I miss teaching in person. 

I miss seeing your faces, laughing with you, learning from you.

I miss watching writers hunched over their journals, faces tight with concentration.

I used to facilitate these Writing Our Lives in the Park sessions annually, but Covid put a stop to that. 

We’re taking it to the woods again, familia.

When? June 18th, 2022, 11:30am-5pm (rain date: June 19th)
Where? Inwood Hill Park, 207th Street and Seaman Avenue (on Manhattan Island)
Price? $50

If you know me, you know that I love nature, the outdoors and hiking, and you know I love love LOVE spring. 

You also know that I love Inwood Hill Park in upper Manhattan. That old growth forest saved my life more than a few times.  

What you might not know is that I also LOVE to write in this park. I’ve done numerous DIY (Do It Yourself) residencies in the park where I sat and wrote for hours, using the greenery, wildlife and river as inspiration. I’ve done some of my best work in that park, including essays that were later published. 

I’d love to share the magic of the park with you. Let’s do this!

This is a multi-genre, generative workshop. We’ll be doing some walking/hiking (nothing too strenuous) and lots of prompt driven writing. Let’s take in the park and see if the wood nymphs inject some love into our pens, shall we?

What you’ll need:
– A journal and a pen
– Water – it’s June in NYC
– Hiking boots or Sneakers with traction – we’re hiking and may get off the paths a bit so be prepared!
– Long pants – because of mosquitoes and poison ivy
– Mosquito repellent – remember: it’s June in NYC
– A snack – there are tons of restaurants and delis in the area so no worries.

The plan is to meet at the entry to the park at 11:30. We will head into the forest promptly at noon. We’ll hike & write until 3 or so. Then we’ll do an open share for those who want to share an excerpt of what they wrote. 

Afterwards, we’ll get some food (and maybe some spirits for the wine lovers like me), and have a picnic on the grass (so bring a sheet if you’re staying).

How to register? Send me an email to writingourlivesworkshop@gmail.com with “Writing Our Lives in the Park” in the Subject Line. There’s a nonrefundable $15 registration fee (which reserves your spot) that can be paid via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo or CashAp.

Your remaining $35 balance is due when you arrive to the park (or earlier).

Hope to see you soon! ❤