Martha’s Vineyard is known for many things — its beauty, its heritage, its artistry — but one of its most quietly powerful strengths is the diversity of its writing community. Here on this small island, voices from every background converge: novelists, journalists, poets, memoirists, screenwriters, and storytellers who carry worlds within them. Their styles differ, their perspectives are unique, and yet they share a reverence for this place we all call home.
This month, as winter settles in and holiday lights warm the Island, the gift of creativity feels especially meaningful. That spirit is at the heart of this winter’s Islanders Write Immersives, a new series from The MV Times that offers intimate online workshops led by Vineyard authors. These sessions arrive at the perfect time — a chance to slow down, reflect, and nurture the writer within. And with each class doubling as a thoughtful holiday gift, the Immersives offer something rare: a way to give inspiration and lessons on the craft of writing to yourself or someone you love.
Born from the success of the annual Islanders Write event, the Immersives keep the festival’s spirit alive year-round. Proceeds support the highly anticipated free Islanders Write programs returning to Featherstone this March and August, making each registration an investment in community creativity.
Below, meet the eight writers guiding this winter’s Immersives — each with their own Island history, personal philosophy, and approach to the art of storytelling.
Kate Feiffer’s relationship with the Vineyard began before she could walk. Summers here became part of her DNA, and by 1990 she was living on-Island year-round. When her first picture book, “Double Pink,” inspired by her daughter, was published in 2005, it felt like both a debut and a homecoming to launch it on the Vineyard. “The Vineyard is not just where I write, it’s where I celebrate writing, where I launch my books, and where most of my books sell.”
As director of Islanders Write, Feiffer has spent years nurturing the Island’s literary ecosystem — creating a space where emerging and established writers can gather, exchange ideas, and find community. Her April Immersive, “Fictionalizing Your Life,” taps into the growing genre of autofiction, guiding writers to draw from their real experiences while freeing themselves from the pressure of absolute truth. Through discussions, strategies, and prompts, she encourages participants to push past fear, let go of inhibitions, and reshape the stories that have been tugging at them.
What excites her most is the work that emerges — honest, surprising, liberating pieces that reveal who writers become when they give themselves permission to imagine without limits.
Bob Drogin’s Vineyard story began in the 1970s, when his parents “stumbled onto the Island” and bought a house. He returned as often as he could, eventually purchasing his own home in the early ’90s. Today, his family is deeply rooted here — with his daughter working as the librarian in Edgartown and his sister retiring on-Island.
Drogin agreed to teach his Immersive for one reason: Kate Feiffer. “Islanders Write is an incredible public service,” he says. “I would never say no to Kate.” A renowned editor and journalist who has written thousands of stories — covering everything from war zones to political arenas — Drogin brings unmatched expertise to his workshop, “Obits, Profiles, and Biographies — Writing about People.”
His goal is simple but profound: to help writers see people deeply, listen carefully, and craft narratives that feel both truthful and humane. Reflecting on Island life, he adds, “You go to a dinner party and half the table makes their living in the arts.” For Drogin, the Vineyard remains unrivaled — a place that protects its character, beauty, and soul.
For Charles Sennott, one of the country’s most respected foreign correspondents, and now publisher at The MV Times, the Vineyard has always been a grounding force. His relationship with the Island began in 1986, when he spent a few weeks in October painting and repairing a home owned by family members of the woman who would later become his wife. In 1993, the couple, who were both struggling journalists in New York at the time, put everything they had from modest savings to buy that family home where they had put in sweat equity –– a chance to own property, which at that time was still within reach even for a young couple. They were married the following year on the Island. And soon after, Sennott found himself assigned to the Middle East, London, Iraq, and Afghanistan, yet the Vineyard remained the constant place they returned to. “For our sons, who grew up overseas, this wasn’t a vacation spot,” he says. “It was home.”
Sennott’s Immersive, “The Architecture of the Essay, and the Art of the Lead,” explores the structure, clarity, and precision behind powerful nonfiction. Sennott believes the lead — once labored over for hours — is becoming a lost art. “But the lead matters,” he says. “It’s the invitation. It tells the reader, ‘Here’s your way in.’” And that invitation, as old-school as it is, matters now more than ever with so much competition for people’s time.
Teaching, for Sennott, is also a form of learning — one he’s eager to return to.
