Gloucester Writers Center Inc

THE PROGRAM OF THE GLOUCESTER WRITERS CENTER WILL INCLUDE A LIBRARY FOCUSED ON THE WORKS OF AND ABOUT OLSON, FERRINI, AND RELATED WRITERS; A RESIDENCY FOR VISITING WRITERS; PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDING LECTURES, FILMS, AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE WORK OF OLSON, FERRINI, AND OTHERS; WRITING WORKSHOPS; AND OUTREACH TO YOUNG WRITERS AND READERS. SUPPORT WILL BE SOLICITED FROM FOUNDATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

THE WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM PROVIDES SPACE FOR VISITING WRITERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO WORK IN GLOUCESTER, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IDEAS AND WORK-IN-PROGRESS WITH LOCAL WRITERS AND AUDIENCE.

THE MAUD/OLSON LIBRARY IS A SINGULAR SCHOLARLY RESOURCE BEQUEATHED BY COLLECTOR/SCHOLAR RALPH MAUD TO THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE GLOUCESTER WRITERS CENTER. IT IS THE MOST COMPLETE, AND MOST THOROUGHLY ANNOTATED GATHERING OF OLSON SOURCE MATERIAL IN THE WORLD.ASIDE FROM ITS IMPORTANCE TO SCHOLARS, THE MAUD/OLSON LIBRARY IS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE. IT IS A FOCAL POINT FOR GLOUCESTER'S CITIZENS TO MEET AND EXCHANGE IDEAS, AS WELL AS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POET WHO IMMORTALIZED THEIR TOWN. BECAUSE OF THE VAST RANGE OF OLSON'S SOURCES, IT IS ALSO A MAGNIFICENT EDUCATIONAL TOOL. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS (SEVERAL GROUPS ARE ALREADY MAKING USE OF THE LIBRARY), AS WELL AS PEOPLE INTERESTED IN OLSON AND IN POETRY, CAN SEE HOW A MAJOR POET MADE USE OF HIS SOURCES.

THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED BY GWC SERVES VETERANS, WOMEN OF LIMITED MEANS, STUDENTS, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BY OFFERING WEEKLY CLASSES, AND ONGOING WORKSHOPS RUN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BY OUR DEDICATED STAFF OF TEACHERS. OFFERINGS HAVE REACHED HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS THIS PAST YEAR AND INCLUDED CLASSES IN FICTION WRITING, PLAYWRITING, WRITING FOR PUBLICATION, DEVELOPING A WRITING PRACTICE, POETRY, WRITING EXERCISES FOR CHILDREN, MENTORING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ETC. COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THIS YEAR HAVE INCLUDED RUNNING WRITING WORKSHOPS AT CAPE ANN MUSEUM, THE OFFICE FOR VETERANS SERVICES, MARITIME GLOUCESTER, PATHWAYS FOR CHILDREN, AND GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL.