Beak, Claw, and Quill - Creative Writing Workshop Series

Poet Denise Levertov called Nature "a world parallel to our own though overlapping." What can we discover, learn, experience, and create when we turn our attention to the often hidden world of our other-than-human neighbors?

This workshop series is intended to provide inspiration to enrich your creative writing practice and foster a greater awareness of, and appreciation for, the creatures we share our city with. 

Each workshop will include a variety of activities, including guided meditations, art exercises, paired sharings, and genre-based writing prompts inspired by urban wildlife.

🙂 Note: Meeting facilitation will be in English, with opportunities for writing and discussion in English or Romanian. 

📍Where? Education Studio, Cluj-Napoca, str. Tipografiei, nr. 1 (entrance across the street from Meron cafe at Central shopping center), interfon 030, first floor.

📆 When? Starting the 4th of October, every other Saturday, from 11:30 to 14:00. See dates below.

🎒 What to bring? 

A pen and notebook (or whatever you use to write).

🙋 Facilitator: Anthony Sorge is a writer and Education Studio volunteer with twenty years of experience teaching English language and literature. He believes in the power of writing, reflection, and relationality to help make the world a more peaceful place.

🍂 4th of October - Session 1 - Writing Like a Crow

In this workshop, we'll take inspiration from the intelligent, communicative gatherers and scavengers that regularly darken our skies and line our rooftops. Using the crow as our guide, we will practice writing short braided essays, collecting and weaving together threads of personal observations, pop culture references, social/political commentary, and more.

🍂 18th of October - Session 2 - Writing Like a Squirrel

In this workshop, we will be guided by the curious, skittish hoarders we might sometimes glimpse dashing across the park or scurrying up a tree. We'll indulge our jumpy, flighty, easily distracted brains by writing zuihitsu, a hybrid form of stream-of-consciousness writing, inspired by the work of Japanese-American poet Kimiko Hahn.

🍂 1st of November - Session 3 - Writing Like a Hedgehog

In this workshop, we'll take a cautious glance at the guarded and solitary creature whose quills remind us to keep our distance. To connect with our inner hedgehog, we'll write short "drabbles" (100-word pieces of flash fiction) featuring prickly-but-lovable characters and creatures.

🍂 15th of Novermber - Session 4 - Writing Like a Snail

In this workshop, we'll imagine the Studio space as a sidewalk after a rainshower, full of snails slowly emerging to offer their guidance. We'll create pieces of asemic writing (wordless, visual texts) inspired by snails' slow, slimy paths. 

🍂 29th of November - Session 5 - Writing Like a Pigeon

In this workshop, we'll turn our attention to a bird whose beauty many often fail to see: the humble pigeon. Taking our cues from these highly social but misunderstood birds, we'll create collaborative works of ekphrastic spoken word poetry celebrating the mundane objects and natural elements that fill our lives.

___________________________________________

🎟️ To sign up for one of the workshops, we ask you to register and purchase a ticket by completing a short form, so we can have your spot ready.

🎟️ You can purchase multiple tickets in one order (if you are coming with a friend for example), but each of you has to complete a registration form.

🎟️ You can also purchase a ticket for all five upcoming workshops at a smaller price 💸 250 RON.

🌀 Once you purchase a ticket, your spot will be saved at the workshop. If for any reason you can no longer attend the workshop, you can give your spot to a friend to attend. The money from your purchase will not be returned if you don't attend, and it will only be refunded if the workshop will be cancelled.

💬 If you have any questions, please contact us by sending a message on our website. 💬

☀️ Lets fill our pages with what inspires us! See you at the workshops!