Class Description

This generative writing workshop invites creative writers to explore the human body in motion—on the field, on the stage, in the studio, on the trail, or anywhere else where movement becomes meaning. Together, we’ll read short works across genres that capture moments of athleticism, dance, ritual, recovery, resistance, and everyday physical grace. Through guided prompts and in-class exercises, we’ll practice putting motion into language: not just what the body does, but how it feels, what it expresses, and what it remembers. We’ll explore how writing can illuminate the relationship between body and mind, technique and instinct, effort and flow. Each week, participants will generate new writing in response to a particular theme or mode of movement. We’ll also make space to reflect on our own bodily histories and sensibilities—and how these shape the stories we tell. Writers of all levels and genres are welcome. Whether you’re working in memoir, poetry, fiction, or hybrid forms, this course offers space to expand your language of the body and deepen your creative practice. YAGO COLÁS is a former professor of literature and writing. Today he lives in Easthampton, where he drives part-time for Uber and Lyft. A recipient of a Mass Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals, He has authored several books of non-fiction, including Crooked Roads, a memoir — initially composed using chance methods — chronicling the transformative encounters he has had while conversing with the strangers he drives. WHAT STUDENTS SAY: "Yago was an excellent instructor, and he developed very interesting tools and curricula for us. I benefitted from trying something new and looking at my writing through different lenses to get unstuck." - Heather F. "Yago is a skilled educator/instructor/facilitator. It is uncommon to find someone with his combination of expertise and heart." -Diana M.