Loft Spotlights

Teaching artist and literary agent Antoinette Van Sluytman on her upcoming online class, Decolonizing Fiction.

Blythe Baird is an author, viral spoken word poet, and teaching artist. Her work has been featured by The Huffington Post, VICE, Write Bloody, Button Poetry, Mic, and EverydayFeminism. Her short film "When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny" won the 2017 ADCAN film award.

TaneshaNicole is a Black queer non-binary poet living in the Twin Cities, MN by way of Salt Lake City, UT. They are a Pisces and it shows. TaneshaNicole has represented venues in national competitions such as CUPSI, IWPS, WOWPS, and most recently NPS where they placed 4th overall with their team.

Anna Šverclová is a poet currently studying Creative Writing at Macalester College. Their work generally focuses on intergenerational trauma and memory. They write for both the page and for slam. Anna's work has been featured in several literary magazines.

Eight months ago, Arleta Little joined the Loft as its executive and artistic director. With her guidance, our staff, board, and connected artists have put in a lot of sweat in thinking about what it means to live and work and build as an arts organization in this moment.

Anna Farro Henderson is a PhD scientist and an artist. She has a book forthcoming in 2024 about being a climate scientist and going to work in politics. Her Nature Library community bookmaking installation was up at the Landmark Center in Saint Paul in 2019.

This series by Loft intern Jenna Jereb will profile some of the many book bloggers that help shape our literary landscape.

This series by Loft intern Jenna Jereb will profile some of the many book bloggers that help shape our literary landscape.

This series by Loft intern Jenna Jereb will profile some of the many book bloggers that help shape our literary landscape.

In 1975, the Loft Literary Center opened in the loft above Marly Rusoff's bookstore, and in 200, the Loft moved to its beloved space in Open Book. That move nearly coincided with the hire of a new receptionist, Macalester College graduate and poet Bao Phi.

Lyzette Wanzer, MFA, is a San Francisco author and creative writing workshop instructor. Her work has appeared in over 25 literary journals, magazines, columns, and books. She is a contributor to The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays (Wyatt-MacKenzie) among others.

Lisa's publications include more than 50 nonfiction children's books, four middle-grade "choose your path" sports novels, and the adult history book Faribault Woolen Mill: Loomed in the Land of Lakes. Accolades include two Honorable Mentions for the McKnight Artist Fellowship.