Imagine your front porch story taking center stage.
Contribute your front porch memories.
We’re collecting short stories, essays, videos, and more inspired by Lakewood, Ohio’s vibrant front porch culture.
Life is better in your outdoor living room.
Way back when, homeowners were abandoning the communal feel of the front porch for the privacy of backyard patios and decks. Some Lakewood homeowners removed their front porch entirely, but many more maintained a commitment to the old-world charm of front-of-house living.
The result is a big component of Lakewood’s reputation for being a welcoming place, a great town to raise your kids, and an ideal location to set down roots.
Now, we’re inviting you to share a story that happened on, near, because of, or while passing by a Lakewood front porch.
Join us for the Front Porch Stories Workshop May 7 and 14.
Free workshop. Registration not necessary.
Miriam Carey leads this interactive session where you’ll bring your front porch memories to life. Pitch your idea, get feedback, craft your story, and share it.
Details
May 7 and May 14 at 7 p.m.
Lakewood Public Library, Main Branch, 15425 Detroit Rd., Lakewood, Ohio
What is a front porch story?
A front porch story is what happens when you dare to leave the glow of the screen for the wide open space of your own front yard.
You probably have a strong memory connected to a front porch, or an amazing thing that happened one night when you were sitting on the porch steps. Or perhaps you have hopes and dreams about the role your porch will play in your future. A front porch story is about almost anything. It just needs to feature, on some small level, a Lakewood front porch.
Your story might be featured here.
Our goal with this project is to collect enough stories to publish a book of essays, and create an online community to celebrate the uniqueness of our hometown. What happens next depends on the contribution you make.
Here are a few quick FAQs.
Do I have to be a writer? No! Front Porch Stories can be shared by anyone. We run free workshops to help you build out your story, and we’ll also assist with refining your story if you want to publish, tell, or show it. Join us soon.
Do i need to be a writer to participate?Will you publish my story?We are creating an online community with the hope of collecting enough material for a book, but we will never publish your story until it’s finished and we have your OK.
Is Front Porch Stories a for-profit business?Front Porch Stories is a small project run by two friends volunteering their time. We will continue to host free events, and if we make a profit in the future, we intend to donate back to our community.
Front Porch Stories is run by volunteers. If we get to a point where we’re making a profit, we plan to keep investing in the project and donate to local causes aligned with our mission.
Have a question? Ask us.
Read our blog to learn how you can get involved.
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