Moving at the Speed of Compassion: A Writing Lab on Narrative Kinetics with Nicholas Triolo

$110.00

Amid the whirlwind of these times, what’s it mean to let the land, water, and air shape us? What are some practical, creative tools to engage with the speed of this shaping, to grow intimacy with time and motion? And how might peering into the kinetics of language invite us to respond with more resilience, compassion, and creative buoyancy for what’s on the horizon?

In this two-session lab guided by Nicholas Triolo, we’ll explore the power of speed in our writing. We’ll focus on narrative’s guiding pulse: how word choice and rhythm can effectively slow us down to see and savor, or how they can propel, quicken, and jump-start the senses. Because what makes for powerful and embodied narratives is a polaric architecture of both: We need pause and specificity to see the unfolding texture of now, alongside a desire for whiplash, for hearts to race with increasing horsepower, muscles taut and burning as they gallop headlong, peering through watering eyes to conspire with the wind to feel, feel, feel. To be animal. To transform.

How can our writing of home, wayfinding, and spiritual endurance do that? How can it enliven a sense of shared kin with this joy-strange world? In this lab, we’ll combine selections of prose and poetry with short writing exercises to invite each participant into a pilgrimage home—to identify the narrative kinetics that shape our lives. Pulling from a variety of traditions and forms, we’ll explore how language conspires to shape our perception and inspire us to take visionary action for the times ahead. As Dr. Bayo Akomolafe says: “The times are urgent; let us slow down.”

Wednesdays, December 2 & December 9, 2026
12:00-1:30 PM Central Time
Live online

Amid the whirlwind of these times, what’s it mean to let the land, water, and air shape us? What are some practical, creative tools to engage with the speed of this shaping, to grow intimacy with time and motion? And how might peering into the kinetics of language invite us to respond with more resilience, compassion, and creative buoyancy for what’s on the horizon?

In this two-session lab guided by Nicholas Triolo, we’ll explore the power of speed in our writing. We’ll focus on narrative’s guiding pulse: how word choice and rhythm can effectively slow us down to see and savor, or how they can propel, quicken, and jump-start the senses. Because what makes for powerful and embodied narratives is a polaric architecture of both: We need pause and specificity to see the unfolding texture of now, alongside a desire for whiplash, for hearts to race with increasing horsepower, muscles taut and burning as they gallop headlong, peering through watering eyes to conspire with the wind to feel, feel, feel. To be animal. To transform.

How can our writing of home, wayfinding, and spiritual endurance do that? How can it enliven a sense of shared kin with this joy-strange world? In this lab, we’ll combine selections of prose and poetry with short writing exercises to invite each participant into a pilgrimage home—to identify the narrative kinetics that shape our lives. Pulling from a variety of traditions and forms, we’ll explore how language conspires to shape our perception and inspire us to take visionary action for the times ahead. As Dr. Bayo Akomolafe says: “The times are urgent; let us slow down.”

Wednesdays, December 2 & December 9, 2026
12:00-1:30 PM Central Time
Live online

This is a live, participatory lab and it will not be recorded. A meeting link will be emailed a few days prior to the lab. Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to the lab and will be charged a $10 cancellation fee. We offer partial scholarships for our labs. Apply here by November 1.

Nicholas Triolo is a writer, educator, long-distance runner, and editor with over twelve years of experience in the publishing industry. He holds a Master’s of Science in Environmental Studies (Creative Nonfiction) from the University of Montana. Previous editorial roles included editor-in-chief of Camas, digital strategist for Orion, and senior editor for Outside/Trail Runner. He’s currently managing editor for the bioregional storytelling platform, Magic Canoe. Triolo has also been a long-time advocate and organizer for clean water and climate change, and has written and directed two documentary films, “The Crossing” and “Shaped by Fire,” that have been Official Selections for several international film festivals. He collaborated with Salomon on a film, "The Musician," about touring and training Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. Triolo has taught at the University of Montana, Wild Rockies Field Institute, and the Freeflow Institute, and his work is featured in Orion, Outside, The Dark Mountain Project, Terrain.org, Emergence (forthcoming), the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Patagonia’s Dirtbag Diaries, and others. His first book, The Way Around, was published in July 2025, by Milkweed Editions. More at nicholastriolo.net.