Each cycle, we’ll close read a new book and discuss it at monthly fixed meetings. We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story. This cycle, we’ll be reading How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair.
Learning Objectives
- Explore the intersection of personal and cultural identity in memoir: Analyze how Safiya Sinclair navigates the tension between her father’s strict Rastafarian beliefs and her own desire for independence, and how this dynamic shapes her journey of self-discovery.
- Develop the narrative of resistance and empowerment: Learn to craft memoirs that highlight a protagonist’s struggle for autonomy and agency, drawing inspiration from Sinclair’s use of education, literature, and poetry as tools of liberation.
- Utilize family dynamics to drive memoir storytelling: Examine how complex family relationships serve as a backdrop for emotional conflict and growth, and learn to translate these dynamics into compelling narrative arcs.
- Incorporate poetic language and imagery into memoir writing: Study how Sinclair’s poetic voice enhances her storytelling and experiment with integrating vivid, sensory language to elevate the emotional impact and thematic depth of your own memoir.
Apply Now
Applications for the Spring 2025 Cycle are open!
Priority Deadline: December 31, 2024
Final Deadline: January 15, 2025
Cycle(s) Offered:
Spring 2025 (March-May)
Time:
3 hours per month
Areas of Focus:
Memoir, publishing, reading, book club, books
Requirements:
For the Spring cycle:
- Read How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair
- Complete asynchronous coursework
- Produce an original memoir-like piece that explores themes of identity and self-empowerment, reflecting on personal experiences and the journey toward understanding and embracing one’s sense of self.
- Record an audio podcast (optional)
Read: Memoir Journey Package
As a mentee or mentor in the Read: Memoir Journey, you’ll have access to a collection of online mini courses designed to support a close read of How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for one full cycle, and you’ll meet with them at least twice each month. You’ll attend at least one community engagement experience a month – there are many to choose from to accommodate all of your interests and everyone’s schedules.
Read: Memoir Courses
Read: Memoir includes the following course:
- COURSE TITLE
In this course, participants will explore themes of identity, displacement, and the complexities of language and culture. Through engaging with Sinclair’s evocative storytelling, students will reflect on their own experiences of home, belonging, and the intersections of personal and collective histories. The course encourages participants to use writing as a tool for self-expression, helping them develop their unique voice while deepening their understanding of how stories shape both individual identities and broader societal movements.
This course is offered as a part of this journey package. If you’d like to take a course without joining a journey, click here.
Read: Memoir Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Read: Memoir Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month.
This journey requires a cycle-long commitment to a mentorship relationship. If you’d like to mentor but cannot commit to this requirement, click here.
Read: Memoir Community Experiences
Community experiences in the Read: Memoir Journey include Peer Affinity Groups, course-specific workshops, Salons, and Book Club. Mentees and mentors in the Read: Memoir Journey must attend at the following journey meetings:
- March 15, 12-1 pm ET
- March 29, 12-1 pm ET
- April 12, 12-1 pm ET
- April 26, 12-1 pm ET
- May 24, 12-1 pm ET
If you’d like to attend engagement experiences but cannot commit to these requirements, click here.
Read 360 Adventure
Read: Historical Fiction belongs to the Read 360 Adventure.
Journeys in this Adventure focus on close readings of books and creative works in community with other writers. Think of it as a Girls Write Now book club!
Not ready for a Journey?
If you want to be a part of the Girls Write Now Collaboratory but you aren’t ready to join a Journey, you can participate in individual writing courses, short-term mentoring services, and select community engagement experiences. See all of the options available to you below!
Writing
Take a course without joining a journey, being paired with a mentee or mentor, or attending community engagement experiences.
Mentoring
Meet with a mentee or mentor without joining a journey, accessing writing courses, or attending community engagement experiences.
Community
Attend community engagement experiences without joining a journey, being paired with a mentee or mentor, or accessing writing courses.