M. M. De Voe is the founder and executive director of Pen Parentis, Ltd. An award-winning and oft-published short fiction writer, De Voe established Pen Parentis as a fiscally sponsored sponsored public art project in December 2009, after running a year of successful Pen Parentis readings in Lower Manhattan. Three Pushcart nominations, two Editor's Prizes, a few arts grants, two children, and several publications later, De Voe continues to seek balance between family and writing career. She holds an MFA from Columbia and is a former actress: DeVoe still does occasional voiceover work—and is also the Director of Online Workshops as well as an Associate Editor at OurStories Literary Journal. See www.mmdevoe.com for DeVoe's extensive writing CV and recent news. And if you have an extra minute: "like" her on www.facebook.com/mmdevoe

Arlaina Tibensky's creativity, verve and passion have been integral to Pen Parentis since its inception. As founding curator of the Pen Parentis Literary Salons, she is the main contact for editors, agents and publicists for authors who seek appearances on our stage. She has a deep background in Nonprofit Grant Writing and Mentoring, working with such innovative companies as Vision Education & Media, and her experience in nonprofit has been priceless. Tibensky holds an MFA from Columbia in Creative Writing. Her wonderful literary stories are published in notable journals such as Inkwell, Small Spiral Notebook and One Story Magazine. Her first YA novel AND THEN THINGS FALL APART was published in Summer 2011. She is the tireless mother of two boys with solid man-names and you can read her blog here.

• Gabija Blauzdziunas
• Jurgita Raskeviciute
• Kaitlin Sansoucie

Pen Parentis provides resources to authors who are also parents. The organization evolved from the intimate literary community created by the Pen Parentis Literary Salons in Lower Manhattan -- a free open arts event in active programming since January, 2009 targeted to residents and workers of TriBeCa, Battery Park City, Brooklyn, and the Financial District, which also happens to be a vibrant professional platform promoting the creative work of authors who are also parents. Click here for an article in Columbia Magazine (circulation 270,000) about our history. In sponsoring the annual Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents beginning in September, 2010, Pen Parentis hopes to inspire new parents to keep on the creative track they had started before having a family—and presents support to that end in the form of a grant to give an incentive to the creation of new written works by parents of young children. Penparentis.org is the next step in our journey -- conceived as a safe place for authors across the country who have kids to meet and build community with like minded peers -- we hope you find something of value here. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
The Sustainable Arts Foundation
Poets&Writers
New York State Council on the Arts
Bronius Motekaitis of BCSWebstudio
Emily Ann Pulley

With special support from:
Loretta Shapiro
Jackie Quon
Sarah Langan
Leigh Newman

Pen Parentis logo design by: Melissa Guion

PEN PARENTIS is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of PEN PARENTIS may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Please donate to keep the Pen Parentis Literary Salon alive. This one-of-a-kind reading series is run primarily on donations from readers like you. No amount is too large or too small. One click (and a valid credit card) is all it takes.

Pen Parentis Literary Salons are made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. They are also funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and by a generous one-time grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation in California. We thank our sponsors and urge you to support the arts!

The objective of Pen Parentis is to provide resources to authors who are also parents.

1. to encourage the production of creative written work of professional standard by authors who are also parents,
2. to foster supportive local communities of authors who are also parents and
3. through outreach activities, to provide educational, creative, and professional support in this discipline to members of these communities so that with the support of like-minded peers, authors who are also parents will continue to actively pursue their creative goals.

In addition to PenParentis.org, our networking website featuring parenting and writing resources, Pen Parentis plans in the future to offer community building workshops, parenting workshops for artists, creativity workshops for new parents, and ultimately, a writing center that partners with child care or educational programs. To this end, we have already begun to partner with wonderful nonprofits in the Downtown area including 92Y/Tribeca. If you are a member of a NYC writing organization and would like to discuss partnering with us, please contact us using the form below.