This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month for five days and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you …
This is the Year
A very special “thank you” to the educators who hosted this January’s Open Write out of pure generosity. We deeply appreciate our volunteer hosts and the care they take in responding to our poems. Thank you, Shaun, Gayle, Glenda, Erica, and Jessica. Please join us …
Until I Discovered
Our Host: Erica Johnson Erica lives in the suburbs of Little Rock, but teaches in the rural town of Vilonia, Arkansas. She has dedicated thirteen years to helping high school students excel in Advanced and College level English courses. Not only does Erica work with …
How Embarrassing!
Our Host Glenda retired from full-time teaching in 2019 after a 38 year career and is now substitute teaching in her district. In addition to being a dog and cat mom, Glenda loves to travel and is a doting grandmother to Ezra, a budding reader …
KonMarie: the 2025 Edition
Our Host: Gayle Sands Gayle lives in Taneytown, MD. She quickly de-retired after her exit from 27 years of teaching middle-school English, Today, she supervises secondary education practicum students for McDaniel College. When not supervising, she wrangles her curmudgeonly husband and growing menagerie. The pet …
Are You Down?
As we prepare to begin our January Open Write—a time for teachers to come together over five days to nurture our writing lives, witness one another’s words, and gather ideas to support student writers—we want to take a moment to hold our California teachers and …
Lost Children
A very special thank you to Kim, Stacey, Denise, Emily, and Erica for taking such good care of our words this month. If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, …
Best & Worst
Welcome to day 4 of the November Open Write. We are so glad you are here. Our Host Emily lives in Vinalhaven, Maine where she teaches middle school on an island 15 miles off the coast. After a decade as a science and environmental educator, …
Everyone Has a Story to Tell
Our Host Denise Neal is currently the principal at Our Lady of the Way RC School in Belize. She has been in the education field for 29 years at the primary level and continues to do adjunct lecturing at the University of Belize from 2014 …
Writing the World 4 x 4
Welcome to the November Open Write. If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, capable hands of today’s host, so just read prompt below and then, when you are ready, …