April: Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Midweek Feast is a monthly virtual writing workshop hosted by AGCC and sponsored by the Artist At Work in LA County program, using recipes and poems as our inspiration to cook and write together in community.
The famous author Virginia Woolf once said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well—if one has not dined well.” Let’s follow her lead and dine well together while also digging into our imagination on the page!
This monthly series combines two of our favorite things: cooking and writing.
Each month, we’ll be cooking and writing together (virtually on Zoom). Each time, we’ll follow one of the recipes from the anthology Feast: Poetry & Recipes for a Full Seating at Dinner (Black Lawrence Press, 2015). Book purchase is not necessary to participate, however registered attendees will receive a discount code from the publisher. In this anthology, poets share their original poems alongside tried-and-true recipes, from appetizers to full course meals. We’ll be cooking and writing using the recipes and poems as inspiration. All levels welcome!
April will feature a recipe called "Roasted Brussel Sprouts." This is an absolute, easy beginner recipe with just one main ingredient. If you're cooking along with us, feel free to pair with a main course. Join us for a fun and casual midweek feast for both our taste buds and the writer within us.
How It Will Work:
This workshop is free to attend. You will need to sign up for a free Zoom account ahead of time.
Participants who register will receive the recipe ahead of time so they may shop for the ingredients in advance of the workshop if they wish. (NOTE: You do not need to cook in real-time with us, but you can if you want, it is up to you.)
Then, on the day of the workshop, our facilitator will read the poem associated with the recipe and lead us in a casual at-home cooking demonstration and discussion via Zoom. Next, she will give a writing prompt based on the recipe and poem, and we will have time to write.
This is an all-levels cooking and writing class so no experience necessary! Just come to have a good time and hang out with some good food and poetry camaraderie. This workshop is designed to form a link between the nourishment of the body, mind, and soul.
There will be time to share what we have written at the end in a safe and supportive space.
About the Book:
You do not need to purchase the book to participate. However, if you are interested, Feast: Poetry & Recipes for a Full Seating at Dinner can be purchased online. Registered attendees will be provided with a coupon code to purchase.
About the Facilitator:
Nancy Lynée Woo is a poet, community organizer, and 2022 Artists at Work fellow. She has received fellowships from PEN America, the Arts Council for Long Beach, and Idyllwild Writers Week. Her work has been published in The Shore, Tupelo Quarterly, Stirring, Radar Poetry, and other journals and anthologies. Nancy has an MFA in creative writing, poetry, from Antioch University and a BA in sociology/environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz. She has published two chapbooks and a poetry CD. Her work is largely inspired by the magic and power of the natural world. Find her cavorting around Long Beach (Tongva land) in California, and online at nancylyneewoo.com or @fancifulnance on social.
Artists At Work (AAW) is a workforce resilience program designed to support the rebuilding of healthy communities through artistic civic engagement. THE OFFICE performing arts + Film has partnered with the LA County Department of Arts and Culture to implement the AAW initiative in Los Angeles with the goals of supporting local cultural organizations, paying participating artists a living wage, and building healthy communities through partnership. Angels Gate Cultural Center is partnering with Wilmington-based organization SBCC (Strength Based Community Change, information at sbcc.community) and Long Beach Poet/Community Organizer Nancy Lynée Woo, to deliver free and engaging programming to the local communities in the South Bay Port region of Los Angeles. More information about the program is available at www.artists-at-work.org.