Lunch With LitNYS Season 1, Episode 8

Nathalie Costa Thill has been the Executive Director of the Adirondack Center for Writing, the literary organization serving the entire six-million-acre Adirondack Park, pretty much since its inception in 1999. She launched ACW’s most beloved programs including their high school writing retreat, prison writing program, Howl Story Slam series, Raining Poetry and PoemVilliage programs, Kickass Writers Festival, and Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency.

In this episode, Nathalie brings us closer to the stories and writers who call the Adirondacks home. She talks about bringing literary events to a sprawling, rural region in all kinds of ways (including hosting story slams in bars), and the need for her organization to “catch up with [their] own momentum” as they expand their audience.

A major challenge facing literary organizations is the dearth of funding after the initial investment that many private and public institutions made in the immediate aftermath of COVID. It’s important for us all to find ways to continue supporting writers and rural communities, and to make our literary communities stronger. One of the best ways to do this is by connecting with other organizations and writers.

“One of the reasons I love LitNYS is because sometimes you just need a colleague to tell you something… and make you feel better,” Nathalie said after a conversation she had with Ruth Dickey (Executive Director of the National Book Foundation) at the LitNYS convening in September 2024.

To get involved and come to events hosted by Adirondack Center for Writing, head to their website or follow them on social: https://adirondackcenterforwriting.org/

To support literary leaders all across New York, head to litnys.org.