I created this writing group in September 2002. I didn't have a digital camera back then, and when I finally got one, there wasn't much to photograph; for the first few months, the group was really small and always met near the cafe on the 4th floor of the Barnes & Noble near Lincoln Center in New York City. When we finally got too big for that space (and got kicked out by a snotty manager), we began using the nearby public atrium at a Chinese restaurant called Ollie's Noodle Shop & Grille. Eventually we outgrew THAT space and started holding most of our meetings in people's homes. That’s when I decided to take a photograph whenever the group met in a different spot, which sometimes included parks, offices, stores, lounges, and random public venues.

As you comb though the photos below, keep in mind that the number of people you’ll see is often much lower than the total attendance. For example, when you look at Ben's terrace and think, "Oh, how cute, there were four people at this meeting," take a closer look and you'll notice two more folks sitting off to the side plus there was me (the photographer) and 17 others in the living room. This group is, in fact, huge. On average we draw more than 20 people per meeting, and a bunch of our longtime members have attended well over 100 times. The group has even created life! More than a decade ago, two members met and hit it off and ended up having a kid. Best writing group ever? No doubt about it. I could write an entire book about the group and all the connections and shenanigans that’ve gone down. There’s also lots to be said of our shared literary endeavors, but my favorite part of the group is the social element. This group has BY FAR been the greatest source of friends in my life. Thanks for stumbling onto this “secret” page. I know it doesn’t fit with the baseball-y theme of my site, but I had to share this somewhere. Enjoy the pics!