Meet the Talented Team Behind East Austin Writing Project
Our writing groups and book clubs are led by poets, prose writers, and hybrid writers who design and facilitate each session with care, craft, and a commitment to community-centered growth.
Walter Hill
Walter is a poet and game developer based in Austin, Texas, with over a decade of experience as a poet and language enthusiast; his work has appeared in The Ear, Juste Milieu, and Touchstone Literary Magazine, and he has deepened his craft by attending talks and readings at AWP 2023 in Seattle and serving as Visiting Poet at Point Park University in Fall 2024.
His favorite writers and artists include Terrance Hayes, Ada Limón, James Baldwin, Earl Sweatshirt, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, and Kurt Vonnegut, which reflects his interest in musical language, ethical inquiry, and formally inventive storytelling, all of which surface in his attention to rhythm, image, and voice on the page.
At the East Austin Writing Project, Walter facilitates Poetry Club, offering structured, compassionate feedback that helps poets experiment with form, refine their distinct sound, and build toward cohesive bodies of work.
Marissa Ayala
Marissa Ayala is a writer, researcher, and multidisciplinary artist based in Austin, Texas. Informed by her Puerto Rican heritage, her work explores the dynamic relationship between self and place, delving into the intersections of cultural identity and societal influence.
She is the recipient of the 2026 In Cahoots writing residency in CA, 2025 Puffin Foundation Environmental Advocacy Artist Grant, 2025 Chulitna Lodge writing residency in Alaska, a year-long teaching artist residency at Pen + Brush gallery, and conducted primary research on color theory at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art. Her work has appeared in TELEPHONE, Errant Elements, Poets & Writers, Pen + Brush Literary Magazine,fugue, Poets of Queens Anthology, and more. She earned her BA at Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics and an MFA in fiction at The New School.
Her favorite writers include Anne Carson, Rosemarie Waldrop, Clarice Lispector, Bhanu Kapil, Marguerite Duras, Thalia Field, and Maggie Nelson which reflects her interest in hybrid forms, fragments, and embodied thinking, all of which surface in her attention to language, structure, and intimate observation on the page. marissaanneayala.com
At the East Austin Writing Project, Marissa is the founder, director, and teaching artist for the East Austin Writing Project’s Craft Intensives.
Avery Fullerton
Avery is a writer and data scientist based in Austin, Texas. He received an MS from M.I.T. and cross-enrolled at Harvard University to attend MFA-style critique workshops with Claire Messud, twice long-listed for the Booker Prize. Currently working on a short story collection and preparing for his first novel, he grounds his workshops in both strong critical frameworks and attention to line-level craft. Avery was born in Argentina and lived half of his childhood across Latin America. His stories often revisit these environments.
His favorite writers are Tove Ditlevsen, George Saunders, Rachel Cusk, Julio Cortázar, and Jorge Luis Borges, which reflect his interest in interiority, social observation, and narrative structure, all of which show up in his feedback style.
At East Austin Writing Project, Avery facilitates Critique I and Critique II, which are structured, supportive critiques that help writers refine up to 15 pages at a time, offering detailed responses on character, pacing, and stakes while fostering a community where emerging writers can grow into publication-ready storytellers.
Jason Sprinkle
Jason is a writer and software developer from Austin, Texas; his fiction has appeared in SmokeLong Quarterly, Five South, Rejection Letters, and other journals, and his editorial eye has been shaped by his work at American Short Fiction and Abandon Journal.
His favorite authors include Percival Everett, Elena Ferrante, Claire Keegan, Anthony Veasna So, and Diane Williams, reflecting his interest in sharp, voice-driven fiction, compressed forms, and morally complex characters, all of which are evident in his taste for bold, boundary-pushing narratives. www.jasondsprinkle.com.
At the East Austin Writing Project, Jason facilitates Subculture Lit, curating experimental, small-press, and transnational reading lists, leading in-depth discussions at Alienated Majesty Books.
“I find the right words while moving through the changing city, dancing to music, and helping others..”
Walter H.
“My writing exists in the intersection of language and art, and I’m most proud of building a vibrant arts community focused on process, connection, and exploring one’s voice.”
Marissa A
“I’ve been writing since I was a kid: journaling, short stories, screenplays, and even a fake newspaper!”
Avery G.
“One book can change your life and I want our book club to do so month after month.”
Jason S.