Kicked Out - Call for submissions!

Passing the word -- Someone else noted that one needn't be a youth *now* to tell your story. Fell free to forward it on to anyone you think might be interested.

(Forwarded) Call for submissions:

Kicked Out is a new anthology, which uniquely seeks to tell the tales of former queer youth and current queer youth who were forced to leave home because of their sexuality and/or gender identity. This anthology will tell our collective stories of survival, weaving together descriptions of abuse, and homelessness with poignant accounts of the ways in which queer community centers offered sanctuary, and the power and importance of creating our own chosen families in the face of losing everything we have ever known. Kicked Out offers advice and wisdom to the queer youth of today from those who have been in their shoes.

Additionally, it provides the opportunity for readers to get a glimpse into the world of those queer youth who as a result of circumstance have to leave home, while simultaneously shattering the stereotypes of who queer youth are, and what they have the potential to become.

Kicked Out is a collection of stories of those of us who have survived the experiences of having to leave home as minors as a result of our gender and/or sexual identities; and it tells the tales of our queer survival. These are the stories of overcoming obstacles, not simply surviving but thriving in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. Kicked Out will explore the diversity of our experiences across lines race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and geographic region celebrating our differences, and showcases the ways in which they have contributed to our unique experiences.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:
How being forced to leave home as a minor continues to impact your adult life
What happened to you when you left home and how you survived
Words of wisdom for today's homeless queer youth-what you wished someone had told you
Survival through the creation of "chosen family"
Challenges of dealing with CPS or other agencies
Success through adversity- overcoming a troubled past

Submissions should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length and previously unpublished. Submit your piece via e-mail in .doc format to KickedOutAnthology@gmail.com. Multiple submissions per contributor are welcome. Please include a short biography and contact information with your submission. Submissions must be received no later than March 1, 2008; contributors are encouraged to submit early. Rights revert to the authors upon publication. Contributors whose work appears in the anthology will receive TBA free copy(ies) as well as ongoing royalties. Visit us online at www.myspace.com/kickedoutanthology

"Kicked Out" Call for Submissions: Edited by: Sassafras Lowrey*
Publisher: Homofactus Press
Deadline: March 1, 2008

*Sassafras Lowrey is a high femme writer, artist, and activist. Ze was forced to leave home as a teenager after suffering physical violence after coming out as queer. Sassafras found hir way to queer youth organizations and movements, which quite literally saved hir life. As an adult ze has never forgotten the impact those groups had on hir life and has volunteered regularly with the queer youth of today. Sassafras lives with hir partner, two cats and a dog in New York City.
Hir first book "GSA to Marriage: Stories of a Life Lived Queerly" is scheduled for release Summer 2008.

Celebrate the new year with new words! Winter 2008 Workshops Begin Soon -

Transformative writing workshops:
Winter 2008 sessions begin January 7, 8 and 9.

Erotic writing workshops and workshop for survivors of sexual trauma begin soon! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these special topic writing workshops: jennifer@writingourselveshwhole.org.

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~ Transforming our language is one way we transform our lives. ~

~ Visit www.writingourselveswhole.org to register for these special topic writing workshops~

Write Whole-Survivors Write meets Monday evenings beginning January 7.
Open to women survivors of sexual trauma. Gather with other survivors to create new art and new beauty out of your experiences, and deepen your sense of wholeness.

Declaring Our Erotic workshops meet Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings. DOE workshops provide a space to get more comfortable exploring and talking about sexuality and desire, and to become less inhibited in your own writing.

Mixed DOE: Tuesday evenings beginning January 8 - Open to folks of all sexualities and all genders!

Women's DOE, Wednesday mornings beginning January 9 - open to all women!

~note: both "woman" and "survivor" are intended to be self-defined.~

Transform your relationship with your writing and with yourself. Open to folks of all writing abilities!

A few spaces are still available in each workshop. Cost for 8-week workshops is $250. Workshops held in downtown San Francisco, near BART and MUNI. To register, or for more information, visit www.writingourselveswhole.org!

About your facilitator: Jen Cross is a freelance writer and queer incest survivor whose work has been published in numerous anthologies. She's facilitated writing workshops for the past 5 years.