“Letters to My Former Selves" is an exercise in letting in and letting go, in saying hello and farewell in the same breath, and most of all, in finding the humor, tenderness and self-compassion in those narratives in which we might have experienced the opposite. As we pen notes to our old incarnations and reconsider the time and context in which we inhabited these selves, we might discover the gifts that live within the shadows of these stories, and the light they cast on our past, our present, and perhaps even our future.

Prompts are delivered for 7 days via email and you are invited to share the results and interact with other participants in a private online group (on Ruzuku.com).

As a writer and poet, I have discovered that intersections with physical, tangible objects can transform into visceral, meaningful symbols in my work. I see these intersections as necessarily interruptive—coming into my line of vision and jostling me to really look, to slow and deepen my attention. Often, it's the collision with the mundane that transports me the most, revealing something more substantive than a first glance would indicate. Like an arrow flying into the center of the mulchy heap, an ordinary object can land on the crucial crucible of a thought or idea and separate it from the complexity and confusion. In other words, the mundane can shape our work; the ordinary can make it transcendent.

Storygathering is an exercise in noticing the world around us for its rich narrative potential. For a single week, we'll be infusing our daily journeys with a layer of new attention, learn to identify the possibilities that lie in our literal path every single day—discarded, lost, or forgotten objects that we will use as platforms and inspirations for our creative writing. This course will focus on short-form work - poetry, flash fiction, brief essays - and our online classroom space will allow us to upload photos to help support our written work, as well as share in the experiences and discoveries of others. Please note this is not a live class—you will receive daily prompts, you can work at your own pace, and the Ruzuku.com classroom space is a place to upload your writing and share in exchanges with others.

"100 Words" is a practice of purposeful paring down, a bold writing journey in service to the electrifying (and clarifying) power of brevity. Each day, you’ll receive a single-word prompt, and you can share your words (up to 100) in supportive, inspired camaraderie in our communal classroom space. 100 Words takes place on the Ruzuku platform, which allows for easy interaction. Self-paced; no live sessions.

Dates:
January 19-February 6, 2023

This series is part writing coaching and part open mic. I will begin each week by sending participants a selection of my poems related to that week’s prompt. (Prompts will be shared in advance) Participants will then have several days to work with this prompt. We will gather once weekly on a live Zoom call, where I’ll invite participants to read their work out loud. I’ll also initiate discussions related to aspects of the creative practice and invite participants to share their reflections about their encounter with the prompt. I will also help address and disentangle questions that may have arisen throughout the week regarding the writing. Sign-ups are available for one or more weeks, with a discount given for all six (6) sessions.

Cost is $35 per gathering or $175 for the 6-week series