I Want to Write 2019!

Don’t You Want To Write?
by Barbara Olivis

      Mark your calendars now for the biggest creative writing event that takes place at Tennessee State University: The I Want To Write! Two Day Poetry and Spoken Word Festival. This year’s upcoming I Want To Write event will take place on April 19th and 20th and will have various learning opportunities as well as other fun activities throughout the day. This year will mark the fifth consecutive year that the conference has taken place. The theme is "Poetic Arts as Healing" with the focus of the workshops being about mental health. 

First Year of I Want to Write

      The workshops of I Want To Write are to place on the first day of the conference. The workshops will focus on different aspects of the poetry art form.Dr. Michelle Pinkard explains, “There are some workshops that are geared toward the writing, and other workshops that are geared toward performing because we want students to have a better appreciation art. Spoken word comes from lyricism, language and argumentation.”
     She also explains that this years I Want To Write is introducing a host of new workshops. “This year we have a workshop geared toward the GSA community: Exploring Queer Identities Through Poetry.” The event will also feature two award winning speakers: Grammy award winning producer Shannon Sanders who will lead a discussion titled "Write On to Fight on; and Caroline Randall Williams, whose work Lucy Negro, Redux is currently being adapted as a ballet by the Nashville Ballet, will lead a discussion titled "Poetry to Pirouettes." 
     The second day of the I Want to Write Festival will feature a poetry slam. Individuals who show up with their program can get in free.  Registration for the festival is now open. If you are interested in learning about poetry, or learning more tips about how to write poetry or perform better, then this event would be the perfect time to explore! The event is completely free! Learn more and register here: I Want to Write