"After School" Poetry Workshop Series with Gabriel Cortez (Spring 2025)

What is this?
A new, 6 week long, online, generative writing workshop series led by poet and educator, Gabriel Cortez. Join a fun and supportive community of poets invested in growing as writers. Each participant will cultivate a deeper understanding of craft and the possibilities of their voice, developed through direct, hands-on learning, and guided study of some of the most exciting poets today. Sessions are highly interactive and include writing prompts, discussion of guiding texts, and sharing new original work created each class. After the final workshop, we will have a culminating online reading that is open to the public on Tuesday, April 29th.

Who is this for? 
This series is open to writers of all experience levels, high school age and older. Whether you have a masters in fine arts, are still working on your GED, or haven't taken a class in years, this "After School" series is for you! Join if you have a book you are working on and are looking for some inspiration. Join if you are searching for a way back to your pen after putting it down for a while. Join if you want to experience the creation of some amazing poetry up close. Participants need access to Zoom, a strong internet connection, and something to write with and we've got the rest.

Cost:
$150-250 (early bird special)
$200-300 (after 11:55pm February 24th)
Scholarships (pending donations)
Signups close March 4, 2025

Session Dates:
Tuesday, March 11th, 6-9pm PDT
Tuesday, March 18th, 6-9pm PDT
Tuesday, March 25th, 6-9pm PDT
Tuesday, April 1st, 6-9pm PDT
Tuesday, April 8th, 6-9pm PDT
Tuesday, April 15th, 6-9pm PDT

Online Showcase:
Tuesday, April 29th, 7-9pm PDT

About the Teacher: Gabriel Cortez
Gabriel is a poet, educator, & organizer based in the Bay Area, California. He helps writers find their creative community and author more just and liberated worlds. He brings more than 15 years of experience working with youth and adult writers, in and out of school, offering one-on-one support, leading workshops, and coaching educators interested in helping their students cultivate a joyful relationship with their voice. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, The Breakbeat Poets Anthology Volume 4, and elsewhere. A VONA and Poetry Incubator alum, he has received awards from the University of California, Palette Poetry, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Gabriel is the inaugural poet in residence at The Ecology Center and Shelterwood Collective, where he uses poetry and arts education to uplift local legacies of resistance rooted in environmental justice and food and land sovereignty. He is a member of the artist collective, Ghostlines, and co-founder of The Root Slam, an award-winning poetry venue dedicated to inclusivity, justice, and artistic growth, as well as Write Home, a project working to challenge public perceptions of houselessness and shift critical resources to houseless Bay Area youth through poetry and arts programming. Gabriel serves as secretary on the board of directors of Performing Arts Workshop. From 2014 to 2023, he was Lead Poet Mentor and Director of Programs at Youth Speaks. Gabriel is of Black, white, and Panamanian descent. His work explores power, identity, belonging, and gold teeth. For more, visit www.GabrielMCortez.com