Jumpin' for Joy in July!
3 Beaver Girl-Themed Writing Workshops and a Reading at the Woody Guthrie Poetry Festival
Eco-Diversity Writing Workshop
with Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D.
Monday, July 8 6:30 PM
Commonplace Books
1325 N. Walker Suite 138 A, Oklahoma City, OK
Have you ever wondered about the connections between diversity in our ecosystems and our identities? Are you looking to connect your emotional well-being and your commitment to environmentalism with your writing path?
Join us for a generative writing workshop and discussion with queer ecofeminist writer Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D.
Dr. Steele is the author of the new environmental novel, Beaver Girl, chosen as the 2024 One Book, One Community selection for Columbia, South Carolina. The workshop will address the relationships between environmental diversity and the healing power of diversity within different aspects of ourselves and our communities.
Participants should bring a notebook and pen, as everyone will have the opportunity to generate new writing in a safe and supportive way. Registration also includes a copy of Beaver Girl.
The Code of the Water Way:
A Creative Environmental Writing Workshop
with Cassie Premo Steele, Author of Beaver Girl
$30.00
Wednesday, July 10 5:30-7:00 PM
Literati Press Bookshop
3022 Paseo, Oklahoma City OK 73103
Join us for a generative writing workshop with Cassie Premo Steele, the author of the new environmental novel, Beaver Girl, chosen as the 2024 One Book, One Community selection for Columbia, South Carolina.
Visiting Oklahoma in conjunction with the Woody Guthrie Poetry Festival this weekend, Cassie will share lessons from the novel that can help you write with greater flow and ease and connection to your deep self and the world around you – an ethic she calls “the code of the water way.” The workshop will address different genres of writing from journaling to poetry to fiction, and participants will have the opportunity to generate new writing or work on existing projects in a safe and supportive way.
Set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic and climate-collapsed world, Beaver Girl follows the journey of Livia, a 19-year-old confronting the aftermath of environmental upheaval. As wildfires encircle her, Livia seeks solace in Congaree National Park, where an unexpected alliance with a beaver family becomes a central theme in her fight for survival. The novel delves into the ecological significance of beavers as keystone species, emphasizing their ability to shape landscapes and create sustainable water sources. Beaver Girl transcends traditional genres, offering a narrative that explores themes of redemption, resilience, and the interconnectedness of all living beings.
Cassie Premo Steele is an environmental poet, novelist, and essayist whose writing focuses on the themes of trauma, healing, creativity, and mindfulness. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The author of 18 books, including 3 novels and 7 books of poetry, her poetry has been nominated 7 times for the Pushcart Prize. She was a Finalist for the Rita Dove Poetry Award judged by the former US Poet Laureate and Oklahoman Joy Harjo and is the Winner of The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Society Prize from the Poetry Society of South Carolina for her poem, “Finding Laura and L.D.,” which witnesses to the double lynching of a mother and son in Okemah, Oklahoma. She also has a new poem in the current issue of Oklahoma Today Magazine. She lives in South Carolina with her wife.
Woody Guthrie Poetry Festival
Coinciding with but independent from WoodyFest, a musical festival in Okemah, Oklahoma, celebrating the life and work of Woody Guthrie, the Woody Guthrie Poetry Festival is an annual event that gathers poets from all over the United States in three special venues across the state of Oklahoma to read new poems based on the festival theme.
This year’s theme is “All You Fascists Bound to Lose.”
Venue 1: Rodeo Cinema
2221 Exchange Ave, OKC 73108
Friday, July 12 7:00 PM
Hosted by Paul Juhasz with Poets Stephanie Henson, Judith Rycroft, Sue Storts, Richard Dixon, Gina Welborn, Janice Jobey, Angela Hooper, Wade Thompson, Daryl Halencak, JC “Catfish” Mahan, Jim Fletcher, John Graves Morris, and Catherine Katey Johnson
Venue 2: Okfuskee County Historical Society and Museum
407 W Broadway St, Okemah, OK 74859
Saturday, July 13 11:00 AM
Hosted by Paul Juhasz and Musical Accompaniment by David Amram with Poets Alan Gann, Cassie Premo Steele, Molly Sizer, Sharon Martin, Jimmy Hackey, Justin Hamm, Wendy Dunmeyer, Rick Reily, Woodstok Farley, Travis Lovin, Jessica Huntley, D. L. Lang, an Quinn Carver Johnson
Venue 3: Woody Guthrie Center
102 E. Mathew B. Brady St., Tulsa, OK 74103
Sunday, July 14 2:00 PM
Hosted by Paul Juhasz with Poets Rilla Askew, Sally Rhoades, Ky George, Ron Wallace, Bill McCloud, Robin Wheeler, Paul Austin, Holly Zorn, Annmarie Lockhart, Tina Baker, Ken Hada, Linda Neal Reising, and Alan Berecka
Creative Environmental Writing Workshop for Environmental Educators
with Author Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D.
Congaree National Park
Tuesday, July 23, 9-11AM
Have you ever wondered how to turn your passion for the environment and knowledge about science into creative writing that is effective and emotionally compelling?
Join us for a generative writing workshop and discussion with an environmental author and writing coach. The workshop will take participants on a 2-mile walk through the Congaree National Park while exploring different genres of writing from journaling to poetry and fiction. Participants will have the opportunity to generate new writing in a safe and supportive way. After the workshop, participants will be able to ask questions and engage in a lively discussion about the important connections between environmental awareness and contemporary literature.
Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., is an accomplished American writer celebrated for her profound contributions to literature and ecofeminism. Her extensive body of work encompasses evocative poetry, insightful essays, and explorations of ecofeminist philosophy. Steele's writing resonates with readers by intertwining themes of women's experiences, spirituality, and nature, forming a tapestry of thought-provoking narratives. As an advocate for environmental consciousness and gender equality, her words bridge the gap between the personal and the ecological. Her acclaimed works, such as Earth Joy Writing published by Ashland Creek Press, reveal her deep-rooted connection to the natural world and her commitment to inspiring change. Cassie Premo Steele continues to inspire and empower through her eloquent prose and unwavering dedication to transformative storytelling in her new novel, Beaver Girl.
Books will not be available for purchase during the workshop, but Cassie will be glad to sign pre-purchased copies of her works.