MUSLIM WOMEN AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE FOLK WILL READ FROM THEIR CREATIVE WRITING AND ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION (FREE)

The Mouth of the Sun:

Performance and Discussion

Tuesday, July 7th

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

 

From Arts & Democracy:

Join Arts & Democracy and author Roohi Choudhry for The Mouth of the Sun: Performance and Discussion on Tuesday, July 7th, at The Urbane Arts Club.

 

Listen to new creative writing by Muslim women and gender-expansive folk and join a powerful discussion on harnessing personal stories to create change. 

 

This free event celebrates the 2026 cohort of participants in The Mouth of the Sun, a creative incubator program.

 
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mouth-of-the-sun-performance-and-discussion-tickets-1991510394199 

Location

Urbane Arts Club

1016 Beverley Road

between Coney Island Avenue and Stratford Road

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

UrbaneBrooklyn@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Urbane-Arts-Club-100064234354845/ 

https://www.instagram.com/urbane_brooklyn/

JOIN A CREATIVE INCUBATOR FOR MUSLIM WOMEN AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE FOLK (FREE)

From Arts & Democracy:

The Mouth of the Sun: A creative writing incubator program focused on Muslim women and gender-expansive folk

Harness the power of your own stories and turn them outward to effect change.

Apply to join a talented cohort that will gather in Brooklyn this spring in a safe space to dig deep and write together over a weekend, guided by author and cultural organizer, Roohi Choudhry, a resident of Kensington, Brooklyn.

Over the summer, we’ll curate a public performance and discussion event focused on how to channel personal narrative into a movement. Along the way, you’ll receive one-on-one coaching and feedback.

 

Presented by Arts & Democracy. No fee to apply or participate. All levels of writing experience welcome.

 

Application deadline: March 1, 2026. 

Apply at bit.ly/mouthofthesun

CRAFTING AND WRITING WORKSHOP: STITCHING COMMUNITY: TELLING STORIES THROUGH EMBROIDERY AND WRITING (FREE)

 Stitching Community:

Telling Stories

Through Embroidery and Writing 

Thursday, January 15th

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

From the Kensington Library:

In this workshop, participants will learn traditional kantha running stitch embroidery. Together, we will weave stories about home and belonging with our neighbors.

Embroidery instructor Farida Ruhul [member of the Bangladeshi Ladies Club] and writer Roohi Choudhry will guide us through the first half of the session stitching and chatting together. Afterwards, we will write and share stories. This is a bilingual program open to Bangla and English speakers.

Craft and writing supplies will be provided. All experience levels welcome. Please RSVP in advance!

For more information and to register, go to https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/stitching-community-kensington-library-20260115-0600pm.

 

Location

Kensington Library

4207 18th Avenue

between E. 2nd and E. 3rd streets

Kensington, Brooklyn

(718) 436-0545

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/kensington 

https://www.facebook.com/KensingtonLibraryBPL

WRITING WORKSHOP (FREE)

Writing Workshop

Friday, August 15th 

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Rain Date: Friday, August 22nd

 

From Newkirk Community Garden: 

Join us for a writing workshop inspired by the Newkirk Community Garden!  

In this workshop, you will be guided by several prompts to explore the garden with your senses, your imagination, and your care.  

We will spend the first ten - fifteen minutes of the workshop introducing ourselves, leading into quiet contemplation and observation of the garden. 

The next half hour will be devoted to writing; participants will choose to create a poem, an essay, a short story, a letter to a politician, or any form of writing to communicate the experience of the garden, linking it to community and a sense of place in the world.  

The workshop will be guided by Sherri Machlin, garden member, author,  and a composition instructor and art librarian for CUNY.  

Journals and pens will be provided.  

Location

Newkirk Community Garden

736 E. 8th Street, at Newkirk Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

phone: (347) 903-7297 

https://www.newkirkgarden.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/newkirkcommunitygarden/

https://www.instagram.com/newkirkcommunitygarden/ 

LET'S WRITE TOGETHER: A WRITING WORKSHOP IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN (FREE)

 

Writing Workshop 

Saturday, July 19th

3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

From Micky Shorr:

Micky Shorr will offer a writing workshop in the East Fourth Street Community Garden on July 19 from 3.30-5. 

She’ll offer a writing prompt as a suggestion that people can use. We’ll all write for an allotted amount of time. Then we’ll all be encouraged to share this first draft piece of writing, although there is no requirement. 

Group members will offer feedback about what they liked about what they heard. 

This is not a critique group; all writing genres and levels of experience are welcome.

Micky Shorr, a NY Writers Coalition-trained leader, has facilitated writing groups in public libraries--including the Windsor Terrace branch--both online and in person.

