-Sheyla Miranda, Doctor in Literature, writer and translator
About The Writing Lab
“To Professor Marilia Librandi, for her Lab, a radical exercise in freedom, I want to say, once again, that my participation in the Lab, back when everything was stuck or seemed completely lost, offered me a kind of opening, or a path, or a listening and a voice at the same time. And for that I thank you very much. Long live to the LAB and your listening ear!”
Two words–freedom and confidence–define our writing practice.
At the Lab, you learn to face the fear of writing and perfectionism. You learn to recognize the voices of internal censorship that impede your creative force. You learn how your mind works and create the discipline needed to offer the world your expression. And you listen to your voice reverberating in your text.
In each session, prompts guide your writing. We use focused description, narrative braids, free association, imagery, Tarot cards, I Ching hexagrams, photos and other elements to inspire your writing.
The Lab results from Dr. Librandi’s long-term study on Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, the form of the novel, Clarice Lispector’s texts, and Librandi’s book Writing by Ear, together with Soto Zen meditation, her love for texts and books and a firm belief that writing is for everyone – as a form of self-knowledge, creation and interaction.
Authors such as Natalie Goldberg, Clarice Lispector, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, Lidia Yuknavitch, Allen Ginsberg, Gertrude Stein, Ocean Vuong, Ursula Le Guin, Mario Bellatin, Adriana Lisboa, Tatiana Salem Levy, among many others, are part of our Writing Lab practice.
“To Marilia Librandi: Whose writing-listening method helped me find the tone of my writing and learn to listen to myself.”
-Rodrigo Quintella Messina, archictect and writer