Catamount Arts

Hometown: A Writing Workshop Series

Where is your hometown? What do the words ‘home’ and ‘hometown’ mean to you? When we ask the question ‘where’s home?,’ are we asking something different than ‘where are you from?’ What’s your impression of the place(s) you call ‘hometown’? How has your hometown shaped you and your loved ones (and hated ones too, perhaps)? How would you introduce it to a stranger, and how would you discuss it differently in front of someone who knows you well? And if you have ever spent time away from it, how did you scrutinize it from a distance? How does the idea of homecoming/homegoing – temporary or permanent – make you feel?

An immigrant himself, Tony Hao has always considered the themes of ‘hometown’ and ‘movement’ core to his creative practice. Over the past few years, as he slowly emerged in the field of literary translation and connected with writers and artists from various places that might be called ‘the margins,’ he has observed many unexpected similarities between people’s hometowns – northeastern Taiwan, rural Georgia, the redwood forests in northern California, and so on – many of which have become throughlines of their oeuvres. 

In this workshop series, Tony hopes to explore the questions that have perturbed yet also inspired him and his colleagues, and will introduce writers to a few niches of contemporary Sinophone literature – as well as the historical and sociocultural moments behind them – through a selection of recent and forthcoming translations. 

Workshops will be presented in twos, with the first focused on reflecting on and writing to prompts based on the selected readings, and the second a casual creative writing session. Students are encouraged to attend all four sessions, but can sign up for individual sessions if doing the whole series is not an option.

Hometown: An Introduction (adults and high school students)

Saturday, January 17, 10-11:30am 

For the first session, we will read “Hometown” 故鄉 by Tong Wei-Ger 童偉格, reflect on our hometowns, and do some writing to a variety of prompts. Participants have the option of signing up for “office hours” to discuss their writing with Tony after the class. Please register at least one week prior to the start of the series so that we can send you the readings in advance. 

Hometown: An Introduction, part 2 (adults and high school students)

Sunday, January 18, 10-11:30am

More writing, based on the reading in the first class. Participants have the option of signing up for “office hours” to discuss their writing with Tony after the class. Please register at least one week prior to the start of the series so that we can send you the readings in advance. 

Homesickness from Afar (adults and high school students)

Saturday, January 24, 10-11:30am 

Readings will include passages from Anti-Gravity 反重力 by Huang Chong-Kai 黃崇凱; participants will dig deeper into their memories and feelings about their hometown through a variety of writing prompts. Participants have the option of signing up for “office hours” to discuss their writing with Tony after the class. Please register at least one week prior to the start of the series so that we can send you the readings in advance. 

Homesickness from Afar, part 2 (adults and high school students)

Sunday, January 25, 10-11:30am

Participants will further reflect on the reading in the previous class and dig deeper into their memories and feelings about their hometown through a variety of writing prompts. Participants have the option of signing up for “office hours” to discuss their writing with Tony after the class. Please register at least one week prior to the start of the series so that we can send you the readings in advance. 

Class fee: Each class session is $15, with a 10% discount for Catamount Arts members and high school students. We are committed to offering quality arts education programming to all, regardless of ability to pay; if you need financial assistance, please contact Anne Campbell at 802-748-2600 ext. 109. 

Tony Hao is a CT-based literary translator and writer, and Catamount Arts’ current 560 Railroad Community Artist. He has translated the work of several writers, including Taiwanese novelist Ton Wei-Ger 童偉格, Chinese essayist and poet Xiao Hai 小海, Taiwanese transgender poet and writer Liu Chen-Chun 劉宸君, and Chinese short story writer Ban Yu 班宇. His works have appeared in Granta, The Georgia Review, and elsewhere. His debut book-length translation Adrift in the South, a memoir by Chinese worker-poet Xiao Hai 小海, is forthcoming in May 2026. His work has been recognized by the Granum Foundation Translation Prize, Art Omi Writers: Translation Lab, the Vermont Studio Center, and others. When he isn’t translating, he runs, cooks, follows sports, and teaches and tutors high school students in creative writing.