Upcoming workshops, SEAF & more!

sticker graffiti -- a woman squated down, in stockings, bra and wig, holding a frame around herself

found this image right after tour and thought, "Yup -- that's some femme energy right there."

Good morning, all!

Whew, the pollen has got me this year — are your allergies blowing up? I can’t remember the last time I had such a strong reaction, and yet all I can do when I pass by the new flowers, the electric new green leaves, the eucalyptus trees in full yellow polleny bloom, is to stick my face right in and grin.  I’m trying some homeopathic remedies before I go get the Claratin — bought some local honey, which will introduce my immune system to the local pollens in a gentler way, and let my body begin to build up a familiarity (which I rather thought it already had, but I think I was wrong!); we’ll see how that helps!

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We’ve got a few workshops coming up this month and next around Writing Ourselves Whole, and I’d love to write with you!

  • Saturday, May 14: Writing the Flood
  • Sat, May 28: Reclaiming our Erotic Story: the Liberatory Potential of Writing Desire
  • May 20-22: Seattle Erotic Art Festival
  • ETA: June 13-July 24: Reclaiming Our Erotic Story: The Liberating Power of Writing Desire – an online course!
  • Summer 2011 8-week writing workshops update!

Read on for more information about each of these events— and visit our Sign Up page to register!

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Writing the Flood

May 14, 2011*, 1-4:30pm

Writing The Flood is a writing group for anyone looking to prime the writing pump: using the Amherst Writers and Artists method, we will write together in response to exercises designed to get those pens moving, and get onto the page the stories, poems, essays, images and voices that have been stuck inside for too long.  This is a time to work on a larger project, get started on new work, play on the page, or write yourself through a block and back into your writing voice.

Unless otherwise noted, this workshop meets on the third Saturday of the month. $50 (with a sliding scale). Limited to 12. Register or email me with questions: jennifer@writingourselveswhole.org.

Summer 2011 dates:

  • Saturday, May 14
  • Saturday, June 18
  • Saturday, July 16

*We’re meeting this month on the second instead of the third Saturday because on May 21 I’ll be in Seattle at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, presenting my writing and hopefully leading a workshop in that gorgeous wet city!

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Reclaiming our Erotic Story: the Liberatory Potential of  Writing Desire

May 28, 2011, 10:00AM-5:00PM

(breakfast provided from 9:30-10)

Sutterwriters Sacramento

Can erotic writing liberate more than our libidos? Does greater comfort with sexual expression lead to greater agency in our communities?

Many of us assume that the erotic is solely the province of the individual, and not the realm of social change or communal liberation – but what happens when we all have wider access to and more comfort with erotic language and sexual expression? The full breadth of our erotic power can challenge what our society teaches us about our sexuality, which is both damning and provocative when it comes to personal expression and human relationships.

I’ve led erotic writing workshops since 2002, and what I’ve found is that writing our desire, in a safe community of engaged and encouraging peer writers, can allow us the space to challenge the negative messages we’ve internalized about sexuality and about our core desires and even our very being. When we bring our longing into the light and find common ground with others, when we risk exposing that which we’ve been trained to be ashamed of, I find that many of us step into a deeply empowered (and more embodied!) self.

In this workshop, we’ll try out some explicit writing, and will consider how empowering a creative engagement with sexual identity, desire, and expression, as well as the ability to write out our fantasies and desire, can affect our intimate relationships, our communities and our work in the world.

The cost for this workshop is $100.  A $25 deposit would secure your place, with the balance due on the day of the class.

To register, contact

John Crandall
Crandall Writers
P.O. Box 22612
Sacramento, California 95822
916-708-9708

john@fireartsofsacramento.com

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Seattle Erotic Art Festival

May 20-22, Seattle, WA

“The Seattle Erotic Art Festival supports a vibrant creative community, promotes freedom of expression, and fosters sex-positive culture through public celebration of the arts.”

Come join me in Seattle for this amazing celebration of erotic art! There will be performance, film, readings, workshops and, of course, afterparties — this event is put on by the Center for Sex Positive Culture, which we got to check out a couple of years ago during the Body Heat West Coast tour. I can’t wait to go back! I get to participate in the Literary Arts part of the Festival:

This year’s Literary Art Exhibition will feature 26 poems, 12 short stories, and readings by many of Seattle’s hottest erotic spoken word artists, all presented in a lush and intimate boudoir setting. New this year: selected poets will write pieces inspired by the visual art, then conduct a daily “Poet’s Favorite” walking tour. Learn more at: http://seattle-erotic.org/2011/04/28/literary-highlights/.

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Reclaiming Our Erotic Story: The Liberating Power of Writing Desire

An online course, offered by the Transformative Language Arts Network. Open to all!

June 13-July 24

Can erotic writing liberate more than our libidos? Does greater comfort with sexual expression lead to greater agency in our communities? In this workshop, we’ll write together, and consider how empowering a more expansive relationship with sexual identity and desire affects our social change/organizing work in the world.

$189 Transformative Language Arts Network members; $210 for non-members

Visit the link above to register or with questions! I look forward to writing with you!

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Summer 2011 8-week workshop schedules are almost ready (this includes Write Whole: Survivors Write and Declaring Our Erotic (open to all queer survivors of sexual trauma)). I’m sorry for the delay on these — during my hiatus from these workshops, I’ve been learning to listen closer to my body, so that I could figure out a schedule that will work best alongside the self-care work that I’ve also begun. This is new learning! We will begin in early June, and I’ll be contacting all previous writers and folks who’re on the waiting lists with the schedule before I announce it publicly.

One response to “Upcoming workshops, SEAF & more!

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