Have you ever wanted to write about a relationship where there are many unknown details, but you still feel compelled to explore it? In this class, we will look at examples from Off-Assignment's "Letter to a Stranger" series, and then embark on writing our own letters to strangers who've imprinted on our memory. You'll have time to share with peers before class ends.

NEEMA AVASHIA is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and was born and raised in southern West Virginia. She has been an educator and activist in the Boston Public Schools since 2003, and was named a City of Boston Educator of the Year in 2013. Her first book, Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place, was published by West Virginia University Press in March 2022. It has been called “A timely collection that begins to fill the gap in literature focused mainly on the white male experience” by Ms. Magazine, and “A graceful exploration of identity, community, and contradictions,” by Scalawag. The book was named Best LGBTQ Memoir of 2022 by BookRiot, was one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022, and was a finalist for the New England Book Award, the Weatherford Award, and the the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Boston with her partner, Laura, and her daughter, Kahani.