Southwest Word Fiesta is pleased to offer a writer’s workshop with author, poet, teacher, and writing guide Catharine Murray at the Tranquilbuzz Casita on Wednesday, March 13th 1:30-2:30 pm. Murray’s workshop titled "Writing to Heal" examines how to combine memory, stress, and story to develop the essential art of self-compassion. 

 She will draw from her work Now You See the Sky (Akashic Books 2018), a memoir about love, motherhood, and loss originating with her experience working in a refugee camp along the banks of the Mekong River. Murray married a local man, had three sons, and was deeply affected by her five-year old son’s cancer diagnosis and eventual loss. 

Murray writes, “We often want to suppress or hide from the painful experiences of our lives. However, it is often these experiences that breed compassion for ourselves and others by increasing our sensitivity and heightening our awareness of environment and psyche. Sometimes it is this very combination that starts us down the path of a writing life. We can use our acute sense of detail and drama to drive the emotional power of our stories.” 

In this hour participants will learn how to examine and express the challenges of the past through writing, bringing more intensity to their stories and more peace to their lives. Murray earned her BA from Harvard University and completed her MFA in creative writing at University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Writing program where she served as Creative Non-fiction Editor for The Stonecoast Review. Murray lectures and leads workshops on healing through writing, listening and trauma-resolution. Her expertise on healing informs her work with healthcare providers, clients and her immigrant and refugee students. 

This workshop is free and open to the public. Space is limited to 10 persons. Register with Ted Presler at presrub@gmail.com  or text only at 575-519-8375.