The Meacham Writers’ Workshop, one of the UTC's longest-running literary traditions, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this spring with a series of readings, receptions and special events featuring award-winning writers, UTC alums and emerging voices.
The 2025 Spring Meacham Writers’ Workshop, taking place March 19-22, is free and open to the public—with events held at various locations on the UTC campus and at Stove Works (1250 E. 13th St. in Chattanooga). Since its inception in 1985, the workshop has provided a platform for nationally known authors, local writers, students and novice writers to engage in an open exchange of ideas, works and readings.
“The 40th anniversary of Meacham is a major milestone, celebrating decades of literary excellence and fostering a vibrant community of writers,” said UC Foundation Professor Sybil Baker, the workshop director and associate chair of the UTC Department of English. “This year’s lineup includes an incredible group of authors, including longtime Meacham participants and emerging voices who first found their passion for writing at UTC.”
Workshop events include:
- Wednesday, March 19: Sequoya Review Reading, Lupton Hall First Floor Commons, 5:30-7 p.m.
- Thursday, March 20: Meacham Reading and Reception featuring Earl Braggs, Pam Uschuk, William Pitt Root, Laurel Snyder and Aaron McCollough, UTC Library Roth Reading Room, 5-7 p.m.
- Friday, March 21: Reading featuring Helga Kidder, Ata Moharreri, Danielle Hanson and Kris Whorton, University Center Raccoon Mountain Room, noon-1:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 21: Reading and Reception featuring Mark Cox, Bret Lott, Sybil Baker, Richard Jackson and Earl Braggs, Stove Works, 5-7 p.m.
- Saturday, March 22: Alumni Book Launch and Reception, UTC Library Roth Reading Room, 5-7 p.m.
A highlight of the 40th-anniversary celebration will be the launch of “Objects in This Mirror: An Anthology of Legacy,” a new collection published by Press 53 that showcases more than 50 UTC alumni who studied under Dr. Richard Jackson, the workshop’s founding director. Edited by 1994 UTC alum Danielle Hanson and Julia Beach, the anthology is a testament to Meacham’s influence on generations of writers.
“I always felt that if I was learning something from my students, then possibly they were learning something from me—and this anthology surpasses those hopes,” Jackson said. “I am humbled, excited and amazed by what they have done.”
Hanson said she and Beach—in discussing their undergraduate experiences over the years—noticed that many of their peers had gone on to successful writing careers.
“That success rate made us wonder how peers shape each other as writers and as people. This is the question we hope to answer in this anthology,” Hanson said. “The collection reflects a shared intense experience but an experience that is reflected in the present. This is the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on, a project of gratitude to Rick (Jackson), my classmates and Julia, and I’m so happy to introduce it at Meacham.”
Hanson serves as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Costa Mesa, California, and teaches poetry at the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of three collections of poetry, including “The Night Is What It Eats,” which won the Elixir Press Poetry Prize. Her collection titled “Fraying Edge of Sky” won the 2017 Codhill Press Poetry Prize.
“Objects in This Mirror” will be available for purchase at the Meacham Writers’ Workshop and through Press 53 (www.press53.com).
Founded in 1985, the Meacham Writers’ Workshop was established by Jackson through an endowment from the late Jean Meacham in honor of her husband, Ellis K. Meacham, to promote writing as an expressive art. The workshop’s mission is to provide greater access to the literary arts for UTC students and underserved members of the Chattanooga community.
For more details on the 40th Anniversary Meacham Writers’ Workshop, including a full schedule of events, visit utc.edu/meachamwriters.