Writing Workshop ⟡ Women & Body Horror ⟡ Beginner-Friendly ⟡ Siya & Caroline

Welcome to READ—WRITE—REMIX: a reading club + creative writing workshop + social hour! We read an interesting article, poem, or story, talk about it together, and write about it for 15 minutes. We then "remix" our thoughts by discussing anything we want to share. Then we write for another 15! And after that, we just hang out and chat ☺️🫶🏼📝

In this way, we come to deepen our understanding of the text, ourselves, and each other.

Join us for a beginner-friendly writing workshop featuring works by Austin writers Caroline Costello and Siya Asatkar, as well as an excerpt from Carmen Maria Machado's short story, 'The Husband Stitch.'

All three of these works investigate what horror means in the context of the female body, so prepare for a nuanced—and slightly disturbing—discussion!

Please find our six-page reading packet linked here and read all three works in advance of our Wednesday discussion.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sPrZQiKjw2kFETlqOIQucLEQvKANGn07Lyov1CUoAAs/edit?usp=sharing

Highlighting Emerging Austin Writers

In line with our June-July theme of "The City," this writing workshop is part of a series built around supporting young and emerging Austin writers. This is one of the very first events presenting Siya Asatkar and Caroline Costello's literary work to the public. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

Our Theme for June & July: The City

Every 1-3 months, our group chooses a special theme to explore in our events. This writing workshop is part of our June-July session on "The City." How do we make the decision that it's worthwhile to live or leave somewhere? What does our city owe us and what do we owe it back? What does it mean to "Keep Austin Weird"? How do art and literature expand or limit our sense of civic possibilities? What new kinds of cities and city life can we imagine? And how will we know when this city has become ours?
These are some of the questions we hope to investigate this month, while offering Austinites a creative home in our own arts & humanities community.

About Us

This group is a project by Difficult Friends, a community-run arts & humanities club: Website ⟡ Instagram

We empower Austinites to tackle Difficult ideas and projects.
Our core values are:

1. creative growth,
2. intellectual challenge,
3. human connection, and
4. civic imagination.

Our events are designed as fun intellectual workouts and creative experiments. We host workshops and discussions that push Austin residents to think harder thoughts, make cooler stuff, and connect more deeply across their human differences.

This is not an organization for the faint of heart. As our name suggests, we take pride in being Difficult Friends and in confronting Difficult challenges.

Meaning is Difficult! Embrace the Difficult!

About Your Hosts

Caroline Costello is a speculative fiction writer in Austin. She has a professional background in editing and copywriting, but prefers writing short stories. Her work is framed by dark humor and explores religious and philosophical themes, and the absurdity of the human experience. She enjoys drinking red wine and rescuing large dogs.

Siya Asatkar was born in Austin and never left. She loves to read and hesitates to write. When she does write, she hopes for her stories to communicate the truth and beauty of a bygone era. A few of her favorite authors are Flaubert, Céline, and Baldassare Castiglione.

Statement of Welcome & Inclusivity

Here at Difficult Friends, we believe everybody can be Difficult. ;-)

Difficult Friends is an inclusive community space, and we particularly seek to protect and welcome our LGBTQIA+, queer, transgender, and nonbinary members. Event attendees may be asked to share their preferred pronouns and will be asked to respect the preferred pronouns shared by other participants. Women, immigrants, people of color, religious minorities, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent folks seeking a diverse community are also especially encouraged to attend!

Photography Policy
The event organizers of this meetup may take photos or videos of our events. By attending this event, you consent to being filmed and photographed. (If it’s Rachel, don’t worry - she will airbrush any blemishes & imperfections xoxo)!