Growing up in Fort Collins, Colorado, Marisa Klein, CAS/MA ’13, always knew she wanted to be a writer. “I was that kid who brought a book everywhere.” She read voraciously—historical fiction, imaginative stories. “I loved everything Roald Dahl.” She wrote for her school newspaper and competed on the poetry slam team in college, immersing herself in the world of letters.

After graduating, Klein worked as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Loveland, Colorado, before moving abroad to Budapest, Hungary, where she covered business and the arts for four years. Wherever she goes, she seeks out new and diverse voices. “I take a lot of inspiration from other writers.” 

Today, Klein is a senior content strategist at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, where she tells the stories of people from across the globe. “I consider myself a journalist for the museum.”

Here are her favorite places to put pen to paper:

Open City at the National Cathedral: This café on the cathedral grounds has beautiful light and tables outside. If I have visitors in town, I can take them to the cathedral, and then we can go for coffee and walk through the nearby gardens.

Dolcezza Gelato at the Hirshhorn: When it’s cold out, I like to have a coffee in the Hirshhorn atrium. In nicer weather, you can sit in the sculpture garden. There’s nothing like looking out on a Yayoi Kusama work while you’re drinking coffee.

Merry Pin: This local craft store and community space in Northwest is one of my favorite spots. They have a beautiful shop downstairs with craft supplies. Upstairs, there’s a café where they host classes, and when one isn’t in session, it’s a cozy place to work.

Takoma Bev Co: This is a great classic coffee shop in Takoma Park, Maryland. It’s locally run with plenty of places to sit. Try the London Fog tea, blueberry smoothie, or the soup of the day.

The Line DC: I love the architecture of this Adams Morgan hotel. It’s in a renovated church, with a bar, coffee shop, and meeting space, along with a repurposed organ chandelier. It’s one of the few places I can go to write and enjoy a drink with my wirehaired dachshund, Pollock.