Everyone experiences “place” in everyday life, as well as in memory and imagination. Many of us develop strong ties to specific settings. Examining our stories of place can deepen our connections with nature, culture, communities, ourselves, and planet Earth.
This workshop will use writing exercises in multiple spaces. We will explore how it feels to be intimate with a place. How do we perceive and experience locational connection, whether in “natural” landscapes or other environments? What aspects draw us in, make us feel welcome, safe, nourished? What places leave us cold and even alienated? What roles do other beings play in our sensing of a place? How might we steward places we cherish?
Virginia Small writes in multiple genres. A poet and an award-winning journalist, she often writes about environmental and public-space issues. She has taught writing workshops in numerous venues. A daughter of farmers, she has lived in urban and rural settings in several parts of the country. As an editor of a national gardening magazine, she traveled extensively throughout North America. Since returning to Milwaukee a dozen years ago, she has advocated on behalf of significant local landscapes. She often walks and dances in parks.
Sliding Scale fee of $20–$150 (Please give what you can; all donations will go directly to the instructor)
