Enjoy these reflections on Café Shapiro 2025 from the 2024-2025 U-M Library Engagement Ambassador Team. Photos are of students who presented at the event.
Café Shapiro is an annual event where undergraduate student writers, nominated by their professors, read from their creative works. The U-M Library Engagement Ambassadors communicate with students from all disciplines to showcase their artistry, create eye-catching graphics to encourage other students to support their peers, and co-host and facilitate events.
Alyssa Wakefield: I was given the opportunity to co-host Café Shapiro on the second night, and it was an incredible experience. Both nights I was completely blown away by both how good the works were and the range of work present: from multimedia presentations, to sonnets, to book chapters, etc. Being able to introduce the writers, give a short bio on each of them, and then experience hearing their work aloud was so much fun. At the end of each reading, the authors were able to take a few questions from the crowd, and facilitating/participating in the part was a great way to gain insight on the authors’ writing processes.
Amira: Every single year, I wait patiently for Café Shapiro like a kid waiting for Christmas. Since my freshman year, I have been in awe at the quality of work that comes in and am always blown away by the passionate readings. As a host for the event these past four years, I am beyond grateful to have my last year be filled with such exciting poetry, short stories, and excerpts of future books. It’s a clear reminder that the future is bright, for readers and writers alike!
Elena: I love having the opportunity to attend and help host Café Shapiro, it’s always such an amazing event. Getting to hear writing from such a wide variety of people, in such a wide range of styles and genres is both inspiring and incredibly impressive. I am so glad that student authors have this event as a place to share their writing with the wider Michigan community.
Grace: I was happy to have the opportunity to host and help organize this year’s Café Shapiro. Everyone was so dedicated to their craft, and the breadth of topics and genres covered gave a much-welcomed glimpse into the worlds of our writers. I am always impressed by the work of the creative community that exists within our student body. The quality of each piece stands out, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to hear from everyone.
Leah: Café Shapiro is one of my favorite events of the year. As a screenwriter myself, I love getting to hear all kinds of writing – it’s both interesting and inspiring to my own work and craft. I love that writers and artists have Café Shapiro as a platform to share their work and receive recognition for it, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to each and every piece! Café Shapiro is one of my favorite traditions and I hope it continues for many years to come.
Cecilia: Café Shapiro is always a blast, no ifs, ands, or buts. As an English major myself, I already love writing in all its forms, but there is something magical about hearing the authors read their works aloud for others to enjoy and to be celebrated in that achievement by their fellows. It imagine it to be a very rewarding experience for the readers as well, but as someone who’s only either co-hosted or been an audience member, I can attest to the deep satisfaction and pride I feel knowing that these are my peers, and that I get to enjoy the honor of getting to know them and their works.
Salma: With this being my first time attending Café Shapiro, it was an extreme honor to share such a special moment with each and every one of the writers. It was so beautiful to experience in real-time, listening to the work that our attendees put so much effort in. Additionally, I had so much fun organizing the event with my ambassador team and I cannot wait for the next Café Shapiro!
Thomas: Café Shapiro is always a great way to see the creative writing community on campus join together. For many of these writers, it’s their first time sharing their work in front of a live audience. Not only does this give them the opportunity to hone their public speaking skills, the consistent positive reception at the end of every piece affirms how important and valued their creative prowess is to their instructors, peers, and families.
Elizabeth: It’s a little bittersweet that Café Shapiro 2025 was my last, but I am honored to have planned, facilitated, and co-hosted Café Shapiro in my four years of being an Ambassador. It is rewarding to give student writers and artists an opportunity to perform and publish their work. Café Shapiro is a U-M Library Ambasador passion project and would not have been possible without all of the Ambassadors who communicated with students and designed graphics to advertise the event, Amanda Peters and Doreen Bradley who advised us and allow Café Shapiro to be as student-oriented as possible, and our gracious Audio and Visual Staff who monitor and record Café Shapiro via Zoom. I am excited to pass the baton to current and future Ambassadors who will continue to shine the spotlight on student artists.
Café Shapiro is made possible in part through the Mary Wiedenbeck George Café Shapiro Fund thanks to the generous support of Pamela and Janice Wiedenbeck and the Wiedenbeck family.