Do you still think about your favorite restaurant that closed, or the old building that disappeared? Ever wonder what became of a neighbor who used to live just around the corner? In the city, the only constant is change — places close, people move, the skyline shifts, even the shoreline is disappearing

The Send Off is a celebration to remember the places, people, and moments we’ve lost here. Whether you’ve just arrived or have spent your entire life in the city, this one-day workshop is a chance to honor what’s gone. Together, we’ll remember, write, and share stories — giving each subject the goodbye it deserves.

We’ll start with prompts and memory exercises to spark vivid recollections, then use generative writing techniques to shape these memories into short tributes. Each participant will choose one subject to focus on, develop it into a brief written piece, and select a single image to accompany it. In the final hour, we’ll share our send-offs with the group through short, informal presentations — part storytelling, part performance, part celebration. You’ll leave with your words spoken into the air and a shared visual tribute to mark the occasion.

• Practice intentional remembrance
• Be introduced to generative writing techniques
• Strengthen oral storytelling skills
• Explore memory as a communal act
• Create a visual artifact of remembrance

Introduction & Walking Conversation

We’ll begin with a short, gentle guided walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, we’ll talk about memory, change, and the city as a living archive, setting the tone for the day’s work.

Generative Writing Exercises

Back at our meeting space, we’ll dive into prompts and the I Remember exercise to spark vivid recollections and sensory details about what’s gone.

Focused Writing Time

You’ll choose one place, person, or moment to focus on and shape into a short tribute. This is your time to write, refine, and prepare your words for sharing.

Class Presentations

Each participant will share their send-off aloud from memory, accompanied by a single chosen image in our collective slideshow. Part storytelling, part performance, part celebration.

Alex Wolfe is a writer and artist from Iowa. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, and his work is held in the collections of the New York Public Library and the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection. He is the former editor of Pedestrian, a magazine for people who like to walk, and his projects have been featured in Grist, Untapped Journal, and NPR.

He has led workshops and guest lectured for Princeton University, the Swiss Institute, the Municipal Art Society of New York, and Parsons School of Design. He writes the newsletter Pedestrian and is currently at work on his debut novel, Repeater.

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