Poetry Workshop ft. Doretta Lau & Holly Flauto at The Old Spaghetti Factory

How might windows serve as a dual metaphor—a lens to the outside world and a mirror reflecting the self?

Join acclaimed poets Doretta Lau and Holly Flauto on Thursday, Feb 13 at 6pm for an immersive poetry workshop on perspective, reflection, and transformation, hosted by Upstart & Crow in partnership with the 2025 VMF Winter Arts Festival—Gastown Through the Glass.

The barriers we pass through, both in body and in metaphor, can be destabilizing. But what if we lingered in these midway spaces? In this workshop, participants will create poems based on a series of guided writing activities exploring the self as viewed through glass and frame. Refine your craft, express your creativity, and write in community. 

This free-or-by-donation workshop is designed for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned poet looking to refine your craft or a newcomer curious about exploring the world of poetry. Paper and writing utensils will be provided. Space is limited so please register to reserve your spot!

More about the facilitating poets: 

Doretta Lau started watching horror movies at age nine and sketch comedy at eleven, which was probably why she ended up completing an MFA in Writing at Columbia University. The Atlantic named her short story collection, , as a best book of 2014. The title story was shortlisted for the 2013 Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize. Her forthcoming novel We Are Underlings is about a dysfunctional workplace struggling to open a theme park that celebrates death. She is developing a television show for FX based on this book with Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Eboni Booth.

Holly Flauto lives and writes on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Selilwitulh Nations.  Her book of poetry, , one of CBC Books Best Canadian Poetry of 2024, fills in the blanks of the application for Permanent Residency with a series of memoir-based poems that investigate the implicit biases in the colonial system of boxes and check marks that still seek to categorize "the other" and to harness it in the face of reconciliation. Holly grew up moving between the US and South America; she immigrated to Canada in 2008. Holly teaches writing in the English department at Capilano University.

More about Upstart & Crow:

Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers, readers and stories, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. 

Accessibility: 

This event will be hosted at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown, 53 Water Street, Vancouver. The space is accessible for folks with mobility aids. Please enter through the front doors and ask the staff to direct you to the poetry workshop. Delicious food and beverages from Old Spaghetti Factory will be available for purchase, although this is not a requirement to participate in the workshop.

Host or Publisher Upstart & Crow