We have added two new afternoon workshops for the 2009 Port Townsend Writers' Conference.
On Thursday, July 16, Sayantani Dasgupta will lead a course in “Writing with Cultural Sensitivity." She writes:
Cultural Sensitivity may be defined as the ability to adjust one’s perception and behaviors, and then practice styles to effectively meet the needs of different racial or ethnic groups. The first step in this direction lies in acknowledging the fact that cultural differences exist. The “ideal” reader is no longer restricted to one particular geographical area or cultural sensitivity. Therefore, it becomes even more important to be able to maintain the thin line between what is culturally provocative and downright insensitive. In this session, by looking at short excerpts from the writings of Rudyard Kipling, Jhumpa Lahiri, Maxine Hong Kingston, Lan Samantha Chang, and Salman Rushdie, we will discuss how to incorporate adequate research and the oddities of culture in our writing in order to avoid generalizations, be those of land, language, religion, food, or gender.
On Friday, July 17, Nancy Pagh will lead a workshop entitled: “Northwest Poetry." She writes:
In recent years the phrase “Northwest poet” has become a pejorative. What is a “Northwest Poem,” and what is the source of suspicion against poetry rooted in sensual awareness of region and place? We will explore the tensions in this terminology and the resistance to it, and will read together some work by David Wagoner, Pat Lowther, James Bertolino, and Beth Bentley. Participants will be set loose to explore and witness the beach near the class, and to engage in a writing exercise.
The Port Townsend Writers' Conference's afternoon workshops run every day Monday, July 13 through Saturday, July 18 from 2 to 3:30 pm each day. Generally, about five or six afternoon workshops all happen at the same time, participants self-select which ones they want to attend throughout the week. If you are registered for a core morning workshop, these afternoon workshops are free. If not, they are available by registration only by calling us at 360.385.3102, x114.