Marianne Manzler

Marianne Manzler is a writer, educator, and editor. She currently manages the Loft's educational program and supports her fellow storytellers and readers in their artistic endeavors. She hopes to create a space where language, connection, and community can thrive. She has over ten years of experience in managing and facilitating literary arts and professional development programs for youth and adults, most recently at Lighthouse Writer's Workshop and Prodigy Coffeehouse in Denver, Colorado. Marianne’s essay “On the Making of a Mumu” recently received a Notable Mention in Best American Essays 2022, and her work can be found in fine publications such as 5280, Fourth Genre, and Seventh Wave. As a 2016 US Fulbright scholar in Malaysia, she gained a global perspective on the limits and possibilities of diverse educational systems, and her unique experiences belies a passion for nurturing young writers, their curiosity and capacity for growth and self-directed learning.

She earned a BA in English literature from The Ohio State University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington, where she was supported by the Grace Milliman Pollock Fellowship, co-founded the Black Jaw Literary Series, co-edited The Seattle Review, and won UW’s Eugene Van Buren Thesis Award. There, her passion for fostering imagination, curiosity, and artistic communities flourished. She is a prose reader for Quarterly West, sometimes teaches in the Bring the Loft to You Program, and offers one-on-one tutoring, manuscript critique, and academic/executive functioning support. She has also received fellowships and financial support from the Vermont Studio Center and Martha's Institute for Creative Writing.

In her free time, Marianne is working on a book of essays, as well as being the best home DIYer, plant and dog momma she can be. She and her partner are excited to explore all the restaurants, coffee shops, and outdoor spaces in their new home in the Twin Cities.