Exciting news: the AfroSurreal Writers Workshop has received an NEA grant for our planned digital projections with Pro Arts/The Great Wall; ASWW Founding Member/Co-Director Thaddeus Howze is one of the most-read Quora writers for a second year (check out The World According to Superheroes, his essay series); the talented Norma Smith, who read in our second reading/workshop was featured on Easy Street (thank you editor Camille Griep!); our first reading and workshop is on p. 97 of Clockwise Cat (thank you Alison Ross!):
You can read an excerpt from the interview, which features the words of Lyndsey Ellis, Nazelah Jamison, Raina J. Leon, and Arisa White below:
(Lyndsey Ellis: photo credit Joseph Duff)
On March 9, 2017, the AfroSurreal Writers Workshop held their first creativity and intuition reading and workshop. Clairvoyant Tarot Reader and fiction writer Alia Curtis provided a workshop on understanding one’s psychic and intuitive abilities.
(Alia Curtis: photo credit Susan Boytorf)
The workshop was followed by a reading with writers Lyndsey Ellis, Nazelah Jamison, Raina J. León, and Arisa White and held at Nomadic Press Uptown. The roundtable was moderated by Audrey T. Williams, with additional questions from Dera R. Williams and curated by Rochelle Spencer. This event was sponsored by Nomadic Press and Pro Arts Gallery. (The second reading creativity and intuition reading series was held at Nomadic Press Uptown; the third reading and creativity reading series was held at Chapter 510 and The Department of Make Believe. The second and third reading series were curated by Audrey T. Williams and Dera R. Williams.)
Audrey: We’ve been discussing how all forms of creativity are deeply intuitive. Audre Lorde has said that the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house, so what tools do you then turn to in your creative work? What is your writing process? Do other creative practices inform your work?
Lyndsey: I use dance a lot. I’ve never considered myself intuitive. Still, I’m always trying to get out of my head, and my process is very fluid. I go with the flow–and consider music a gift.
Arisa: Dance has a kind of wildness, that sense of play. In childhood, with my siblings, we’d play with each other and dismantle pain by being in artistic collaboration.
Alia: I try to do Tai Chi and Chi Gong Breathing is an important aspect of Tai Chi. It balances your body chemistry and relaxes you giving you a better handle on stress and ensuring better health.
Raina: I do a lot of sleeping–I use dreams to help get me started. I also talk to Siri in the car. I use the dictating function on the phone and ask questions–how are the characters related?
Afrosurreal Writers 