Our Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

As a precaution to help limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and care for our community, Just Buffalo Literary Center has postponed a number of events, and we will follow the guidance of Buffalo Public Schools in terms of Just Buffalo Writing Center programming.

Learn More

08 Nov

Posted at 07:45h in BABEL, Community

Omar El Akkad is an Egyptian-born author and journalist. He has reported on current events in places all over the world, including Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan. This Thursday, November 10th, he will be participating in the BABEL author series at Kleinhans Music Hall. His featured book, What Strange Paradise, tells the story of 9-year-old Amir, an immigrant boy who washed up on a small island after the overcrowded ship he left home on tragically sank. Through his novel, El Akkad depicts the unfortunate harshness of the immigrant process, and the world at large, through the eyes of a child. Below is a list of local organizations that strive to make the immigrant experience in WNY a little easier.

06 Oct

Posted at 13:59h in BABEL, Community

Environmental journalist Elizabeth Kolbert visits Buffalo on Friday, October 14th for a BABEL author talk at Kleinhans Music Hall. Kolbert's research and writing on species extinction is fascinating, terrifying, and absolutely necessary as we face the realities of climate change. But how do we move forward with this knowledge? How do we turn away from despair and toward action? Look to the people in our own Buffalo & Western New York community working towards environmental justice!

11 Sep

Posted at 16:14h in Community

Local bookstores are more than a business—they are tiny pockets of culture, reflecting the neighborhoods they reside in and acting as places of true community and artistic exchange. Bookstores are where we go to find the next book that will rock our world or change our perspective, and they are great places to find like-minded bibliophiles to connect with. But don’t take our word for it—we asked Buffalo's booksellers why it's important to support indie bookstores, and here’s what some them had to say!

20 Aug

Posted at 12:35h in Civil Writes Project, Community, Young Writers

Hope Blooms From Shattered Roots is a digital collection of writings presented by Just Buffalo Writing Center in connection to The Civil Writes Project (2021), featuring work by young writers and artists living in WNY. Just as the journey towards justice must be a collective effort, this collection features collaborations between young artists and activists from a variety of organizations and projects around the city, and beyond. Editors: Richie Wills & Robin Jordan Book Designer: Mathieu Liu

15 Jun

Posted at 08:55h in Community, Lit City

After a year of sheltering in place, LIT CITY is on the move. Just Buffalo Literary Center invites Western New Yorkers of all ages to tell us: What Moves You? Write a poem or piece of short prose that speaks to the power of words to move you. Just Buffalo Literary Center is partnering with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) to share our love of words with the wider community. Select pieces will be featured on sidewalks, bus shelters, subways, and maybe even a bus or two! Let’s cover this LIT CITY in words—your words. The call for submissions has now closed. Thank you to all who submitted!

01 Feb

Posted at 12:01h in Community, Just Buffalo Writing Center, Young Writers

Call for Young Writers Calling all young poets, storytellers, songwriters, and citizens (ages 12-19)! What brings you relief—if even for a moment—during these difficult times? Whether in the form of a poem, spoken word piece, speech, essay, or original song, Ujima Company, Just Buffalo Writing Center, and Squeaky Wheel invite you to take part in Water in the Desert, a multimedia exploration of the concept of “hope in a time of despair.”