Sassafras has toured widely, giving readings, workshops, and keynotes at colleges, conferences, bookstores, festivals, and squats ranging from Atlanta to Berlin to NYC to Oakland to Amsterdam on topics ranging from the epidemic of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness to Leather Storytelling and Queer Fiction. Sassafras has taught at LitReactor, Saints & Sinners Literary Festival, Portland State University, and the NYC Center For Fiction. Sassafras is a two-time AWP Writer to Writer Mentor, and provides writing coaching to private clients.
In Sassafras’ storytelling workshops ze breaks down barriers that keeps people from writing. Designed for folks who do not consider themselves writers as well as those comfortable with expressing themselves through the written word, these storytelling workshops are an opportunity for participants to discover the transformative power of storytelling. We will explore how writing can be used to gain a better understanding of their own journeys as well as a tool for creating social change. Sassafras is particularly passionate about facilitating writing workshops with a particular focus on storytelling for marginalized LGBT populations.
Writing Workshops:
Queerly Creative Daily Art Journaling* Ghosts, Transitions, and other Past Lives * Leather Storytelling * Queer Youth Writing Workshop * Exploring Oppression and Trauma through Creative Expression * Storytelling of the Queerly Feminine * * Gender Revolution: exploration in gender Transgression * Creativity and Survival * Body Narratives: telling the stories of our bodies * Love Letters: writing for partners, lovers, and self *
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Sassafras is always developing new workshops and is more than happy to work with you and your organization to create a specialized storytelling experience to better meet your needs/goals
Keynote Address:
Nobody Loves You. Now What? Queer youth homelessness and creating chosen family
40% of homeless youth in the United States are LGBTQ identified and this silent epidemic’s impacts are felt by queer kids in the biggest cities to the smallest rural communities. In this engaging lecture Sassafras draws on hir personal experiences of queer teen homelessness and the stories of ‘Kicked Out’ anthology contributors. In doing so ze takes audiences beyond the shocking statistics into the tangible experiences of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth’s survival and created kinship networks. Designed to inspire action from allies and bring hope and belonging to outcasts of all stripes, this lecture facilitates audiences move towards building chosen family and kinship networks.
For more information about bringing Sassafras to your campus or organization including rates and detailed workshop descriptions please contact hir at SassafrasLowrey@gmail.com