Dispatches from Quarantine
Dispatches from Quarantine is a publishing project that explored how the coronavirus pandemic affected creative writing.
This project began as a blog in March 2020. Then, it expanded to include a reading series, public discussions, and writing workshops taught by diverse writers in background and genre.
Readings and discussions are published on our YouTube channel.
This project began as a blog in March 2020. Then, it expanded to include a reading series, public discussions, and writing workshops taught by diverse writers in background and genre.
Readings and discussions are published on our YouTube channel.
Dispatches from Quarantine: Reflecting on Life, Creativity, and Resilience in Unprecedented Times
Dispatches from Quarantine is a literary blog and story-sharing program that explores what it means to be alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We captured diverse living experiences between 2020 - 2023 through poetry, fiction, memoir, screenwriting, and more.
Since our 2020 launch, we received over 300 blog submissions from writers worldwide. Thus, creating a living document of this unique moment in history.
With the support of the SF Public Library, CounterPulse, and the California Arts Council, we transformed the blog into several online and in-person workshops and performances.
We invited our local community to reflect on how the pandemic has shaped their creative writing process and storytelling. We also recorded discussions on how the pandemic impacted our lives and culture.
We captured diverse living experiences between 2020 - 2023 through poetry, fiction, memoir, screenwriting, and more.
Since our 2020 launch, we received over 300 blog submissions from writers worldwide. Thus, creating a living document of this unique moment in history.
With the support of the SF Public Library, CounterPulse, and the California Arts Council, we transformed the blog into several online and in-person workshops and performances.
We invited our local community to reflect on how the pandemic has shaped their creative writing process and storytelling. We also recorded discussions on how the pandemic impacted our lives and culture.
Our Showcase
Notable Events
Featured Guests
Tongo Eisen-Martin
SF Poet Laureate, poet, and activist
Karla Brundage
Author, Editor and Publisher
Landon Smith
Professor, poet, and painter
Karla Brundage
Poet, activist, and educator
Norman Antonio Zelaya
Writer, performer, and educator
Donté Clark
Actor, lyricist, poet, and writer
Donjuan Carter-Woodard
Artist, activist, and teacher
Nick Mamatas
Novelist, short story writer, and editor
Max Booth III
Filmmaker, bookstore owner and novelist
Molly Tanzer
Fantasy, horror, and science fiction writer
Vanessa Veselka
Writer and author
Kristina Wong
Performance artist, comedian, actor and writer
Rebecca Solnit
Writer, historian, and activist
Michelle Amor
Screenwriter, Producer, Professor
Camille Tucker
Writer/Director/Professor – “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel”
Joe Carroll
Writer/Director - "Lethal Legacy," BET+, Writers' Assistant/Script Coordinator -"Bel Air," "The Chi," "The Resident"
Local & Non-Profit Partnerships
Want to Support SFCWI?
Every donation goes to empowering writers and persevering local stories for future generations. By supporting us, you help provide affordable workshops, performances, and youth programs that serve our community.
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