We’re going big at Cool Memories discussing some of the touchiest and least comfortable pieces of “transgressive” cinema. You’ve probably seen some of these or at least heard of them—this is the time and place to work through your own reflections and relationship to these characters, themes, archetypes, and perhaps even sides of our own selves we prefer to ignore. The sign up link is in my bio. Let’s celebrate May with some pyschopathology.
February classes are now open for enrollment :) We have an in-person class with Chariot Wish and a sunday online workshop with Ben Fama. Sign-up link in bio 💕
Cool Memories is now enrolling for December classes, including two options for our Simone Weil “Gravity and Grace” seminar. If you’ve ever been curious about Simone Weil, this is a perfect intro into her concepts and density of thought, as well as approaches to writing and editing poetry. I’m also running a workshop on Sundays at noon, if you want a little Sunday service, that’s shaping up to be a good group. Link in bio, hope to see you :)
Our education wing, known as “Cool Memories” are running three classes you can now sign up for through the link in our bio. Highlights include a four week cinema and writing class, where each week features a different guest who will present on the work, as well as an in-person fiction class run out of our workspace in Brooklyn. Link in bio to sign up. We can work with all budgets 🥰
Cinema, Poetry, guests, oh shit! New grip of classes for July just dropped. We’re extremely excited for this month, especially for the cinema class, including the guest instructors and their selections. See below for complete course descriptions, and the link to sign up is in the bio.
Cinema and Poetry
Wednesday Nights, online, 6-8pm ET.
In this series of class sessions, each centered around a film selected by a guest presenter, we will watch and read assigned materials in advance, then come together to discuss and unpack. Each session will end with a generative writing activity.
7.2 Courtney Bush, The Cruise (1998)
7.9 Ted Dodson, The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
7.16 Ed Steck, Hellraiser (1987) + Through the Looking Glass (1976)
7.23 Maya Martinez, Titane (2021)
7.30 Ben Fama, Where is the Friend’s House? (1987)
Each class features a discussion of the film with the guest writer, followed by in-class generative writing exercises.
$100-200 sliding scale
In-Person Fiction Workshop with Ben Fama
Saturdays in July, 6-8pm ET @ Wendys Subway, 379 Bushwick Ave
$100-200 sliding scale.
During these weeks together, I hope to foster an exciting and comfortable place for us to discuss how fiction works, as well as ways to improve your own writing. Learning to write, finding your voice, and discovering what you want to write about takes years, and the best way forward is to continue writing while assimilating the experience from class as you continue working. It is also important to read a lot, as much as possible, and think about what you enjoy about the things you really enjoy reading and discussing.
We will close read and discuss authors such as Mary Gaitskill, Margaret Atwood, Donald Barthelme, Angela Carter, Dennis Cooper, and more.
Virtual Poetry Workshop with Ben Fama
Sundays in July, 12pm-1:30pm ET.
$100-200 sliding scale.
In this class we will write and submit poems each week, then meet and discuss them. We will close-read poems by published authors as well, time permitting.
Our May classes are open enrollment. Four separate courses are on offer. Click the sign-up link in our bio to enroll. We operate in a sliding scale? DM for more info. A note if you sign up: we will reach out a week before your class starts with full details :)
Simone Weil: Gravity and Grace seminar and poetry workshop
In this class, we will read and write our way through Weil’s collection of notes, brought together under the title Gravity and Grace. These writings take on Simone’s thoughts on friendship, politics, love, mysticism, organized religion, prayer, and much more. Spread over for weeks, we will close reading the chapters, and write response poems based on the themes and ideas, as they appear in our own work. $200-300 sliding scale.
Two Sections offered:
Sunday, 2-4pm ET
Mondays in-person, 6-8pm ET
Online Fiction Workshop with Ben Fama
Virtual (via Zoom), Thursdays in May, 6-8pm ET.
$100-200 sliding scale.
Virtual Poetry Workshop with Ben Fama
Sundays in May, 12pm-1:30pm ET.
$100-200 sliding scale.
In this class we will write and submit poems each week, then meet and discuss them. We will close-read poems by published authors as well, time permitting. Meets beginning May 4.
Do you have a poetry manuscript that’s almost there and needs a final push, or do you open your .doc and feel lost at sea? I can help … dm if interested in a consultation. Let’s get you ready to submit.
Excited to announce that I will be running the Pasolini seminar on Sundays and Mondays in March 🕯️
In this four-week writing workshop, we will dive into the provocative and lush composition of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) and the first film of his "Trilogy of Death”, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Each week, we will explore one film as both a standalone work of art and an entry into larger conversations on aesthetics, politics, and queer theory as well as Pasolini’s concepts of the "aesthetics of contamination" and the “cinema of poetry”. We will engage with supplementary readings of criticism and poetry that include Pasolini’s own writings, as well as texts from César Vallejo, Robert Glück, Italo Calvino, Guy Hocquenghem, Bob Kaufman, and others. Through these viewings, readings and discussions we will explore the oral tradition of poetry and ekphrastic form to generate writing. Weekly poetry prompts will be assigned and robust time will be reserved in each class to discuss and edit students’ work that they composed for that week. $100-200 per student. This class meets Sundays 2-4 pm and Mondays 6-8 pm ET SIGN UP LINK IN MY BIO
