Jeff Fligelman and David Grae believe that “everyone has a story to tell.” They’ve been helping others tell their stories for over two decades, ever since they decided to join forces and teach writing classes in 1993. Together, they created the Gotham Writers’ Workshop, the largest adult-education writing school in the United States.
Today, the institution offers a variety of online and in-person classes, covering topics in novel writing, screenwriting, poetry, creative nonfiction and business writing, among other genres. However, before it became the “leading private writing school,” Gotham Writers’ Workshop was a modest business, requiring rented classroom space and word-of-mouth advertising.
Then boxes with newsprint catalogues appeared on the streets of New York City to publicize classes and share originals stories from teachers and students. Colored in a glaring, hard-to-miss yellow, the ubiquitous “Gotham Box” soon became a city fixture, making appearances in movies and on television.
Since then, Gotham Writers’ Workshop has continued to grow. It currently offers over 50 classes to a diverse body of students everywhere in the world. Through these workshops and various free events, the Gotham staff hopes to encourage writers to develop their craft and share their work with a creative community.
Despite popular belief, anyone can learn to write, according to Fligelman and Grae:
“People don’t normally question if carpentry or playing the piano can be taught. Writing is no different. Yes, there are intangibles involved—such as talent, inspiration, and determination—but these things can also be nurtured in the right environment.”
