The Strange & Beautiful Utopias Within Us: a multi-genre speculative nature writing workshop

In the face of rapid and dramatic changes to our Earth, what can nature writing become? What important conversations could we be having through our imaginative writing? And what can a decolonial lens offer us as we explore literary possibilities? In this generative workshop, we will read a variety of poems, short stories, and micro-memoirs that offer opportunities to explore our thoughts, feelings, fears, and dreams in this shifting world that is requiring transformative adaptation. We will use expansive definitions of both “nature” and “speculation.” Workshop participants will read, reflect, and discuss together—and generate several new drafts of their own in response to inspiring prompts and exercises.

Sun Yung Shin was born in Seoul, Korea and was raised in the Chicago area. She is a poet, writer, and cultural worker. Shin is the author of the poetry collections The Wet Hex (Coffee House Press, 2022); Unbearable Splendor (Coffee House Press, 2016), winner of the 2016 Minnesota Book Award for poetry and finalist for the 2017 PEN USA Literary Award for Poetry; Rough, and Savage (Coffee House Press, 2012); and Skirt Full of Black (Coffee House Press, 2007), winner of the 2007 Asian American Literary Award for poetry.

Shin is the editor of What We Hunger For: Refugee and Immigrant Stories on Food and Family (2021) and of A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota and co-editor of Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption. She is also the author of bilingual illustrated book for children Cooper’s Lesson.

She lives in Minneapolis where she co-directs the community organization Poetry Asylum with poet Su Hwang.