Story Starters with Sarah Leamy

Let’s play with creating unconventional characters. There's a growing openness to other gender roles and identities for example but how do you write about such characters? There's so much more to it than simply changing pronouns. This is important work, to make space and the stories of those of us on the edges.

With a conversation about craft, we’ll dive into generative work from gender-queer perspectives. After talking about social expectations, roles, emotional reactions, physicality, mainstream media and yes, pronouns, we’ll free write together. We’ll take prompts from headlines, photos, music, poems, short stories and flash fiction. With a freedom of experimentation, economy, wit, your work will offer a sense of place, mood, scene and atmosphere in under three pages. These pieces are often less narrative and more evocative. They give us, the readers, a slice or quality of life, a moment of discovery or a flash of illumination. They are complete and when you finish, the last line stains and lingers. Think of this as Queer Flash.

Story Starters with Sarah Leamy is Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Arizona Time on Zoom. To learn more and register, visit our website at https://piper.asu.edu/classes/sarah-leamy/story-starters.

About the Instructor
Sarah (sleam) Leamy was a boring shy tomboy who suddenly left her English life and became a bit of a wanderer, street performer and writer. As a socially awkward and insecure Brit abroad, she lived first in Europe and then crossed the States and into Guatemala, performing, writing and working odd jobs as she explored new countries alone or with her dogs. She finally settled in New Mexico in her late twenties although she’s still taking extended road trips when she can.

Sarah is the author of four award winning books, "When No One’s Looking" (Eloquent Press), "Lucky Shot" (SBG), "Lucky Find" (Blue Mesa Books) and "Van Life". Other work is (or soon to be) in Los Angeles Review, Finishing Line Press, Hunger Mountain, Santa Fe Project Quarterly, Devil’s Party Press, Dune Review and Best Emerging Poets of NM amongst others. She has just finished working on a new hybrid memoir, "Stay", with Lidia Yuknavitch.

Sarah presents at various colleges and conferences on writing from a gender-queer perspective. She is passionate about sharing the importance, the craft, validation and conversation about representing outsider experiences through storytelling.

About the Piper Writers Studio
The Piper Writers Studio is committed to supporting writers in every stage of their development by providing challenging, diverse and accessible educational opportunities. All classes are not-for-credit, and are intended for and open to the public. You do not need to be an ASU student to attend. Writers of all backgrounds, genres and experience levels are welcome. Discounts for students, senior citizens, individuals experiencing economic challenges and other groups are available for every class. To learn more about the Piper Writer Studio, visit our website at http://piper.asu.edu/classes.

Jake Friedman, Marketing and Outreach Specialist

Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing

240-593-1757

jake.friedman@asu.edu

http://piper.asu.edu/classes