Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bureau has closed and will remain closed until further notice. This craft class will take place online.

Join the online craft class on Sunday March 15th, 2020 with Crystal Valentine from 11:00 AM-1:00PM.

Spaces for the craft class are limited to 17 persons so please RSVP in advance to sarahmariesala@gmail.com and include your full name, relationship to writing, and a brief bio.

Craft Class desription:

Poetic Obsession: Nuancing the Subjective Epicenter

We all have that one thing—a person, a memory, a fear, an idea—that keeps us up at night, that our minds circle back to time and time again. In writing, this is commonly known as an obsession, and if fueled by passion and nuance, one’s obsession can be an everlasting well of inspiration. But what does one do when the spark and passion of their obsession dwindles into a cliché? Some might opt to change the subject but that is difficult to do if that subject is the epicenter of our craft—or even our lives. In this workshop through the use of form and repetition, participants will name and nurture their obsessions. In doing so, they will create an individualized strategy, build a literary toolbox that will come to their aid should the approach to their obsessions ever run stale, so that instead of running away, they can attack their obsessions head on.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Crystal Valentine is a writer, activist, and educator. A recent graduate of NYU, Crystal is the three-time Grand Slam Champion of NYU’s Poetry Slam Team as well as the two-time winner of the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. She was the 2015 NYC Youth Poet Laureate and is the 9th ranked woman poet in the world by way of The Woman Of the World Poetry Slam. Crystal’s work has been featured on Programming for MSNBC, BLAVITY, and CNN. She has recently been named GLAMOUR MAGAZINE’S 2016 College Woman of the Year, and is the author of her first book, NOT EVERYTHING IS A EULOGY.