Moving Stories Writing Circle with Sherry Cook Stanforth (Jan-May)

The idea of “home place” reaches across generations and heritage identities, inviting diverse interpretations of history and personal experiences. In the questing spirit of novelist and activist Harriet Beecher Stowe, we will engage with a unique set of prompts designed to inspire powerful interpretations of heritage and community:

REGISTRATION INCLUDES ALL 5 MONTHLY GATHERINGS

January 20 Kin, Friend, or Stranger? The People Along Our Paths

February 17 Home Gardens & Kitchen Table Traditions

March 17 Remembered Days of Work, Play, & Handed-Down Things

April 21 Wandering Landscapes & Waterways

May 19 Remedies, Healing, & Survival Wisdom

Open to new and experienced writers, these workshops will inspire rich reflection, creative invention, and supportive sharing.

· Develop craft tips for your poetry, fiction and memoir practice

· Find new ways to engage in family and community storytelling

· Seed new writing projects inspired by surprising historical and cultural content

· Enjoy camaraderie with supportive writing peers and talented featured guests

· Learn about arts/cultural/writing opportunities happening in Greater Cincinnati and beyond

This MOVING STORIES program is offered in partnership with the Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, Urban Appalachian Community Coalition, and Originary Arts Initiative.

About Dr. Sherry Cook Stanforth:

Poet, author, and musician Sherry Cook Stanforth holds Appalachian roots in North Georgia, East Tennessee, and Southwestern Ohio. She grew up in Clermont County, Ohio, earning a PhD in English from the University of Cincinnati. An emeritus professor of Thomas More University, she specializes in fiction, poetry, environmental and ethnic literatures, and folklore. Currently, she serves as the managing editor of the regional literary journal Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, a core member of the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition, and the founder-director of Originary Arts Initiative, collaborating with non-profits to provide arts, culture, and nature-based programs for diverse communities. Themes reflected in her educational workshops, retreats, public showcases, and creative work emphasize values of cultural curiosity, place-keeping, story-listening, and creative empathy. Stanforth’s poetry collection Drone String (Bottom Dog Press, 2015) reflects the storytelling and music traditions of her Appalachian heritage; she has also produced waterway anthologies, including Riparian: Poems, Short Prose and Photographs Inspired by the Ohio River (Dos Madres Press, 2019), and Tributaria (Dos Madres Press, forthcoming in fall 2025). She’s spent most of her life playing in an intergenerational family band, and she currently performs folk music with Tangled Roots. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she enjoys hiking, beekeeping, and studying native plants.