Student Testimonials from Writing Classes
“As our instructor for Writing the Speculative Diaspora, Kyla-Yen created such a generous and welcoming space for our class to learn and create together. They made it easy for us to converse and connect with each other through discussion, and especially through a final prompt that encouraged us to collaborate in a way that was generative and so fun. They brought a playful spirit to the class with a packet presentation that had been arranged across screencaps from Studio Ghibli films (who doesn't love a little sprinkling of magic?) and a deep knowledge of speculative and diasporic that elevated the class without any judgement for folks who were grappling with some of the thoughtfully presented questions for the first time.”
- Michelle Ajodah, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“The class was so wonderful and generative! Kyla-Yến facilitated a thoughtful and caring space. We shared our thoughts, our writings, and our own experiences throughout. All of the excerpts Kyla-Yến brought for us came from a variety of writers/poets that all spoke to each other so beautifully and I keep returning to even after the workshop. The prompts also are ones that I loved and felt inspired by, and that everyone in the class came up with such beautiful responses to. Thank you again, Kyla-Yến!”
- Morgan J. Sammut, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“The class on writing the speculative diaspora was such a wonderful way to come back to writing after experiencing a drought. Kyla-Yen created a really wonderful, open space -- with the class guidelines, writing prompts, and readings from diasporic authors -- and my fellow students brought so much of themselves to the class so we were able to spark thoughts off each other in a beautiful way. In particular, I'm going to carry the concept of the ‘speculative truth/lie’ with me into my writing going forward as a way to open up a challenging story for myself.”
- Puck Malamud, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“Writing the Speculative Diaspora was a transformative experience. Kyla-Yến created a space filled with care, imagination, and belonging that encouraged me to expand as a Vietnamese-American diasporic artist. This course not only deepened my own creative practice but also opened my eyes to how spaciousness can be extended to others, across and beyond our shared identities.”
- Karin Hạnh, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“Thank you so much Kyla-Yen for an informed, creative, and generative discussion around speculative diaspora. You have an ease and comfort that blends with your spark for writing and gives meaning to people's stories that made me want to attend many more of your workshops. Thank you!”
- Sam Stephan, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“Kyla-Yen shares a hand-picked selection of quotes, discussion prompts, and exercises that encourage students to find the best ways to tell their own diaspora stories through collaboration and dreaming.”
- Cole Pragides, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”
“Thank you Kyla-Yến for leading the class on writing the speculative diaspora. I feel more grounded in my story and excited for more classes. This was my first writing class and [it] had inspired me to write more.”
- Shalomel Jatau, “Writing the Speculative Diaspora”