Kuhu Joshi
Strike Sparks: Summer Creative Writing Workshops
JULY 9 to AUGUST 9, 2025
GROUP 1: Saturdays, 9:30-11:00 AM EST
GROUP 2: Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30 PM EST
Online, LIVE, Small Groups, Recordings available for replay
Price: Sliding scale USD 180 - 320
Enrollment closes July 1. Capped at 12 participants.
ALL ARE WELCOME ♥️
Email strikesparksworkshop@gmail.com
for sign up/details or write to Kuhu here.
Experience
the joy & power
of writing in community
'Strike sparks': To prompt or inspire intense, exciting, or creative energy and ideas while working on something together. The phrase is inspired by Sharon Old's book of poems of the same name.
This creative writing workshop is for you and your writing goals. Each week, we will write, read, talk, and share on a live video call. We will write in response to potent prompts that will get us into generative flow. You will be free to write in any genre you want (poetry or prose or both). You will also be invited to share your work with the group for feedback towards revision. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and stimulating community in which you can access the power of your voice and write the stories (poems or essays) you most need to write. Whether you are working on an ongoing project, looking for inspiration to start a new one, or want to deepen your access and alertness to the craft, this workshop is for you.
About your instructor:
Originally from New Delhi, Kuhu Joshi lives in Astoria, New York, and teaches creative writing at Pace University. She is the author of the award-winning collection My Body Didn't Come Before Me (Speaking Tiger, 2023). Her poems have been published in POETRY, Best New Poets, Four Way Review, Rattle, Memorious, Sho Poetry Journal, and The Yearbook of Indian Poetry, among others. She received her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College where she was a Jane Cooper Poetry Fellow and studied under the mentorship of the poet Marie Howe. Her work has received support from the Academy of American Poets, Napa Valley Writers' Conference, Tin House, Teaching Artist Project, and Vermont Studio Center. Her second manuscript was a finalist for the Black Lawrence Press Immigrant Writing Series and the Walt McDonald Award by Texas Tech University Press. She is also an abstract artist, plant mom, and yogi. You can read more about Kuhu and her work at www.kuhujoshi.com.
Participants come from all walks of life. Previous participants have been:
Secret poets, published writers, corporate professionals, MFA grads, yoga teachers, artists, educators, business owners, techies, PhD scholars, mental health professionals, curious beginners
... and you?
Testimonials from previous participants:
"The Strike Sparks Workshop is an encouraging and supportive place for writers of any genre. Kuhu's warm and encouraging demeanor keeps the focus on the joy and discovery of writing, encouraging a playful and stress free atmosphere. Each meeting is built around a generative writing prompt designed to exercise a wide range of skills and encourage new poem and story ideas. Despite being an online class, Kuhu's workshop model ensures the participants really get to know each other, both on and off the page. It quickly became a community that I trusted and was glad to be a part of. Whether you're a seasoned veteran of writing workshops or new to the world of creative writings, Strike Sparks is a great opportunity, offering something for everyone. " - Andrew F.
"Kuhu is a compassionate, patient teacher who created a safe space for me to look at
my writing experience as a tool for self-exploration and growth through the workshops.
The readings, the prompts, and guided writing exercises were a beautiful selection that
left me feeling elated and ecstatic. My writing journey is enriched by Kuhu’s expertise as
a published poet and teacher of writing. I’d take another workshop with her anytime." - Uma S.
"Kuhu’s class was wonderful! She created an environment where participants shared easily and supportively. Her prompts were well thought out and enjoyable. She is a gifted teacher and a lovely person. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday." - Anonymous review
"Whether you want to write (more) or want to read more, discover different kinds of writing styles, or just the beauty of participating with your own daily life in a more active way (by writing about it) – sometimes sombre, sometimes funny, whacky abstract whichever mood you wake up with – Kuhu’s workshop has done all this for me. It’s enriched my life (though that sounds corny, but is true!) She has taken the pressure off of poetry in a completely fun, non-preachy way, made it accessible, made it joyful, less scary, less serious and so much more approachable as an art form. If you do one thing for your heart, your happiness, even for a sense of adventure, let her workshop be that." - Anuja S.
"I attended several of Kuhu’s generative writing workshops. The prompts were so approachable that I did not want to stop writing, and I still carry all the beautiful writing we read during the sessions with me. Strongly recommend her workshops!" - Anonymous review
"The workshop for me was the perfect way to re-enter the realm of writing and poetry. It was easygoing, engaging and made want to explore my surroundings and thoughts and pen them down. I never knew I can play, dance and arrange my words in such interesting ways- both in my head and on paper. The differences in all our age groups was a bonus as it provided a refreshing variation in the way we expressed ourselves. It was amazing how quickly the workshop became a part of my routine. It is truly a unique concept which is beautifully executed and I would love to experience it again." - Sam J.
Email strikesparksworkshop@gmail.com to sign-up or write to Kuhu here.
My story:
When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. I lived most of my teenage and young-adult life in silence and suffering. It was writing that changed my life. In writing communities, I was able to write what I could never have written in isolation. I was able to find my voice.
I created 'Strike Sparks' because I believe that everyone is a writer, and that includes you. I believe that writing & storytelling are sacred and healing practices, as ancient as human civilization itself. And I believe that the art of writing has the power to transform your life.
- Kuhu
Email strikesparksworkshop@gmail.com to sign-up or write to Kuhu here.