Constellation Route as well as two previous collections of poetry: Mezzanines and Contradictions in the Design. A recipient of fellowships from Kundiman, MacDowell, and the National Endowment for the Arts, he is an assistant professor at Dartmouth College and also teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.

This year's prizewinner will receive a $500 award and publication at The Writing Salon’s website. The contest is open to submissions through Dec 1.

We are now accepting submissions for the 9th annual Jane Underwood Poetry Prize. The winner will receive a $500 award and publication at The Writing Salon's website. This year's final judge is Matthew Olzmann, the author of three collections of poetry: Constellation Route, Mezzanines, and Contradictions in the Design.

Join us this Saturday, May 10, to celebrate the release of Writing Salon instructor Shelby Hinte's debut novel, HOWLING WOMEN. At this free event, Shelby will read from the book and converse with fellow author and Writing Salon instructor, Ann Guy. To ensure a seat at the event, RSVP by 6pm on Friday.

We're thrilled to announce that Marian Urquilla is the winner of the 2024 Jane Underwood Poetry Prize.

Final judge Brian Teare selected Marian's "cunningly crafted" poem, "Turtle Meditations," as the winner, remarking that "the visionary reach of 'Turtle Meditations' sneaks up on the reader. Ranging across scales, from the political to the familial to the individual to the cosmological, each stanza builds upon the last until the poem culminates in a resonant mythic image."

As prize winner, Marian has received a $500 cash award and publication of the poem at The Writing Salon's website. To read the poem, click the link in our bio.

Our 2024 finalists are Maisie Kirn, Alex Wong, JoAnna Scandiffio, and Angelica Recierdo. Thank you to everyone who submitted poetry to our 2024 contest.

The Writing Salon is back in the East Bay! Here's a glimpse of our new classroom location at 2020 Milvia Street in downtown Berkeley. Located on the building's fourth floor, our classroom is accessible by stairs or elevator.

We're thrilled to offer classes again on this side of the Bay. Classes will kick off at our new space on January 14. Whether you're a first-time student or a returner, we look forward to seeing you soon on Milvia Street.

Just 5 days left to submit your work to the 2024 Jane Underwood Poetry Prize! Open to all poets, the prize is awarded for a single poem. The winner will receive $500 and publication at our website.

Selected by final judge Brian Teare, this year's prizewinner will join the stellar company of past winners including Amanda Moore, Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, and John Sibley Williams. The winner and finalists will be announced in March 2025.

We can't wait to read your poetry!

We can't wait for this all-star reading on Saturday, Nov 16! Join us at 5pm at our San Francisco classroom to hear our stellar instructors, Jennifer Lewis and Erin Rodoni, read with their hand-selected students, Ada Genavia and Laura Marostica. RSVP by 5pm on Friday. See you there!

Come celebrate our 25th anniversary at our Lit Crawl event this Saturday, Oct 26. Hosted at Latin American Club in San Francisco, the free event will include readings and literary bingo with long-standing teachers and new voices from our community.

Bingo cards will be packed with 25 electric, absurd, and hilarious words or phrases to listen for throughout the reading. Winners will earn 25% off any fall class at The Writing Salon.

Submissions are open for the 8th annual Jane Underwood Poetry Prize. The winner will receive a cash award of $500 and publication at our website.

This year's final judge is Brian Teare, author of seven critically acclaimed books, including Doomstead Days (winner of the Four Quartets Prize) and Poem Bitten by a Man (winner of the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America).

For submission details, see the link in comments.

We can't wait to read your poetry!

Come on over to our San Francisco location this Saturday, Sep 7, to hear Writing Salon instructors, Elaine Beale and David Jacobson, read with their two students, Barbara Liepe and Angelica Recierdo. The reading will start at 5pm. To ensure a seat, RSVP by 5pm on Friday.