Sunday, September 26, 2004
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Queen's Park, Toronto
In the spring of 2004, The Word On The Street Toronto partnered with local adult literacy programs and professional writers to present a series of creative writing workshops for adults who are learning basic reading and writing skills. The goal was to provide an opportunity for creative self-expression while practising writing and editing skills.
Seventy adult literacy learners attended these workshops. Topics included how to describe personal experiences by using basic techniques: description, voice, sequence, dialogue, and truth. Afterwards, the learners were invited to submit a story or poem for publication consideration; hours were spent editing,
refining, and polishing before stories were submitted to the contest. We received one hundred and twenty-one entries.
Learners used basic skills to document their experiences, but also learned to value their own lives as they shared personal events, thoughts, discoveries, and private moments. Choosing only twenty-five for publication was difficult, but the stories published here best captured and held our attention for myriad reasons. Often comical, sometimes sad, even horrifying at times: these stories are astonishingly heartfelt. The language is evocative, and the narrative voices resonate deeply with truth and confidence.
Spend some time with this book. Use it to find out how and where to access literacy resources in your neighbourhood. These programs welcome adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills, as well as people interested in becoming volunteer tutors. Or simply find inspiration in these stories to take up your own 'from self to story' challenge: all you need is some paper, a pen, and that first glimmer of an idea to begin.
ISBN 1-89582