2019 – 2020 Writing Academy Schedule
The Reading Queer Writing Academy aims to inspire and prepare members of the queer community to tap into the powerful potential inherent to the act and the art of writing. Consisting of a series of distinct workshops spread out throughout the calendar year, the Academy will serve as a platform for writers of all walks of life to explore, pursue and perfect the craft in its myriad forms. As an expression of our conviction that writing is a right, not a privilege, all workshops are open to the general public regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
All Reading Queer workshops are free and open to the public every 3rd weekend October 2019 – May 2019.
10. 19th. 2019 | “Burnin The Veil” with Cathleen Chambless”
DATE: OCTOBER 19TH, 2019 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
LOCATION: THE LIGHT BOX @ GOLDMAN WAREHOUSE @ 404 NW 26TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33127. Map here.
COST: FREE. Donations appreciated. Donate here.
Description: As we near the end of October, this is when the veil between our world and the spiritual world becomes the thinnest. In this workshop we will burn the veil, literally and figuratively, and celebrate local queers who have lost their lives fighting for our rights. There is much attention to LGBTQ activists of the past on a national level, but what about our locals who fought and have not received the attention they deserve. Additionally, this workshop will include rituals to inspire not only writing, but to give love and strength to the queer spirits around us and within us.
RSVP Here:
Bio: Cathleen Chambless is from Miami, Florida. She graduated with her MFA in poetry from FIU. She is also a visual artist and activist. Her work has appeared in The Electronic Encyclopedia of Experimental Literature, Jai-Alai, Fjords Review, Grief Diaries, Storm Cycle 2014 & 2015, Southern Women’s Review, and Wussy Mag. Her debut collection of poetry, Nec(Romantic), was a finalist for the Bisexual Book Awards in 2016.
11. 21st. 2019 | #Not My Neim with Elia Khalaf
DATE: NOVEMBER 21ST, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
LOCATION: MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN @ MDC (MOAD) @ 600 BISCAYNE BLVD, MIAMI, FL, 33132. Map here.
COST: FREE. Donations appreciated. Donate here.
Description: #NotMyNeim with Elia Khalaf is a radical writing workshop & experience that highlights the power of names by reclaiming our queer and colorful names, one syllable at a time. The workshop takes place in the immersive, multi-sensory installation Black Power Naps / Siestas Negras. The installation spotlights the racial disparity, in the U.S., between the amount of sleep people of color get in comparison to white individuals– POC being five times more likely to get less sleep. Join #NotMyNeim for a bed-bound writing experience exploring our aliases, familial nombretes, the witty foodonyms, silly nicknames, or deadnames and the ensuing stories.
Note: Please bring own writing utensils
RSVP Here:
Bio: Elia Khalaf is an Artist and Art Therapist, born and raised in Lebanon and presently a New Yorker. Their practice revolves around issues of public amnesia and the construction of identity, expressed in zines and storytelling.
This is a special workshop that is not on Reading Queer’s regular schedule. Our monthly third weekend workshops will return in December.
SAVE THE DATE:
12. 14th – 15th. 2019 | To Be Announced
1. 18th – 19th. 2020 | To Be Announced
2. 15th – 16th. 2020 | “Boot Camp Intensive”
3. 14th – 15th. 2020 | To Be Announced
4. 18th – 19th. 2020 | To Be Announced
5. 16th – 17th. 2020 | “Boot Camp Intensive”
6. 20th. 2020 | To Be Announced
