POETRY WORKSHOPS

Poems happen. They appear in surprising ways. Look up. Listen harder. Savor longer. Inside each of us lives an ocean of words. Together, we shall delve into this word ocean and weave tapestries of verse. We will create poems in a group and on our own, and have fun creating original poetry.

Have you ever read a poem and wanted to sing the lyrics out loud? Poetry is joyful, spontaneous, limitless. However, I often hear “Poetry scares me.” These workshops provide the opportunity to explore words and sounds freely, to toss away preconceived notions about poetry, replace rules with discovery. I offer writing prompts and show you how to create poems in a fun and safe setting. By the end of our first session, every student will have words on paper, a poem to share. No prior poetry writing experience is necessary. This is an opportunity to explore the poet inside of you.

To write is to read. I provide a diverse reading list of poets, which may include: Anna Akhmatova, Jericho Brown, Victoria Chang, Emily Dickinson, Carolyn Forché, Joy Harjo, Tony Hoagland, Ilya Kaminsky, Ada Limon, Larry Levis, Czeslaw Milosz, Claudia Rankine, Tracy K. Smith, Arthur Sze, Natasha Trethaway, and others. If you have favorite poets and writers, please share.