Bilingual Writing Groups Encourage Freedom in Creative Writing
The DC Center for the LGBT community, which provides meeting spaces for addiction and recovery, arts, aging, careers, faith, families, health, military, sports, youth and HIV, also offers the Latino Queer Bilingual Writing Group.
The workshop is a place where individuals can communicate, write and read fluidly, without having to be bogged down by an insistent need to translate or stick to one language. Multi-language leniency encourages freedom and inspires confidence. The unapologetic construction of sentences that aren't oppressed by a single language, but flourishes in two is powerful. One can benefit from the stylish qualities of the two languages, English and Spanish, exercise word play in a unique way, and capitalize on the gift of being able to communicate and share in two languages.
DC LGBT Center (1318 U St NW, Washington) makes these creative workshops available to the community on certain Saturdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The gatherings welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience who wish to share or write in English or in Spanish for free. Prior writing experience is not necessary, and newcomers and those new to writing are not expected to arrive with previously written work.
The DC Center holds ongoing events and meetings each month, including Mindfullness Meditation, and Heatwave at Town. Their Facebook lists highlights from successful past events, future events and the events of the center's affiliates. The wildly organized network is involved with numerous other noble-caused groups, which includes the DC Coalition, LYFE Mentors and Women in their Twenties.
Mano A Mano, in New York City, also holds bilingual writing workshops, entitled "Los Lunes: Literature and Writing Workshop. The workshop is free, and it meets every Monday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Spanish-welcomed sessions assembles writers of different interests and language abilities to express themselves in a safe space.
Both spaces are respectful and supportive, and accessible to any Spanish/English speakers over the age of 18. Call the DC Center (202) 682-2245 or email Ed at washeg@gmail.com for more information. And, for Mano A Mano, call 212-587-3070 or email mexicanidad@manoamano.us for more information.