Fall In Love with Yourself: Writing and Readings in Sept - Nov
Vulnerability is Strong
I’m learning that when I am my authentic, messy, been-hurt-have-hurt-but-healed-and-healing self on the page, my writing is stronger than it’s ever been. I used to think being vulnerable meant being weak, but I know the opposite is true. There is courage and boldness in being vulnerable; there is beauty and brilliance in telling the thing all the way. It’s in this spirit that I’ve been greeting, and growing with, writers across skill and publication levels in virtual writing classes.
We get vulnerable. We get honest. We get real. And in the end, our writing gets stronger, which if you love and live writing like I do, means we get stronger.
The stronger I get—whether from writing and being honest or balancing rest and four mile runs (Dig a mini-essay on writing and running here)—the more I fall in love with my work and myself. The more I fall in love with my work and myself, the more I fall in love with possibility. Don’t that sound good? Don’t you want some of that?
What makes you fall in love with yourself? What makes you fall in love with possibility?
Whatever it is. Do it.
Going There: September Memoir Class with The Porch
After a beautiful You Are the Protagonist class, I’m returning to the virtual workshop space for a follow-up class, Going There: Memoir and Scene. Is it a sequel? Sort of. We’ll take the confidence, vision, and voice that we unleased in YATP into our drafts with scene in mind.
Can you take Going There if you haven’t taken YATP? Yes. The overall goal of the class is to focus on crafting compelling scenes within our memoir work and personal essays. It’s a great follow-up to YATP, but it also stands alone. Join us!
Going There: Memoir and Scene
WEDNESDAYS, September 29 - October 17th (6 - 8 p.m. CT/7 - 9 p.m. ET)
Surviving Submissions: October One-Day Workshop with The Porch
Submitting your work can be intimidating, but at some point, you gotta do like my Pops say and “Bet on yourself. Bet on a winner.” Now, all submissions don’t end with a win, but like my Pops also says, “You can win if you don’t play!”
We’ll be talking submission tips, submission tools, and submissions mindset. Believe in your work? Believe in your voice? Prove it.
Surviving Submissions
SATURDAY, October 2nd (2 - 5 p.m. CT/3 - 6 p.m. ET)
Art of Justice: Virtual Workshop and Showcases
Dig the link and save the dates for these workshops and showcases dedicated to the intersections of art and social justice. Join artist Khaulah Naima Nuruddin for an art-making workshop on solidarity and equity on THURSDAY, October 14th (6:30 - 8:30 p.m. ET) and a showcase and community dialogue featuring me on SATURDAY, October 23rd (1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET).
This inspiring and necessary series of art-making workshops and discussions are brought to you by Niki Lopez Creative of What’s Your Elephant, L.A. Lee YMCA Mizell Community Center, and the Community Foundation of Broward.
Check out the entire schedule here!
We All We Got: Sinister Wisdom Reading
Sinister Wisdom 122 is all about writing communities. You don’t want to miss this extra-special issue, edited by Dr. Stephanie Andrea Allen and Lauren Cherelle of BLF Press and featuring writing by Jewelle Gomez, Nicole Shawan Junior, Krystal A. Smith, Arisa White, and more (Yes. Yours truly included)!
Join us for a special night celebrating the issue!
TUESDAY, October 19th (7 p.m. ET)
Reckoning with Remembrance at Story Studio Chicago
We explore memory and research as tools for writing rich, resonant memoir and personal essay. Memory is swiss-cheesed up by nature, so how do we push beyond the limitations of memory to tell our story? Research and reflection help bridge the gap between what we remember and what we’re trying bring to the page.
Reckoning with Remembrance
Six weeks beginning TUESDAY, November 9th (6:30 - 9 p.m. CT/7:30 - 10 p.m.)
