Texts, emails, voice notes, comments – much of our daily communication is cursory and efficient. But love may not quite feel at home within such casualness. “To know love, we have to invest time and commitment,” bell hooks wrote in All about love. Love is as love does.
In this free, bilingual workshop, we try to give shape to the ‘love-doing’ by writing a letter. Scribbling and sketching, we search for words and images for that which is left unsaid.
In the first part of the workshop, we read letters from writers and artists as they trace the forms that love can take: queer, platonic, sultry, unrequited, obsessive, uplifting…
In the second part, we pick up a pen and sit down to write our own letter. To whom or to what — that’s up to you. Perhaps you want to write to your mother or your lover; perhaps to your cat, to the moon, to your body, to the world…
What happens to our love when it can express itself? Does the paper coax out thoughts we never dared to speak aloud? Do we sharpen our words, or can our writing suture wounds?
All are welcome! Envelopes and stamps will be provided for those who would like to send their letter. We invite participants to bring a photo or small item that kindles a warm feeling.
The Reading Café is a part of Clublokaal's OPEN HOUSE programme called 'Cafélokaal'. Every Friday, a different community-focused host takes over our café for a small activity or get together. Read more about Cafélokaal here.
Every second Friday of the month, Lea Ter Meulen and Noa Xavier host the reading Café.
Lea lives in Rotterdam and primarily works with numbers during the day, but her heart lies more with letters. She has lent some of her books to Clublokaal because she wants all books to be widely read and discussed. She is interested in (neighbourhood) libraries as places to meet and learn collectively.
Texts, emails, voice notes, comments – much of our daily communication is cursory and efficient. But love may not quite feel at home within such casualness. “To know love, we have to invest time and commitment,” bell hooks wrote in All about love. Love is as love does.
In this free, bilingual workshop, we try to give shape to the ‘love-doing’ by writing a letter. Scribbling and sketching, we search for words and images for that which is left unsaid.
In the first part of the workshop, we read letters from writers and artists as they trace the forms that love can take: queer, platonic, sultry, unrequited, obsessive, uplifting…
In the second part, we pick up a pen and sit down to write our own letter. To whom or to what — that’s up to you. Perhaps you want to write to your mother or your lover; perhaps to your cat, to the moon, to your body, to the world…
What happens to our love when it can express itself? Does the paper coax out thoughts we never dared to speak aloud? Do we sharpen our words, or can our writing suture wounds?
All are welcome! Envelopes and stamps will be provided for those who would like to send their letter. We invite participants to bring a photo or small item that kindles a warm feeling.
The Reading Café is a part of Clublokaal's OPEN HOUSE programme called 'Cafélokaal'. Every Friday, a different community-focused host takes over our café for a small activity or get together. Read more about Cafélokaal here.
Every second Friday of the month, Lea Ter Meulen and Noa Xavier host the reading Café.
Lea lives in Rotterdam and primarily works with numbers during the day, but her heart lies more with letters. She has lent some of her books to Clublokaal because she wants all books to be widely read and discussed. She is interested in (neighbourhood) libraries as places to meet and learn collectively.
Kloosterlaan 138
4811 EE Breda
kloosterlaan138 [at] gmail [dot] com
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Pictures by Hussel Zhu
Illustrations by Ester Venema