Let the Body Sing: A Poetry Class

I admit it:
this body's not enough for me.
Still I love it.

–Gabrielle Calvocoressi

“Poets have been focusing their work on the body for ages — on pleasure, on identity, on beauty, on illness, and on the body as a living target,” says instructor Preeti Vangani. “We write from our lived experiences and the way our body moves through the world shapes our stories and songs. As we revisit on the page what our bodies endure, it is necessary to build a practice centered in tenderness and care.”

This 3-week online class will be a generative space to explore pleasure, trauma, survival and healing through writing poetry about the body. We will dive into themes of sexuality, desire and pain, while reading poems by authors such as Leila Chatti, Derrick Austin and Destiny Birdsong. In each class we’ll do guided freewrites, read poems and discuss poetic strategies, and write from emerging prompts. We will focus a lot of our time on creating new work so you’ll have drafts you can continue working on after class.

“This 3-week experience is great for all levels of writers who seek to find new ways to write about the body and enhance their craft,” says Preeti. “In our last week, we will conclude our time with a virtual reading to celebrate our work and efforts.”

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.