to imagine a form of life

To Imagine a Form of Life is a four-part virtual class exploring memory work and lesbian poetics. The program is organized by DC-based curator
and writer Fabiola Ching alongside her collaborators from Hermetic State (https://hermeticstate.com/), a literary hub for black lesbians.
Through hands-on workshops and language exercises, they pose questions about the ways we learn about survival and bodily excavation;
whose movements of love did our bodies learn to mimic.

The class includes original writing and workshops by Oreoluwa Akinyode, Mayah Lovell, Fabiola Ching, and Adaeze Okere and is inspired by Afronowism theory, black lesbian esoterics, and the work of June Jordan. A zine relating to the exhibition has also been created. Graphic illustrations are by Saizami Tripathi.

Virtual Workshops:

This is Memory… with Fabiola Ching
Saturday, January 29, 2022 from 3:00–5:00pm
This class will explore the uses of imagery, unorthodox word pairing, elocution, and punctuation as a method of creating language and definitions yet unearthed. Fabiola Ching will share examples from authors such as Laurie Weeks, Pamela Sneed, Eileen Myles, as well as TV shows and films to illustrate the ways we can dramatically communicate memories and stories. Through this course, she hopes to collectively encourage writing to be dreamlike, scary, thick, and most importantly, true.

Baby Mi (My Baby) with Oreoluwa Akinyode
Saturday, February 12, 2022 from 3:00–5:00pm
Storyteller and archivist Oreoluwa Akinyode will lead this workshop on crafting letters and poetry in order to nurture the younger versions of ourselves. They hope to create a bridge where we can pour love into all versions of ourselves that need(ed) love.

Writing Erotic Memory with Mayah Lovell
Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 3:00–5:00pm
Led by artist and writer Mayah Lovell, this workshop will explore the integration of the body and the poetics of erotica writing. It will include a body scan, a reading, and a guided writing session. Attendees will also receive a folder of writing excerpts. The outcomes of the class are to use erotica to create new memories for the body to hold onto.

Cross Mapping Memory with Adaeze Okere
Saturday, March 19, 2022 from 3:00–5:00pm
Led by sculptor and writer Adaeze Okere, participants will create their own sensory maps using common household items and the corresponding memories that they elicit. By mapping their emotions, the hope is that participants can begin to unravel dormant impressions and memories.