JCW Tertulia, Writers Taller (In Person)

This monthly workshop series will be on the first Saturday of the month. It is a space for literary artists to explore the possibilities of incorporating the Spanish language into their work and, in turn, will help them shape their unique voice, develop work that is true to their experience and further their artistic growth. Each workshop will begin with greeting, grounding, and warm-up: * Participants arrive, settle in, and re-acquaint * Your host will lead stretching and movement for grounding * Brief writing prompt will be offered for warm-up Throughout the series, we will explore: * Readings and discussions: your host will provides a relevant reading that incorporates Spanish; the discussion will focus on techniques and topics presented by the reading; participants can engage in a brief writing exercise to apply techniques and share results * Guest artists: organizers will invite artists to discuss the use of the Spanish language and representations of Latino culture in their work and answer participant questions; guest artists will provide exercises for participants which can be shared * Develop works in progress: participants share excerpts of their works in progress for feedback; time will be provided to incorporate feedback and begin revisions JCW Tertulia Moderators *Nancy Méndez-Booth* *is a writer, editor, educator, and performer based in Jersey City. Her work has been featured both in print and online, including publications like Poets & Writers and Salon. She has showcased her performances at notable venues such as Cornelia Street Cafe and The Moth.* *Susan Justiniano\|RescuePoetix* *is a self-taught, bilingual performing poet, advocate, spoken word artist, recording artist, and teaching artist with a global presence. Her love for language began at the age of nine, fueled by a dictionary, a notebook, and the latest paperback she could find. Weaving verses in both Spanish and English, her poetry tells stories of resilience, growth,…