Cross Border Literature Class at Cal State University Channel Islands - Papermaking

It was an honor to return to Cal State University Channel Islands this week for a workshop with their Cross Border Literature class. These students were an incredible group studying works in both English and Spanish that center on life in borderlands. 

For the workshop, we brainstormed, discussed, wrote, and worked with clothing collected from the border.

Our main project was creating paper using recycled pieces of paper and tiny scraps of fabric from the border. Hilariously, we held this wet, messy, and loud process in their campus library. Good thing we had tarps! Students used traditional handmade paper-making techniques to craft sheets of colorful paper.

We also spent time thinking about what kinds of letters, stories, or drawings would appropriately grace these pages. Students spent time writing in English and Spanish about their experiences with the border, experiences of being outsiders, and ideas about patriotism. 

Many thanks to professor Margarita Lopez Lopez and Director of Community Engagement Pilar Pacheco of CSUCI for making this possible.