Throughout history, poetry has thrived in intimate gatherings. The Harlem Renaissance had its salons. The Beats had City Lights Bookstore. The Romantics had their lakeside retreats. Inner Circles bring that tradition into the digital age.
What Are Inner Circles?
Private literary groups with their own members-only feed. Content posted to a Circle is visible only to its members. Everything that happens inside stays inside.
Use Cases
- Writing workshops — Share work-in-progress and get structured peer feedback
- Reading groups — Explore a theme, form, or author together
- Slam teams — Prepare for competitions with teammates
- MFA cohorts — Academic workshops with privacy and structure
- Friends — A safe, private space to share vulnerable work
- Open mic communities — Build a digital home for your local scene
Creating Your Circle
Setting up a Circle takes about two minutes:
- Name and description — Tell members what the Circle is about
- Emblem — Choose a Lucide icon to represent your Circle
- Banner image — A header image for your Circle’s page
- Entry mode — How new members join (see below)
- Discoverability — Whether the Circle appears on the Community page
Entry Controls
Four modes control how new members join:
- Open — Invited members join instantly. No approval needed.
- Approval — Prospective members request to join. Admins review and approve or deny.
- Password — Knowledge of a password grants instant access. Share it privately with your group.
- Password + Approval — Both a correct password and admin approval are required. Maximum gatekeeping.
For classroom use, Password + Approval is ideal. Share the password with enrolled students and approve each one as they join.
Roles and Permissions
Every Circle has three role levels:
- Owner — Created the Circle. Full control over all settings, members, and content.
- Admin — Can manage members, approve requests, and moderate content. Appointed by the Owner.
- Member — Can post, react, and comment within the Circle.
Granular Settings
Owners and Admins can toggle specific permissions:
- Whether members can post submissions
- Whether members can react to posts
- Whether members can comment
- Whether members can invite others
Discovery
Discoverable Circles appear on the Community page for anyone to browse. Keep yours hidden if you prefer invite-only access. Hidden Circles can only be joined via direct invite link or password.
The Community Page
The Community page is your hub for all things social on Stanza. Browse Circles, discover shared Reading Lists, and see what’s happening across the platform. It’s the town square of the literary world.
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