COURSE DESCRIPTION
STAY INSPIRED. STAY ENGAGED. STAY CONNECTED. KEEP CREATING.
We’ve all probably written and read a number of poems that we consider fairly accomplished or good poems. But what’s the difference, the X-Factor, the gap between a good poem and a great, memorable one? In this dynamic and fast-paced weekend course we will explore this question though close readings/discussions of some exemplary masterpieces to discover the qualities and elements that make a poem great. With these discoveries in mind, we will workshop previously written poems as well as new poems you will generate in class through the practice of imitation and “fever/automatic writing” to tap into your creativity and imagination.
Note: This course is intended for intermediate to seasoned poets who have had some degree of experience in poetry workshops in the past, and have a general understanding of some of the basic techniques of writing poetry. If you have never studied poetry before and/or never taken a course with Richard before, please email us to be notified when registration opens for one of his introductory workshops.
writing - poetry
FALL 2021
Richard blanco
The X Factor:
Good poems versus Great poems.
Tuition: $425
SCHEDULE
(Eastern Time Zone)
SESSION 1
10:30am - 12:30pm (ET)
Meet & Greet / Introductions
Overview of Workshop Schedule and Contents
Group Craft Discussion: Great Poems: The X-Factor (Part 1)
-LUNCH BREAK-
2:30pm – 4:30pm (ET)
In-Class Fever Writing Exercise #1 and Sharing/Feedback
Session 2
10:30am - 12:30pm (ET)
Group Craft Discussion: Great Poems: The X-Factor (Part 2)
-LUNCH BREAK-
2:30pm – 4:30pm (ET)
In-Class Fever Writing Exercise #2 and Sharing/Feedback
At-home assignment
Working from your fever writing exercises/feedback, complete a poem draft for workshop session on August 8th
Session 3
10:30am - 12:30pm (ET)
Workshop of At-Home Poem Draft
-LUNCH BREAK-
2:30pm – 4:30pm (ET)
Workshop of At-Home Poem Draft
WORKSHOP SPECIFICS
Skill level
This course is intended for intermediate to seasoned poets who have had some degree of experience in poetry workshops in the past, and have a general understanding of some of the basic techniques of writing 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
Each class will run approximately 4 hours, with a 2-hour morning session beginning at 10:30am and an afternoon session starting at 2:30pm and running until 4:30pm.
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
$425 (per person + $15 processing fee)
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.
