About Me, About You Workshop Wraps Up

From June 19-25, nine writers of creative prose gathered at the Collegeville Institute for About Me, About You: a week-long interfaith writing workshop for women of color, led by writer and former program participant and Collegeville Institute Resident Scholar Roohi Choudhry.

Left to Right: Chris Yi Suh, Nesima Aberra, Les James, Dana Neuhauser, Jess Yu, Prasanta Verma, Ashley Nickens, Sumaya Teli, Roohi Choudhry, Naomi Washington-Leapheart

Throughout the week, the group generated new work in fiction, memoir, and hybrid forms, rooted in personal experience. In addition to spending part of each day on individual writing projects, workshop participants also participated in discussions and guided exercises designed to reflect on and expand existing narratives about women of color—both within their faith traditions, and in American culture at large.

Beyond offering writers the time, space, and support to write, this workshop also placed an emphasis on discussion, collaboration, and building an interfaith writing community for women of color. Every day, the group gathered to discuss the creative path (and the unique gifts and struggles experienced by women of color on that path), and to engage deeply with one another’s work.

As the workshop facilitator, Roohi brought deep knowledge of the craft of writing and the art of teaching to the week: she has published work in journals including Ploughshares, Callaloo, and the Kenyon Review; she holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan; and she has taught creative writing in classes and community workshops for over a decade.

“[Roohi is] one of the most gifted facilitators I’ve encountered,” wrote one of the participants in the post-workshop evaluation. “Her supportive presence, wise guidance, and brilliant instruction/facilitation created an environment of safety, trust, and growth.” Another participant wrote, “Her feedback is always constructive. You can feel that she wants you to win.”

The Collegeville Institute setting contributed to the workshop’s nurturing atmosphere. “Your care and attention to detail truly makes me feel as if my writing work is important work—because you treat us as such,” wrote one participant in their evaluation.

Overall, participants wrote that they came away from the workshop feeling supported and inspired. “The most valuable thing I learned was that I am, in fact, a writer, and that I have stories that only I can tell,” wrote one. Another said: “I came in with many insecurities about my own writing style—I am walking away trusting that I am a writer with a distinct voice. That I am enough.”

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