Pittsburgh, 03/22/2023 — This month marks the end of Vivian Lee Croft’s tenure as the executive director of Write Pittsburgh. Croft, who founded the organization, has grown it into a thriving writing nonprofit serving teen and adult writers in Pittsburgh, Southwestern PA, and beyond. As of April 1, local author and educator Christine Benner Dixon will be stepping in as interim executive director.
In October 2016, a handful of teen girls crowded into a tiny conference room at the Brookline Teen Outreach Center for a writing workshop. For months, Vivian Lee Croft had been dreaming of creating a space like this, where teen girls could write freely, nurture their creativity, and grow their voices. “My vision for Write Pittsburgh was really one designed for my younger self,” Croft explains. “In my teens, I felt alone, unheard, unseen.”
Finally, Croft had the chance to give to young writers the kind of support and encouragement that she herself had longed for. First called Girls Write Pittsburgh, this weekly workshop in Brookline—then more in Garfield, the Northside, Millvale, Wilkinsburg, Braddock—marked the beginning of what would become Write Pittsburgh, a nonprofit dedicated to building a writing community for both teens and adults in Southwestern PA.
Today, Write Pittsburgh offers three free online workshops for teens every week—Girls Write, Boys Write, and Rainbow Writers—as well as writing workshops for adults on topics such as grief, memoir, and speculative fiction and community-based workshops. “Creating and leading Write Pittsburgh has been the absolute joy of my life,” says Croft.
At the end of March, Vivian Lee Croft will be stepping down as the executive director of Write Pittsburgh. “Our team, board, and advisors have grown the organization into more than I thought possible. I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful authors, editors, agents, and publishers as well as incredible partners from our local libraries, bookstores, schools, youth-serving organizations, nonprofits, and foundations,” says Croft.
But for Croft, the heart of Write Pittsburgh’s work has always been with teen writers. “Spending time with young writers from across the region over the last six years has inspired me, challenged me, and encouraged me in extraordinary ways. It is my honor to have held space for the conversations, creativity, and collaborations that have taken place in our workshops.”
Write Pittsburgh has done much to offer opportunities to these young writers. Since the organization launched its weekly teen workshops, participants in these programs have published in Write Pittsburgh’s anthologies, performed readings across the city, and been awarded such prestigious accolades as Youth Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Ambassador of Allegheny County.
In 2018, Dave Eggers recognized Write Pittsburgh with membership in his International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers and, in 2019, one of Write Pittsburgh’s young writers was awarded a position in Eggers’ International Congress of Youth Voices, traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to join 130 others young people from around the world in bold activism.
Meanwhile, the Write Pittsburgh community has expanded to serve adult writers as well with weekly write-ins, themed workshop series, and more.
Write Pittsburgh’s incoming interim executive director is Dr. M. Christine Benner Dixon, currently a co-director of Adult Programs at Write Pittsburgh and formerly the chair of the English Department at Winchester Thurston School. Benner Dixon comes to the role as an award-winning novelist, long-time classroom teacher, and freelance editor. The search for a permanent executive director will begin in Fall 2023.
“I am excited to see Write Pittsburgh continue to grow under the leadership of the Interim Executive Director, our dedicated team, and our incredible Board of Directors,” says Croft. “I hope that our community will continue to support the organization as it amplifies the voices of the next generation.” Donations can be made at www.WritePittsburgh.com/donate.
Write Pittsburgh is a programming collective that amplifies voices, empowers writers, and encourages relationships that build writer agency and fosters relationships that grow and strengthen community. Learn more about Write Pittsburgh and its programs at www.WritePittsburgh.com. For more information, contact info@writepittsburgh.com.
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