Writing Workshops

I was so lucky today to attend three writing workshops and what a delight it was to hear from those who have made writing their life. Just brilliant. 

I participated in a poetry workshop with Ali Whitelock, a workshop on voice and The Sidekicks with Will Kostakis, and an author talk with Oliver Phommavanh. All three are successful in their various genres and contribute to the publishing landscape of Australia. 

This is one of Ali Whitelock's poetry prompts and my short poem (my Shitty Art for the day!).

Word association - write down the first thing you think of when you hear the following:

 

The colour red…

What does the colour red taste like…

What does the colour red look like…

What does the colour red feel like…

What does the colour red smell like…

What does the colour red sound like…

 

 The Colour Red

Strawberry

A sweet, cool, burst of sweetness on my tongue.

The kiss of the wall I smacked into, a red welt on my arm.

The sting of sunburn on my cheeks.

Red icy poles.

A siren echoing down the road.

A Writerly Life - A Publishing Idea 4/4

I attended a teacher writer's retreat at the Q Station in Manly some time ago and as a way to publish writing from the event we were asked to put together some pages for a zine. These are the two pages I created with my photograph, illustrations, and four short poems.

I love the concept of zines and have purchased many from the Sticky Institute (currently running a 'Quarantine Zine Club' while Covid 19 restrictions are in place) and I treasure them. Zines remind me of my high school art teacher's worksheets - images cut and pasted, titles printed from Word, bubble writing, handwritten notes. There is something about the handwriting that I especially love. Maybe I should dig out some of the worksheets I created in my first few years of teaching and turn them into a zine...

A zine can be as simple or complex as the maker wishes. It provides an opportunity for a piece of writing to have some finality and seek an audience. The Sticky Institute accepts zines and will sell them on your behalf if you would like to take that route or perhaps you could leave a copy on a train seat or at a bus stop with a pebble on top.

Here is a great guide on creating a zine from The Creative Independent and a guide from Vice. If you would like to embark on zines in the classroom there is a peer reviewed article available via JSTOR - Zines in the Classroom: Reading Culture.