In our current social-political climate where books are being banned, people are being censored, labor is being replaced by artificial intelligence, and archives are being erased, cultivating ways to come together and craft sustainable bonds in our work is as urgent as ever. As people with marginalized identities, how can we effectively and creatively acknowledge the peoples and histories that come together in our writing and art? Pushing against the infamous quotation that “creativity is hiding your sources,” this craft seminar will explore creative ways to cite our sources and highlight the work of those who came before us. In this way, citation can be an intimate practice, an artistic endeavor, and an open field that combines play and study.
Together we’ll explore and draw inspiration from authors like Sara Ahmed, Christina Sharpe, Danez Smith, Eve Ewing, Anthony Cody, and Paul Hlava Ceballos. This craft seminar is open for all genres of writers and ultimately aims to consider creative approaches to reference so that we may craft notes and seedlings to take back into our writing projects.
This craft seminar is part of the 2026 Queer Creatives Fest. Queer Creatives Fest is open to writers of all genres and creatives of all types who identify as members of LGBTQIA+ communities. We also welcome folks who are questioning their gender or sexual orientation and those who are in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities. Our intention is to center LGBTQIA+ people at the Fest.
