Trusting the Reader (Jan-Mar '24)

If making art requires taking risks, then artistic pursuit presumes a practice of trust. Trust that the art will be received, that it has meaning and value, that it contains movement beyond what presently exists.

This 8-week workshop is about cultivating and navigating that practice of trust as a writer, whether of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. It is about asking the questions:

• What does it mean to trust the reader?
• How does that trust, or lack of trust, affect a piece of writing, or a writing practice?
• How does changing our relationships with those who receive our words help us grow both as artists and communicators?

If that interests you, I'd love for you to join.

Additionally, you can experience some of my writing for yourself by typing whatever is on your mind into the box. It will respond with some words of mine. Call it an offering in trust, aimed at discovering if we have something to learn together.

Logistics:

• Each group is capped at 6 participants
• Eight weeks, one 90-minute Zoom session per week along with individual chats to support your work
• One group meets on Sunday afternoons, 1-2:30pm PST, the other on Wednesday mornings 10-11:30am PST
• Start dates: 1/14/2024 at 1pm for the Sunday group, and 1/17/2024 at 10am for the Wednesday group. Meetings are weekly, with the final meetings on 3/3/2024 and 3/6/2024 respectively. It's okay to miss live meetings if you are unable to attend that week, I'll send notes out with the in-person prompts.
• Cost is $200 total. If you would like to contribute more you are welcome to donate what you feel like giving at the end of the eight weeks. It is appreciated, and also unnecessary.
• To sign up email george ạt splitbound ɗοt com and let me know which day you'd like to join.

A bit about me:

In case you would like more information before spending a couple months working together, here are some more details about me.

My name is George. I've been running the San Diego Experimental Writing Group off and on the for the past year and a half, following a daily writing practice going on five years now.

Exploring written language has led me into working at a book store, binding my own books, and inventing my own binding. At the end of each month I collect writings from my practice and produce a booklet which I mail out to a small group of friends which has led to 25 booklets to date and over 150 short pieces of writing (the vast majority of which can be queried with the above text field). I also shared some of that work at the San Francisco Zine Fest last year. If you'd like to read some of my most recent work, take a look here.

My relationship with publishing is an intimate affair, perhaps even more so than my relationship with writing at this point, which I love to share with others and learn about their process in kind. I'll admit I don't know how to get you published. But I do think I can help you work towards something that feels worth putting out there while uncovering avenues for sharing which contribute to your process.

Some time ago I used to study math, design games, and write software. I'm glad to have a relationship with formalism which simultaneously supports my expression and also knows when to get out of my way and make space for my heart. Most of all, I like to play.