Story Club Minneapolis

04/27/2026

Hi everyone!
Amy Salloway here!

I swear I swear, this is the LAST post I'll make advertising this Minneapolis Community Education class that I'm teaching! 😃 This is my final course offering for Spring Quarter 2026, and then I teach one class for Summer Quarter (Prompts & Process), but that doesn't start until late June.

Writing: In The Dark is a five-week class that runs Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm CT via ZOOM -- so, despite the moniker "Minneapolis Community Ed," you don't have to live in Minneapolis to participate! You can live anywhere in the world, as long as you've got a Zoom account!

Writing: In The Dark is a narrative writing class focusing on the particular challenges that come with crafting stories our culture might not want us to share -- stories that are difficult, risky, controversial, revealing or vulnerable. We'll learn and do exercises around the most vital tools for creating personal narrative (true or fictional), but also veer into specific methods to make a risky story accessible and relatable, and to keep the audience engaged and empathetic without compromising the truth and power of your experience. Class time will be a combination of reading, discussion, writing exercises and supportive feedback.

Interested? Go register now!! This class starts in three days, and I'd love to see you there on my laptop screen! Run, don't walk! 😃

04/20/2026

Earth Week Fest at the Phoenix Theater -- all the shows, all the links, all the tickets! :D

04/19/2026

Hi people! Amy here!

Spring Quarter of Minneapolis Community Education is underway, and I have one more class this session that hasn't started yet. That'd be Writing: In The Dark, which runs for five weeks beginning Thursday April 30th, via ZOOM. This class is focused on writing (and/or telling!) narrative pieces that are centered on difficult experiences -- topics our culture considers traumatic, taboo, controversial or risky. We'll learn and practice the vital tools that make true personal (or fictional) stories compelling, engaging, vivid and emotionally resonant, and also look at how to invite an audience into challenging material, and keep them invested and connected without watering down our truth. This class has room for more students, and I'd love to see you there! Remember that you can register for this course from anywhere in the world -- because it's online, you don't have to live in Minneapolis!! All info is in the boxes, here -- please spread the word to friends and family who might be interested! :)

03/15/2026

Hi everyone!
Amy Salloway here! I'm teaching one last Minneapolis Community Education writing class during Winter Quarter, and there's still space in it, should you be interested in signing up! It's a one-night workshop on Thursday, March 26th, 6pm-9pm, called Writing: Voice & Tense, and unsurprisingly, it's about the roles that narrative voice and verb tense play in crafting a piece of writing. They're both such vital tools in building a story's energy, focus, flow and uniqueness, and we'll talk about why, do some short readings, and then lots of writing exercises to play with choices around the two concepts. This workshop is fun and participatory, and you can register for it from anywhere in the world, because it happens online via ZOOM! The boxes below have more information as well as the registration code -- I hope to see you on my Zoom screen later this month! ☺️

03/05/2026

Hi everyone! Amy Salloway here! Hey, I'm excited to tell you that the RISK! podcast is re-running one of my stories this week, as part of a series called "The Best of Coming-of-Age Stories" (this is installment #2 of that series)! My story is called "Sister Act," and I told it at the Brave New Workshop when Risk! came to Minneapolis to stage and record a live performance in July 2015. It was a fantastic night -- I still remember it -- and I think you can hear how much fun the audience was having in this recording. :) Please feel free to take a listen, if you haven't heard this tale from me before! Or, heck, even if you have! :D The link is in the comments!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1A7e47ZHsi/

01/31/2026

Oh my gosh, what?!? Who's that nerdy, insecure, bespectacled performer? I think it might just be ME, Amy Salloway!

