I just wrapped a wonderful creative writing course through FLOW STL check out the work below!
The Class Description:
Using recordings spanning two centuries of Black women performing poetry, as well as research on sound theory, writers will engage in a creative writing workshop that centers sound and performance. The course will culminate in a sound salon and a digital recording. This collective meets every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8 to Sunday, May 13
Instructor, Treasure Shields Redmond
A Mississippi native, Treasure Shields Redmond is a published poet, master educator, community arts organizer, and successful entrepreneur. Treasure was raised in the federal housing projects, and went on to be signed to M.C. Hammer’s label as a hip hop artist, and writer. She is the author of chop: a collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer (2015). Her doctoral research focuses on the recorded performances of foundational Black Women poets, and the ways they deployed sound to impact the canon and justice movements. Treasure centers collaboration in her personal arts practice and as an organizing principle. As such, she has co-founded a funding collective for Black artists called The Black Skillet, and a podcast that centers voices of color called Who Raised You? Treasure is the founder of Feminine Pronoun Consultants, LLC, and Get The Acceptance Letter Academy. To read, hear, support, or hire Treasure, go to any of the following:
www.FemininePronoun.com, www.GetTheAcceptanceLetter.online, www.blackskilletfunders.tumblr.com, and www.whoraisedyoupodcast.com
Poet, Marie Chewe-Elliot
Poet, Marie Chewe-Elliott is a writer, speaker and poet from Florissant, MO. By day, she works as communication manager for a government agency. Nights and weekends, she can be found wherever there is poetry or opportunities to hone her writing skills.
Marie writes to give voice to women and the topics that concern and celebrate them. She is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences and workshops. She is or has been a member of the St. Louis Poetry Center, St. Louis Writer’s Guild and Sisters 90s Literary Group. In 2012, she cofounded Write Sistahs Literary Group (WSLG). The group meets monthly and aims to: increase community arts collaboration and programs in North St. Louis County and provide a support system and connections for area writers and poets. Each fall and spring WSLG hosts community arts events that are multicultural, multigenerational. Marie’s poem, “Women of Faith,” is being aired on http://weslradio.com/ and the poem, “Granny’s Sankofet,” was selected for the spring 2017 edition of UMSL’s Litmag. Her books, “Psalms of a Woman: Poems & Reflections,” “Woman’s Work: Poems, Songs and Hope for the Journey, “and “What Kittens Like,” are available at amazon.com. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mississippi and Webster University, respectively. Connect with Marie at: https://www.mariecheweelliott.com/ and myelliott61@gmail.com.
Poet, Rosa Parks
Poet, Rosa Parks, is a rising senior in High School, has been writing since she was 10 years old. Parks has been on her school Journalism staff for two years, where worked as the Feature Editor, and will now be working as the Social Media Manger. Parks won an All-Missouri Award for her news story “Swastikas bring up Topic of Social Justice”. Parks enjoys writing and reading spoken word/slam poetry about topics like social justice and ‘love’. She was a Franzie Finalist in her schools writing competition. Graduating High School in 2019, Parks plans to go to a liberal arts college and further her knowledge in Literature and Journalism. To read her works, go to the following links: https://wgecho.org/rosa-parks-feature-editor/
Here is a collaborative poem, If All The Guns Are Gone,” by Marie and Rosa:
This course was provided through FLOW, a central haven for the region’s writers — a place where writers, could-be writers and artists, who want to work with writers, converge to learn from each other, collaborate and call home.
FLOW received generous funding from the Arts and Education Council stARTup Competition for arts entrepreneurs, in partnership with the PNC Foundation.