Ames Writers Collective

04/26/2026

Can you say, "so excited to see your book on the shelf" with other Iowa authors! A big thank you to the staff at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines for ordering and selling Writing Circle Mondays Reflections on Life & Cancer.

04/17/2026

As part of their cancer education series, Above and Beyond Cancer recently featured Founder Ana McCracken, who spoke on The Healing Power of the Creative Arts!

To listen to Ana and to learn more about her story, click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw-Wuk4h37U

Above + Beyond Cancer

04/15/2026

This past week, Founder Ana McCracken was invited to speak at Studio 308, a student-run broadcast!
She had the opportunity to talk about the Ames Writers Collective's journey and about the specific workshops that are run through our program.
To learn more and to watch the broadcast, click the link below!
https://ameswriterscollective.org/founder-featured-on-studio-308/

04/11/2026

Less than a week away... See you at 2026 Poetry Palooza at DMACC & Grand View University. Full details at poetryamp.org.

04/08/2026

Join us on April 24th from 10 am to NOON for a FREE generative writing workshop with Matty Layne Glasgow, an alum of the Iowa State University MFA Program! Bring a stuck piece of writing or poetry and let's experiment with blending genres & creating new forms. No registration required. Join us at Fifth Street Writers, 612 5th Street in downtown Ames. For more information, click the link in our bio.

Matty Layne Glasgow is the author of the award-winning poetry collection deciduous qween, published by Red Hen Press in 2019. He is an Assistant Professor of English at the College of Charleston where he teaches poetry and nonfiction.
Iowa State University MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment

04/07/2026

We are thrilled to partner with the Iowa State University MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writers Series.

On Friday, April 24th, join us at Fifth Street Writers for a generative cross-genre workshop with Matty Layne Glasgow, an alum of the MFA program. FREE and open to writers of all genres. No registration required.

Matty Layne Glasgow is the author of the award-winning poetry collection deciduous qween, published by Red Hen Press in 2019, He is an Assistant Professor of English at the College of Charleston where he teaches poetry and nonfiction.

04/03/2026

We are thrilled to announce that author, Kris Abel-Helwig published her first crime novel on April 1st. Rule of Odds—Fresh Cut is a modern crime story about a young crime scene photographer (Quinn Sheridan) who is helping police find a serial killer in Chicago.

Purchase Rule of Odds on Amazon, Ingram, and via Barnes & Noble. It is also available in digital form on Kindle and Apple Books. For more info about Rule of Odds, visit https://culicidaepress.com/abel-helwig-rule-of-odds.../.

Congratulations, Kris Abel-Helwig, who has led many of our Tuesday Zoom Write Togethers and is a big fan of the Ames Writers Collective. We're thrilled for you.
https://www.facebook.com/krisabelhelwig.author.illustrator

Step One: Inhale. Disassociate. Open the lens cap door and enter my rectangular world, where the no-longer-living become a stillife, and minuscule clues hide in the shadows.

04/03/2026

This summer, join Founder Ana McCracken as she speaks at "Beyond the Summit" at the upcoming Above + Beyond Cancer Conference.
Whether you're a cancer survivor or a caregiver, this conference is for you. Ana will be speaking in the first session on the arts as medicine.
For more information and to register, visit the link below!
https://ameswriterscollective.org/beyond-the-summit%e2%94%83above-and-beyond-cancer-conference/

03/28/2026

The The EcoTheatre Lab is calling for actors for "In Our Backyard," a new Eco-Play Festival!
Actors 18 and over that are selected will receive some compensation. Auditions will be held at Fifth Street Writers on Sunday March 29 and Tuesday March 31.
Click the link below to find out more!
https://ameswriterscollective.org/event/auditions-the-ecotheater-lab-presents/

03/27/2026

In case you missed it, the Writing Circle Mondays anthology is available for purchase!

When faced with cancer, words can become a lifeline. Under the guidance of Ana McCracken of the Ames Writers Collective and the Charlie Cutler Healing and Wellness Program, these voices share moments of fear, grace, and gratitude. This collection invites readers to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and rediscover what it means to live fully-even in the shadow of illness.

Click the link below for more information and to purchase your copy! All royalties support the cancer writing program at the Ames Writers Collective.

https://ameswriterscollective.org/publication-of-writing-circle-mondays/