Writing Workshops

Stories of NYC: Writing the Asian Diaspora with Bushra Rehman

$345

4 Sessions

In stock

Once a week Tuesdays, 7:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT September 15 to October 6, 2026

Online via Zoom

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In Stories of NYC, we will delve into the ways New York City has inspired writers of the Asian diaspora, consider how the culture of NYC itself has been shaped by Asian diasporas from around the world, and write our own stories inspired by these authors.

Each week, we will focus on a different set of readings by writers in multiple genres, including Ocean Vuong, Hala Alyan, Kazim Ali, Staceyann Chin, Akwaeke Emezi, Ishle Yi Park, Rajiv Mohabir, Fatimah Asghar, Suheir Hammad, Kay Ulanday Barrett, Patricia Park, E. J. Koh, among others. Participants will then engage in a range of exercises and learn tools and techniques for breaking through writing blocks to write stories that take place in any location in the world.

Teaching Style: As a teaching artist with over 25 years of experience, I bring a joyful approach to teaching. Students will engage in a variety of readings and writing exercises inspired by Asian American and diasporic writers who used NYC as an inspiration.

Level: All Levels

This course is held online via Zoom.

We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for our Reading Groups and Writing Workshops, covering 50% of tuition. Applicants selected for scholarships will be notified one week prior to the first meeting. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.

Led by

Bushra Rehman’s

Bushra Rehman’s

Bushra Rehman’s novel Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion, a modern classic about being Muslim and queer was noted as a Best Book and Editor’s Choice by the New Yorker, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, among others. Rehman’s co-editor of Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism and author of the poetry collection Marianna’s Beauty Salon and the novel Corona, chosen by the NY Public Library as one of its favorite books about NYC. She was awarded the Queens Public Library Award in 2024. Rehman has led writing workshops for Poet’s House, Teachers & Writers Collaborative, and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. She created and facilitates the community-based workshop Two Truths and a Lie: Writing Memoir and Autobiographical Fiction.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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