Where We Come From: Writing Your Ethnoautobiography – Fall 2025
Explore sacred storytelling with Where We Come From, an immersive ethnoautobiography program offered through Urban Haiku. Join co-facilitators Ella deCastro Baron, G. Ravyn Stanfield, and Anya Pearson in a six-session journey toward ancestral truth, personal healing, and creative reclamation. This space is crafted for BIPOC writers, storytellers, and truth-seekers to co-create new narratives rooted in body, place, ancestry, and communal justice. Instagram+10We Are Urban Haiku+10elladecastrobaron.com+10
🌿 What Is Ethnoautobiography?
Ethnoautobiography is storytelling grounded in ancestry, identity, and decolonial practice. It resists dominant narratives by centering lived experiences and ancestral wisdom. Through this practice, you explore your personal and communal narrative—the harm, inheritance, and the potential for repair.
This practice is deeply informed by the work of Jürgen W. Kremer and Leny Mendoza Strobel, and rooted in a tradition of radical presence and restorative storytelling.
🔄 Program Structure
Community Practice via Zoom
Six bi‑weekly Tuesdays from 5:00–7:00 p.m. PST / 8:00–10:00 p.m. EST, beginning Fall 2025
Live, generative sessions co-led by Ella, Ravyn, and Anya
Sessions are recorded for those who cannot attend live
Interactive Discord Space
A friendly space for sharing writing, reflections, and community support
No hierarchical critique—just heartfelt exchanges in an inclusive space
Final Closing Circle
A celebratory gathering after the six sessions to honor collective writing, remembrance, and repair
🌀 Themes by Session
Each session centers a healing narrative portal:
Embodied Place: Write with embodied sense of belonging
Body: Listen to story within your physical self
Seasons: Move through life's natural rhythms
Story: Shape narrative truth as creative medicine
Ancestry: Access lineage of blood, spirit, and chosen family
Justice & Repair: Acknowledge harm and envision healing
Celebration: Gather in communal closure and renewal
💡 Why Join This Workshop?
Anti-MFA, anti-normative pedagogy: Rooted in decolonial, anti-racist feedback and creative models
Embodied & community-activated storytelling: Fosters neurogenesis, dismantles systems of white supremacy, and nurtures ethical creative practice
Healing through truth-telling: Write ancestral or chosen narratives with integrity, reflection, and ceremony
🙌 Access & Equity: JEDI-Sliding Scale
A foundational commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) shapes determination of tuition:
$550–600: Financially stable; choosing this tier supports scholarship spots
$500–550: Moderate financial access with some debt or constraints
Below $500: Limited financial resources; discussions available for solidarity pricing
Short application required to ensure mutual readiness and fit
✅ Conclusion
Where We Come From invites you into an intentional creative community to reclaim ancestral voices through embodied writing and decolonial truth. Facilitated by Ella deCastro Baron, Ravyn Stanfield, and Anya Pearson, this workshop nurtures ancestral storytelling, somatic presence, and collective healing as creative praxis. If you’re longing for generative, justice-rooted storytelling—this circle awaits.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who should attend?
A: BIPOC writers, storytellers, and seekers committed to decolonizing their narrative and ancestral understanding.
Q: What if I miss a live session?
A: All sessions are recorded and shared for later viewing and reflection.
Q: Is previous writing experience required?
A: No—this space welcomes beginner, emerging, and experienced writers alike.
Q: What platform is used for the course?
A: Live Zoom sessions plus an optional Discord community for sharing and connection.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Visit Urban Haiku’s course page and complete the short application to explore mutual fit and readiness.
🖊️ Apply & Learn More: Where We Come From – Writing Your Ethnoautobiography
