About Us

Since 1999, The Writing Salon has provided a home for writers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Our teachers bring years of expertise to the classroom, sparking creativity and offering feedback in a supportive environment.

We Believe in the Power of 4Cs

Creativity

Many of us need a little coaxing to unleash our creativity. The Writing Salon is happy to provide that special spark for you. We’ll give you the prompts, instruction, and homework. You make the magic

Community

We’re here to strengthen your writing and your writing life. Whether you’re making new acquaintances in our classes or meeting up with friends at a reading, think of our school as your community resource

Craft

For many people, writing is rewriting. We believe an understanding of craft will empower you as an artist and storyteller, as well as bolster your communication skills in all walks of life.

Critique

While giving and getting feedback is essential to a writer’s growth, we realize our students have varying needs and desires around critique, so we offer classes with gentle, intensive, or even no critique.

Our History

Founded in 1999 by Jane Underwood, The Writing Salon began as a small community for writers in Jane’s Bernal Heights home. Over time, it expanded its reach, opening a Berkeley location in 2002 at the Strawberry Creek Design Center. In 2004, Jane designed and began facilitating the Daily Write Round Robin, which is still our most popular class. After outgrowing Jane’s home in 2008, we moved San Francisco classes to a vibrant loft on York Street in the Mission District.

Following Jane’s passing in 2016, Ben Jackson stepped in as director, guiding The Writing Salon through pivotal changes over the next few years. We transitioned from the York Street loft to a new San Francisco space at 2042 Balboa Street in the Richmond District, launched the Jane Underwood Poetry Prize, and added new reading series and seasonal meetups to our regular programming.

Now well into our third decade, The Writing Salon continues to be a cherished haven for writers in the Bay Area and across the globe, offering a range of learning opportunities online and in person. Since 2019, our scholarships and access program have given dozens of writers with financial need a chance to participate in classes. In 2025, we opened a new East Bay location at 2020 Milvia Street in downtown Berkeley.

TWS in the Press

The Writing Salon was started by Jane Underwood in 1999 in her home in San Francisco.

Locations

San Francisco

We have hosted classes, meetups, and events at 2042 Balboa Street in the Richmond district since 2017. Accessible at street level, this location is only open for Writing Salon programming and does not have an administrative office.

2042 Balboa St., San Francisco, CA 94121

Berkeley

We opened our East Bay location in downtown Berkeley in January 2025. Located on the fourth floor of the Tioga Building, the classroom is accessible by stairs or elevator. There is no administrative office.

2020 Milvia St., Suite 460, Berkeley, CA 94704

Online

We offer a variety of online classes so that you can participate from wherever you like and wherever you are.

Zoom videoconferences provide a live, interactive classroom experience in an online format.

Asynchronous options include:

  • The Daily Write Round Robin consists of prompts, daily writing, and partner exchanges via email.
  • Wet Ink workshops bring the intimacy and support of a classroom workshop to an online platform.
  • Mentorships offer personalized guidance and feedback over email, with occasional phone or Zoom calls.
  • The Writer’s Welcome Kit is an online self-paced course designed as an introductory guidebook.