ODU'S Writers In Community
Writers In Community is a non-profit arm of the MFA Creative Writing Program at Old Dominion University. This program gives creative writing graduate students the chance to read their own writing pieces and facilitate writing workshops in various local venues, such as schools, art galleries, libraries, hospitals, homeless shelters, housing projects, and retirement homes.
Below are the events I've participated in.
This was ODU Writers in Community's first Black Artist Showcase. This event was held on October 24, 2020, via Zoom.
This showcase highlighted five writers from the ODU MFA program and five local artists in the Hampton Roads community. From dancing to writing, this showcase gave each artist a platform to perform/read/show their work. In addition to sharing art, this event also held a brief discussion/Q&A on the joys and challenges of being an artist in the Hampton Roads community.
I had the pleasure of reading at this event and planning alongside ODU Writers in Community.
In the picture on the right, I attended Crossroads School, alongside two other students in the M.F.A. program, and spoke to fourth and fifth graders about the importance of writing. We gave forty-five-minute mini-lessons and hosted a free writing session towards the end. This experience taught me how powerful kids are through their writing. One student wrote about how terrified she was during a car accident with her mother while the other wrote about her fear of spiders. Both powerful pieces from children. I loved this experience. The way they used their words to express their feelings was inspiring.