In 2010 a close friend became diagnosed with cancer. During this anxious time, I found myself unable to write. Yet  poems and stories drew me in; they offered comfort and demanded my attention in a mysterious way. I began to wake each day before the rest of my family and read in the dark early morning hours. The stories and poems I read gave me hope and helped me look outside my own situation. Time passed and I began to think about the power of the story and how I might share this deep love with others. The Lafayette Writers' Studio was born.