The Leopold House Environmental Writing Series Presents:
Connecting with the More-Than-Human World
Through Writing with Laura Paskus
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WHEN: July 18th and 19th The workshop will take place from 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM on Saturday, July 18th. Students will have an opportunity to read their works at a public reading at the Leopold House on Sunday, July 19th from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. WHERE: The Historic Aldo Leopold House 135 14th St SW Albuquerque, NM 87104 COST: $140 PER PARTICIPANT Students are required to apply for the workshop. |
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP What is the more-than-human world? How do we as humans connect with rivers, trees, weather, flowers, animals, and the forces of nature all around us (and even within us)? In this workshop, you will explore your relationship with the more-than-human world through writing. You will be writing, and you will be reading some parts of your work aloud so that you can learn about peer- and self-editing. By the end of this six-hour workshop, you'll have written a draft of a prayer, a poem, an essay, or a letter — and learned tools for sustained writing practice. Weather permitting, we'll be writing outside, so please plan to bring a notebook and pens and pencils. If you are comfortable lugging along a laptop that has a fully charged battery, that's okay, too. You will want to wear appropriate clothing and shoes/sneakers, as well as pack sunscreen, a hat, snacks, and water. We'll be having a "working lunch" so bring along a sack lunch (which you can store in the fridge if necessary). Attendance is capped at ten participants because we'll be peer- and self- editing and sharing work through the day — and we want everyone to have a useful experience! |
LAURA PASKUS
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Laura Paskus is a longtime writer and producer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She's the author of At the Precipice: New Mexico’s Changing Climate and editor of Water Bodies: Love Letters to the Most Abundant Substance on Earth.
She has reported on the most important environmental issues of her generation for print, online, radio, and television outlets, and produced “Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future” for eight seasons on New Mexico PBS. She teaches in the University of New Mexico Communication and Journalism Department and is working on a new book about New Mexico’s rivers — and visions for their wild futures. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How would you describe the core theme or takeaway for participants?
People feel helpless and overwhelmed about the crises our planet and communities are facing. I believe that by writing for the public — versus writing for oneself in a journal, for example — people can articulate their love of place in active ways. Some people will want to write poetry they can share aloud. Others might want to report or write effective commentaries. Still others might use their passion and skills for writing to convey their ideas and hopes more effectively to elected leaders, on social media, or in letters to friends and family members.
What genres or forms will the workshop support?
Nonfiction, poetry, letter-writing, essays, commentaries, social media, etc.
What level of writing experience is your workshop best suited for?
Any level, as long as they’re committed!
Are there any materials participants should bring?
Notebooks and pens/pencils or laptops, snacks and water and lunch, hats and sunblock, comfortable clothes and shoes for walking and sitting outside.
How is the class structured?
The class will include an introductory discussion, followed by a series of guided meditations and questions, writing prompts, peer-editing sessions, and group sharing. Prompts will be topical but also related to structure.
People feel helpless and overwhelmed about the crises our planet and communities are facing. I believe that by writing for the public — versus writing for oneself in a journal, for example — people can articulate their love of place in active ways. Some people will want to write poetry they can share aloud. Others might want to report or write effective commentaries. Still others might use their passion and skills for writing to convey their ideas and hopes more effectively to elected leaders, on social media, or in letters to friends and family members.
What genres or forms will the workshop support?
Nonfiction, poetry, letter-writing, essays, commentaries, social media, etc.
What level of writing experience is your workshop best suited for?
Any level, as long as they’re committed!
Are there any materials participants should bring?
Notebooks and pens/pencils or laptops, snacks and water and lunch, hats and sunblock, comfortable clothes and shoes for walking and sitting outside.
How is the class structured?
The class will include an introductory discussion, followed by a series of guided meditations and questions, writing prompts, peer-editing sessions, and group sharing. Prompts will be topical but also related to structure.
About the Environmental Writing Workshop Series
The Leopold House Environmental Writing Workshop Series is designed to support writers in exploring the relationship between storytelling, place, and environmental consciousness. Hosted at the historic Leopold House and surrounding bosque landscape, the series combines generative writing, land-based learning, peer feedback, and public sharing.Where better to write about nature than in Aldo Leopold's home?
Through generative writing, land-based learning, reflection, and guided peer exchange, writers cultivate work that is attentive to both inner and outer landscapes. Alongside local writers (new and established are welcome) participants become part of a creative community shaped by curiosity, care, and environmental awareness.
The series culminates in a public reading and community gathering, offering participants the opportunity to share their work and step into Albuquerque’s wider literary and cultural conversation.
