Mark Lee

Mark Lee is an award-winning San Francisco-based journalist whose work has appeared in Wired, Al Jazeera, CNN, ABC News, The New York Times, and many others. His short fiction has been published in Canyon Voices Literary Magazine (Arizona State University), and Shadows literary magazine at Creighton University. Lee has read his fiction at A Clean, Well-lighted Place for Books (R.I.P.) and Piano Fight in San Francisco. He's currently working on his debut novel, Night Hunting. ​
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Carlo V. Santiago

Carlo V. Santiago is a writer of poetry and creative nonfiction. His work explores queerness, cultural erosion, and mental health. Carlo’s work is underscored by his advocacy of innate joy as well as the tension between identity and worth. He has performed his work with the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute, Brava for Women in the Arts, and Sarasota Poetry Theatre.

Melissa Eleftherion

Melissa Eleftherion (she/they) is a writer, a librarian, and a visual artist. Born & raised in Brooklyn, she holds degrees from Brooklyn College, Mills College, and San Jose State University. They are the author of the full-length poetry collections: field guide to autobiography (The Operating System, 2018), & gutter rainbows (Querencia Press, 2024), as well as twelve chapbooks including abject sutures (above/ground press, 2024). Her work has been widely published & featured in venues like Quarter after Eight, Sixth Finch, Entropy, & Barren Magazine. Melissa now lives in Northern California where she manages the Ukiah Branch Library, curates the LOBA Reading Series, and serves as Poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Ukiah. Recent work is available at ​www.apoetlibrarian.wordpress.com.

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Gaia Jane Thomas

Gaia Jane Thomas earned her MFA from Mills College. She was an inaugural Zoeglossia Fellow. Thomas is the author of three chapbooks: Bitter Cup and Cut from the Body (SSO Press), as well as Aloft Alight (Antiquated Future). Her manuscript Serotine was a finalist for the Carolyn Bush Award. In 2024, selections from Serotine were nominated for Best of the Net. She is a proud contributor to Every Place on the Map is Disabled (Northwestern, 2025).

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Maya Cowan

I’m a San Francisco native who started writing poetry after her grandfather passed, who also wrote poetry. I think poetry can make the most ordinary of experiences extraordinary. Since writing poetry, I have met the most creative and engaging individuals. Decentered Poets adopted me as a performer, and I've been grateful for that. It's led to other opportunities to perform like this one. Hope you mmm and snap when you resonate with my writing. (One of the founders of Decentered Poets got their start in SF Creative Creative Writing Institute classes)
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Florencia Milito

Florencia Milito is a bilingual poet with work featured in ZYZZYVA, Indiana Review, Catamaran, and others. An alumna of Hedgebrook and Community of Writers, and a fellow at San Francisco Writers Grotto and CantoMundo, her writing reflects her experiences fleeing Argentina's 1976 coup, her childhood in Venezuela, and her immigration to the U.S. at nine. Her bilingual collection Ituzaingó: Exiles and Reveries was published by Nomadic Press and later Black Lawrence Press, and reviewed in Urayoán Noel's " ‘La Treintena’ 2021." Her chapbook Sor Juana, published by Gunpowder Press won the 2023 Alta California Chapbook Prize. In 2022, she moved from San Francisco to Davis, California, but remains deeply connected to the Bay Area.

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Alexandra Kostoulas

Alexandra Kostoulas is an award-winning writer and the founder and Executive Director of SF Creative Writing Institute. She writes fiction, poetry and has been ghostwriting nonfiction lately. Her poetry has been featured all over the Bay Area, at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York and The Melbourne Fringe Festival (in zoom). She has coached many talented writers to publication and success. She believes her best work is yet to come.
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July 27-August 31 - Method Writing

In this workshop, we focus on writing from the Deep Voice and how to find and cultivate your own unique voice in your writing.

Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas Online Workshop. Saturday 9:30AM PST. Last day to sign up: July 27. [2 spots left] Adults only.

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August 12-16 Teen Creative Writing Summer Camp

Write new poems and stories. Meet friends. All while having fun. Last week of summer before SFUSD begins. In-Person Summer Camp for teens. M-F 12-5pm. Harvey Milk Center. SF. [1 spot left] Ages 13-17.

Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas

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Sept 7-Oct 12 Art of the Chapbook Online

This workshop focuses on preparing short manuscripts of poetry and/or flash prose for publication. Several writers have published their chapbooks after taking this workshop!

Instructor: Paul Corman-Roberts

Online Workshop. Saturdays 11:00AM PST

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