Why YOUR Writing Matters:

Did You Ever Imagine Saving the World?

The 26th Annual Writing Intensive –With Deena Metzger -

Meeting in 4 weeks – JOIN NOW!

Why should I write?
- Because an act of Beauty is essential at this time.
Why bring another book into the world?
- Does the rose bush hesitate before offering the next bloom?
But really, anyone can write, don’t you think?
- That’s what AI says and it means the end of literature and meaning.
Why take this Intensive?
- There’s never been another like it, since its beginning 26 year ago.
Why do you say that?
- I can’t explain it, except MAGIC happens… on your page!
Why not wait for another time?
- Because if it doesn’t fill, there won’t ever be another.
I have studied with you before, shall I return?
- Many writers keep returning in order to continue writing for the rest of their lives.
Can I send this to writers that I know?
- Extend the invitation to your writing friends and those who are just setting out.
Finally, why Literature of Restoration?
- The natural world – a literature itself – complex, interconnected, conversational, diverse, vital, transformational, surprising, wondrous. That’s our model for writing!

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Some history of how we got here:

I taught my first writing class in 1968. That was 58 years ago. I had one conventional writing class at Brooklyn College, and I was the editor of the Brooklyn College literary mag – that was my academic training as a writer. I met Anais Nin in 1964 and she said, “Writing is easy. Begin with a dream, end with a dream, and then just fill in the middle.” In 1965, when I needed encouragement and support to become a writer, I took a class with Christopher Isherwood. He was trying to overcome a writing block and that’s what he spoke about until he broke through to a Meeting By the River. In these ways, I learned about writing.

Early on I came to understand one thing that I hold sacred and pass on to you: The Imagination is a real world.

In these years I have learned from literature and poetry, from history and experience, from writing myself, from those who study with me, from my friends, from Earth, from the wild.

Sam Hamill was in my first class. I don’t know if he learned poetry from me, he was already studying with Kenneth Rexroth, but I do know he was given the opportunity to learn to print. The result was Copper Canyon Press.

That’s the beginning of the lineage.

There hadn’t been a women’s writing conference since Woman’s Words at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. I had created a writing program at the Woman’s Building 1973-1977K and organized Woman’s Words at the Woman’s Building in 1975. Some of the writers and theater people who participated in the Conference or were engaged with the Feminist Studio Writing Program reading series were Meridel Le Sueur, Audre Lorde, Kate Millet, Susan Griffin, JoAnn Griffin, Barbara Myerhoff, Martha Ronk, Holy Prado, Honor Moore, Victoria Rue, Jeremy Blahnik, Anais Nin, Wanda Coleman, Terry Wolverton, Eloise Klein Healey…

Barbara Myerhoff and Deena read their Correspondence at Woman’s Words Conference 1975.

I have been teaching in Topanga since 1981. Here is a photo of some of the books that have come out of the classes or from writers who studied with me and then wrote later.

A few titles from Deena’s students as well as books written by Deena.

There were books that needed to be published and the publishing process is too damned commercial. So we did what any reasonable person would do facing that dilemma, we started our own press. Thank you, Stephan Hewitt, publisher.

Visit Hand to Hand Publishing.

I could continue – there are a thousand stories – but what is important is learning your stories and listening to them come to vibrant life on the page.

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This week long intensive will be on zoom from May 24th - 30th. The time to join is NOW. Email Jude at deenaworkshops@gmail.com!