Ten years ago The Writing Workshop KC (WWKC) was formed in the psyche of Poet Jen Harris. She dreamed about what it would be like to have a community of writers gather and share drafts of unpublished work in order to become aggressively vulnerable. In 2019, Harris decided to make that dream a reality and held the first class at Our Daily Nada in the River Market. Over the years this community has grown in size and locations. Currently, The WWKC is being hosted on Tuesday nights through Zoom and Wednesday nights in person at Three Bees Pottery and Coffee shop in Kansas. 

She shared with me the reason behind starting WWKC, “We are fostering the kind of people we want to be by being that to other people. I needed this community, so I made it.” And then she shared with me the how, how her therapist was the one that told her to start this community of writers. As she told me this I was a little taken back because the reason why I sought out going to one of her classes was because my therapist encouraged me to start writing. Our leaders in the mental health space, both encouraged us to write and surround ourselves with other like-minded people. This observation seems simple but when you stare at it in the face, it is profound. They are teaching us that suffering and pain can be released from your body if you give it a device to exit. The WWKC is a space where you can put that device to work and release what needs to go. Every week there are smiles, tears, laughs, roars, whispers, hymns, and peace being pulled out of the people. It is one of my weekly pleasures to witness. To learn more about this workshop and how you could join, visit here. 

Not only is Harris the founder, host, and leader of WWKC but she also provides one-on-one instruction for people needing guidance on writing a book. Her clients call her, The Book Doula. I have personally heard from people that she is tough, honest, and direct with feedback but in the end it always helps elevate the work. She also has published three poetry books and is currently working on her fourth that may be coming out in 2024. I have read all her books (some multiple times) and each time I read or hear her work, the imagery around verbs and actions takes me into a new world that I have never seen before. My advice would be to experience this writing yourself and purchase your copies – that way you’ll really be able to see why they call her , The Book Doula.