It sits like a black hole in the middle of your manuscript. You know that writing it will take you into emotional territory and that to do it justice you will have to be vulnerable. More vulnerable than you feel comfortable being. And so you write around it. You consider cutting it entirely. You consider writing it next week or maybe the week after. In this workshop, memoirist Joseph Kakwinokanasum, will share stories and strategies gleaned through years of writing with emotional honesty. What should you share? What shouldn't you share? How can you protect yourself when sharing sensitive information? How can you keep yourself stable in your head while you get your truth on the page?

Join us for a workshop about sharing your story, dotting your I's, crossing your T's, and coverings your asterisks.

About the Instructor: Joseph Kakwinokanasum

Joseph Kakwinokanasum is a member of the James Smith Cree Nation. He is a writer storyteller of short fiction, and memoir. He started writing memoir and short fiction late in life, and first became involved in writing through catharsis. Writing became a routine of personal selfcare and mental wellness. In 2019 Joseph achieved his certificate of writing through The Writer’s Studio (SFU), and was shortlisted for the CBC short story contest in June 2020. Through his writing Joseph wishes to raise awareness of the difficulties that poverty can bring to families and how the power of hope was intrinsic to surviving his dangerously unpredictable home life. He believes no failure is without reward.