Just Buffalo Literary Center

Just Buffalo Literary Center (JBLC) is a not-for-profit literary organization centered in Buffalo, NY which serves the greater Western New York region as a prominent literary curator. Just Buffalo Literary Center’s mission is to create and strengthen communities through the literary arts. And for more than 40 years, Just Buffalo Literary Center has brought the world’s greatest writers to Buffalo, hosted poetry events, and readings, and supported the development of young writers.

Just Buffalo Literary Center's business office is currently located above the Western New York Book Arts Center on Washington Street.

Just Buffalo began in 1975 when founder Debora Ott hosted a reading featuring Diane di Prima at the Allentown Community Center. In the following years, notable authors and poets such as Robert Creeley, Ed Dorn, Alice Notley, Maureen Owen, and Ted Berrigan came to Buffalo to participate in readings offered by what had by then become "Just Buffalo". The organization proceeded to host writing workshops for writers of all-ages and published a literary magazine. It also had a radio show.

In 1982, Just Buffalo Literary Center established its renowned Writers in Education program, providing in-school creative writing programs for young people. At their peak, this program served approximately 4,000 students per year. After more than two decades of stewarding community-based literary programs and establishing Just Buffalo Literary Center as a national presence on the literary scene, Debora left the organization in 1998. She hired Michael Kelleher as Artistic Director in the months before she left. Ed Taylor served as Executive Director from 1998-2001.

Laurie Dean Torrell took over as Executive Director in 2002, ushering in a new era. During her tenure, Just Buffalo Literary Center has experienced an extraordinary expansion. It moved from the Tri-Main Center to the Market Arcade Building in 2005, a change which marked the beginning of a groundbreaking administrative collaboration with CEPA and Big Orbit Galleries. All three organizations benefited from this long-term effort that involves shared resources and staff as well as a joint education effort, Writing With Light. In 2016, Just Buffalo Literary Center moved from the Market Arcade Building to its current home on the second floor at the corner of Washington and Mohawk in downtown Buffalo.

Just Buffalo Literary Center's program office staff currently consists of Laurie Dean Torrell, Executive Director; Barbara Cole, Artistic Director; Noah Falck, Education Director; Kristen Pope, Development Director.

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