Thursday June 26,  Thomas Glave, Faith Adiele, Ruth Forman, Gregory Allen Howard, Diem Jones, Elmaz Abinader with Tony Khalife--hosted by Aimee Alllison

Thursday July 3, Chris Abani, Mat Johnson, Suheir Hammad, David Mura and Elmaz Abinader  Hosted by ZZ Packer

www.voicesatvona.org/events

Two days into the Political Content in Story, Poem and Memoir, the discussions have been so meaningful and extracting, the participants looked drained and invigorated at the same time. The energy rises and falls with each new point that is circulated. How do we write about our heroes without diefying them? How does rage look in a poem that is musical and small?

In the room with me, 3 Sikhs, 1 hindi, 2 African Americans, 1 Native Hawaaiin, 1 Filipina Hawaiian, Jamaican Canadian, 1 mixed sister, 1 obijwe, 1 Latina, and myself Arab Americans. The other classes, Fiction, memoir and poetry (later this week, screenwriting)  have their own mixes. But these writers are dead serious about their work. And filled with mad-love for their people. Some write comically, others with tenderness, but we develop together to a place of transcendence.

As I prepare to do the reading this Thursday, always feeling unworthy to be on the stage with such sumptious artists, i meditate on the folks in my workshop and think what will continue the conversation. It's a puzzle. i'll let you know.

See you at the reading