Write Now
Write Now: a Writing Circle for Women and Girls, is designed to support writing by women and girls. The program includes monthly meetings with activities geared toward high school students led by project directors REIL and Dr. Casey Catherine Moore. Personal essays, journalism, and poetry, are all important tools to advance progress for girls and women. Writing by participant women and girls during the project is collected and published in an anthology book. The project welcomes all girl and woman-identified writers.
If you are a high school aged writer interested to participate, or an adult writer interested to participate, or a parent or guardian of a high school aged writer interested to participate, please fill out the interest form below and one of the project directors will get in touch. Entry fees and lunch are provided.
Winter/Spring 2023 meeting dates: January 15th at Planet Word Museum; February 19th at the African American Museum; March 19th at the Torpedo Factory; April 30th at the National Portrait Gallery; May 21st at the National Gallery of Art [cancelled].
2023 project director R.E.I.L. (Shaquetta Nelson) is a poet and poet-educator. She is author of the book Ashes to Justice, published February 2022 by Day Eight. About her book Joseph Ross wrote, “The sorrow of abuse pulses under these poems. But so does the joy of double-dutch, a grandmother’s love, and the truth of rebirth.” R.E.I.L. started her poetry career at open mics in the D.C. area and at 16 competed in the Brave New Voices slam in New York City.
2023 project director Casey Catherine Moore is a poet, writer, editor, activist, and educator with over sixteen years of experience in secondary and college classrooms. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of South Carolina with a focus on Classics and gender. Casey’s work, which centers on gender, sexuality, and dis/ability, can be found in academic and creative publications, including the Comparatist, Sinister Wisdom, Oyster River Pages, Bourgeon, and Samfiftyfour. She co-produces and co-hosts Homo Stanzas, a queer spoken word series, with Regie Cabico and has been a featured poet for Busboys & Poets, The Nail Salon at St. Vincent Wine, Capturing Fire, and the 2022 March for Medicare for All Rally in Washington, DC.
The Write Now project was launched in 2022 through funding from the Cornelia T Bailey Foundation and with co-directors Kim B Miller and REIL. Read the media advisory about the launch of the project in 2022 (PDF). The project was developed and supported by an advisory committee of DC-area journalists, educators, and poets, including Dine Watson, Holly Karapetkova, Thea Joselow, Norah Vawter, Liana Conyers, Dr. Casey Catherine Moore, and Cecilia Mencia.