COURSE DESCRIPTION
STAY INSPIRED. STAY ENGAGED. STAY CONNECTED. KEEP CREATING.
We have decided to offer another of Richard Blanco's The Transcendent Poem course because his early June workshop sold out in two days. We have had so much interest from people who weren't able to register in time. Don't delay signing up as it is likely that this one will sell out as well.
A poem is a conscious expression born out of the subconscious mind. This workshop is for people of all skill levels who wish to experiment with poetry as a form of artistic expression and connection. Celebrated Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco, will lead students through the process of diving deeper into their own experiences and using the power of words and to connect with readers. Students will learn how to "show, not tell" in their writing—the golden rule of poetry.
We’ll examine how this method truly works and why, in order to gain a strong and purposeful command of it. In this context, we’ll explore the dynamics between poet, poem, and reader that transform our personal stories into poems that transcend and connect with the universal truths of human experience. We will also explore the equally important subconscious territory of memory, inspiration, and imagination that bear in our poems. By practicing “fever writing” or “automatic writing,” we will tap into that subconscious to mine memories we will share in class as jumping-off points for generating new poems.
This intimate online format will take place over the course of two days. Students will engage in group discussions and projects, individual assignments, and critiques. Students will leave this workshop with two poem ideas to work on.
INTRODUCTION VIDEO
Watch this brief video where Richard describes his interactive virtual course.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
JUNE 26 - 28
Richard blanco
The Transcendent Poem:
Unlock your subconscious mind to create work that connects with the universal truths of human experience
Tuition: $370
SCHEDULE
(Eastern Time Zone)
Friday June 26th
Meet & Greet, 3:30pm
Student introductions and course overview
Saturday June 27tH
Morning Session, 10:30am (2-3 hours)
Lecture and group exercise: A Deep Dive into Show Don’t Tell
-Lunch Break -
Afternoon Session, 3pm (3-4 hours)
Automatic “fever” writing session / sharing and feedback; prompt for at-home poetry assignment
SUNday June 28tH
Morning Session, 10:30am (2-3 hours)
Workshop and critique of at-home poem drafts
-Lunch Break -
Afternoon Session, 3pm (3-4 hours)
Workshop and critique of at-home poem drafts continued; additional automatic “fever” writing session
WORKSHOP SPECIFICS
Skill level
This workshop is designed for people of all skill levels. Students should have an interest in, and some prior experience writing and reading poetry. Sessions will be hosted on Zoom. Once you have completed registration we will send you your Zoom login information for the course. You do not need to download Zoom to participate on a desktop or laptop computer. You do need to download the Zoom app if accessing from a phone or tablet.
HOURS
The Friday meet & greet introduction at 3:30pm (Eastern Time) will be under an hour. Students will introduce themselves and Richard will discuss the game plan for the weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday the class will run roughly 5-7 hours, with a morning session beginning at 10:30am (running for 2-3 hours) and afternoon session starting at 3pm (running for 3-4 hours) and a 1-hour lunch break. Timing will be dependent on enrollment numbers.
CLASS SIZE
A maximum of 12 students, and a minimum of 6*
*The workshop will be cancelled if minimum enrollment is not met within 7 days of the workshop start. If cancelled, a full refund will be issued to all registered students.
TUITION
$370 (per person + $15 processing fee)
*10% of the proceeds of this workshop will be donated to the Good Shepard Food Bank of Maine.
“During these trying times of unemployment and rising costs, food insecurity is a core issue. Good Shepard has always been there for Mainers, and is committed to seeing us through this crisis with their simple but powerful mission: feed the hungry." -Richard Blanco
SIGN ME UP!
Click the pink registration button to pay your tuition via credit card or Paypal. You will receive an email with your course specifics after registration.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
RICHard
BLANCO
Richard Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history—the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami, the negotiation of cultural identity and place characterize his body of work. He is the author of the poetry collections Looking for the Gulf Motel, Directions to the Beach of the Dead, and City of a Hundred Fires; the poetry chapbooks Matters of the Sea, One Today, and Boston Strong; a children’s book of his inaugural poem, “One Today,” illustrated by Dav Pilkey; and Boundaries, a collaboration with photographer Jacob Hessler. His latest book of poems, How to Love a Country (Beacon Press, 2019), both interrogates the American narrative, past and present, and celebrates the still unkept promise of its ideals. He has also authored the memoirs The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood and For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey.
Blanco’s many honors include the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press, the PEN/Beyond Margins Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, and two Maine Literary Awards. He has been a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow and received honorary doctorates from Macalester College, Colby College, and the University of Rhode Island. He has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR’s Fresh Air. The Academy of American Poets named him its first Education Ambassador in 2015. Blanco has continued to write occasional poems for organizations and events such as the re-opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana. Blanco teaches creative writing at Florida International University and at other learning institutions all over the world. He makes his home in Bethel, Maine with his partner.
