In this workshop we will explore ways in which we can approach writing about food, and how food, the senses, and memory, are inextricably linked. We will do a guided exercise, experiment with prompts to generate new work, and discuss techniques as I offer comments and guidelines. Sharing is encouraged to make the most out of this workshop! A handout of reading material will be provided.

Zilka Joseph was born in Mumbai, lived in Kolkata, and now lives in Michigan. Her work is influenced by Indian and Western cultures, and her Bene Israel roots. Her work has appeared in journals such as Poetry Magazine, Kenyon Review Online, Asian Literary Review, The Bombay Literary Review, as well as several international anthologies. She was nominated for awards such as Pen America and Pushcart, has been interviewed on NPR/Michigan Radio, and podcasts such as Rattlecast, Rivkush, and Culturico. Her chapbook Sparrows and Dust won a Notable Best Indie Book Award and was Notable Asian American Poetry Book. Her books Sharp Blue Search of Flame and In Our Beautiful Bones were Foreword INDIES prize finalists. The University of Michigan awarded her a Zell Fellowship, the Michael Gutterman prize, and the Elsie Choy Lee Scholarship. Sweet Malida, her new collection of poems and prose, was published in the US in February, 2024. An international edition will be published in India in November. Currently, she is a creative writing coach, a manuscript advisor, and a mentor to writers in her community. www.zilkajoseph.com