Meet Ann Blakeslee

The journalists at CanvasRebel connected with Ann Blakeslee and have shared their conversation in a blog covering topics about Blakeslee’s life and non-profit work with YpsiWrites.

Writing inspiration event is coming to Ypsilanti District Library

YpsiWrites is hosts an outdoor event that will explore the natural world with new perspectives.

Presented by lifelong writer and former educator lisa eddy, guests participating in the Life Lines event are invited to engage their minds and express their thoughts about the environment through photography, drawing and language.

#OTGYpsi: Ypsilanti offers writing workshops as a path to mental wellness

Writing for Mental wellness campaign that YpsiWrites has been putting on is in partnership with the Washtenaw County Department of Mental Health and their program, The Wish You Knew Campaign, is all about putting a focus on mental health and reducing stigmas around it.

Ypsi-based mental health writing workshops encourage healthy coping and community dialogue

The nonprofit YpsiWrites and the Washtenaw County Health Department are working to foster an outlet for those challenges, encourage community dialogue, and reduce overall stigma around mental health through a series of Writing for Mental Wellness workshops.

WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7: New self-care writing workshop at Eastern Michigan University

A new writing workshop at Eastern Michigan University is helping people write about their self-care and their own stories.

Check out these Black History Month events happening in Washtenaw County

Black History Month is recognized nationally in February and honors the achievements and sacrifices of African Americans.

The Ann Arbor-area has a long list of activities planned, including panel discussions, movie screenings and workshops.

#OTGYpsi: Ypsilanti celebrating its 200th birthday throughout 2023

YpsiWrites is featured as one of the organizations that contributed to the Ypsilanti the bicentennial celebration. The program Love Letters to Ypsi is highlighted by Rylee Barnsdale from Concentrate Media.

Ypsi prepares to celebrate bicentennial with New Year's ball drop, historical events, and more

YpsiWrites representatives attended the bicentennial homecoming celebration this past September, offering materials for guests to write letters in person.

What are you most excited for in Washtenaw County in 2023?

With 2023 upon us, we've asked each of our staffers to weigh in on what they're most excited for in Washtenaw County in the new year.

Ypsi residents celebrate city's bicentennial by writing Love Letters to Ypsilanti

Referencing everything from their favorite local shops to the welcoming feel of their city, Ypsilanti community members are writing Love Letters to Ypsilanti in anticipation of the city's bicentennial next year.

Photo essay: Scenes from Ypsilanti's 2022 Parkridge SummerFest and Joe Dulin Community Day

The annual Parkridge SummerFest and Joe Dulin Community Day kicked off Aug. 27 in Ypsilanti's Parkridge Park, featuring live performances, vendors, tables staffed by local nonprofits, and more.

Life & Work with Ann Blakeslee

This interview by VoyageMichigan highlights co-founder, Ann Blakeslee’s life in addition to her work with YpsiWrites. Learn more about how Blakeslee got to be where she is today, the challenges ahead and the things that excite her most in the work she is currently doing.

Eastern Michigan University students perform Muriel Rukeyser's musical, “Houdini,” organized by the Muriel Rukeyser Living Archive

Theater enthusiasts will have the opportunity to attend four staged readings of Rukeyser’s musical, “Houdini,” organized by the Muriel Rukeyser Living Archive. The performances are supported by Eastern’s Center for Jewish Studies, English Department and a generous grant from Michigan Humanities.

Nonprofit YpsiWrites launches Writers Room pilot program to create community for local writers

Writing alone can be lonely, but a new Writers Room program from nonprofit YpsiWrites aims to give Ypsilanti-area writers a sense of community.

Upcoming Ypsilanti events to celebrate Black History Month

Looking for a way to celebrate Black History Month in Ypsilanti this February? Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti Community Schools and other organizations are hosting community events to honor Black artists, entrepreneurs, and more.

Meet the 2021 Writers of Ypsilanti honorees

Eight Ypsilanti-area writers who exemplify the values of community writing lab YpsiWrites have been named to the lab’s Writers of Ypsilanti cohort for 2021.

#OTGYpsi: Honoring & Celebrating Writing In The Ypsilanti Area

The organizers of "Writers of Ypsilanti," a program sponsored by community writing lab YpsiWrites believe everyone's a writer and writing matters.

WEMU's Lisa Barry and On The Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk to the co-founder of YpsiWrites, Ann Blakeslee, about their mission and belief that the art of writing...in any form...still matters in 2021.

20 Tours to Take in Washtenaw County, Michigan

Whether you are brand new to Washtenaw County or have been here for years, there are still probably a few places you could explore more thoroughly. Luckily, the communities of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dexter, Chelsea and Manchester offer an impressive number of tours that will help broaden your Southeast Michigan horizons! 

