6 sessions, Saturdays April 15th to May 20th, 3-5pm EST
online, 8 students max
$250
Enroll for this class.
The traditional workshop model—which fosters competition, is rooted in white supremacy, and encourages the inferiority of its own participants as artists—has no place in the political future that the writers of tomorrow need. Drawing inspiration from The Anti-Racist Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez, these six sessions will be geared toward unlearning some of traditional writing instruction’s most harmful lessons, while also empowering participants to engage in a supportive arts community, embrace their aesthetics, nurture their creative instincts, and generally connect more deeply—both with the self and with their fellow artists. The goal of this workshop is not “products.” We will of course be generating, sharing, editing, and workshopping our writing; however, the true takeaway is a process/practice that will sustain students throughout the workshop and beyond.
Sample the reading here!
Taking a decolonized approach, this course will require immediate recognition of the participants' artistry. Put another way: participants must leave behind a self-doubting headspace to engage in this workshop, while also being prepared to treat every participant with the sensitivity and respect that they deserve. It will also be integral that participants recognize one another as members of a community on equal footing, rather than competitors. What we will be undergoing requires great vulnerability. Participants are expected to engage appropriately and accordingly. Open to all levels, though BIPOC, LGBTQIA, persons with disabilities, and others of marginalized identity are particularly encouraged to attend.
Schedule
3/31 & 4/7 - Rituals & the 3 Stages of Production: Reading, Editing, Revision
Students and the instructor will discuss Chapter 3: Instituting Reading and Writing Rituals from The Anti-Racist Workshop, examining excerpts of an advanced reading and then brainstorming their own rituals. Students should come with a Writer's Notebook to be used across sessions (and hopefully beyond!) for general note-taking and generating writing in/outside of class. Students and the instructor will also practice raw writing, reading, and editing in these sessions, and will be expected to share their work.
4/14 & 4/21 - The Language of Craft & Learning How to Workshop “Anti-Racistly”
Students and the instructor will discuss Chapter 5: Owning the Language of Craft from The Anti-Racist Workshop, and work together as a collective to develop a foundation of craft, thereby collaborating in an exercise of communal knowledge construction, while appreciating one another’s divergent aesthetics. Students will also practice workshopping a draft by the instructor using The Liz Lerman Critical Response Process, so that they may familiarize themselves with an alternative workshop model and also begin considering how to adapt said models to suit their practice.
4/28 & 5/1 - Workshops
Each student will submit an artist statement and working draft for workshop, with 4 students submitting per class. Participants will have a few minutes to review the artist statement, encounter the submission in real time, and then offer feedback (no advance prescriptive suggestions, no critique letters, no copy-editing). During their workshop session, students who submitted will have 30 minutes to read their work aloud and moderate their discussion. These workshops will be artist-centered, allowing for the writer to have control over the discussion, navigate the Critical Response Process, and maximize their individual workshop experience (with assistance from the instructor).
Enroll for this class.
Jenzo DuQue is a Colombian American writer, editor, and teacher. He received his MFA from Brooklyn College, where he served as an editor of The Brooklyn Review. Jenzo has been awarded fellowships with Periplus Collective, Shenandoah, and Aspen Words. His writing was anthologized in The Best American Short Stories 2021 and Best Microfiction 2022, as well as published by outlets like VQR, Narrative, Gulf Coast, and BOMB. Born in Chicago, he lives in Brooklyn. Read more at jenzoduque.com!
Testimonials
“Something I did not include in my evaluation of Jenzo Duque’s workshop, Bridge to the Self, because I couldn’t have known it at the time, is how it has continued to work in me since the sessions. As with many writers, my voice struggles to rise and establish itself on the page; and (again, as with many writers), this only got worse with the recent crises (which are not over). Workshops, writing groups, accountability groups, books, friends - these all help. But I’m so grateful that Jenzo brought elements of Chavez’s Anti-Racist Writing Workshop together over those two Saturdays, for reaching for the moon, for his modeling of vulnerability and honesty; and for each participant, because they did that too. What a gift! I haven’t written this steadily in over two years, and I find myself trusting that somehow, I have something to say…”
“Jenzo was a fabulous instructor. He made a space…for a wide range of participants to feel [that] they could be vulnerable which greatly benefitted the class.”
“Jenzo’s focus on vulnerability and self-understanding was perfect. And his presence as a leader was perfect. It was unbelievable how comfortable everyone could be with 10 other strangers and it’s due to Jenzo’s complete embrace of the spirit of the process.”