Write Around the World is an annual fundraiser for Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA). The proceeds fund AWA’s social justice programs. Every May,  trained writing facilitators volunteer to offer workshops. The goal is to reach those who may not be familiar with AWA’s supportive writing method. On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10 a.m. (EDT), I will be co-facilitating a two-hour workshop with Francine Diodati. We will be online via Zoom.

Francine is a poet. She’s also a caregiver, both in her healthcare day job and at home with her special needs child. Our workshop is part of AWA’s Caregiver Project. The AWA has been working to harness the Power of Story in its workshop series, and The Caregiver Project is part of that work.

Safety and Connection

Together, Francine and I hope to offer a safe space for caregivers, both family caregivers and professional caregivers. We hope to create a space in which they can connect and write with peers. The writing may not specifically be about caregiving, but it will likely express the joys and challenges in a caregiver’s life.  The groups are not intended to be therapy, but they can be therapeutic.

In Francine’s words, “[I]n having your writing listened to, and in … bearing witness to the writing of others on a similar path, you will affirm that you are not alone on your caregiver journey.”

Specific Details

Writers of all levels are welcome, including those who have not written before. The group will be capped at 8 participants. Information about other caregiver workshops will be provided for interested participants.

Requested donations range from $0 to $30. You can sign up for our workshop here. The full schedule of WAW events can be found at the AmherstWriters.org website here.