Folks, I'll be in the 4th Annual Off-Kilter Cabaret: Pick Your Paradox! next weekend, Friday - Sunday, February 6th-8th at the Jungle Theater in Uptown, Minneapolis. I'll be telling a true personal story, and I'm deciding what story that'll be in the next 12 hours - - exciting, I know. Audiences will hear either a brand new piece that's still in development, OR a new edit of an existing story that I haven't put onstage in quite a while. (This last-minute decision is the result of my computer crashing last week and rendering all my files, writing and performance materials unavailable, forcing me to "pivot," as they say. Augh! )

Even if you're not a fan of my work, and even if you can barely tolerate seeing my aging sourdough starter of a face illuminated under a fresnel lamp, come to the Cabaret for the other performers and their pieces - - spoken word, dance, sketch comedy, there's something for everyone, and you'll be supporting our efforts to increase disability inclusion in the arts! Witness for yourself why this is so important! 🥰

All info is below! Hope to see you at Off-Kilter!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DDDxgCdka/

Spotlight on Amy Salloway, an actor, writer, and storyteller performing in this year's Off-Kilter Cabaret "Pick Your Paradox!"

"Amy Salloway (she/her/hers) is a big fan of the Venn Diagram spot where live performance, human connection and social change overlap. Her award-winning autobiographical solo plays -- “Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?,” "So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!,” and “Circumference” -- have toured to audiences across the US and Canada, and she’s contributed personal stories to radio programs on MPR and CBC, as well as the national podcast “Risk!” Amy teaches narrative writing and performing of all kinds through The Story Studio and Minneapolis Community Education. She's honored to be on the leadership team for the Off-Kilter Cabaret. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage."

To see Amy Salloway in the Off-Kilter Cabaret: "Pick Your Paradox!", reserve your tickets for a suggested donation of $5-$30 here: https://ticketstripe.com/offkilter2026

Dates & Times
Friday, February 6 – 7:00 PM with post-show reception
Saturday, February 7 – 7:00 PM with post-show discussion
Sunday, February 8 – 2:00 PM. Masks required
*****
THIS PERFORMANCE IS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Young Dance, whose mission is to transform lives through movement.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

01/31/2026

Hi People! Amy here! 🤓

I know it can be hard to think about attending arts events in the midst of political upheavals and big, ongoing crises, when no part of your head or heart feels available to process anything else. I can tell you that's it's certainly extremely hard to try to MAKE art at such a time! But remember that art of all kinds is an outlet for our emotions, and a space in which to escape and process, and most of all, a place to come together as a community - just as you are, authentic and honest, no special persona or sparkle needed.

At least that's what we feel over at Off-Kilter Cabaret: Pick Your Paradox! - - the 4th annual interdisciplinary, curated cabaret show created by and featuring local artists with disabilities, which happens in exactly one week --Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 6th, 7th and 8th at the Jungle Theater in Uptown Minneapolis.

I'll be one of the performers, along with wonderful and talented folks like Raymond Luczak, Laura Cannata, Desdamona Ross, Young Dance, and more. After Friday's performance, there's a reception! After Saturday's performance, there's a talkback! After Sunday's performance, there's nap time, cuz it's in the afternoon. 😁 Please check out the info below, and consider coming to see us. Let's simmer in the dizzying paradoxes of life together. 😏

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Zx5AC5RkV/

TICKETS ARE LIVE! 🎟

You can now reserve tickets for Off-Leash Area's 4th Annual Off-Kilter Cabaret: Pick Your Paradox! at The Jungle Theater featuring:
Laura Cannata,
Sam Jasmine and Tomo Lennox,
Raymond Luczak,
Caroline Mannheimer,
Rachel Orzoff,
Amy Salloway,
​and Young Dance.

Dates & Times
Friday, February 6 – 7:00 PM with post-show reception
Saturday, February 7 – 7:00 PM post-show discussion
Sunday, February 8 – 2:00 PM

Admission is a $5-30 suggested donation.
Tickets can be reserved here: https://ticketstripe.com/offkilter2026

*****
THIS PERFORMANCE IS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Young Dance, whose mission is to transform lives through movement,

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

01/11/2026

Hi everyone! AmySalloway here!

It always feels really awkward and uncomfortable to advertise my projects, performances and/or classes in the middle of traumatic and emotional sociopolitical events -- like, how can I pretend this is a priority, or anything worthy of focusing on? How can I take up your time and attention amidst the huge waves of conflict, violence, division and fear?

But of course, the truth is that life marches on even during crises, and the other components of our lives are still important because...they're our lives. And it can be important to have a release...an emotional and psychological escape...a distraction...and a creative outlet. Much of the time, that's what helps us survive.

