How do we write about the ones we love? A common writing adage is write what you know, and while free writing, we might find ourselves returning to core relationships that have shaped us, be it romantic, familial, or platonic. How do we tell our own stories when they involve other people? Is there an ethical line to what we can and cannot say? Join poets Kiran Bath (Instructions for Banno, Kelsey Street Press) and Megan Pinto (Saints of Little Faith, Four Way Books) as they explore strategies to navigate self disclosure and shared history. We’ll explore a diverse range of formal approaches, with close readings from poets such as Bhanu Kapil, Reetika Vazirani, and passages on craft from writers like Melissa Febos. We will also do some writing of our own. (Optional, but not required, bring in a passage of a draft you are struggling with to work on during this session).
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Megan Pinto is the author of Saints of Little Faith, her debut collection, just out from Four Way Books. Her poems can be found in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Ploughshares, Lit Hub and elsewhere. She has won the Anne Halley Prize from the Massachusetts Review and an Amy Award from Poets & Writers, as well as scholarships and fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference and Storyknife. Megan lives in Brooklyn and holds an MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College.
Kiran Bath is a writer and lawyer currently based in New York. Her debut collection, INSTRUCTIONS FOR BANNO was released in July 2024 with Kelsey Street Press. Kiran has received fellowships and support from Poets House, the Vermont Studio Center and Brooklyn Poets. Kiran is a Kundiman fellow and a Tin House alumnus. Her writing appears in wildness, The Adroit Journal, The Brooklyn Rail and other journals.
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COMMUNITY CARE & ACCESSIBILITY
This event will be streamed on Zoom Webinar. Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link via email, which will be sent out two days in advance of the event. For other access needs, please contact msaleh@aaww.org.
At AAWW, the safety and comfort of our community is our top priority. We invite you to practice intentionality and care in your behavior and language when engaging with our programs and with each other. Violence of any kind, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, class or casteism, bigotry or bias toward religion or faith, or any action or assault against marginalized identities, is not tolerated. Those who bring harm to our community in person or online are not welcome, and will be asked to exit the space.
