"Write in the presence of fear," says Cheryl Strayed. "Go to those places that you think you can’t write."
If you're ready to give yourself permission to be brave on the page, this class is for you. You'll show up to every class with your journal, notebook, and/or laptop, prepared to respond to writing prompts. Maybe you'll record a stray thought or a recent conversation. Maybe you'll recall a buried memory or a bottled-up feeling.
In this journal-writing inspired class, we will follow a series of open-ended, timed prompts to keep our pens to page. Whether you're starting a new project or needing a boost to your productivity, a weekly deadline will help you get the words down on the page. You will produce a ton of new work in this class and connect with other writers. You will give yourself permission to write your truth.
The ultimate goal is to start a new habit of steady, consistent writing – without judgment. Everyone looking for inspiration and motivation is welcome, including writers working in any genre.
Rachel Sarah is an author and a journalist in Berkeley, CA (unceded Ohlone land) whose most recent book is GIRL WARRIORS: How 25 Young Activists are Saving the Earth. Her next book, Climate Champions: 15 Women Fighting for Your Future, is due out in March, 2023.
Rachel is currently writing Farming Is Female: Twenty Women Shaking Up the Field, featuring a diverse collection of 20 women pioneering modern farms, with a focus on food justice and the deconstruction of the mythical image of "Old MacDonald." She works in media relations at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an international nonprofit that’s helping the world transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Susie Meserve is a poet, essayist, and college writing instructor. Her debut poetry collection, Little Prayers, won a Blue Light Book Award from Blue Light Press and was published in 2018.
Susie is also the author of the chapbook Faith (Finishing Line Press, 2008). Her poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Gulf Coast, Salamander, Indiana Review, and more. She was a 2021 City of Berkeley Civic Arts Grantee and now lives in Albany.