Teachers who work at the Writing Salon love teaching here because they consistently end up with such enthusiastic, talented groups of students. From 150 to 200 people attend our classes each session - people of all ages, from all walks of life, with varying degrees of writing experience.

Not all these students are aiming to become "professional" writers. Some do hope to get their work published, maybe even intend to make all or part of their living from writing. But many take these classes for other reasons - for fun, relaxation, intellectual stimulation, self-therapy, or simply because they want a creative outlet. But whatever their motivations or aspirations, the number of good writers who pass through these doors is phenomenal.

For now, we are showcasing only the work that students have read at our "end of session" parties, which we host four times a year - or reprints of work that they have gotten published (wholly or partly as a result of having taken classes here at the Writing Salon).

We will periodically update this page with new writings, in order to feature as many students as we can throughout the year.

American Movies
by Jon Ashley
" It was the in-flight movie that gave me second thoughts about going home. As a Peace Corps volunteer in the tiny East African nation of Eritrea, I hadn’t seen a decent American movie for two years. I’d seen Top Gun and Less Than Zero dubbed into French and subtitled in both English and Arabic, but . . .

A Taste of France
Personal Essay by Rikke Jorgensen
“ There is a pubic hair in my pasta.” I said this calmly, with as much dignity as I could muster. Across the table from me, Karen paused in mid-chew and put down her knife and fork. . .

It's All About National Security
Personal Essay/Newpaper Commentary by Brian Shott
" My God, I thought, he must really be dead this time. I stood outside Jack's door, trying to knock loudly enough to be heard over the din of 'The Price Is Right.' Jack, like many of my clients, was dying of AIDS. It was 1991 in Seattle. . ."

The Dishonorable Life
Personal Essay by G.C.
" Here is what happens in my head when Jakob is born. I think This is an enormous moment, don’t forget it. My father says, “I don’t really like kids until they are thirteen and can discuss politics, but you have my theoretical congratulations.”

Thirteen
Fiction by Sylvia Carr
" Katrina's stomach aches. It's lunchtime, but instead of lining up for stale pizza or lifeless, gray hamburgers in the cafeteria, she's in the second-floor bathroom with the only girls she has a chance at calling friends: Barb, Marcia, and Gail. They're in the bathroom at the back of the building that no one ever uses. . ."

Dessert
Poetry by Marilyn Friedman
" We never order dessert
Never, dessert, never
Didn’t you notice that we
Never order dessert. . ."

Featured Student Writings Archive