Adult Writers’ Studio: Memoir Intensive

In-Person at Thurber Center

Adult Writers’ Studio is a welcoming and creative community of writers 18+ who gather to share and discuss their writing, participate in generative exercises, provide/receive feedback about each other’s work, engage in topical discussions, and support each other through peer motivation and kind, constructive criticism.

Led by writer and facilitator Jen Knox, the AWS Memoir Intensive is designed for dedicated memoir, personal essay, and other creative nonfiction writers. Peer feedback groups will be intentionally curated based on writing level so participants can exchange feedback and receive support that best aligns with their needs.

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Psst… looking for a beginner Adult Writers’ Studio? Click here to learn more about the AWS Beginner Intensive.

‣ Meeting Information

What to Expect

Adult Writers’ Studio meetings are inclusive and supportive of as many writers as possible by focusing on topics, tools, techniques, prompts, exercises, discussion, and feedback that apply to a wide range of writers' needs and interests. Discussions will be organic/based on what participants want to talk about rather than pre-constructed topics.

Please bring something to write on/with to every meeting (pen and paper, laptop, etc.).

Most meetings begin with discussion and generative exercises, followed by time for peer feedback/workshopping pieces. There is an informal sign up process to workshop your pieces, and we ask that you upload your work far in advance of your sharing date so your fellow group members can read it and prepare feedback. This ensures that your peers come to the meeting having already read and made notes about your work, and the meeting time can be fully devoted to discussing that feedback. Participants are expected to be honest, kind, and constructive when giving feedback—we are not here to tear each other down.

Adult Writers’ Studio is an evolving and responsive program. Thurber House and the facilitator will adapt to participants’ needs and interests as they become apparent and as participants share feedback with us. Never hesitate to speak up about how you think AWS can best support you and your peers on your writing journey.

Pricing

$180 for the full season.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please contact Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org if you need financial assistance (you must include your full name, a statement of need, and an 8-10 page writing sample).

‣ Meeting Location & Schedule

Location

All meetings will be held in-person at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215), next door to Thurber House. See location, parking, and accessibility information below.

If weather, widespread illness, or other circumstance hinders meeting in-person, we’ll meet virtually on Zoom instead.

If you’re ill and can’t attend an in-person meeting, please contact Jess at jcox@thurberhouse.org.

Meeting Schedule

Note for returning writers: the final session will be held on a Tuesday, not a Saturday.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm ET
Thursday, July 30, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm ET
Saturday, August 1, 2026 from 12:00-2:00 pm ET
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm ET
Thursday, August 6, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm ET

‣ Meet the Adult Writers’ Studio Facilitator

Jen Knox

Jen Knox is an educator and storyteller who leads workshops on writing, leadership, and meditation. After teaching writing for over a decade and managing a leadership program at The Ohio State University, Jen began to combine meditation techniques, leadership research, and the power of creativity to launch Unleash Creatives, a holistic arts organization.

Jen’s books include We Arrive Uninvited (Steel Toe Books Award Winner), The Glass City (Press Americana Prose Winner), Radicals (Library Tales/Simon and Schuster, 2027) and At Work (Cornerstone, UWSP, 2027). Jen's short fiction can be found in the Chicago Tribune, Prose Online, McSweeney's Internet Quarterly, The Saturday Evening Post, and more. She’s the proud recipient of grants from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and Ohio Arts Council, and blogs about writing and mindfulness at The Resilient Creative.

‣ Location, Parking, & Accessibility

Meetings will be held at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215), next door to Thurber House. In the event of inclement weather, widespread illness, or other circumstance that hinders meeting in-person, we will meet virtually on Zoom instead.
Parking on Jefferson Avenue:
Free, easy street parking is available all along the Jefferson Avenue oval (unlimited on weeknights; three hour limit on Saturday mornings). Note: only the spots along the one-way oval are free; the spots along the two-way ends of Jefferson Avenue (near Broad Street and Long Street) are not free.
Parking off N. 11th Street (behind Thurber Center/Thurber House):
Free visitor parking is available in the small lot directly behind Thurber Center/Thurber House, accessible off N. 11th Street and located here.
All other parking lots do not belong to Thurber House and you may be towed.
Depending on various factors, in-person meetings will take place on either the first floor or the second floor of Thurber Center.
The entrance, first floor meeting space, and restrooms at Thurber Center are handicap/wheelchair accessible.
The second floor meeting space is only reachable by stairs. There is no elevator. If you cannot navigate stairs, please let us know and we will accommodate to the best of our ability.
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How to reach the wheelchair ramp:
- If you park on Jefferson Avenue:
  - There is a slight curb (some wheelchairs can navigate this). The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here).
  - Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
- If you park in the Thurber Center/Thurber House rear parking lot:
  - Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center.
  - The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.

‣ FAQ & Disclaimer

For any questions that are not answered here, please email Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.

You will receive an email order confirmation containing your registration information.
Yes, although online registration is encouraged. To order by phone, call 614-412-5955.
All registrations are final and non-refundable. However, you can give your spot to a friend, family member, colleague, etc. if you cannot attend. Contact us to transfer a registration.
Purchases made by credit/debit card are charged a modest fee to cover Thurber House’s processing costs. To pay by cash or check, please email jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.
Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.