WDtS Online: Of Orcas and Mushrooms: Writing Climate Witness

This class is free and you do not need to pay or apply for a scholarship. Instead, to join this class fill out This Form. DO NOT use any of the other buttons or links to apply to this class.

The realities of the climate crisis are all around us in the form of flood waters rising up to meet ill-equipped towns, blazing infernos that destroy lives and livelihoods, blooming bacteria, enormous megastorms, and eerily mild winters that tip life out of balance. Everywhere we feel the planet's shifting systems breathe out chaos in a bid to course correct. Meanwhile, those responsible for the continuing ecocide burnish their images with false solutions. What is the role of a writer, or a lover of the written word, in all this? In this class we'll explore that question while reading the work of writers like Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Eleni Sikelianos, Leah Thomas, Franny Choi, and Octavia Butler. We'll write to prompts designed to make us meditate on what actions to take now in order to make livable futures. Participants can expect to leave with the beginnings of a draft of the poetry or prose of climate witness. Writers of all levels and experience welcome!

Who Should Register?

Write Down the Street has a special focus on making the creative writing workshop more accessible to those who face challenges due to cost, language skills, lack of access to transportation, and other barriers. We believe that all voices must be spotlighted with the range and fullness they deserve.

These programs are offered tuition-free thanks to the support of generous donors who are committed to our mission of ensuring all voices are heard.

About GrubStreet Remote Classes

All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! You’ll receive an email from your instructor on the day your class is scheduled with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information! 

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below: