The Unsaid: Writing Through Silence, Secrecy, and Omission

Some stories and poems are shaped as much by what remains unsaid as by what is spoken.

In this two-part generative workshop for poets, fiction writers, memoirists, and hybrid writers, we’ll explore how silence, omission, secrecy, emotional restraint, and gaps in knowledge can create tension, complexity, and resonance on the page. Through readings, discussion, prompts, and in-class writing, participants will examine how writers use absence as a craft tool and how family secrets, cultural silences, missing histories, and unanswered questions can become powerful literary material.

We’ll read and discuss work by writers such as Yusef Komunyakaa, Natasha Trethewey, Agha Shahid Ali, Lucille Clifton, Eduardo C. Corral, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alexander Chee, James Baldwin, Akwaeke Emezi, and Jesmyn Ward.

The first session will focus on silence as craft, emotional restraint, and writing around what cannot be directly said. The second session will explore revision strategies, omission as a source of tension and meaning, and will conclude with a supportive sharing session for both poetry and prose writers.

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