Description
Welcome to Button University!
Sign up today for Najya Williams’ 2026 Multi-Week Workshop!
Author of ON A DATE WITH DISAPPOINTMENT
Coloring Outside the Margins: Language as a Place of Struggle
“The oppressed struggle in language to recover ourselves, to reconcile, to reunite, to renew. Our words are not without meaning, they are an action, a resistance. Language is also a place of struggle.” – bell hooks, “Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness”
In this series, we will examine short articles, plays/monologues, poetry, and academic texts to identify how we can identify the boundaries we place upon ourselves, the boundaries society places upon us, and the ways in which we can work “outside those margins” in a manner that will elevate our thinking and overall ability as literary artists.
Each session will open with a warm up activity that all participants will be invited to share or reflect upon. Afterwards, the workshop will be divided into two parts: “Conceptual” and “Craft.” During the “Conceptual” component, the instructor will facilitate a group discussion about the higher-level takeaways from the week’s readings and how they can be used to aid in tackling the subjects and issues we struggle with most in our writing. During the “Craft” component, the instructor will guide the students through interdisciplinary exercises that push against traditional writing conventions, which will include audio journaling, story sketching, and breaking form. Each week, participants should come to class prepared to discuss the week’s reading and complete all in-class activities. By the end of the complete series, all participants will complete the first draft of a short writing project, as well as possess new craft and conceptual tools to employ in their future endeavors. This course is open to all with any level of writing experience, with priority for those who are Black women, femmes, and non-binary folks.
Have questions? Visit the Button Workshop FAQ page or contact support@buttonpoetry.com
About Najya Williams
Najya A. Williams (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist who floats along the U.S. East Coast. She graduated from Harvard College and is a 2025 M.D. and Narrative Medicine Program Graduate from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Temple… MORE