The Sentences That Create Us
Time: Jan. 30, 2026, 9:30 a.m. - noon
Location: 304 Tolley Humanities Building
Part of the Syracuse Symposium series.
In this workshop facilitated by Johnny Page and Moira Marquis, participants will be guided through writing exercises, interspersed with conversation, designed to help them find their voices and tell their stories.
Dr. Moira Marquis is the Manager of Higher Education Partnerships at the Petey Greene Program, which delivers educational programming to thousands of justice-impacted people throughout the country. She has a Ph.D. in English from UNC Chapel Hill, and her writing can be found in academic and popular publications including the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to American Prison Writing, Slate and Time magazine. Her book Thought Threats, which tells the story of censorship in the history of America’s prisons, is forthcoming from UNC Press.
Johnny Page is Director of Reentry for the Illinois Department of Human Services. A formerly incarcerated leader, Johnny brings more than a decade of experience in community-based organizations and violence prevention initiatives. He served as Executive Director of ConTextos Chicago, where he advanced programs centered on storytelling, healing, and leadership development for those most impacted by violence and incarceration. His career reflects a deep commitment to restorative practices, trauma-informed care, healing-centered engagement, and creating opportunities for system-impacted individuals to thrive. is a storyteller, a systems thinker, and a transformative leader committed to shifting the narratives around justice, healing, and community leadership. As Executive Director of ConTextos Chicago, he leads initiatives that use personal narrative, storytelling, and collective authorship to disrupt cycles of violence, uplift lived experiences, and promote healing-centered engagement.
A public lecture on this topic takes place Thursday, Jan. 29.
Additional supporters:
- Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition
- Center for Community Alternatives
- Humanities New York
- Project Mend
- YMCA of Central New York - Downtown Writers Center