​Interdisciplinary and Mindfulness Creative Writing Workshops 

Mindfulness Courses Lab, University of Michigan

With Professor Ramaswamy Mahalingam, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Teaching poetry workshops and approaches to mindfulness and creative writing to undergraduate classes as well as in graduate seminars since 2014.  For one of professor Mahalingam's seminars we asked the graduates to write their abstracts as poems, and we received some excellent poems. The best work was given a prize. One year a student who wrote a rap version of his abstract won the prize. Workshops are ongoing.

Barger Leadership Institute, University of Michigan

January 23, 2019. First poetry workshop with the students of the Mindful Leader Program, Barger Leadership Institute.One of the student's wrote several poems and created a booklet for her final presentation and graduation from the program. 

Curated by Professor Mahalingam. 
Read the 2019 article in Michigan Daily here:
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/campus-life/barger-leadership-institute-hosts-poetry-workshop
This is an ongoing program where I present every year. This year's workshop was on February 11, 2020.

Professor Mahalingam is a professor of psychology, the Director of Barger Leadership Institute, and the Director of the Mindfulness Connections Lab at the University of Michigan. More at: https://lsa.umich.edu/bli/People1/people/RamaswamiMahalingam.html
http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/rams-lab/

Poetry/Creative Writing Workshop for Professor Colleen Seifert, University of Michigan

Annually, I present a poetry workshop for Professor Seifert's Creative Thinking Class in the Psychology Department.

Brownness Project 

A collaboration with professors Aswin Punathambekar, Osman, and Ram Mahalingam, and students from Michigan University and and alum. Workshops and discussions on identity, racism and inter-cultural relations. Upcoming Event: Art iInstallation, panel discussion and reception on April 3, 1-3 pm, Hatcher Graduate Library

Department of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville

The Associate Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs, Angela S. Lindner, invited me to design and teach a series of creative writing workshops for pre-engineering and engineering students (STEPUP Program Creative B and EFT), which culminated in a public performance and reading at the Black Box Theater at UFL, Gainesville, on August 5 & 6, 2015.
http://arts.ufl.edu/in-the-loop/events/poetry-reading-by-zilka-joseph/

Video of STEPUP student performance on Aug 6
http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/02e829e607384d1da4cfd4bb8a26935f1d

Professor Lindner is Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs. 

More information at: http://aa.ufl.edu/about-the-office/staff/dr-angela-lindner/

A collaborative project involving photography, Indian classical dance, prose and poetry held at the Duderstadt Gallery at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from 27th October to 19th November 2009. http://www.artsonearth.org/artsbodies/abcalendar.php#oct30This exhibition has photographs of Kolkata, India, and images of dance mudras from Odissi, a style of Indian classical dance peformed by Sreyashi Dey; prose pieces and poems; and a poetry reading. Versions of it have been presented in several venues in Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia in 2010-12. It is expected to tour other cities in the US in future.

The book version India: A Light Within, is a collection of images by Charlee Brodsky, professor of photograpy at Carnegie Mellon University, and writing by Neem Avashia and Zilka Joseph is available at: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2172109​

​More information about this project and collaborators:

http://charleebrodsky.com/india.html

http://www.srishtidances.com/main/sreyashi.jsp

http://www.srishtidances.com/

http://www.srishtidances.com/main/collaboration.jsp

http://www.jccpgh.org/page/ajm_past_exhibitions

http://http://www.design.cmu.edu/show_news.php?id=304

http://www.sju.edu/news-events/news/gallery-exhibit-brings-exquisite-india-life

 (Photographs used with the permission of Charlee Brodsky)

India: A Light Within, Exhibitions and/or Performances and Readings

Dance: 

An Odissi dance performance by Sreyahsi Dey, with a script written by Zilka Joseph and narrated by professor/ actor/ director Martin Walsh, Residential College, University of Michigan. The script told the story of each piece performed by the dancer and drew on Hindu mythology, the Vedas, the history of dance, and folklore. Performed at UMMA, University of Michigan.

http://www.srishtidances.com/main/sreyashi.jsp 

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/events/eventDetail.asp?ID=1118

http://arts.umich.edu/seen/2010/03/20/preview-angika-sculpture-and-the-dancing-body-today/ 

http://www.narthaki.com/info/rev10/rev876.html 

Duderstadt Gallery, University of Michigan; Copper Colored Mountain Arts (CMARTS), Ann Arbor; American Jewish Museum and the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh; St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia.

http://www.artsonearth.org/artsbodies/abcalendar.php#oct30

​http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/6591284/MI/Ann-Arbor/Copper-Colored-Mountain-Arts-Celebrates-Opening-Weekend-With-Free-Events/Copper-Colored-Mountain-Arts-Opening-Weekend/

Wisdom of the Lotus

Poem by Zilka Joseph, Photographs and Handmade Books by Charlee Brodsky