Location

East Fourth Street Community Garden

171 E. 4th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246036418909475

https://eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com

WRITING WORKSHOP IN THE GARDEN (FREE)

Writing Workshop 

Saturday, June 7th

3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Micky Shorr will offer a writing workshop in the East Fourth Street Community Garden on Saturday, June 7th, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Attendees will write together from a prompt that Micky suggests and then be invited to share their work and hear feedback from others about what they liked.

This isn't an editing or critique class, and all levels of writing in any genre are welcome. 

Micky, a NY Writers Coalition-trained leader, has facilitated writing groups in public libraries--including the Windsor Terrace branch--both online and in person.

Location

East Fourth Street Community Garden

171 E. 4th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246036418909475

https://eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com

PERSONAL WRITING: MEMOIR 101 WITH RAX KING

 

Memoir 101 with Rax King

Saturday, November 2 and 9th

noon to 2:00 p.m.

 

From Rax King

sign-ups are now open for my two-day intensive class MEMOIR 101 (11/2 & 11/9) at our very own Hinterlands Bar! in this generative class, we’ll read excerpts from my favorite works together, do several exercises to get you started on your own projects, and talk about the business of selling a memoir. spots are VERY LIMITED to keep the group small and intimate, so sign up today
raxkingisdead.com/classes

The fee is $75 to $100 on a sliding scale. Seating is limited.

 

Location

Hinterlands Bar

739 Church Avenue

between E. 7th and E. 8th streets

Kensington, Brooklyn

(718) 633-0550

hinterlandsbar@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/hinterlandsbar

https://www.instagram.com/hinterlands_bar/?hl=en

 

WORKSHOPS AND LIVE MUSIC FOR OPEN GARDENS NYC ON E. 4TH STREET

 

Open Gardens NYC

Saturday, June 3rd, noon to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 4th,  1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

For this weekend's sixth annual Open Gardens NYC, hundreds of community gardens--including our own East Fourth Street Community Garden--will open their gates to the public for free, outdoor activities and exploration.

 

Start on Saturday afternoon, June 3rd, with writing and bonsai workshops and a pollinator safari. Come back on Sunday afternoon, June 4th, for live music.

 

The garden is celebrating its new solar panel with a ribbon-cutting by special guests, including the Parks Department and elected officials.

 

Saturday, June 3rd

noon: Writing Workshop, "What Nature Tells Us," with gardener Micky Shorr

2:00 p.m.: "Pollinator Safari" using iNaturalist, with the Flatbush Gardener (children are welcome)

4:00 p.m.: "Beautiful Bonsai!" showcase and Q&A, with gardener Eric Boucourt

Sunday, June 4th

1:00 p.m.: Mariachi Nuevo Sol

2:00 p.m.: Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective

3:00 p.m.: Solar Panel Ribbon Cutting with special guests Carlos Martinez, Director of New York City Parks GreenThumb; Max Joel, NY Sun Initiative, NYSERDA; Marty Maher, Brooklyn Borough Commissioner, NYC Parks Department; Shahana Hanif, NYC Councilmember; Robert Carroll, NYS Assemblymember; TR Ludwig, CEO, Brooklyn Solarworks; Justin Green, Executive Director, Big ReUse

3:30 p.m.: Roberto Poveda, Music of the Cuban Troubadour

Location

East Fourth Street Community Garden

179 E. 4th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace - Kensington, Brooklyn

http://eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246036418909475

 

WRITING WORKSHOPS: "LET'S WRITE TOGETHER" (FREE, INDOORS)

Writing Workshop

Monday, December 12th and 19th, 10:30 a.m. to noon

Micky Shorr is leading a series of three writing workshops on Mondays. The series began on December 5th and will continue on December 12th and 19th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Micky, a NY Writers Coalition-trained leader, has facilitated writing groups in public libraries--including the Windsor Terrace branch--both online and in person. 

She will offer a writing prompt for the group, and group members will all write together, using the prompt as a suggestion. 

Members will be asked to share their work, but it is not a requirement. They will offer feedback about what they enjoyed about the writing. This is not a class to teach writing or to critique. All voices are important.

Registration is required. Register at https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/let%E2%80%99s-write-together-windsor-terrace-library-20221212.

Wearing a mask is highly encouraged inside the library.

Location

Windsor Terrace Library

160 E. 5th Street

at the corner of Fort Hamilton Parkway

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 686-9707

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/windsor-terrace

WRITING WORKSHOP (FREE, OUTDOORS)

Writing Workshop

Saturday, July 30th, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

From Micky Shorr:

Community members are invited to participate in a writing workshop at the East 4th Street Community Garden, between Caton Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway, on Saturday, July 30th, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The workshop will be led by Micky Shorr, an NY Writers Coalition-trained leader who has held similar programs at the Windsor Terrace Library and other community organizations. Please join us if you can. Everyone’s voice is important.

Bring paper with you, if you can. Pens will be provided.

Location

East 4th Street Community Garden

171 E. 4th Street

between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246036418909475

https://eastfourthstreetgarden.tumblr.com