Hi folks!
I’m thrilled to teach a virtual 2-hour generative writing workshop this Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 7:00am PST with the Crow Collective. The free spots are taken, but there are still low-cost spots available (plus March 25). We’ll read! We’ll write! We’ll have fun!
Why This Class:
What would happen if we accepted our bodies instead of hating them? I’ve fortunately been able to participate in several writing workshops over the years with some fantastic writers. But, once, I got feedback on a piece I’d been working on about eating disorders and many wanted to know how much, exactly, I weighed at that point. This came from thin folks who didn’t seem to get it. To me, that missed the broader issue of body politics, mental health, and the stigma of being fat. Numbers for me can be triggering.
One of the aspects of these workshop spaces that can sometimes be frustrating is the lack of diversity and understanding about bodies. And sometimes workshopping a piece can do some damage and leave the writer feeling less-than-thrilled to go back and edit the story. We’re all learning here so I don’t blame anyone, but sometimes it’s apparent when people are doing the bare minimum, or have never read a book by a fat person. Plus, sometimes really great writers are not so great as teachers (no offense; it’s a different skill set).
Using the word ‘fat’ now is a neutral descriptor for some and not meant to be an insult. Even talking about being fat is a bit taboo. For me as a kid, it was one of the worst things someone could say about me. It was what diet companies preyed upon and I wasted too many years (and too much money) trying to lose weight.
Who It’s For:
As someone who’s been many different sizes throughout my life, and bullied as a kid about my body for being fat, I wanted to create a space to explore these issues— for writers and non-writers alike. This workshop is primarily for people who have been told they’re fat, who are fat, or have struggled with body image. It’s also for allies who are willing to dig deeper and reflect on how they depict fat people in their writing, or how they treat them in everyday life.
Actors in fat suits? The fat kid always eating? Fat people are often depicted in unkind ways. Draft your story to show how it should be done.
That tiny freckle. The curve of the back. Those strong legs. There’s something to be celebrated with all bodies. Write about yours.
Carmen Maria Machado wrote that The Little Mermaid’s Ursula has a fat body… and a fat mind because she chooses to take up space. Take up space in this workshop writing about yours.
If you want to explore dieting mothers, the awkwardness of puberty, desirability, fat joy, magical bodies and more, come on in.
My Background:
Since I was but a wee-babe, I’ve been writing and journaling. I studied Creative Writing in various workshops, including at UC Berkeley, where I did my BA, and during my MFA.
Since 2010, I’ve been teaching both K12 and higher ed. I earned my M.Ed. at UCLA and have taught creative writing courses at UNLV, and summer writing workshops.
I love ‘em both and am excited to align my passions for this workshop. I’ve been putting this together for months and I’ve got some compelling excerpts and brand new creative writing prompts. More is below. Hope you can join!
PS— if you can’t make this one, there’s another one scheduled for March. Feel free to pass along to anyone you think might enjoy the class. Thanks for your support!
Course Description—Such a Pretty Face: Writing the (Fat) Body:
In this 2-hour writing workshop, we’ll focus on storytelling of the body.
We live in a society that shames people who are fat, disabled, or look ‘different’. They say things like, “They’re bullied because they are fat” instead of “They’re bullied because of intolerance and fear of the fat body.” The basic advice is to go on a diet, but restrictive and obsessive eating within diet culture can impact mental health, happiness, and social well-being. But in the here and now, everyone has a body.
What does it feel like to live in yours?
We’ll endeavor to answer: How do bodies move through the world? How do our bodies tell stories? What do people assume when they look at us and why? What does it feel like to live in yours? How can we write about fat characters/ narrators in full, realistic, complex ways that feel true to life?
We’ll read excerpts, discuss, and write with some guided prompts in a safe space to examine what it means to live in a larger body including sensory-based exercises, memory, and food.
What Participants Will Take Away:
Read multi-genre excerpts as examples.
Discuss how writers examine fat bodies in literature.
Write with some guided prompts in a safe space to examine what it means to live in a larger body including sensory-based exercises, memory, and food. Hopefully these will be the start of something to return to later. If not, it’s good to express it anyway.
Validate your experiences in a supportive space being heard, and listen to others with shared experiences.
Bonus prompts after the workshop is over!
Suitable for all levels.
Dates:
Sunday, February 19
7 AM PST / 10 AM EST / 3 PM GMT / 8:30 PM IST
—OR—
Saturday, March 25
4 PM PST / 7 PM EST / 5:30 AM IST / 9 AM JST / 11 AM AEDT
About Instructor:
Christina Berke is a Los Angeles based writer and educator. She recently interviewed Aubrey Gordon for her Substack, which focuses on anti-diet culture and body positivity. She’s currently working on Well, Body: a memoir on body image, eating disorders, and childhood trauma.
Register here:
https://crowcollectiveworkshops.com/2021/12/02/body/
Cost:
USD $15; CAN $20 (some free spots are available)