Portland Book Festival Pop-Up Reading

Caesura: A Contemplative Writing Circle for Mothers of Color (Virtual) | Eye of the Heart Center

Stay tuned for the next one!

Far too often mothers of color are the ones bearing the greatest burden of invisible, inequitable labor — in the home and beyond. What time/energy/resources are left to attend to our spiritual and creative needs when every day feels like survival? How do we give ourselves permission to pause?

If the stillness and space needed for a substantial spiritual/writing practice feel inaccessible right now, consider this an invitation — to closer attunement with Source and self, and community. Let’s co-create the sacred space we, and by extension our families, so desperately need.

In this writing circle, we will apply Eye of the Heart’s model of “using contemplative dialogue to listen for emergent life in both writer and writing,” attending the whole person, not just the text. This is NOT a traditional writing workshop; we will not be offering critique or feedback on each other’s writing. Rather, we will practice writing as deep listening. As a community, we will expand the possibilities of the page.

Caesura is for those who:

• identify as a mother/caretaker of color

• are committed to their writing, whatever that looks like right now

• are open to deepening their spiritual/contemplative practice

• are willing to build a sustained community to support this practice

All levels/genres of writers from all backgrounds of faith and all stages/ages of parenthood are welcome.

Motherish Work: A Generative Writing Space for Mothers / Caretakers (Virtual) | Corporeal Writing

Stay tuned for the next one!

Part grief ritual, part act of reclamation, part joyful gathering—in this space, we will explore the complexities, constraints, and collective triumphs as writer parents operating within a patriarchal system, addressing themes as they emerge, such as invisible labor and the equitable redistribution of it, the erotic, interdependent systems, and mothering as movement.

This will be both a connective and generative space, where we will draw from the work of Angela Garbes, Krys Malcolm Bec, Adrienne Rich, Maggie Nelson, Chloé Cooper Jones, Camille T. Dungy, and others to co-create an intimate, restorative space where we may attend to our whole selves, including the expressive parts often neglected amid survival-based caretaking responsibilities.

All levels of writers identifying as “mothers” are welcome at this virtual gathering.