Calling all would be alchemists, mad scientists, and wizards! When we begin to combine words, a limitless number of creations become possible and there is an endless supply of language already out in the world, ready to be collected. We will treat this workshop as a laboratory for mixing up new, strange, delightful, frightening, and wonderful creations from a wide variety of unlikely sources. Each week, students will be assigned to search for “raw materials” (drawn from history, literature, nature, science, pop culture, fine arts, and more) to bring to the next class for experimentation. We will process, refine, assemble, deconstruct, and reassemble these materials into stories, poems, essays, and whatever else our creative brains decide to make. The goal is to make new writing, learn revision skills, and hone our ability to listen carefully to the world of language around us.