The Poems Only You Can Write: Identifying and Embracing What Sets Your Work Apart

You must be your own absence, with fifty percent deity. 

You must ask, why this song, this seeing. 

— Dana Levin, “Working Methods”

“What are your obsessions as a poet?” asks instructor Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet. “When you read, what is it that draws you to a poem, makes it resonate for you? How can you pursue that spark and let it have its way with your poems?"

This one-session remote workshop is designed to help you explore the topical, structural, and stylistic aspects that make your work your own. We’ll start with the idea of poetic obsessions, using a page from Richard Hugo’s The Triggering Town as a jumping-off point.

“Participants should bring 10 pages of poems to class,” Lisa says. “We’ll draw on these, using formal, sonic, and visual exercises and discussion to generate a range of raw material for new work, revealing both commonalities and untapped possibilities. We’ll also engage with the work of contemporary poets, to inspire new directions and help you embrace your role in the ongoing poetic conversation.”

About The Writing Salon's Remote Classes

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, The Writing Salon is running all classes in a remote learning format. You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.