Mission Statement:
A speculative fiction writer guided by principled violence and black radical tradition, Taiwana’s mission is to empower queer, trans, and disabled youth voices with special focus on marginalized youth from the hood, through both her writing and by facilitating storytelling skills for others.
Taiwana performing at Poets & Pints in 2024, photo by Bethany Mae.
Where She Teaches:
Taiwana’s teaching work is largely on pause as she finishes her books though she does have offerings through COMPAS (Minnesota), the Loft Literary Center (Minnesota), and, most importantly, her client list, which you can join by reaching out to her via email. Feel free to contact her to dream up and teach classes for your community (“Contact” tab), check out any upcoming classes and performances at the “Events” tab, or book her exclusive COMPAS offerings here.
Taiwana co-facilitating the End Youth Prisons MN Launch at Open Book, Minneapolis, 2022.
Workshops & Residencies
Alternatives to the Youth Carceral System
An Intro to Abolition Thru Theory, Story, & Creative Writing
Applying Abolition
Contemporary Mythology
Fiction for Social Change
Life After Burnout: Lessons from Abolition & Social Movements
Classes
10th Grade English Language Arts (18 weeks)
Abolitionist Fiction (12 weeks)
Fiction for BIPOC Writers (2 weeks)
First Year Writing 1120: Composition and Research (15 weeks)
Intro to Creative Writing (9 weeks)
Intro to Fiction (18 weeks)
Intro to Poetry & Performance (12 weeks)
Speculative Fiction by Women (6 weeks)
Writing Radically Imaginative Futures (4 weeks)