OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Minnesota Historical Society
SASE: The Write Place
(Minneapolis, Minn.).
Organization records.
1993-2006.
Records of a nonprofit, community-based arts organization that
was established to make literary arts accessible to a diverse community. The
collection documents the poetry, writing, and other literary programs SASE
sponsored and administered in Minneapolis and in St. Paul, particularly among
inner-city minority and at-risk youth.
5.1 cu. ft. (6 boxes).
See [Detailed Description](a9) for shelf
locations.
HISTORY OF SASE: THE WRITE PLACE
SASE: The Write Place was founded by writer Carolyn
Holbrook-Montgomery and a group of other writers in the fall of 1993 in
response to a perceived need for a writers' organization that was affordable,
accessible, and easy-to-find for writers of diverse cultural and social
backgrounds. SASE (originally styled S.A.S.E.)
offered classes, workshops, readings, and mentorship programs, in an effort to
provide a stimulating environment for writers at all levels of development,
with a particular focus on youth and racial and cultural minorities. It worked
with writers in all genres, from fiction to autobiography to documentation.
The organization was founded in response to requests by writers for an
alternative to the Loft, another Twin Cities-based literary organization. It
was the rebirth of the former Whittier Writers' Workshop (originally Whittier
Park Writers Workshop), which was founded in 1981.
SASE merged with Intermedia Arts Minnesota in 2006.
Carolyn Holbrook-Montgomery served as program director at the Loft for
five years prior to establishing SASE. She was also founder-director of the
Whittier Park Writers Workshop.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
These are primarily the records of SASE executive director Carolyn
Holbrook-Montgomery. The collection documents the internal working of the
organization and various literary and writing programs with which it was
involved. Materials include administrative subject files, grant files,
photographs, media files, and program files. There is correspondence and
memoranda, board minutes, contracts, financial information, newspaper
clippings, project reports, and some posters and flyers. Audio-visual materials
include snapshot photographs, optical disks, and a VHS videocassette.
There is information about SASE's work with young writers and poets,
fund raising, poetry readings and "slams" (competitions), and about programs it
offered at Minneapolis and St. Paul high schools and at the Dakota and Ramsey
County juvenile detention centers. Correspondents include Holbrook-Montgomery,
officials of the Jerome Foundation and other funding agencies, school
personnel, various Twin Cities arts and cultural organizations, Minnesota state
agencies, program participants, and others.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE RECORDS
These documents are organized into the following sections:
- Administrative Subject Files
- Contracts Paid
- Grant Files
- Media Files
- Photographs
- Program Files
- Oversize Material
RELATED MATERIALS
SASE newsletters Intersections and
SASE About Town are in the Minnesota Historical
Society serials collection.
Records of Intermedia Arts Minnesota are in the Minnesota Historical
Society manuscripts collection.
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Topics:
African Americans--Minnesota.
American literature--Minnesota.
American poetry--Minnesota.
Authors.
Authors--Societies, etc.
Authors, American--Minnesota.
Authors as teachers.
Authorship.
High school students' writings.
Hmong Americans--Minnesota.
Literature.
Minority authors--Minnesota.
Nonprofit organizations--Minnesota.
Poetry--Study and teaching--Minnesota.
Poets.
Problem youth--Minnesota.
Teenagers' writings, American--Minnesota.
Writing centers--Minnesota.
Persons:
Connolly, Carol.
Holbrook-Montgomery, Carolyn.
Organizations:
Hmong American Institute for Literature (St. Paul, Minn.).
Jerome Foundation.
Types of Documents:
Grants.
Optical disks.
Photographs.
Videocassettes.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series
here]. SASE: The Write Place Organization Records. Minnesota Historical
Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 16,110.
Processing Information:
Processed by: David B. Peterson, February 2007.
Catalog ID number: 00-6328826
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Administrative Subject Files
142.I.16.6F
1
Accessibility Advisory Committee,
1998-2000.
Biographies,
undated and 2000-2003.
