EVENT: Shame on You by Melissa Petro (in Collaboration with Women & Planning)

Generative Writing Session

Date: June 11, 2025

Time: 8:00pm Eastern

Join us on June 11th for a powerful generative writing workshop with Melissa Petro, author of our June pick, Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification — an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Nonfiction Book of the Month.

During this session, we’ll cover Chapter 1 of the book and dive into a guided writing experience designed for all levels. The workshop will explore the connection between storytelling and shame resilience, a core theme in Melissa’s deeply moving memoir.

Melissa brings a unique and courageous voice as a former sex worker and survivor of sexual exploitation and media humiliation. She has helped hundreds of women push through fear and reclaim their stories — many of which have been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Salon, The Washington Post, and more.

No writing experience needed — just bring yourself, your curiosity, and a willingness to explore.

Live Q&A with the Author

Melissa will join us again for a live Q&A as we finish the book together. It’s a special opportunity to connect with the author and reflect on everything we’ve read.

Register

EVENT: Coffee & Conversations with Dr. Petra Doan (in Collaboration with Women & Planning)

Planning without Shame: How to Talk About Topics That Are No Longer Safe to Talk About

Date: June 25
Time: 3:00 PM Eastern

We’re honored to welcome long time LGBTQ and Planning division member Dr. Petra Doan, a leading scholar on gender, space, and culture, as she guides us through the hard conversations planners often avoid.
Together, we’ll explore:

Why LGBTQ+ landmarks and women’s shelters are missing from community plans? How shame has shaped planning practices, from red-light districts to LGBTQ+ enclaves? What it means to be a planner in a time when talking about certain topics feels unsafe

Dr. Doan will share stories from her research and challenge us to reflect on how personal and institutional shame affects how we plan, think, and advocate.

Plus, a special appearance by Melissa Petro, author of Shame on You, who will join us to connect the themes of the book to our work as planners.

Register