Books That Saved Me is a summer-long workshop that will bring participants across generations together using poetry, a love for books, and a shared regional history as a bridge to better understand themselves, each other, and the power of the written word.
PEN Across America’s Birmingham chapter will collaborate with local, Birmingham-based organizations to offer eight writing sessions in which an Alabama-based poetry instructor will lead 12 participants — six under age 17 and six over age 65 — in the creation of original poems inspired by books that have had resonance in their lives and that have been banned at least once somewhere in the United States. Through these mentor-led workshops, Books That Saved Me aims to build an intimate, cross-generational cohort of talented poets who occupy, write in, for, and about Queer spaces, advocating for the power of literature and against efforts to suppress it through censorship.
The goals of the program are to:
- Provide first-time opportunities and guidance towards creative expression for participants with little to no previous formal training in writing poetry;
- Bring participants into dialogue across generations, cultivating greater understanding and solidarity with their community;
- Affirm the power of, and necessity for, access to books that resonate with their readers, without the intrusion from state or self-designated censors;
- Generate new poems and new poets who will be able to speak to the benefit and value of free, creative expression, and the writers and readers who benefit from it.
Apply by June 27.
Program Benefits and Components
Intergenerational Dialogue
- Eight in-person creative writing workshops with an experienced, human-centered instructor
- Participants will discuss literature and poetry that is meaningful to them
Free Agency through Creative Expression
- Development of original creative work
- Publication in an online zine on PEN America’s website
- Coaching in the skills necessary for a live presentation of their written work
Financial and Promotional Support
- $700 stipend
- Writing professional development
- Poetry reading and performance coaching
Meet the Teaching Artist
Erika E. Wade, a 34-year-old writer, producer, and actor from Birmingham, Alabama, has been a dynamic force in the entertainment industry, championing diversity. She made her debut as a teenager with the publication of her poetry book, “eyestodewhurld.” Her performances have been showcased Off Broadway, in Los Angeles festivals, and in the Tampax #LiveRadiant campaign. Erika earned an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2016 and was a semi-finalist at the Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights Workshop.
Her production company, Glenda’s Baby Productions, is celebrated for its diversity programming. Back in Birmingham, Erika has launched various stage and screen projects and taught workshops in the Birmingham City School District. She is a Southeast EMMY award-winning voice actress and was selected for the inaugural Rideback Rise “The Circle” Cohort, aimed at bridging Hollywood’s equity gap. Erika’s goal is to bring her magical vision of Alabama to stage and screen.
Partners