Novelist, painter, and educator James W. Jennings brings an expansive, soulful approach to writing — one shaped by years working in schools, nonprofits, and creative circles across New York City and Martha’s Vineyard. His path includes roles as teacher, dean, mentor, and coach, and he’s known for his ability to meet writers exactly where they are.
His January Immersive, “Writing from Where You Are: An Exploration of Journals, Literature, and Truth in a Digital Age,” offers a safe, curated space to explore creativity through journaling, selected readings, and conversation. Jennings believes writing from the present moment is an act of grounding. “It’s a chance to learn and unlearn anew,” he says.
Participants can share as much or as little as they choose — the emphasis is authenticity, presence, and rediscovering one’s inner voice amid digital overwhelm.
My (Sharisse Scott-Rawlins’) own Vineyard roots began with my grandparents, who planted our family’s legacy in Oak Bluffs in the late 1960s. I was baptized here, spent every school vacation wrapped in the Island community’s care, and in 2016, I moved to the Island full-time to heal from cancer. Ever since, I’ve lived as a hybrid Islander — grounded by the place that helped save me. To now be considered an Island author is one of the greatest honors of my life.
This winter, I’m leading “Writing the Story Only You Can Tell: A 30-Day Reflective Challenge for the New Year.” Rooted in my poetry memoir “Dear Fellow Warrior,” the workshop blends journaling, self-inquiry, and intention-setting. Over two sessions — followed by a 30-day reflective challenge — writers will move through four themes: Release, Restore, Reimagine, and Rise. My hope is to help participants walk into 2026 feeling grounded, courageous, and deeply aligned with themselves.
The Vineyard writing community — and especially becoming a washashore writer — helped me grow in ways I didn’t know I needed. This workshop is my way of giving back.
Elisa Speranza’s Vineyard story began the way many great Island stories do — with a couch, a few close friends, and the freedom of teenage summers. She first came at 16, later returning every year throughout her twenties. Life eventually took her to New Orleans, but a decade ago she found her way back to the Vineyard again. “The magic was still there,” she says. “It was a gift to reconnect with a place that always meant so much to me.”
After more than 30 years in marketing, communications, and strategic planning, Elisa became a published author — and quickly realized that many writers are intimidated by the world of book publicity. Her Immersive, “Planning and Executing a Book Publicity Strategy,” demystifies the process. Instead of focusing on trends or algorithms, she guides participants toward building a clear, sustainable roadmap tailored to their book and audience.
What excites her most? “Watching writers shift from overwhelmed to empowered,” she says.
For multigenerational Islander Nicole Galland, storytelling begins with place. “The Vineyard is the only place on Earth that truly feels like home,” she says — a deep familiarity that shapes how she builds character. Her Immersive, “Characters in Context: Creating Characters Who Belong Where You Put Them,” explores her original “List of Contexts,” a tool she created during her MFA studies in Ireland.
Galland designed the method while teaching a pedagogy course, realizing how essential it is for characters to feel grounded within their world. After offering a condensed 90-minute version last spring, she’s thrilled to expand it into a full-length Immersive. Writers will explore every facet of character — from daily habits to worldview — refining authenticity and emotional depth.
Galland’s own writers’ group has been meeting for more than 15 years — a testament to how the Island nurtures creative bonds.
Elizabeth Benedict first came to the Vineyard at 14, and later lived here year-round in the 1990s — years that helped shape her novel “Almost.” Now she returns every summer, nurturing friendships and the “complicated histories” that define Vineyard life.
A bestselling author of 10 books and a longtime instructor, Benedict is best known for her groundbreaking craft guide “The Joy of Writing Sex.” First published in 1996, it remains the definitive book on the subject. Her Immersive, “The Joy of Learning to Write Sex Scenes in Fiction and Memoir,” helps writers navigate one of the most vulnerable moments in storytelling.
“I love helping people realize they have choices,” she says. “Intimacy on the page doesn’t have to be explicit to be powerful.” The workshop blends craft, courage, and liberation — offering a rare chance to write about human connection with honesty and restraint.
This December, as we exchange gifts that sparkle for a season, the Islanders Write Immersives offer something that lasts: creativity, courage, and the space to grow. Whether you gift a workshop to yourself or someone you love, each one becomes an invitation — to imagine, to learn, to write, and to belong.
Give the gift of story this winter.
To learn more or register for any workshop, visit:
https://www.mvtimes.com/islanderswrite/islanders-write-immersives/