Instructors: Various
Dates/Times:
Sunday, February 5, 1-4 p.m.: “Race Matters” led by Mitchell L.H. Douglas.
Write-in session Sunday, February 19, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, March 5, 1-4 p.m.: “Gender Matters” led by Wendy Vergoz
Write-in session Sunday, March 19, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, April 9, 1-4 p.m.: “The Environment Matters” led by Kevin McKelvey
Write-in session Sunday, April 23, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, May 7: “Immigration/Refugee Matters” Wendy Vergoz
Write-in session Sunday, May 21, 1-4 p.m.

Location: Marian University/Room EC (Evans Center) 124  (campus map)  
Cost: $50 for all 8 sessions
Walk-in registrations are Welcome!

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge — even wisdom. Like art.”   —Toni Morrison

Our country experienced what seemed like an earthquake in 2016, with an election that brought out the worst in many Americans and made lines that separate us appear bolder than ever. Those of us who express ourselves through writing and art struggle to give voice to our thoughts and fears and hopes for a future that seems very uncertain at the moment. 

 “Words Matter” is designed to help those who feel passionately about issues of social justice and freedom of speech find their voices and make them heard through the powerful medium of writing. Participants will learn strategies for responding to current events in a way that will satisfy their urge to create meaningful art in the name of protest.

Each of four monthly sessions will feature an accomplished writer who will read briefly from work that addresses the issue at hand and then engage participants in a writing exercise to generate strong work they may choose to share on the IWC website. Write-in sessions will be offered on alternate weeks, allowing writers to gather as a community to write and share their work—remembering Maya Angelou’s words, “…and still we rise.”

The cost of the class is only $50.00 for all eight sessions to make it affordable to most people. Scholarships are available in case of need.

Register online or download and print a registration form.

 View the IWC class registration policy