Rose O'Neill Literary House
The Colophon, a biweekly literary magazine produced by the Writers Union, is just one several publications created by students interested in creative writing.
As program director of the Rose O'Neill Literary House, Joshua Wolf Shenk organizes creative social activities that highlight writers and writing of all sorts.
Welcome
A Home for Creative Writing
Welcome to the Rose O'Neill Literary House, a comfortable, sociable place that appeals particularly to students within the creative writing program, English and drama majors, performance artists and aficionados of the literary and book arts. This refurbished Victorian—with its rows of books, wraparound porch, quiet garret retreats, antique letterpresses and expansive outdoor deck—is the perfect venue for co-curricular activities that bring together students and faculty with visiting writers, scholars, editors and other literary artists.
The College's writing community calls this place home. On any given afternoon, you might gather with your friends for a faculty talk, a presentation on digital poetry, a student reading, a creative writing workshop, or a reception honoring a visiting writer. This is where poems and stories are shared, where literature is discussed, where poetry is letter-set and printed by hand, where the Washington College Review debuts, where festivals are devoted to humor and satire. This is where creativity happens.
The creative writing culture so much in evidence here is grounded in the College's longstanding commitment to foster good writing across all disciplines, and to connect our students and faculty to the wider culture of literature and the creative arts. In collaboration with the English Department and the Sophie Kerr Committee, which oversees the Sophie Kerr Prize, the Literary House has hosted a succession of the best writers in America.
Describing Washington College's creative writing program and the flourishing community of young writers who find their literary voices here, Colman McCarthy noted in The Washington Post two decades ago that the posters on the wall of the Literary House "tell the story that this is the Carnegie Hall of literary readings.
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782