Listening to Our Elders: Stories and Objects

Listening to Our Elders: Stories and Objects

"Mami often says that when you hear the same story twice, you are supposed to get something different from it."

In this workshop, Philadelphia poet laureate, Raina J. León invites you to bring the stories and objects from your elders (and your elders, if you want to!) to learn ways of writing from the stories that you've heard over and over again. We will learn strategies of eliciting details from our elders from oral historian and archivist, L. Renée, see the strategies models as Raina shares family photographs and interviews from her parents (guest speakers, for this event!), and then delve deep into writing poems from those stories and objects.

A partnership between the Academy of American Poets and Blue Stoop, a fiscally sponsored organization of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, dedicated to nurturing an inclusive literary community by creating pathways to access writing education, inspiration, and professional support, and celebrating Philadelphia’s rich writing tradition.

With ASL interpretation from Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre

Event venue & nearby stays

CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia, 1315 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

Get the app →