18
CAPITOL BUILDING WORKSHOPS
Mothers Writing:
Meander Maps
with Catherine
Simone Gray
STATE CAPITOL 202
Creative Writing
Workshop with USM
STATE CAPITOL 202
presented by University of Southern
Mississippi Center for Writers
Building Characters
& Building Worlds
with Liz Egan
STATE CAPITOL 202
presented by The McMullan / O’Connor
Fund; Millsaps College
In this workshop for mothers and caregivers,
we will seek inspiration from the Mississippi River,
full of ever-changing twists and loops.
What can the River’s pathways across time teach us
about our own mothering journeys and who we are
in this season? Let’s get curious together on the page.
• Catherine Simone Gray – Proud Flesh: A Memoir of Motherhood,
Intimate Violence, and Reclaiming Pleasure (2025)
Transforming Lives:
The Impact of Prison
Book Clubs on
Incarcerated Individuals
STATE CAPITOL 202
presented by Mississippi Humanities Council
Mississippi Humanities Council Prison Book Clubs
have been called a transformative experience, offering
incarcerated men and women a chance to move beyond
merely existing to truly engaging with life, despite the
limitations of their environment. These clubs create
a safe space for sharing ideas, broadening perspectives
and building positive connections. Join us to hear
firsthand from book club members and facilitators
about how participating in a book club can profoundly
impact life behind bars.
Take the road less traveled in this writing workshop
led by graduate students from the University of Southern
Mississippi’s Center for Writers.
Nature versus nurture isn’t just a question for scientists
in this workshop. Explore the ways character and setting
are interconnected and how to use those connections as
tools to build characters that leap off the page and define
settings to showcase them. Appropriate for all ages.
• Liz Egan
9:30 am
12:00 pm
10:45 am
1:30 pm
4:00 pm
1000 Words Workshop
with Jami Attenberg
STATE CAPITOL 202
What does it take to lead a creative life every day?
This workshop will share ideas and perspectives
for putting your own creativity first and include a talk,
writing prompts with a group write-along, and a Q&A.
• Jami Attenberg – 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying
Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round