Meet Your Workshop Lead
Anesce Dremen
Winter 2025 Tiny Resident
Anesce Dremen is a U.S. writer and educator often found with a tea cup in hand, traveling between the U.S., China, and India. She ran away and became estranged from her abusive family to pursue education as a first generation low income college student. Anesce studied in four cities in China with the support of the Critical Language Scholarship and Gilman Scholarship. She was a 2022-2023 Fulbright fellow in India. Anesce’s work has been published by Stillhouse Press, SPAN Magazine, Persephone’s Daughters, and Tea Journey, among others. She is a MFA – Creative Writing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. AnesceDremen.com
The Workshop
How does poetry exist alongside the tradition of tea? Through an immersive overview of the tradition of Chinese tea ceremonies, participants can steep themselves within translations and a brief overview of two thousand years of tea-inspired writing. Participants will appreciate excerpts of the first book written about tea (“The Classic of Tea” Lu Yu), learn about literary traditions of tea, as well as listen to a tea plucking opera (with lyrics in translation). Participants can contrast the workshop to their experience of drinking or preparing tea by brewing the same or their own tea. Using sensory descriptions, participants will then write about tea and have the option to share their writing.
Day by day description:
Day I:
How does poetry exist alongside the tradition of tea? Through an immersive overview of the tradition of Chinese tea ceremonies, participants can steep themselves within the translations and brief overview of two thousand years of tea-inspired poetry. Participants will learn about Shen Nong, oral traditions of tea, and appreciate excerpts of the first book written about tea (“The Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu). The second hour will consist of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony wherein participants are encouraged to brew and sip along (virtually) and will be provided with an interactive creative writing prompt.
Day II:
How does observation, sensory writing, and sacred carnality relate to tea? Participants will learn about the Sequel of Tea, tea plucking opera, and global literary tea traditions. Participants have the option to boil water, brew tea virtually, and write creatively. Time permitting, participants will have the opportunity to share their writing.
Ordering tea!
Optional: Should participants wish to drink the same tea, they may order the Bana 7-Tea Variety Pu-erh Tea Sampler from Bana Tea prior to February 15th.
Feel welcome to substitute if you’re not able to get your hands on this tea in particular!
WHEN & WHERE
Saturday & Sunday March 1 & 2 : 2-4 PM PST / 3-5 PM MST / 5-7 PM EST
The workshop will take place virtually via Zoom. Upon registration, you will be sent the link closer to the event.
REGISTRATION
To bring poetry to the people, we are offering our workshops on a donation basis.
To support our Tiny Resident, we recommend a $25-50 sliding donation.
That said, please feel welcome to pay any amount that you can!
All funds will be used to support Tiny Spoon’s Tiny Residency Program.
Please register here! A Zoom link and more information will be provided before the workshop!
