Bobby Elliott

Associate Fellow at the Attic Institute

Bobby Elliott is an award-winning poet and teacher. His debut collection of poems, The Same Man, was published in 2025, selected by Nate Marshall as the winner of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. Raised in New York City, he earned his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and his M.F.A. from the University of Virginia, where he was a Poe/Faulkner Fellow and won the Kahn Prize for Teaching. His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming from The Cortland Review, Diode, ONLY POEMS, Poet Lore, Poetry Northwest, RHINO, and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and sons.

Upcoming Classes

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The Attic Experience

I'm writing in praise of Merridawn Duckler. I just finished her fall short-story workshop (I also took a two-day class from her previously.) I have been to the Clarion West and Tin House workshops and I can say that Merridawn is one of the best writing instructors I have ever encountered. It was a privilege to sit in her class and hear her take a story apart and put it back together without bruising the daintiest ego. I was looking for a way to reignite my writing career and in these two classes Merridawn lit a fire under me. She is a gem and you should do everything you can to keep this insightful, positive, and wise woman at the Attic.

Steve Bieler

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.