Maureen McDole is a passionate reader and passionate writer. And passionate about creating opportunities for everybody in St Pete to read and write.

As the founder and director of Keep St Pete Lit, Maureen has made her literary nonprofit a vital part of the local arts scene. And she’s woven literary arts into visual and performing arts, with the Fantastic Ekphrastic, the Museum of Fine Arts Book Club, the SunLit Festival, First Night and the 100+ writing classes KSPL provides each year at the Morean Arts Center.

And along with that, Keep St Pete Lit hosts an annual children’s book drive, open-mic poetry and storytelling, a carefully-curated used bookstore, sunrise poetry and moonlit writing walks.

Maureen’s a published poet, recipient of St. Petersburg Art Alliance’s 2016 MUSE Award for Literary Arts, and a true believer that reading can change the world.

Keep up with Keep St Pete Lit’s events at – keepstpetelit.org

Check out their low-cost, professionally-taught writing classes at the Morean Arts Center in downtown St Pete – keepstpetelit.org/litspace/litspace-classes/

The BookSpace Bookstore – keepstpetelit.org/bookspace-has-a-new-home/

All images courtesy of Maureen McDole

 

Arts In is produced by Sheila Cowley.
Executive Producer, Barbara St. Clair for Creative Pinellas.