SFPC Winter 2022

Teachers:
Ashley Jane Lewis with Carey Flack

Date: Sundays, January 9, 2022 - March 22, 2022
Time: 11am - 2pm ET
Location: Online
Cost: $1200 Scholarships available Learn More
Deadline: Applications are closed

Description

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break and imagine our world anew. This one is no different. It’s a portal. A gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it...or we can walk through lightly...ready to imagine another world, and ready to fight for it.”
—Arundhati Roy

“All organizing is science fiction. We are bending the future, together, into something we have never experienced. a world where everyone experiences abundance, access, pleasure, human rights, dignity, freedom, transformative justice, peace. We long for this, we believe it is possible.”
—adrienne maree brown

It cannot be overstated how important the role reading and writing plays in opening up imaginaries from individual self-expression to individual, collective and systemic forms of historical documentation. When we read and write stories about ourselves and society, we make worlds. Such stories are visceral technologies which contain instructions for political ideologies that terraform worlds we can learn a lot from.

‘Reading into the Past / Writing into the Future’ is a portal that leads towards reading and immersing ourselves in the written science fiction work of black, indigenous people of colour. Now, with our backs to the opening edge of the portal, shall we imagine this future together? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? Who is it for? Join us in Reading into the Past / Writing into the Future, a tomorrow focused science fiction writing room, based on actual science and technology.

This class is an experimental writing workshop and clinic featuring instruction by Ashley Jane Lewis featuring guest lectures from practitioners in the fields of science and technology. Together, we’ll examine, digest and immerse ourselves in the fiction of writers like Octavia Butler, NK Jemison, Nnedi Okorafor as well as compilations like Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction, Love Beyond Body, Space and Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology and Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements.

We’ll be joined by guest presenters from the sciences who will share facts and processes from their practice that will work to inspire our writing. There will be opportunities to read aloud, adjust and hone our craft while listening deeply to one another. The class will culminate in a live reading held softly and with great care over Twitch. One piece from each student will be included in a printed publication that will be made available after this class.

Please join us in this opportunity to write, read and imagine the future together.

No writing experience necessary, all are welcome to apply for this class.

Expectations

Participants will:

  • Read and discuss texts written by BIPOC artists, practitioners and sci-fi authors
  • Respond to weekly writing prompts to develop a sci-fi writing practice
  • Engage in group discussions about the prospective impact of science and technology trends as well as social movements that have and will continue to shape the future
  • Practice presenting their work and give feedback to others
  • Contribute to a publication featuring original writings by participants
  • Perform a reading of an original work at a final showcase and publication release

Course of Study

Meet the Teachers

Ashley Jane Lewis (Teacher)
Ashley Jane Lewis is a new media artist with a focus on afrofuturism, bio art, social justice, and speculative design...

carey j. flack (Assistant Teacher)
carey j. flack

Ruha Benjamin (Guest Lecturer + Critic)
Ruha Benjamin is Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University...

Jeffrey Yoo Warren (Guest Lecturer)
Jeffrey Yoo Warren is a Korean-american artist-educator...

Kendra Krueger (Guest Lecturer)
Kendra Krueger is an intersectional scientist, educator, creator, and woman of color...

Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde (Guest Critic)
Ayo is a Nigerian-American artist, designer, anthropologist...

Ryan C. Clarke (Guest Lecturer)
Ryan C. Clarke notices the passage of time through both an oceanographical lens...

This session is organized by Zainab Aliyu, Neta Bomani and Galen Macdonald.

Is this class for me?

  • You're generally interested in foresight, futurism, science fiction, visual narratives, writing, reading, science and technology.
  • You're new to writing and interested in a critical introduction to science fiction.
  • You're curious about the future and passionate about collectively ruminating on the unknown in creative ways.
  • You're an artist, creative practitioner, technologist, and/or person who makes creative projects in their spare time who is interested in integrating writing into said practice.
  • You're specifically interested in developing a writing practice that engages in science and technology from a critical perspective.

Accessibility

Our classes are conducted in spoken English with audiovisual materials such as slides, code examples, and video. Online classes will be held over Zoom. Please contact us with special accessibility requests.

Covid-19 Safety & Precautions

Proof of vaccination dated before July 10th is a requirement to participate in this class. If you are not vaccinated; protect your safety and the safety of others by joining one of our summer online classes.

How do I apply?

Applications are closed.

How much does it cost to attend?

$1200 + Withfriends payment processing fees.

I can’t pay for SFPC. Can I come at a reduced rate, or for free?

If you can’t pay full tuition, we really still want you to apply. Our application will ask you how much you can pay.

What if I can’t go, can I get a refund?

  • Yes, we can give you 100% refund up to 10 days before session starts.
  • 50% refund after 10 days, until the first day of the session.
  • No refunds can be given after the first day of the session.

The School for Poetic Computation is an experimental artist-run school in New York supporting interdisciplinary study in art, code, hardware, and critical theory.