Under Your Skin: Writing About, From, and With the Body | 2 weeks
A 2-day workshop led by Priscilla Thomas
Dates: Tuesdays, January 14 & 21
Time: 7 PM - 9 PM ET
Location: Online
Cost: $120 (sliding scale options below)
15 spaces available.
Please note: These posts are available for purchase to paid subscribers only until November 21. On November 21, all workshops will be made public.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Overview
In this two-part series, we’ll approach writing the body from various angles and dig deeper into the stories we tell about our bodies. We’ll engage in somatic exercises and consider how they impact out creativity, read a selection of thought-provoking work, and discuss how the writers craft the physical into the emotional. We will also try out several idea-generating activities so that participants leave with new ways to connect with and write from their bodies. In each two-hour session, we’ll take part in all of these components: somatic exercises, readings and discussion, and writing activities. Participants will leave with responses to several activities, the beginnings of at least one draft, and workshop materials to revisit at their own pace.Â
Course Skeleton
Session 1: We’ll discuss some foundational ideas that this workshop has been grounded in, including Dr. Sondra Perl’s work with felt sense and a broad overview of somatics and creative practice. Our writing activities and readings will help us examine the stories we are used to telling and hearing about our bodies, and the stories our bodies are trying to tell.
Session 2: We’ll return to some of Perl’s work on felt sense and process, and then explore how craft comes from the body. In addition to readings, somatic exercises, and writing prompts, we’ll reflect on our own processes and share questions raised by our study.
Readings may include work from: Sondra Perl, Melissa Febos, Ocean Vuong, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Christine Caldwell, and Joan Roughgarden
Takeaways
An introduction to felt sense in the creative process
Strategies for generating ideas, somatic exercises for creativity, and the beginnings of at least 1 draft each week
Broader sense of what writing about the body can include and how perspective plays into writing about the self
All Literary Liberation classes take place online and are accessible to students anywhere in the world. This workshop will be recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend live. The recorded session will be emailed to participants the following day.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
This class is offered on a sliding scale structure. We believe in making our workshops accessible while sustaining our work and community. Please read more about our sliding scale policy on our FAQ.
The rates for this workshop are as follows: Standard Price of $120; Supported Price of $85; Pay-it-Forward Price of $160. Limited Supported seats are available and offered on a first-come basis.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. All purchases are final and nonrefundable. Prior to the start of your class you’ll receive an invitation to access the virtual classroom. Be sure to submit payment and register via Zoom.
Scholarship List: There are two full scholarships available.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Priscilla Thomas (she/her) is a desi writer and editor. Her writing has been nominated for Pushcart and Best of the Net prizes and has appeared in The Margins @AAWW, Salty, Insider, and various anthologies. She works with writers on creative nonfiction and memoir and runs Write On, a creative community for writers and artists. Learn more at wordsbypriscilla.com or @wordsbypriscila on Instagram.