SO, with that, I wanted to let you know that registration is open for Winter Quarter Minneapolis Community Education, and I'm teaching FOUR classes, people! Four really fun, welcoming, participatory opportunities to learn and practice crucial tools for writing and creativity! Three are multi-week courses, and one is a one-night workshop. I'm really excited to say that they're all filling up at a brisk pace, so if you're interested in any of these narrative topics and skill sets, register SOON! I'm going to list all the classes here, with their dates, times and registration codes -- hopefully it'll be clear which class is which (they'll be in chronological order, with description, dates/times, and code).

And remember, all of these classes are taught online via Zoom, so folks can register from absolutely ANYwhere in the world! I'm in Minneapolis, but YOU don't have to be! And if you're not, right now, you're LUCKY! Heh heh! Sorry. Little joke there, borne of misery and anxiety. Manxiety. It's a word. I'm babbling.

Hope to see you on my laptop screen really soon for...
Writing: Memoir & Narrative
or
Storytelling for the Page and Stage
or
Writing: In The Dark
or
Writing: Voice and Tense! 😃

10/13/2025

Hi people!
Amy here, sending out one more notice about this upcoming ONLINE class I'm teaching through Minneapolis Community Education -- Writing; Prompts & Process. It starts in a mere 10 days, and there's still lots of space available -- I bet there's a Zoom box with your name on it! 😁 Prompts & Process runs five Wednesday nights, 6:30-8:30pm CT, and because it happens online, you can take it from anywhere in the world! DeMoines...Dubai...Denmark...Djibouti!

If you're someone who really wants to be writing but keeps hitting the roadblocks of insecurity, procrastination, overwhelmment or self-doubt, this is the class for you, as it's all about throwing those discouraging feelings out and developing a creative practice that works for your style, goals and needs. We do a lot of in-class exercises, along with some reading, discussion, and sharing of our own work, all in an energy of enthusiasm and encouragement. More information is in the zoom link, below -- please feel free to share this opportunity with your friends or folks you think might dig it! Hope to see you on my Zoom screen soon! 😀

Break through writer’s block, inertia, fear and self-sabotage with this affirming five-week class full of exercises and tools to help you find your own unique creative process. We’ll spend much of the class time actively writing and sharing our work; feel free to come in with a project you’re ...

10/08/2025

Hi folks!
Amy Salloway here! :) The next Minneapolis Community Education class I'll be teaching is Writing: Prompts & Process, starting Wednesday 10/22 and running for five Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm CT over ZOOM. This is always a super-fun class, where our goal is to stomp on writer's block, procrastination, intimidation and self-doubt and find ways to make writing feel accessible, energizing and available to you as part of your own authentic creative life. We do a little bit of reading and discussing, but mostly tons of writing exercises -- and as part of the class, students get a really great packet of prompts and writing tools. You should sign up now! And share this link with other writing fans who might want to participate -- because the class is online, you can register from anywhere in the world! Hope to see you very soon! :D

Break through writer’s block, inertia, fear and self-sabotage with this affirming five-week class full of exercises and tools to help you find your own unique creative process. We’ll spend much of the class time actively writing and sharing our work; feel free to come in with a project you’re ...

09/21/2025

Hey folks! This is the third Minneapolis Community Education class I'm teaching for Fall Quarter. It's a one-night workshop that happens via ZOOM on Monday, November 17th, 6pm to 9pm CT, all about how to use voice and tense in your writing (and storytelling!) -- what effects are achieved by choosing a first person, second person or third person voice...how those combine with writing in past tense, present tense, future or the various conditional tenses. These are elements of writing that often fly under the radar, but they can contribute so much to the mood, feel and energy of a piece, and are a lot of fun to play with. More info is in the link below -- take a look and consider signing up! Remember, you don't have to live in Minneapolis when the class happens over the internet! Share this opportunity with your friends far and wide! :)

How does an author decide whether to write a novel in first-person or third-person? Why do I keep accidentally changing my story from past tense to present tense? Why does this "voice" and "tense" stuff feel so confusing? If you're a writer (at any level!) who enjoys playing with...