Eastern Michigan University YpsiWrites community writing center partners with University of Michigan Museum of Art to create a public art and writing tour through Ypsilanti

Tours highlight Ypsilanti’s colorful and inspiring murals, sculptures, drawings, architecture, and found art to inspire creative writing in community

YpsiWrites: Public Art and Writing Tour encourages creativity, exploring in Ypsilanti

An initiative through nonprofit YpsiWrites encourages people to explore Ypsilanti and write this summer and beyond.

Beginning June 10, pieces of art and architecture around the city will feature writing prompts as part of the Public Art and Writing Tour in collaboration with the University of Michigan's Museum of Art.

Public art, writing tour kicks off in Ypsilanti: Nonprofit partners with UMMA for community-wide event

Nonprofit YpsiWrites partnered with the University of Michigan Museum of Art to launch YpsiWrites: A Public Art and Walking Tour on Thursday.

YpsiWrites aims to support and develop writing in the Ypsilanti community and is powered by Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti District Library and 826 Michigan.

Group brings together art and writing with walking tours of Ypsilanti

A new art and writing tour hopes to reveal a different side of Ypsilanti.

New project encourages exploration of Ypsi's public art through writing prompts

A new collaboration between the nonprofit community writing center YpsiWrites, the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), and Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS) will encourage Ypsi-area residents to connect with and reflect on public art.

Literacy Work Beyond Our Buildings: The Collaborative Work of Creating a Community Writing Center

In October of 2020, YpsiWrites, a collaborative community writing center, celebrated a full year of programming with a virtual, multigenerational writing workshop.

Writing matters with YpsiWrites

Writing can be a challenge for many of us — from getting words on a page to organizing what we have to say to making sure our writing is effective. Because of this, Eastern Michigan University’s Office of Campus and Community Writing (C2 W) has extended writing support to the community through YpsiWrites, a new community writing center.

YpsiWrites celebrates first year of community writing programming

YpsiWrites celebrated its first anniversary with a special virtual program called Writing Matters in Ypsilanti on Oct. 24, with about 40 local writers of all ages in attendance.

YpsiWrites community writing program develops special online programs to support creative and expressive efforts during health crisis

YpsiWrites, a community writing program sponsored by Eastern Michigan University and other community partners, has developed new online programming to support writers in the Ypsilanti community during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Writing coaches offer free guidance in drop-in sessions at Ypsilanti library branches

More than 50 volunteers donate their time each week to writers in the community, providing free coaching, idea development and workshops through Eastern Michigan University’s YpsiWrites program.

What’s in a Word

Whether it’s a quick email, a snarky tweet, or that research paper you’re dreading, writing is a part of our everyday lives. ‘We are all writers’ is the message of the YpsiWrites program, which recently began at all Ypsilanti District Library branches.

YpsiWrites collaboration offers free writing programming for all ages

During the grand opening for the YpsiWrites community writing center program, Mary Garboden witnessed the power that expressing oneself through writing can have on people of all ages.

YpsiWrites Grand Opening

Celebrate the new YpsiWrites and the National Day on Writing! Try out writing activities, learn from area writers and authors, and share your own writing experiences.

YpsiWrites' grand-opening gets community members writing

YpsiWrites had its grand opening themed “Everyone’s a Writer” at all three branches of the Ypsilanti District Libraries on Saturday, Oct. 19. The event welcomed writers of all ages and experience and was entirely free.

New community writing center, YpsiWrites, to hold grand opening Saturday, Oct. 19

The new community writing center will support writers of all levels and backgrounds. YpsiWrites will have drop-in hours for one-to-one writing help along with workshops on different types of writing and other programs.

Eastern Michigan University, community partners collaborate on YpsiWrites, a program to support writers of all levels and ages in a variety of genres

Eastern Michigan University is helping to establish a new community writing center that will support writers of all levels and backgrounds.

Everyone’s A Writer: Introducing Ypsi Writes

Have you ever wished you could bounce your latest short story off of someone? Or have you struggled with writing a business plan or résumé? Ypsi Writes supports all writers with any kind of project.

Focus On EMU: "Everybody's A Writer”

On this episode of "Focus On EMU," we discuss the new community writing initiative called YpsiWrites. Host Patrick Campion sits down with Cathy Fleischer, an English professor, and Director of the Office of Campus and Community Writing Ann Blakeslee.

YpsiWrites establishes new writing centers for Ypsilanti community

YpsiWrites will place writing centers at all three locations of the Ypsilanti District Library to extend the writing support available at EMU into the Ypsilanti community.