The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “The Intersection of
Religion and Mental Health in Poetry,” a workshop led by Maya Williams on Wednesday,
November 12th from 6:00-7:30 PM EST. This event will be held over Zoom. Participants can
access the event at tiny.utk.edu/sundress (password: safta).
Regardless of the religious, nonreligious, irreligious, or spiritual worldview we identify with, the culture of religion continues to be an influence on people’s mental health. We
will look at poetry by Adrienne Novy, Eugenia Leigh, and Maya Williams to learn how
suicidality, spiritual bypassing, and religious related trauma in poetics can impact us. We will
also make time to write in response to prompts inspired by the poems.
While there is no fee to participate in this workshop, those who are able and appreciative may
make donations directly to Maya Williams via Venmo: @MayaWilliams16.
Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as Portland, ME’s seventh poet laureate for a July 2021 to July 2024 term. Eir debut poetry collection, Judas & Suicide (Game Over Books, 2023), was selected as a finalist for a New England Book Award. Their second poetry collection, Refused a Second Date (Harbor Editions, 2023), was selected as a finalist for a Maine Literary Award. Their third poetry collection, What’s So Wrong with a Pity Party Anyway?, was selected as one of four winners of Garden Party Collective’s chapbook prize in 2024.
This event is brought to you by a grant provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
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