Too often some of our best writing is abandoned at the first—or second, or third— sign of struggle. The rush of newness subsides. The story asks more of us than we bargained for. Doubt unpacks a suitcase and clutters our minds with its belongings, convincing us to jump ship. this is awful. it doesn’t make any sense. no one will want to read this anyway. i shouldn’t even try. So the notebook collects dust. The laptop is closed. When we write again, we start a new idea because the last one feels impossible to continue. Then, the cycle repeats. 

LET THE WORDS FIND YOU is an invitation to be brave and compassionate: to create a single piece and stick with it for 6 full weeks—letting the writing (and you) simmer long enough to evolve over time. With exercises, readings, and insights from writers like Akwaeke Emezi and Mary Oliver, we will travel together through the creative process, navigating first drafts, two cycles of workshopping, revisions, and, during our last class, performance. Open to poetry and prose writers of any and all experience levels, this generative container is an exciting opportunity to discover what happens when we remain in the uncertainty of writing long enough to see what words can find us.

To register, please email by clicking the button below or emailing programs@nohoarts.org directly and include your name, address, and phone number.

Payment can be made by mailing a check made out to NCFA to PO Box 366, Northampton, MA 01061 or by Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Pay Later or Credit Card by clicking the link below.

*Payments on the upper end of the sliding scale help support our continued commitment to accessibility, including sliding scale models and the NCFA Community Fund.

Kayara Akiva (she/they) is a multidisciplinary cultural worker and educator who uses poetry, prose, and film to explore collective and self (re)discovery. Everything she writes is a love letter to queer Black people, herself included.