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July 16, 2026 at 6:30pm

Writers Workshop: Creative Writing 101

July 16, 2026, 6:30pm–8:00pm

Enjoy free summer writing workshops held in our outdoor Reading Room.

Eager to test the waters of creative writing but not sure where or how to start? In this free workshop, Gotham instructor Arlaina Tibensky will guide you surely and safely into the writing life. No pressure, no rubrics, just unbridled creativity. You’ll learn some craft, do some writing, and get to hang out in the heart of the city with creative writers-in-training like yourself. 

About the instructor
Arlaina Tibensky is the author of the novel And Then Things Fall Apart (Simon & Schuster). Her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in One Story, SmokeLong Quarterly, Reckon Review, The Dodge Magazine, Stanchion, Thimble Lit, The Keepthings, The Razor, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Madison Review, The Dinner Party Download, and New Stories from the Midwest, 2018. She has received "Best of the Net," "Best Small Fictions," and Pushcart nominations for her flash fiction. She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University.

2026 lineup

July 9, 2026 – August 13, 2026
Thursdays, 6:30pm-8pm

July 9: Poetry Writing with Mary Donnelly

July 16: Creative Writing 101 with Arlaina Tibensky

July 23: Screenwriting with C.C. Webster

July 30: Fiction Writing with Susan Breen

August 6: Humor Writing with Alexander Steele

August 13: Essay & Opinion Writing with Kelly Caldwell