Food for the Soul

The Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Writers' Workshop was created in 1995 by award-winning author Ian Frazier (right, standing) out of the recognition that people eating at the Soup Kitchen have needs and aspirations beyond a meal.

The Workshop has been a driving motivation for our guests to take that first step forward, or rather two steps forward and one step up. The isolation many guests experience because of hunger and homelessness is one of the many struggles faced daily. Taught by professional writers, the Workshop gives these individuals power to give voice to their lives. The poetry and prose created express the uniqueness of each participant’s creativity and experience.

The Workshop meets in the spring on Wednesdays for ten weeks after lunch has been served. It teaches guests the craft of writing and helps them to explore new and different ways to express themselves. Provided with pens, paper, a table to write on, and supportive instructors, participants are given the opportunity to tell of the pain and humor that makes their lives unique. Of the works, Ian Frazier says, "They show the wit, resilience, and courage that bring the creative intelligence back on top when adversity knocks it down."

The Workshop has been successful and has had over 300 Soup Kitchen guests participate. Some of them have not only benefited by getting off the Soup Kitchen line and improving their lives, but have even enjoyed the success of becoming published writers. Workshop participants have had works published the OP-ED section of The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The Forward, and The Wine Spectator.

At the completion of the Workshop, Holy Apostles collects and binds the works of the participants and presents a pubic reading. Participants gain confidence and pride in seeing their works in print. The public reading gives guests a further opportunity to showcase their creativity and a chance to tell their stories.

An anthology of writings from 25 participants in the Writers' Workshop over the years was published in October 2004. Find out more about Food for the Soul: Selections from the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Writers' Workshop.

You can also read about our guests' stories in our new blog!

Ian Frazier's work about the Soup Kitchen has appeared in The New Yorker magazine in an article entitled "Hungry Minds".  To read his article, Click Here

To accomany his article, Mr. Frazier was interviewed about running a writer's workshop with our guests.  To hear the audio of this interview,  Click Here.