Issue #5: Liberation: In 500 Words or Fewer

"Light and Sculpture from a Surfboard on Santa Monica Bay"

A novel excerpt by Joe Linker

I slipped silently into the shell of the bay, slithering under the waves curling like whelks sliding over me.

"La Liberación"

By Jackie Manz

His voice was lovely but the eye patch was disconcerting as she wasn’t sure where to look.

"Nilufar Had To Work Ever Since She Could Remember"

By Bruce Livingston

“It was an act of God,” Maryam told the village women. Most agreed that Nilufar’s pregnancy was no one’s fault, and nothing should be thought amiss.

"War on Terra"

A nonfiction excerpt by Christy George

It began with the feeling that the world could end in my lifetime.

"The Nuthatch's Challenge "

By Claudia Savage

The daffodils abundance could make my father an optimist.

"Mating Call of the Teenage Redneck"

By Jasmine Pittenger

Billy Norton’s eyes burn hot on my butt, all the way up the stairs from Freshman Algebra.

"Finn Woke When He Heard Wren’s Giggle"

By Carolyn O'Doherty

Finn listened as their footsteps faded away. He had just started to wonder what on earth Wren was planning, when new footsteps sounded.

Learn more about the Hawthorne Fellows

The Attic Experience

"I'd been terribly stalled in my writing. But what I got from the Time to Write workshop was an impetus to write, a specific time within a group of like-minded people in which to write in, and pretty much a kick-start to get the creative juices flowing again. The attendees came to the workshop from different points in their writing efforts. Probably, different points of view, as well. Some were new to the process. Some were more experienced in other writing forms, for example: one woman was a journalist; another, a radio personality; another, a poet; another in advertising. I found the workshop to be quite valuable."

Charlotte Newman

The Classic Book for Writers, Updated and Revised

EVERY WRITER HAS A THOUSAND FACES

"This book has been in print forever because what it offers works for people." — Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club

"Finally, an anti-bullsht book on creativity!"* — James Marcus, former editor of Harper's

"Does for the creative process what Strunk and White did for our approach to grammar and style. Indispensible." — Marjorie Sandor, National Jewish Book Award winner

"Buoyant...unorthodox...A provocative and anti-intuitive manual for making fresh art." — Kirkus Review

"Biespiel offers a number of best practices—not just for writing...but for living a creative life." — The Rumpus

A Statement of Our Values

The Attic Institute of Arts and Letters opposes the legitimation of bigotry, hate, and misinformation. As a studio for writers, we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We embrace and celebrate our shared pursuit of literature and languages as essential to crossing the boundaries of difference. To that end, we seek to maintain a creative environment in which every employee, faculty member, and student feels safe, respected, and comfortable — even while acknowledging that poems, stories, and essays delve into uncomfortable subjects. We accept the workshop as a place to question ourselves and to empathize with complex identities. We understand that to know the world is to write the world. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to literary pursuits and shared understanding by affirming diversity and open inquiry.