Free Writing Workshop: MEMOIR IN THE CONTEXT OF HISTORY, LED BY KATHLEEN ALCALá

The Flower in the Skull, by Kathleen Alcalá
Publisher Raven Chronicles Press
ISBN: 978-1-7354780-2-9
Trade paper, 6x9, Glossy Cover, 176 pages
Price: $17.99, independent bookstores; on sale for $15 on Raven website.

FOLLOWING THE WORKSHOP

Stay for a reading: 6:15-8:15 pm. Raven contributors from the Raven Anthology THIS LIGHT CALLED DARKNESS will read:

Kathleen Alcalá

Mercedes Lawry

Cat Ruiz

Peter Ludwin

Paul Hunter

followed by Open Mic.

Workshop Outline: There are many untold stories from history. These are not the ones alluded to in history books, but those passed down through generations as, in some cases, all that is left of a family inheritance.

“The time that was continues to tick inside the time that is,” Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano once wrote—from Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World (translated by Mark Fried).

You might have lived through a historically significant event, and not have realized it. You might have spent hours with an elder who experienced a historic event, but has not left a written or recorded memoir behind. It might have been told in another language, or by someone who had little formal education. The prose poem is a succinct form in which to present these vignettes, preserving or highlighting brief moments from the past.

Students are encouraged to bring a photo or other memento that can act as a focal point for the work.

Email us if you are interested in this workshop, or just show up! editors@ravenchronicles.org

Kathleen Alcalá was born in Compton, California, to Mexican parents and grew up in San Bernardino. Her six books include a short story collection, three novels, a book of essays, and The Deepest Roots, a combination memoir and blueprint for environmental sustainability. Kathleen is the co-editor of Weeping Women: La Llorona’s Presence in Modern Latinx and Chicanx Lore. A member of the Ópata Nation, Kathleen makes her home on Suquamish territory.