The Michigan Writers, started in 2001 by a group of area scribes (including Norm Wheeler, Joe VanderMeulen, Bronwyn Jones, and others), initially focused on collaborating to help each other improve their work and get published. But the roots of what would become a thriving regional writing network can be found in a small yet vibrant publication, founded around 1996 by Empire poet, essayist, playwright and teacher Anne-Marie Oomen.