Coloring Outside the Margins: Language as a Place of Struggle

Workshop Description: “The oppressed struggle in language to recover ourselves, to reconcile, to reunite, to renew. Our words are not without meaning, they are an action, a resistance. Language is also a place of struggle.” bell hooks, Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness 

For writers, there are few feelings greater than that of what we feel when we begin a new writing project. We rise early, ensure our devices are charged and pens are primed and dive head first into an exciting new world of our own creation. However, after some time, that feeling of exhilaration can devolve into frustration, fatigue and the oh-so-dreaded writer’s block. I used to allow these feelings to keep me trapped in this place, but as my work and perspective have matured, I realized that those moments were an indication that I was finally scratching beneath the surface of my ideas, my craft, and most importantly, my inner self.  

In this workshop, we will examine short articles and poetry to identify how we can identify the boundaries we place upon ourselves, the boundaries society places upon us, and the ways in which we can work “outside those margins” in a manner that will elevate our thinking and overall ability as literary artists.  

Class Reading List: 

bell hooks, "Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness" (Article) 

Crystal Valentine, "Black Privilege" (Poetry) 

Rasheed Copeland, "My Mans n' Them” (Poetry)

About the Presenter: Najya Williams (she/her) is a healer and multidisciplinary artist who floats along the U.S. East Coast. Najya is an advocate for self-care and self-preservation, especially within the Black community, and this passion is reflected in many of her projects, service efforts and literary works. Her poetry, essays, and other writings have been accepted and/or published by a number of organizations, including POETRY Magazine, Black Youth Project and Healing Points. Currently, she is a Managing Editor for the Katz Journal of Medicine and Board of Director Member for Girls Health Ed.

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