Five metro-area community colleges, (Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Century College, Minneapolis College, Normandale Community College, and North Hennepin Community College) will be hosting a series of literary events featuring celebrated BIPOC authors and literary professionals. These events are free and open to the public.  

January 24, 2023, 6:30 pm: Shannon Gibney at Minneapolis College, F-1200, Theater 

Minneapolis College faculty member and author Shannon Gibney launches her new speculative memoir, The Girl I Was, Am, and Never Will Be. LM Brimmer will interview the author. 

April 4, 2023, 2:00 pm: Ross Gay at Anoka-Ramsey Community College  

Celebrated poet and essayist Ross Gay reads from his newest essay collection, Inciting Joy. 

April 14, 2023, 12 pm: Literary Career Symposium at Normandale Community College 

Five accomplished literary professionals working in publishing, literary nonprofit administration, and other literary fields share their career journey and expertise. Moderated by Michael Kleber-Diggs. 

April 27, 2023, 7:00 pm: Carmen Maria Machado at Minneapolis College 

Award-winning author Carmen Maria Machado reads from her recent books. 

Some of these presenters will also appear at North Hennepin Community College and Century College for private events. Their appearances are part of the Write Like Us program, which also features local BIPOC mentors LM Brimmer, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Nicola Koh, and Taiwana Shambley.  Mentors work with five mentees—creative-writing students—from each campus throughout the academic year.  

Write Like Us is funded by Thomson-Reuters and a Minnesota State Multi-Campus Collaboration grant in support of Minnesota State’s Equity 2030 goals. Minnesota State is a consortium of thirty state colleges and seven universities in Minnesota. Equity 2030 aims to close the educational equity gaps across race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location by the end of the decade at every Minnesota State college and university. To help meet some of Minnesota State’s Equity 2030 goals, Write Like Us hopes to increase BIPOC enrollment in our AFA and other creative writing programs, with their high rates of persistence, graduation, and transfer. As well, Write Like Us will center and celebrate the work of the BIPOC writers, providing BIPOC mentees with models of success that look like them.