The Sundress Academy for the Arts hosts the Sundress Workshop Series, a series of generative writing workshops emphasizing composition, revision, and creative development. As part of Sundress Publications, the Sundress Workshop Series provide focused and expert instruction to writers of all skill levels. Participants are treated to guidance from advanced instructors who help them to not only hone their craft but also opportunities to create and share new work.
Workshops
Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Broadway Debut of For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf
September 9, 2026, 6:00-7:30PM EST
Join us for an online celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Broadway debut of Ntozake Shange’s seminal work, For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf. This showcase of poets who’ve performed Shange’s work and/or been inspired by it, includes choreopoet, director and educator Monica Prince, who will lead the evening. She will be joined by an incredible lineup of poets including Shakeema Smalls, M. Mick Powell, Sullivan Summer, Jasmine Blooms and Rosa Castellano.
The evening will start and end with Shange’s words with the aim of inspiring a new generation to read her work but also, to give time and space to the sharing of what that work has meant to those present. It will be heart opening.
If you would like to support Sundress, you may make a charitable donation here in lieu of a ticket purchase. Your contribution supports our commitment to offering experiences like this to our community at no cost, improving arts accessibility for all.
This event is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Ghosting the Self: Writing Through What We Avoid
October 14, 2026, 6:00-7:30PM EST
The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “Ghosting the Self: Writing Through What We Avoid,” a workshop led by Jason Masino on Wednesday, October 14th from 6:00-7:30 PM EST. This event will be held over Zoom. Register for the event here.
Every writer has subjects they circle but never quite touch. Sometimes it’s a memory, a contradiction, an obsession, or a version of themselves that doesn’t fit the story they’re trying to tell. In this generative workshop, we’ll explore the gaps, omissions, and recurring patterns that shape our work from the margins. Through discussion, close reflection, and writing exercises, participants will identify what they tend to avoid on the page and experiment with new approaches to writing through resistance rather than around it. Writers of all genres and experience levels are welcome.
If you would like to support Sundress, you may make a charitable donation here in lieu of a ticket purchase. Your contribution supports our commitment to offering experiences like this to our community at no cost, improving arts accessibility for all.
Jason Masino is a poet and program builder whose work explores identity, belonging, contradiction, and the uneasy process of living with the parts of ourselves we are taught to reject. He holds a BA from the University of California, Davis and an MFA in Creative Writing from Regis University. His work has appeared in publications including Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora and South Florida Poetry Journal. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net and also works across higher education, public service, and community engagement.
This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
The Poet Journalist: Intro to Docupoetics
November 11, 2026, 6:00-7:30PM EST
The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “The Poet Journalist: Intro to Docupoetics” a workshop led by Mandy Shunnarah on Wednesday, November 11th from 6:00-7:30 PM EST. This event will be held over Zoom. Register for the event today!
Poets are keen observers of the world and are always trying to make sense of what it means to be alive here, now, in this moment. Docupoetics, or documentary poetry, is one way to do that. By letting the latest headlines inspire poems and using journalistic skills––such as interviews, embedded citations, and historical, academic, and archival research––poets bring an urgent voice and a critical eye to the issues of the day. In this workshop, you’ll learn about the history of docupoetics, what poets are drawn to the subgenre and why, and you’ll be guided through a generative writing exercise to pen your own documentary poem.
While there is no fee to participate in this workshop, Mandy has requested that those who are able and appreciative make donations to Sundress! Or folks who to donate to Gaza, could give to The Sameer Project .
Mandy Shunnarah (they/them) is an Appalachian-Palestinian writer in Columbus, Ohio. Their essays, poetry, and short stories have been published in Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Black Warrior Review, and others. Their first book, Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland, was released in 2024, and their second book, We Had Mansions: Poems, was published by Diode Editions in 2025. Read more at mandyshunnarah.com.
This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Video Essay & Video Poetry
December 9, 2026, 6:00-7:30PM EST
The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “Video Essay & Video Poetry,” a workshop led by Emma Sheinbaum on Wednesday, December 9th from 6:00-7:30 PM EST. This event will be held over Zoom. Participants can access the event at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iCkZjRi1QFi9DCkf3P58iw
As writers, our medium is words: written or spoken; mumbled or sung. We share language with other genres—like music and theater—but what other tools do these media have in conjunction with words, and how can we learn from them? In this generative workshop, we will expand our understanding of our art form and craft our own poetry or short prose pieces that are driven by more-than-words.
Drawing inspiration from instrumental songs, mime acts, and experimental poetry, we will devote the majority of our session to studying gesture: a vital tool for every art form. We will consider artistic examples ranging from the band Daikaiju to the painter Kay Sage as we engage in conversation and participate in low-stakes, wordless activities designed to spark our imaginations, before quietly writing with the guidance of a prompt, with an opportunity to share.
If you would like to support Sundress, you may make a charitable donation here in lieu of a ticket purchase. Your contribution supports our commitment to offering experiences like this to our community at no cost, improving arts accessibility for all.
Emma Sheinbaum writes essays, poems, and multimedia / hybrid forms. She also teaches writing creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid workshops. Emma’s work has been published by TILT, Cobra Milk, Voicemail Poems, Barrelhouse Magazine, TriQuarterly, Juked, and The InQueery, among others. She is Co-Founding Editor of the genreless literary journal, A Velvet Giant. Emma enjoys taking walks in gardens and parks, chilling with her cat, and eating pasta. Learn more at www.emmasheinbaum.com.
This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.