Shay is an experienced educator and consultant. They offer creative workshops in communication, literary craft, and poetry as a means of celebrating queer and neurodivergent identities. Peruse their offerings below, and contact them here regarding existing offers or your specific needs.
USE YOUR WORDS
Have you had your tone misread via email? Struggle to discern or express exactly what you mean? Use Your Words is a three-session course designed to improve the empathy, efficiency, and directness of your communication. Through group discussion, role-playing, and writing exercises, participants set themselves up for success in their work and relationships. This course has been taught at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.
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repeating myself: lists, anaphora, and taking up space
In this daring exploration of repetition and power, participants will discuss the strength of anaphora as a linguistic tool of examination and declaration. Through a study of Eve Ewing's "What I Mean When I Say I'm Sharpening the Oyster Knife," they will investigate how the act of repeating oneself is policed, and how intentionally engaging in repetition is a reclamation of power. This workshop has been featured as part of Curate ATL's educational series, and with the high school students of the Skyline Slam Poetry Program in Salt Lake City.
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how-to: poetry as survival manual (on imperative voice and saving ourselves)
Featuring poetry by Morgan Parker, Karen Finneyfrock, and others, this workshop pushes participants to experiment with the concept of imperative voice through a series of discussions on authoritative speaking and writing. Writers will be guided through a series of examples in which poets structure pieces around imperative voice, a round table about how we establish authority through language. This workshop has been featured as part of Ignite Poetry Collective's educational series.
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On presence: Grammatical tense, time, and truth
Examine how different grammatical tenses establish a sense of distance in your writing. Manipulate content, emotional life, and intimacy in poems by experimenting with grammatical tense. This workshop has been featured as part of Art Amok Poetry Slam’s educational series.
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loud & queer
Celebrate queer identity through queer poetics! Designed to engage all queer people regardless of their literary experience, Loud & Queer examines LGBTQ history and imaginative futures through the work of queer writers. This workshop can be taught as an individual session or as a three-part series. It is taught in partnership with writer and cultural worker Mia S. Willis. This workshop series was awarded a grant from the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture.
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