Instructor: Samiya Bashir
Monday - Friday
July 22 - 26
1pm - 4pm
5 sessions

How might our own inimitable “voices” sit perched like glasses, just out of sight, atop our heads? 
—Let’s look!—

Unlike tone, diction, or even syntax, voice is the why and how what we write is uniquely arresting. But the whole idea of “voice” can feel counterintuitive. Why are we told we must spend our time trying to find what can’t be lost? Perhaps “search” isn’t the verb we need. Perhaps we must learn instead to just trust what has always been there. 

"First, Breathe: Finding Your Voice" is an immersive journey into discovering and embracing your unique poetic voice. Departing from the traditional idea of 'finding' one's voice, this workshop focuses on tuning into and trusting the inherent voice within. Led by internationally-celebrated poet and artist, Samiya Bashir, this discovery lab intertwines thought experiments and litera-somatic prompts, to guide participants through writing, listening, and introspection.
By engaging in collaborative discussions and creative exercises, we'll navigate the labyrinth of self-expression, celebrating and fostering trust in our individual voices. Through a series of prompts tailored for personal restoration and growth, participants will cultivate not only a collection of poem starts but also tools and examples to nurture their poetic practice.
Join us in this transformative workshop, where we'll explore the essence of our voices, and pave our own roads toward newfound confidence and a deeper connection to our poetic selves.

*This class will meet at Edgewood Farm, bring along writing materials.

Samiya Bashir has been called a “dynamic, shape-shifting machine of perpetual motion,” by Diego Báez writing for Booklist. A poet, writer, librettist, performer, and multimedia poetry maker, her work has been widely published, performed, installed, printed, screened, experienced, and Oxford comma’d from Berlin to Düsseldorf, Amsterdam to Accra, Florence to Rome and across the United States. She is the author of three poetry collections, most recently Field Theories, winner of the 2018 Oregon Book Awards Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry.