In This Section
Your body is your ally for writing. It is both source and subject, the primary medium
through which you experience the world – in pleasure and pain, injury and illness,
creativity and empowerment. As writers, we tend to spend more time in our heads than
our bodies. In this workshop, we will look to the body for inspiration; read and discuss
poetry about the body; explore the senses to access memory and image, while supporting
the nervous system; and experiment with a series of simple movements and writing prompts
to unlock creativity. When you write about and from your body, you have enough to
write about for the rest of your life.
Join poet, writer, and editor Luke Johnson as he leads writers through an interactive
workshop and discussion around the difference between the authorial “I” and the actual
“I” and just what both of those mean. He will explain why the authorial “I” is the
ultimate source to worldbuild from, and take questions from the attendees. Whether
you’re new to poetry or looking to sharpen your voice and connect with fellow poets,
this session will offer a supportive space to explore language, emotion, and imagination.
Join Maria Belen Luzuriaga Abad – musician, composer, educator, and sound artist –
in this session to learn how she blends storytelling with sound to create immersive,
emotionally resonant experiences. Looping live is essentially the process of recording
and layering sound in real-time to create dynamic, multi-layered performances. It's
a great tool for musicians, spoken word artists, and storytellers looking to add depth
to their performances. Learn the basics of looping as Maria Belen demonstrates different
creative applications, guides participants through hands-on exercises, and explores
other topics related to live performance, improvisation, and the intersection of music
and storytelling.
This workshop is for anyone who has crossed borders—or felt like they lived between
them. Led by Juan Luzuriaga, who was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and immigrated to
the U.S. in 2000, the session will include ways to explore and express one’s experience
through poetry. Whether you’re an immigrant, the child of one, or someone who’s ever
felt out of place. We’ll write about identity, belonging, language, distance, home,
and the ways we carry our histories. No experience needed—just a willingness to share
the truth you carry.
Ready to think outside the book? Join author and musician Kevin Carver as he discusses
his debut novel—and novel soundtrack!—The Forbidden Parallel. In addition to giving
a behind-the-scenes look at his project, Kevin will share ways you can challenge yourself
with ambitious, multimedia storytelling. Whether you want to incorporate music, video,
art, live performance, or something else entirely, he'll discuss ways you can expand
your project to really help your masterpiece make a splash.