Our Next Workshop
Gentle Generative: Writing and the Natural World
INSTRUCTOR: Kendra Preston Leonard
TIME: Saturday, March 30, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CDT PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, March 24. After Sunday, March 24: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here LOCATION: Online via Zoom LEVEL: All levels CAP: 15 Do you love reading and writing about the natural world? Did you read Vesper Flights or Braiding Sweetgrass and think, I want to do writing like that? In this workshop we’ll explore writing about nature, from insects to supernovas and koalas to oak trees. We’ll discuss how nature writing works in a wide range of genres, from non-fiction to romance to mysteries and speculative fiction and poetry. Our writing exercises will focus on observation and detail, making connections between nature and personal experiences, what it means to be honest in writing about the natural world, and how to develop a unique voice in writing about nature. Open to writers of all genres and experience levels, this Gentle Generative workshop offers a welcoming and supportive space in which to practice writing and share writing thoughts. This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mid-America Arts Alliance. |
Photo by Hitoshi Suzuki on Unsplash
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View all our upcoming workshops.
Our Next Event
March Open Mic
TIME: Friday, March 29, 7–9:30 p.m. CST
LOCATION: Sabine Street Studios, 1907 Sabine Street, Houston, TX 77007 (map) F EATURING: Marlene "Zen Ase" Johns COST: Free for members. $5.00 for nonmembers. Become a member here. REGISTRATION: To become a reader sign up here. Sign-ups are open to all and on a first come, first served basis. Please note that you must arrive before 7:00 p.m. to get a snack and get situated, thanks! You must sign up here to read! Come out and listen to our featured readers and read yourself! Our featured reader will have their work for sale and for signing at the Itty Bitty Book Fair! Please note that you will need to arrive before 7:00 p.m. to get a seat. Accessibility: Overflow parking is available at Spring Street Studios. Fully accessible space. This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mid-America Arts Alliance. |
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What people are saying about our workshops:
"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
All donations made to Writespace are tax-deductible.
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. |