If you’d asked 8-year-old, third-grader Marlena where her fable writing would take her, she never would have suggested that she would one day speak on a creative writing panel. But, 16 years later, I’m grateful and excited to announce that I’m on the Physical Bodies and Poetic Bones panel for the 2016 Split This Rock poetry festival on April 14-17!
My session features the incredible Leeya Mehta, Sarah Sansolo, and Tyler Vile (who I attended the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House with). Diana Bolton, the editor and founder of District Lit, will moderate the panel. I’ll keep you updated about what day and time this panel will be held. While we don’t want to give everything away just yet, our panel will focus on poetry on bodies, ability/disability, gender, and more.
The festival occurs every two years in Washington, D.C. I have attended twice, and have soaked in the rich diversity of panels, readings, workshops, and discussions over lunches. I have attended sessions on gay writers, page versus stage poetry, writing about displacement, and the Afghan Women’s Writing Project. The peers you meet, friends you make from across North America and the world, and thoughts you share on writing are invaluable.
I hope you can attend the 2016 festival. Registration will open later this winter. Trust me, it’s well worth it.