Is your writing

haunted?

haunt·ed

/ˈhôn(t)əd/

adjective

preoccupied, as with an emotion, memory, or idea;

obsessed; disturbed; distressed;

inhabited or frequented by ghosts

HAUNTED TEXTS III:

further explorations in post-haunted phenomena

WHEN:

Haunted Texts is back!

For the third summer in a row,

we will be investigating hauntedness as a prism for exploring new languages and forms in our writing.

This time, we’ll be excavating

the arcs & processes that haunt us, asking:

how do we transform the haunted materials

we’ve conjured into art?

Together we will spiral through the beyond,

engaging with both contemporary discourse

on “trauma plots” & ancient mystical forms

in search of new structural possibilities.

Sundays, 7 PM – 9 PM Israel time

12 PM - 2 PM EST

July 17, 24, 31

* Get in touch to calculate the time difference in your area

WHERE:

Online - through Zoom

Open to writers, creators and humans of all genres interested in exploring hauntedness.

Previous participation in Haunted Texts I & II not necessary.

Our group will be small; space is limited --

HOW MUCH:

* Two partial scholarships available for those in need. Contact me HERE for more info.

450 NIS - 130 USD

Questions? Deliberations?

RESERVE YOUR SPOT HERE

Contact me HERE or write to peepwriters@gmail.com

AMITAL STERN writes film, theater, and hybrid work. Her plays have been performed at the Theatronetto Festival, the Jerusalem Fringe Festival, the Arab-Israeli Theater and more. Her work has recently appeared in Guernica, Elderly, and Best American Experimental Writing 2020. You can read some of her writing here & here.

Testimonials from previous workshops:

Amital is simply an amazing teacher. I found myself completely transfixed and transformed by my work with her. What she knows how to do (that I believe is rare to find), is to stand there ready to help, in the way that YOU need help. It is your class, your work, and she knows how to stay out of your way, but support, nurture, and engage with you. She very perceptively gives you feedback and in an unusual way that makes it very easy to hear and understand.

That doesn't mean she won't provide structure and guidance and clear lessons. She does all of that so seamlessly that you are thrown back into yourself to find your solutions.

I felt her feedback and her teaching methods incredibly thoughtful, deeply perceptive and most importantly inspiring. I can't wait for the next class she offers. My advice: grab it!

*

Amital began each session with a range of texts and images, drawn
from many genres and worlds, for us to engage with and to prompt us
into our own writing. Along with making for rich reading and
conversation, this did the work of creating a writing space which was
expansive and free of judgment, where I felt safe to experiment with
my own writing style and to explore my thoughts, wherever they may
go. Amital’s experience and her entirely accepting presence created a
tone where it became easy for all of us to jump in, cover a lot of
ground and go deep in a relatively short amount of time. It was one of
the most original and enriching writing workshops I’ve ever taken part
in, and would welcome the opportunity to do another one with her.

Amital has the ability to share post-post modern writing and crazier assignments with perfect poise and then has the nerve to ask if there are any questions.

Listen to her deeply and your writing arm will free a little more after each class.

*

Amital’s conception of what we were doing together, and how to
write about sex, was transformational . . . Amital’s sequence of writing
exercises made me realize that writing about sex was writing about our
life and death force, and breaking taboos about what you could write
about transformed every part of my writing that day, and I have
continued to mull over these insights over the past month. I’m inspired
by Amital’s sense of urgency about reading and writing, and their
transformational effect.

*

I have no hesitation in recommending Writing Messy workshop led by Amital Stern to all aspiring writers who want to explore subjects which challenge our sense of decency and sometimes fill us with disgust. Such subjects offer a potentially rich wellspring of ideas with which to experiment.

Amital uses an eclectic mix of artistic material to challenge the senses and stimulate creativity; avant-garde art, film and literature that both repels and entices. No subject is off limits. The workshop has developed my confidence to experiment with material of which prior to taking the course, I had no knowledge. I consider that my writing has benefitted significantly as a result.

Amital is an inspirational teacher. She is very enabling, encouraging and has a fierce intelligence. It has been a great privilege to have been in her class. It is a testament to the power of the class that the writing of all the participants flourished as the workshop progressed.

I would take this workshop again in a heartbeat. The whole experience was brilliant.