Select Community Workshops
I have amassed three decades of experience working in classrooms. I specialize in identifying urgent issues and integrating them into workshops and college-level courses.
Recent Community Workshops
August 2021: Taught Write What I Want, an online 3-hour multi-genre workshop for Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, Venice Beach, CA
Aug 2021: Taught an online generative workshop in collaboration with Emmy Peréz through Esperanza Center, San Antonio, TX
May-Dec 2020: Designed and taught two 10-session online storytelling courses for beginning writers, Caltech International Spouse’s Club, Pasadena, CA
Jul 2020: Taught an online creative non-fiction workshop for Women Who Submit-Los Angeles, CA
Nov 2019: Taught a Write What I Want -Multi-genre generative writing workshop, Inprint Inc., Houston, TX
Voices Breaking Boundaries’ lead-facilitator for five seasons of Voices of the Displaced at Project Row Houses, Houston, TX; Spring 2003 – Summer 2004
2003-2004: I taught a writing workshop for community members who felt displaced and wished to explore their writing. The workshop attracted writers from countries including Argentina, Mexico, India, and Pakistan, as well as writers who were from different parts of the US. The workshops ran for four sessions after which a group of us began meeting on a regular basis, workshopping our writings and performing together.
Spring 2015: I received a Mid-America Arts Alliance Artistic Innovations award (2014 – 15) for my What Is Home? project. Through the funding, I initiated storytelling workshops for South Asian women in Gulfton, an immigrant neighborhood in Houston. More than 10 women participated; some were undocumented while others were not. The women shared their struggles which I transcribed, and the stories were published in VBB’s Borderlines’ Volume Two.
Fall 2015: Initiated and led 6-session women’s workshop, What Is Home? at Baker-Ripley Community Center for Houston Public Library, Houston, TX
Spring 2008 & Fall 2008: Led two workshops for Inprint Inc., and taught fiction and creative nonfiction
Aug 2007: Led a teacher training-writing workshop, Writing from Memory, for Society for Professional English Language Teachers (SPELT), Karachi, Pakistan; Aug 2007.
If you’d like me to offer a workshop in your community or offer a talk on your campus, please contact me.
CONTACT
I am an author and speaker, an artist, and a community and cultural activist.
If I can use my talents and passions to inspire you or your network to push boundaries and become involved in our communities, please connect with me. I offer a range of services including: readings, workshops, courses, or multidisciplinary performances/installations. I look forward to hearing from you!