Board of Directors:
[general file],
1996-1997, 1999, 2001-2002.
5 folders.
Board list and bylaws,
1995-1998.
Bolger, inc.,
2003.
Budget/proposals,
1998.
Central High School (St. Paul),
1997-1998.
Committee descriptions,
1995.
Criteria for evaluating the merits of good ideas,
1998.
Donation letters,
1995-1996.
Donations: In-kind,
1999.
Endorsements,
1999-2006.
Financial statements,
1996-2004.
2 folders.
Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library,
2000-2001.
Friends of the St. Paul Public Library,
2000.
Frybread and chitlins,
1998-1999.
Fundraising and other financial information,
1996-1997.
Gathering of the tribes,
1995-1997.
General overviews,
1994-1995.
Instructor evaluation forms (blank),
undated.
Intersections,
Fall 1995.
Job descriptions,
1994.
Leadership transition plan (2004-2005),
2004.
Letters of support,
1994.
Martinez, Cecelia: Evaluation of SASE,
2000.
Merger planning,
2005.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts,
1997-1998.
Minnesota Department of Revenue,
2004.
Minnesota State Arts Board,
1996-1998.
National Poetry Slam,
2002-2003.
Office of Cultural Affairs,
2000-2001.
Program Development Committee,
1994-1998.
SASE Book for Writers,
undated.
Social justice position - John Bell,
1995.
Statement of purpose,
1994.
Status of grant requests,
1995.
Strategic plan,
1993-1995.
Taxes: Federal Form 990 and Minnesota attorney general's
report,
2003.
Transition plan,
1998-2004.
Urban Arts Academy: Agendas and minutes,
2000-2002.
Web site,
1999.
Weirs, Geol,
1997-2000.
Willow, Morgan Grayce: Crossing
that Bridge,
2000.
Writer's Night Benefit,
1995.
Miscellaneous correspondence and memoranda,
1999-2003.
Unidentified loose leaf binder (disassembled),
1998-1999.
Contracts Paid
142.I.16.6F
1
1997-2001.
4 folders.
142.I.16.7B
2
2001-2003.
4 folders.
Grant Files
142.I.16.7B
2
Bush Foundation,
2004.
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC),
1996-1998.
3 folders.
SASE/Jerome grants,
1997-2003.
12 folders.
SASE/Jerome and Verve Grant evaluations,
2005.
Media Files
142.I.16.7B
2
Advertisements/direct mail,
1995-2005.
4 folders.
Clippings,
undated and 1995-2005.
142.I.16.8F
3
Clippings: Pioneer Press,
1995-2005.
Clippings: Star-Tribune,
1995-2005.
Heart in the Write Place
promotional videocassette,
2000.
1 VHS videocassette.
Press release,
[ca.1999].
Photographs
142.I.16.8F
3
Artists in Cahoots, Longfellow School (St. Paul),
March 2005.
ASL/Signs program, dinner and show,
May 2003.
Borders Books creative non-fiction winners,
2003.
Fundraiser: Carol Connolly's birthday,
2004.
Halloween reading,
October 2003.
Heart in the Write Place (contact sheets),
1998.
Jerome judges: Patrick Scully, Marcie Randon, David
Jones,
1997.
National Poetry Slam (Seattle): Minnesota slam team,
August 2001.
Native words reading, Anton Truer,
December 7, 2001.
Our Stories, Our Selves (OSOS),
1997-1998.
Poetry library open house,
April 2005.
Wings,
2004.
Wings reading at Weisman Art Museum,
May 2003.
Wings youth program,
2004.
Unidentified events,
undated and [ca.1995]-2006.
File includes an optical disk.
Program Files
142.I.16.8F
3
Ball Point Prophesies,
1997.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
2002.
Boys and Girls Clubs:
[general file],
1999-2000.
Eastside St. Paul,
2000.
Mount Airy Branch,
undated and 1999.
West Side,
undated and 1999-2000.
COMPAS,
1994-1995.
