Thursdays, September 17-October 29, 2026
4 p.m.-5 p.m. EST

Vin jwenn nou sou entènèt pou Speak Up, yon pwogram ekriti kreyatif k ap sipòte devlopman atistik ak pwofesyonèl adolesan yo….

Nan sa a Gratis Nan yon mini-seri atelye ekriti kreyatif vityèl, adolesan yo pral fè ekip ak atis-edikatè ki gen eksperyans pou ranfòse pwosesis ekriti kreyatif la, soti nan redaksyon rive nan pèfòmans ak piblikasyon, pou ogmante alfabetizasyon epi bay jèn yo nan Miami plis fòs atravè aktivite ekriti ki baze nan kominote a.

This Fall’s theme is Best of the Vault, a curated selection of fan-favorite presentations from previous Speak Up programs. Join us weekly for creative writing Throwback Thursdays after school!

Pwogram nan ouvè pou tout adolesan (ki gen laj 13-19) epi li se gratis jan l ye a San devwa. Pa bezwen okenn eksperyans anvan!

October 29
So You Want to Be an Author: Conversations with a Literary Agent with Melissa Danaczko & Von Wise

Melissa Danaczko became a literary agent after more than a decade of publishing experience, most recently as Senior Editor with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Today, Melissa represents a wide-range of Adult fiction and non-fiction titles. In fiction, she gravitates towards high-concept novels with a fresh perspective, energetic writing, deep emotional connection, and an immersive sense of place. Favorite categories include contemporary book club fiction, mystery, crime, psychological thrillers, speculative fiction, horror, and historical novels. She also represents history, science, memoir and idea-driven non-fiction books that are rigorous, emotionally compelling and have something big to say about our world. Her authors have won or been nominated for the Pulitzer, Edgar, Anthony, International Thriller, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, Lambda, Stonewall, NAACP, Hurston Wright Legacy, among other awards. Originally from Houston, TX, Melissa has lived in Miami, FL and now calls New York City home.

Von Wise received his MFA from Florida International University and is the author of Grow a Cowboy, winner of the 2025 Beyond Words Poetry Chapbook Awards. His poetry and prose have been published and anthologized by Lucky Jefferson, Inverted Syntax, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, Philadelphia Stories, Red Ogre Review, and elsewhere. His work has been nominated for Best of the Net and selected as a finalist in the Bateau Press chapbook contest and the Letter Review poetry contest. He was a runner-up in the Philadelphia Stories National Poetry Contest, and his chapbook Celebrity Poems was shortlisted for the Letter Review Prize for unpublished manuscripts. He teaches English and Creative Writing in Philadelphia, where he lives.