Writers Salon features emerging and established writers of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction local to the Catskills and beyond. Join us in the fall (September - November) and in the spring (February - May). In season, we host events every third Thursday at Wilber Mansion, 7:30 PM. Free and open to the public. Find our events on Facebook.

We’re grateful to Community Arts Network of Oneonta for supporting this reading series. CANO is committed to building literary community in Otsego County.

SPRING 2026 CALENDAR

February 19 // The Party Theater (drama)

Saturday Workshop, February 21, 10 AM // Publishing Primer with Caitlyn Averett

Saturday Children's Event, March 21, 10 AM // Raye Pietruszka (fiction)
April 16 // Robert Bensen and Vicki Whicker (poetry)

May 15 // Catskill Community Players (drama)

Join us for two events in February

APPLY TO READ

Think you’d be a good fit for our series? Get in touch! We're always looking to invite published writers of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama to read in Oneonta. We also sometimes host interdisciplinary performers. Send a brief bio (no more than 500 words) and CV to writers-salon@canoneonta.org.

VOLUNTEER

Looking to support local writers and the Oneonta literary community more directly? We're looking for volunteers to help us keep this monthly series running. Whether you're interested in assisting with live events (setup and clean up, bartending), collaborating with us, or promoting us on social media and IRL, we'd love to hear from you. Write to us at writers-salon@canoneonta.org.

PAST READERS

Anne Elizabeth Moore, Alex Alberto, Kathleen Watt, John O'Connor, Michael Peters, Iris Cushing, Brad Fest, Jesse Hilson, Robert Bensen, Bertha Rogers, George Hovis, Lynne Kemen, Julene Waffle, Marly Youmans, April L. Ford, Alice Lichtenstein, Daniel Payne, Tom Travisano, Gary Koutnik, Mike Tamburrino, Pam Strother, Harry Barnes, Jim Louden, Brent Delanoy, Carol Ohmart Behan, Cheryl Petersen, Mona Sen, Leslie T. Sharpe, Jo Mish, Kirby Olson, Deborah Blake, Michael Blaine, Austin Bunn, Libby Cudmore, Jennifer R. Donohue, the Oneonta Freewriters, Ginnah Howard, Adrienne Martini, Jim Mullen, Gustavo Arango, Maya Chinchilla, Shannon Delaney, Chuck D’Imperio, Swamiji Tirtha, David Mills, Lisa Wujnovich, and the Smithy Writers’ Circle.

SERIES CURATOR

Racheal Fest (PhD) is a writer and critic based in Central New York. Her critical and creative work has appeared in venues such as Colorado Review, Entropy, Mediations, Lemonwood Quarterly, Jump Cut and Politics/Letters. Her manuscript, Future Ghosts of Pittsburgh, was longlisted for Alternating Current’s 2023 Electric Book Award in fiction. At SUNY Oneonta, she teaches composition courses and supports faculty pedagogy. She joined Writers Salon in 2022.