Connolly, Carol: Payments Due,
2004.
Dakota County Juvenile Detention Center,
2002-2005.
Deaf Translation Project,
1998-2000.
2 folders.
Derricotte, Toi and Cornelius Eady: Program,
1997.
Fall poetry contest,
2000.
Four Seasons A+ Elementary School,
2000.
Franklin Middle School,
undated.
Hamline University,
1999.
Heart in the Write Place,
1996-2000.
4 folders.
Hearthstone Minnesota: Spoken Word
from Hearthstone Minnesota (audio disk),
2002.
Hmong American Institute for Literature (St. Paul),
2001-2003.
2 folders.
The file also includes documents on the letterhead of the Hmong
American Institute for Learning.
142.I.16.9B
4
Iambic Graffiti,
1998.
Immigrant poets,
1995-1996.
2 folders.
Initial blast,
1995.
International Women's Day,
2003.
JAS,
1999.
Leigh-Morris Chorale,
1998-2000.
London Productions,
1995-1996.
Longfellow Humanities Magnet School,
2003.
Lyn-Lake Festival,
2000.
Lyn-Lake Summer Arts Village,
1999.
Lyndale Neighborhood Association,
2002-2004.
MELD,
2001.
Minnesota Poetry Library,
2001.
Native Words,
2000-2001.
National Poetry Slam,
1998-2002.
4 folders.
North Community High School Speakeasy program,
1997-1998.
Op-Ed SLAM,
1998-2001.
Our Stories, Our Selves:
[general file],
1996-1998.
3 folders.
Applications,
1996.
Writing class,
1996-1997.
Miscellany,
1996-1997.
Out! group,
2001.
Patrick Henry High School:
[general file],
1996-2002.
Breakfast Club,
1997-1998.
Design class,
1998.
Spoken word,
1999-2002.
Poet is In:
[general file],
1996.
Budget,
1993-1996.
Contracts,
1996.
Correspondence,
1993-1995.
Nomination process,
1996.
Nominations, proteges, honorable mentions,
1996.
Performer contracts,
1995.
Promotion and press releases,
1994-1995.
142.I.16.10F
5
Proteges,
1996.
Miscellany,
1994-1995.
Poetry Music Collaboration,
1999-2001.
Poetry Slam inc.,
1999-2000.
Portage for Youth,
1998-1999.
Portage Girls,
1998-1999.
Ramsey County Juvenile Dentention Center Start Program,
2001.
Ramsey International Fine Arts Elementary,
2001-2002.
St. Paul Academy,
2000.
SASE on the Road/Diego,
2000.
SASE Programs,
undated.
Sexual Violence Center,
1998-2000.
Signs of Halloween,
1999.
Skyline Tower slide shows,
undated.
2 optical disks.
Slam in the Schools,
2001.
Slam Minnesota,
1998-1999.
South High School (Minneapolis),
2001-2002.
South High School M.I.C.E. and partnership program,
1994-1996.
Speakeasy,
1997-1998.
Spoken Word mentors program,
2000-2001.
Summer Arts Village (Whittier),
1999-2000.
Trusting Neighbors,
2002.
Twin Cities Academy:
Spring residency,
2003.
Stories and poems,
2003.
Twin Cities Black Film Festival,
1997.
Twin Cities Women's Choir:
[general file],
2001-2002.
Concert,
2000.
Walker Art Center,
1996-1999.
2 folders.
Washburn High School,
1998.
Weisman Art Museum,
2000-2002.
Whittier Community School for the Arts,
1999-2000.
Wilder Juvenile Day Reporting Youth and Staff,
2002.
Wings,
2003.
Youth Outreach,
1995-1999.
3 folders.
Unidentified programs,
undated.
Oversize Material
142.G.15.7B-1
6
Posters and flyers:
Poetry Slam events,
undated and 1999-2002.
Various poetry reading and story telling events,
undated and 1998-2005.
Urban Symphony: Poetry anthologies,
1997-1998.