Shaping Spaces

Saturdays 3-5 pm Eastern via ZOOM

As disabled people, our stories and experiences are as varied as we are. In this workshop we’re producing a constellation of literature reflecting the different ways we make sense of the world. We use our writing to call for justice for people with disabilities, writing memoir with the hopes of reaching those who most need to hear our stories. In the years Shaping Spaces has been running, the workshop has included dancers and artists, poets and bloggers, students and teachers, elders and church leaders and beloved community members. The writers in Shaping Spaces all make our way through the world differently, but we are united in our drive for a world that treats all with dignity and compassion.

In Shaping Spaces, we write memoir in community to speak back to a world that often overlooks or tries to diminish us. We write to share our hard-earned knowledge, and to let others know they’re not alone. We write to educate about the obstacles we face and to advocate for justice. There are dozens of reasons why we write. Whatever your reason, whatever your story, this workshop will help you shape your memoir in a way that invites a stranger to listen.

Come once or twice to tell a particular story that needs to be told or continue week after week to shape stories for readings, web publications, or book-length projects. We meet via Zoom on Saturdays from 3 to 5 pm eastern time.

This workshop is open to anyone with a disability, including psychiatric and chronic health conditions. No prior writing experience necessary!

Please contact Janelle at jgagnon@herstorywriters.org to join the workshop.

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