As 2026 ramps up and our Spring classes get underway, the Porch is proud to introduce the newest member of our team, Marianne Manzler, who comes to Nashville from Minneapolis, where she was the program manager of education at the Loft, a fellow literary arts nonprofit we admire immensely. We hope you'll have an opportunity to meet Marianne in person at a Porch event soon. Meanwhile, get to know her quickly through these questions she kindly answered for us. —SF
Marianne, you come to us with deep experience at two other literary centers, Lighthouse Writers’ Workshop in Denver and the Loft in Minneapolis. Tell me one important thing you learned about creating literary community through your work at each of these institutions.
I’m so lucky to have worked for two powerhouse organizations like the Loft and Lighthouse. Show up! Writing can feel like a solitary act, but it’s actually so rooted in building relationships with other readers and writers and people from all walks of life. Attend classes, readings and panels, buy books, advocate at the local level for programming that you care about, follow writer-teachers on social media and meet up in person when possible. I approach my work with curiosity and empathy and hope to partner with local organizations and connect with diverse audiences no matter where I go. I believe everyone has a story to tell, and I’m excited to support that process however I can. Community organizations like the Loft, Lighthouse, and the Porch offer important resources for professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and more to access high-quality programming and help people from marginalized communities to tell their stories. Also, finding funding and paying writer-teachers is such an important part of my work!
You’ve been in Nashville just about two months. Have you had a chance to get out and explore, and if so, what have you enjoyed in the city so far?
Yes, loving East Nashville so far! I recently tried a delicious burrito from Sweeza at The Wash, and I’m excited to walk around the neighborhood more with the pups. I want to go on more getaway weekend trips and check out more of Middle Tennessee as well!
Name a few writers you’d love to see The Porch bring to Nashville as part of our Visiting Writers Series.
Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Jessamine Chan, Gwen E. Kirby, Charles Baxter, Tayyba Kanwal, Celeste Ng, Percival Everett, Khadijah Queen, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Grace Talusan to name a few!
Tell us about one teaching experience you’ll never forget.
Gosh, it’s so hard to choose one experience! When I taught high school in Denver, I’ll never forget when we brought visiting author Hugh Howey in via Zoom to speak to our class after reading his novel Wool and how impactful it was for our students to talk to a working writer and hear about his self-publishing and traditional publishing experiences. More recently, in Northfield, I taught a creative nonfiction and hybrid memoir class with Carleton College, and I’ll never forget my students’ passion for writing and how supportive they were towards one another during the workshop process, particularly when dealing with difficult topics. And finally, with the Loft, I’ll always treasure my experiences teaching community, youth, and adult classes and sharing my love of reading and writing with a wide range of students—from self-described writers to folks who hadn’t written in years. I’m still thinking about the poem read by young writer Paisley at the inaugural youth anthology reading, who reminds us that each and every one of us has a unique gift to offer this world and to keep going!
Cat person, dog person, or…?
I am a dog mother of two, but I also grew up with cats and have a special place in my heart for them.
Do you read any magazines or literary websites regularly?
Poets & Writers, The Atlantic, The Offing, Lit Hub (check out the Letter from Minnesota series, which features writers such as Sun Yung Shin, Michelle Zamanian, Su Hwang, Heid E. Erdrich, Kaia Preus, Carolyn Holbrook, David Mura, and so many more speaking to this current moment and what it is like for each of them to live through this time).
Tell us about your memoir!
My memoir, currently titled MUMU: A MEMOIR, is a coming-of-age story that examines belonging and identity, intergenerational relationships within the Asian-American diaspora, illness and healing, the Midwest, and the persistent ties of home.
When you’re not writing or working on writing-related things, we can find you…
…Reading, hiking, practicing yoga & inversions, walking the pups, cooking a new recipe, tending to my houseplants and backyard garden, traveling somewhere new, dreaming up my next house renovation project with my husband!
