About this Event
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work.
There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity,
no need for silence, no room for fear.
We speak, we write, we do language.
That is how civilizations heal"
–Toni Morrison
Writing is an act of resistance and a powerful way to transform grief and loss. In this workshop we will lean on the tools of poetry (image, concision, divergent thinking) to write through our collective grief. Together, we will find words to not only name, but also honour and mourn what is lost. We will also distill what/who we are fighting for as we envision a better world. Through guided writing prompts inspired by the works of Arundhati Roy, June Jordan, and James Baldwin, we will generate several new pieces of writing. Come with your courage, pen, and an open mind.
Bio:
Rayya Liebich is a writer, educator, and activist, of Lebanese and Polish descent. She is the author of the award-winning chapbook Tell Me Everything (Ontario Poetry Society), the poetry collection Min Hayati (Inanna Publications), and a hybrid memoir entitled Milk Teeth (forthcoming with Pownal Street Press). The last two years, she has channelled her rage and grief over the horrors in Palestine into this collection and published two other chapbooks Khalas/Enough (Gridlock Lit) and Word Games for Times of Genocide (Pinhole Poetry). Winner of The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir and Briarpatch’s Writing in the Margins Contest, her poetry and prose can be found in The Rumpus, Geist, Room, Protean Magazine, Hippocampus, and elsewhere. She believes in the power of words to change minds and hearts, and in the responsibility of artists to be truth-tellers.
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Please let us know if you have any access needs. We will do our best to support your needs. You can email or call sonia at [email protected] or 519-829-0771.
This workshop is part of Rock Paper Scissors, a weekend devoted to small-scale publishing and the social life of the book. This year, local zinesters, printmakers, artists, poets, and publishers from across Ontario and further afield will join us for a print media lover’s dream. Peruse hand-made and locally published books and print media, and support small book makers, artists, and publishers on February 22 from 11 am to 4 pm.
The workshop space is on the ground level of the Boarding House Arts building. The washrooms are not wheelchair accessible. We encourage vendors and guests to stay home if they feel unwell. Please reduce the use of scented products (e.g. perfume, cologne) for this event.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
6 Dublin St S, 6 Dublin Street South, Guelph, Canada
USD 0.00
