At 40 years old, the historic nonprofit literary organization known as Thurber House is facing a financial crisis. They’re reaching out to their devoted community requesting donations. Their mission to create a safe and welcoming space for writers and artists needs immediate help to continue on for years to come. Read on to see more details on what Thurber House is, and what you can do to help them stay open for another 40 years.
What is Thurber House?
Thurber House has been around for 40 years and is so much more than just one thing. Thurber rests in James Thurber’s restored family house in Columbus, Ohio. James was a famous 20th century humorist, cartoonist, author, playwright, and journalist. He often had tales like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Day the Dam Broke published in The New Yorker. James grew up with two brothers, and during his childhood, was accidentally shot in the left eye by one of his brothers. He slowly lost his vision over time and was fitted with a prosthetic, but this never stopped him from creating.
Throughout his life, he was a reporter, created drawings, worked at newspapers, and crafted novels. Thurber House was turned into a nonprofit literary arts center in his honor. The home itself, the Thurber’s family home, is a tourable museum. There’s a separate building next door that has rentable meeting spaces and is home to the programs detailed below. This nonprofit community offers programs and writing workshops to youth and adults, encouraging their creative passions.
Current Programs They Offer
They have Adult Writing Workshops. They will offer these workshops in person or over Zoom — you don’t even have to live in Columbus to connect with this group — in the Spring of 2025. They cover topics such as how to incorporate your family history into a story worth telling, how to develop incredible characters and scenes to bring your story alive, how to properly structure your story to keep readers entertained, and many more. There’s also a ‘just for fun’ workshop in April where you can go off and let the story take you wherever it desires.
Adult Writers’ Studio, which is virtual. There are still spots open for this program. This is a safe space where writers can team up with other writers to discuss their writing, perform exercises, provide feedback to others, and support each other with kindness.
Young Writers’ Studio. This is a program for students in grades 9-12 to come together every other week and write their stories. The facilitator takes the students through different exercises to get the creative juices flowing and creates an environment to collaborate with others.
Go Rogue Writing Workshop. Just like in the adult writing workshops, there is an opportunity for teens and adults over the age of 15 to engage in an afternoon of writing whatever their hearts desire! There’s fun activities, interesting writing prompts, and a welcoming community of other writers simply taking time for themselves.
With your financial assistance, Thurber House can offer even more extensive and helpful programs to youth and adults looking for a support system.
2025 Goals
They hope to offer another 40 years to the community, but need your help to get there. Their attendance hasn’t gone back to pre-pandemic numbers, and their outreach is the toughest it’s ever been. They’ve launched what they call “Future 40,” where they hope to raise a minimum of $200,000 to stay open and keep making their impact.
They are hoping to add on more youth programs, including a summer intensive writing program. They want to redefine their adult programs and offer more opportunities. They also want to stretch their programs to be incorporated into schools, libraries, community centers, and seniors living communities.
What Can You Do?
Please click here to make a donation, big or small. Help aspiring writers and artists flourish under the direction of James Thurber’s legacy — anything helps. Please share with your friends and family who want to make a difference for this nonprofit.
Thurber is always looking for writing teachers for children and adults, as well as summer writing camp counselors/interns. If you love writing or have a desire to work with people in honing their creativity and skills, look here to reach out and get on the team.
Volunteers are also highly appreciated for leading the museum tours and teaching guests about James Thurber’s life and accomplishments. They also welcome volunteers at different literary and outreach events they do each year. Click here to discover all opportunities and get in contact.
What better way to ring in the season of giving than giving back to this amazing historic organization? The great folks working at Thurber House are striving to keep James Thurber’s fun and artistic legacy alive, and they desperately need every penny they can get. All of the hard work gone into restoring the Thurber House and developing programs is worth it. Again, please click here to consider donating, or share this article with your community to bring awareness to Thurber House.
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