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City of Madison

Madison Writing Assistance to Celebrate Writing through Storytelling at Madison Public Library

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MADISON, WI –  Madison Writing Assistance invites community members to participate in storytelling workshops and a summer story slam as part of their annual Celebration of Writing at Goodman South Madison Library in June.

“Madison writers write to get jobs, explore complicated questions and feelings, get into college, win grants, and make people laugh," said Madison Writing Assistance Associate Director Seth Umbaugh. “Telling a compelling story is the key to achieving all of those goals, and we aim to help all Madison writers tell their stories."

Events take place on Saturdays, with the first two storytelling workshops planned for June 13 and 20 from 3-4:30pm intended to help attendees prepare to share a 5-minute story during the final summer story slam and community reception on June 27. Participants can attend all three events or attend any combination of the three as part of the Celebration of Writing.

Celebration of Writing Events:

  • Storytelling Workshops for Madison Writing Assistance's Celebration of Writing take place June 13 and 20 at Goodman South Madison Library.

    Storytelling Workshop 1: Find Your Story

    June 13, 3-4:30pm | Goodman South Madison Library

    Join the Madison Writing Assistance leadership team to hear an example story and participate in guided exercises that will help you develop, write and tell a 5-minute true story about your life.

  • Madison Writing Assistance Celebration of Writing storytelling workshops at Goodman South Madison Library June 13, 20, and 27.

    Storytelling Workshop 2: Tell Your Story

    June 20, 3-4:30pm | Goodman South Madison Library

    During this workshop, Madison Writing Assistance's leadership team will help participants refine and remember a 5-minute true story about their life. You'll get to practice telling your story in front of a live audience and receive feedback.

A latina woman wearing a hat stands at a mic telling a story during a story slam hosted by Madison Public Library as part of Library Takeover.

Celebration of Writing Summer Story Slam

June 27, 2-4pm | Goodman South Madison Library

Tell a 5-minute story to a live audience, hear a keynote speech and reading from a special guest speaker, and learn from Madison Writing Assistance coaches on topics like storytelling, writing resumes, or writing college application essays. A reception with cake and refreshments will take place from 3:30-4pm.

All events take place on Saturdays. Register online by Monday, June 22 for a chance to tell a story during the story slam. 

These events are intended for ages 16 and up. Youth under 16 need to be accompanied by a caregiver or parent. Registration is requested for each workshop. 

Madison Writing Assistance is available throughout the year at four Madison Public Library locations (Lakeview, Hawthorne, Goodman South Madison, and Sequoya Libraries) with breaks during select times that coincide with the University of Wisconsin-Madison school year. Writing coaches help writers of all ages across Madison with many different project types, including resumes and cover letters, college applications, homework, and creative writing projects (fiction, memoir, poetry, etc.). 

“Visitors are always surprised that they can get such detailed and helpful feedback on their writing for free from Madison Writing Assistance during a trip to the library," said Digital Services and Marketing Manager Liz Boyd. “Having writing coaches who can give personalized attention to your work – whether it's a resume, college application, essay for school, or creative writing – means a lot to people and, in some cases, has been life-changing. We're grateful for the ongoing partnership with MWA and encourage local writers to participate in this Celebration of Writing in June – we want to hear your voice!"

See the full schedule online, sign up for summer sessions, and register to attend the Celebration of Writing series at madpl.org/mwa.

Madison Writing Assistance is a free service provided by the UW-Madison Writing Center and is made possible through generous donations from the UW Anonymous Fund, the Evjue Foundation, Brittingham Wisconsin Trust, and Altrusa International of Madison.

About Madison Public Library 

With more than 1.3 million annual visitors across nine library locations each year, Madison Public Library's tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for 150 years. Visit the library online at www.madisonpubliclibrary.org and @madisonpubliclibrary on Facebook and Instagram.

About Madison Writing Assistance

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at libraries and neighborhood centers throughout the city and online. Our friendly, experienced coaches are happy to help people with a variety of writing projects including resumes, cover letters, application essays, class assignments, grant proposals, creative writing, and various forms of life writing. For program updates, visit Madison Writing Assistance's website or follow MWA @madisonwritingassistance on Instagram.

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