Creative Non-Fiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Collage

English

Adult Day Care, College/University, Arts/Cultural Organizations, Community Center, Correctional Facilities, Independent Living, K-12 Schools, Library, Senior Center

Morgan Grayce Willow began her career as a teaching artist in the Writers and Artists in the Schools Program in Colorado while completing her graduate work in creative writing. Upon relocating to the Twin Cities, her teaching artist work coalesced through The Loft Literary Center, COMPAS, and SASE: The Write Place. At The Loft, Morgan has taught creative writing classes for adults ranging from various poetry classes to the Writer’s Notebook to Reading as a Writer workshops. For COMPAS, Morgan began working with K-12 students then soon shifted into work with elder writers. She served as a Mail Order Editor in their Literary Post Program from 1986-1988. In this program for older adults throughout the state of Minnesota, in the days before the internet, participants mailed their manuscripts to teaching artists and received feedback and support by return post. Trained as an American Sign Language interpreter, Morgan worked through SASE: The Write Place to offer writing classes for deaf and hard-of-hearing writers. With SASE’s support, she published Crossing that Bridge: A Guide to Making Literary Events Accessible to Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing and offered workshops on accessibility. Morgan’s poetry publications include the collections Dodge & Scramble, Between, and Silk. Nonfiction publications include the title piece in Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. Morgan completed the book arts core certificate at Minnesota Center for Book Arts and exhibited her one-of-a-kind artist’s book Collage for Mina Loy in 2016. In 2018, she was a collaborator in the MCBA Quilt, Not Quilt exhibition.

My interest in working as a teaching artist with older adults is trifold. First, I believe it’s important to give voice to elders in order to honor their experience and nourish their creativity. Second, I am convinced that older adults deserve the benefits of creative expression, which include mental stimulation, a stronger sense of purpose and value, and healthier physical and emotional wellbeing. Third, I have seen the community building benefit of creative writing classes that I have taught in a wide variety of settings. When elder writers’ stories are honored and a place is made for them to share their stories, the writers become socially engaged with each other on a deep level. When they further share their stories with members of the community – including family, neighbors, friends, and other elders – this social engagement is extended beyond the intimate circle. This expanded engagement further nourishes the older writer’s sense of purpose and value. Facilitating this process as a teaching artist is both an honor and exciting to observe. I look forward to expanded opportunities for putting my skills as a writer and a teaching artist to work on behalf of older adults in our community. In the long run, I believe the whole community benefits.