Help Support Writespace
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Writespace is a Houston grassroots literary arts nonprofit whose mission is to embrace and celebrate our city’s diversity by providing the type of high-quality training available through Master of Fine Arts creative writing programs at a fraction of the cost to writers of all genres, with a focus on providing programming for underserved communities and scholarships for low-income writers.
All donations made to Writespace are entirely tax-deductible.
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Our Next Workshop
Writing Urban: Nature in the City
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INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Spears
TIME: Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CST PRICE: Early bird price: $85 for members, $100 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, August 7. After Sunday, August 7: $100 for members, $115 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here. LOCATION: Writespace, 1717 Michigan Street, Houston, TX, 77006 (map) LEVEL: All Levels CAP: 15 Yes, it is true that the landscape changed a little. Where there were forests, now there are pears of factories, cisterns. Approaching the mouth of the river we hold our noses. Its current carries oil and chlorine and methyl compounds. —Czelaw Milosz, “Advice” About 80 percent of all Americans live in urban areas, according to the last census. Crammed together as we are, many of us feel cut off from nature as our cities continue to encroach upon formerly wild areas. Yet if we carefully observe our lives in cities and suburbs, we might find unique ways that our lives intersect with plants and animals as they adapt or face extinction. Nature will always crisscross with our busy lives—cities generate their own weathers. Urban seasons alter our experience of natural processes. Perhaps you have paused to admire patches of nature in the city—the parks, the gardens, the trails. These bits of nature sometimes evoke restorative calm in us or regret and loss. Then there are times when the natural world causes us fear as it strikes back at us with a vengeance—with wicked heat or cold, flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes. In the urban landscape, we are reminded of the beauties and the overwhelming power of nature. In this seminar, we will explore the intersections of the natural world in our cities and neighborhood. We will take a look at model forms in poetry and prose. In addition, we’ll practice drafting passages paying attention to unexpected junctures of nature and the city. Finally, we’ll look at submission possibilities for your writing on urban nature. |
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View all our upcoming workshops.
Our Next Event
The Submission Room
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TIME: Sunday, August 14, 4–6 p.m. CDT
PRICE: Free for members, $5 for nonmembers. Become a member here. LOCATION: Melange Creperie, 711 Heights Blvd #B Houston TX 77007 (map) You’ve written something and now you want to take the next step and get your writing published. Whether you are looking to submit to literary journals through Submittable or query agents with a book proposal, why not do it in the company of other writers while eating crepes? Goal: To have every participant exit the session with at least 1–5 submissions in Submittable or with a solid plan for where, when, and how to submit in the weeks to follow. Structure: First 30 minutes - This time will be designated for experienced submitters and newbies to air out whatever questions or concerns they have about the submission process. To save time, informative handouts with tips and FAQs will be distributed to those who want them. Before the 30 minutes is up, all participants will have an opportunity to share which genre they are working in and what goal they are working towards, whether it be to actively submit during the session or work on a monthly spreadsheet to better prepare for future submissions. Remaining time - All participants will be asked to work independently and quietly so not to distract other participants from their personal goals. A moderator will be available to answer questions and check-in with participants on a rolling basis to ensure everyone feels confident, knowledgeable, and productive moving forward. |
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Workshop Testimonial
"I hadn’t written poetry in more than 6 months. Not because I didn’t have anything to say—but rather, the opposite: I have too much to say, and not enough time to say it. That’s the beauty of short-form poetry—and I can think of no one better than Dr. Kendra Leonard to be your guide into this world.
If you’re like me—an unpracticed, imperfect poet who doesn’t know anything about the mechanics of sonnets or limericks—it can feel super intimidating to step into a poetry workshop. But Dr. Leonard made me feel anything but intimidated. She is kind, encouraging, and takes a gentle, question-led (rather than feedback-led) approach to workshopping poetry.
What’s truly amazing is that she’s helped me turn short-form poetry into a habit. I’ve written a poem every day since taking her workshop. Often, I don’t have a big block of time to sit down and journal out all my thoughts and feelings. Dr. Leonard’s workshop showed me that I can be just as expressive through short-form poetry, and in a fraction of the time.
I’m really excited to take her workshop on ekphrastic writing."
—Ynes Freeman, on Kendra Preston Leonard's Writing Short: Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand
If you’re like me—an unpracticed, imperfect poet who doesn’t know anything about the mechanics of sonnets or limericks—it can feel super intimidating to step into a poetry workshop. But Dr. Leonard made me feel anything but intimidated. She is kind, encouraging, and takes a gentle, question-led (rather than feedback-led) approach to workshopping poetry.
What’s truly amazing is that she’s helped me turn short-form poetry into a habit. I’ve written a poem every day since taking her workshop. Often, I don’t have a big block of time to sit down and journal out all my thoughts and feelings. Dr. Leonard’s workshop showed me that I can be just as expressive through short-form poetry, and in a fraction of the time.
I’m really excited to take her workshop on ekphrastic writing."
—Ynes Freeman, on Kendra Preston Leonard's Writing Short: Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand
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Writespace is a Houston grassroots literary arts nonprofit whose mission is to embrace and celebrate our city’s diversity by providing the type of high-quality training available through Master of Fine Arts creative writing programs at a fraction of the cost to writers of all genres, with a focus on providing programming for underserved communities and scholarships for low-income writers. All donations made to Writespace are entirely tax-deductible.
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