9 Thursdays, 7-9:30 p.m. (this class is not currently scheduled)
$335 members/$365 non-members San Francisco
Testimonials for Julie

NOTE: Julie also teaches our six-month “Fearless Poetry ‘Continuation’ class: Persistent Poets,” class for those who have taken the Fearless Poetry Workshop once (or more than once), and would like to keep going at a more advanced level.

This workshop is intended for people who want to jump start their poetry practice and to keep the engine oiled. You’ll do plenty of writing and reading, and have lively discussions  about both the craft and the process of poetry.  The weekly homework assignments (workshopped the following week) are designed to provide fresh angles of approach that can suprise, even startle, both the writer and his/her readers.  “We all get stuck in ruts,” Julie says, “and the class offers ways of digging ourselves out, whether we use these strategies to simply get started at writing or to revise a particularly challenging poem.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday, April 24th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  San Francisco
$95 members/$110 non-members

[add_to_cart=127]

Waiting to be struck by an inspirational bolt of lightning can be seductive, but it gets lonely out there under the tree. “Too much waiting can dampen the spirit,” says instructor Julie Bruck. “There are other ways to get in touch with your creative muse, ways that we’ll explore in today’s workshop.” Read the rest of this entry »

Five Mondays, Jan. 23-Feb. 20, 7-9:30 p.m.   Berkeley
$185 members/$215 non-members

Special “Combo” Package: Take this class along with David Rosenthal’s  5-week “Expanding Your Poet’s Tool Kit” class (10 weeks total, for the same price as one 9-week class). Just be sure to register for the “Combo” option, if you want the discount. If you sign up for the classes separately,  the discount doesn’t apply.

“Many beginning students come to a poetry class hoping for quick critiques and suggestions for revision.  There are times when it’s right to want this, but not until you’re nearing the final draft,” says Alison Luterman.

Read the rest of this entry »

One Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.  San Francisco
$55 members/$65 non-members

“When U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan decided to take up poetry,” says instructor Julie Bruck, “she began by picking tarot cards at random, writing a poem to each until she’d exhausted the deck. This, she said, was a way for her to discover her themes. By her own account, her process hasn’t changed much, but there’s a thrill that goes into unwrapping her short, highly-compressed poems that is a direct transmission of the play that goes into their making.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Jane,

I find it difficult to express the satisfaction I feel after having just completed nine weeks of the Fearless Poetry Workshop with Julie Bruck and my session’s fellow fearless poets. So many things about how the workshop unfolded just felt right. I greatly appreciate that Julie fosters an atmosphere that enables all voices to emerge and remain distinct. Attendance never lagged and for good reason; there was always something useful to discover about critiquing, reading, and writing. For anyone seeking to deepen their appreciation for the art and craft of poetry, they cannot go wrong with this workshop.

Thank you to The Writing Salon for offering these poetry workshops and thanks to Julie for her generous instruction.

Ralph Gordon
SF, CA

Hi Jane,
I used to harbor a secret prejudice – that poems were dull and too hard to understand – but doing Julie Bruck’s class I learned to fall in love with poetry. Every week she gave us an assignment like start in the middle of a poem, or try leaving out adjectives or write about the inside of something you’re usually outside of, always with the gentle reminder that if the exercise doesn’t inspire, write something else. We brought our poems to class and received feedback that was kind and respectful but didn’t shy away from ideas to strengthen our work. I’m still writing a poem a week and would highly recommend any writers, experienced or not, to participate in this class at least once in their lives.
–Kaye C.

Hi Jane,

I just finished a Fearless Poetry class with Julie Bruck and I wanted to leave some feedback for the website if you’d like it, since I enjoyed the class so much.

After writing poetry for years in college and then letting the craft go dormant for a few years, Julie’s class reawakened the poet in me like never before. Julie is passionate, insightful, and practical, and relates to students like friends. I was really able to internalize what I learned in this class and get to a much deeper level with my work and my voice as a poet. This class has been a very significant event in my writing career.

Awesome! Thanks!

Kelly Jean Egan

Hello Jane,

I told Julie how much I enjoyed her “Fearless Poetry Workshop” and I wanted to share it with you.  I look forward to seeing everyone and hearing their poetic voices.  Julie has been the greatest support and the greatest teacher in the editing process.  I only experience support from her.  The work we do is always how to make our voices stronger or truer.  Never a “no”, always a redirection.  It is subtle and powerful.  I never thought I would be able to write “on command”  and surprised myself by being able to do just that.  I have signed up for the six month course and feel so lucky that it was offered at just the right time for me.  Your place is such a gem.

Marilynn Meisenheimer

Read the rest of this entry »

James Arthur was an outstanding teacher, one of the best writing teachers I’ve had and I’ve had quite a few!! I really liked his class [The Poem You Weren't Expecting] and am hoping he will teach again in the fall! . . .The course met my expectations very well! It helped me come at writing poetry in new ways which I really appreciated!

Peggy Rasmussen

***

James is a terrific teacher. He was really good with classroom management, and mostly succeeded in satisfying the needs of everyone. His knowledge of the subject is absolutely stellar; he always had great suggestions for further reading and study that couldn’t be covered in the class. He’s also one of the most articulate people I have ever heard. The quality of feedback and critique was outstanding. He inspired everyone to aim higher and achieve more.

I have enjoyed all of the courses I have taken at the Writing Salon, but James’ course was the one I learned most from.

Best Regards,

Tai

Sunday, April 19th, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.  San Francisco
$55 members/$65 non-members

This mini-workshop may well whet your appetite for more, in which case you may want to consider Julie Bruck’s 9-week “Fearless Poetry Workshop” on Thursday evenings in SF, or Alison Luterman’s “Magpie Poetry Workshop,” also on Thursday evenings, but in Berkeley.

Robert Frost famously wrote “a poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”  After you’ve drafted a poem, how do you find the true beginning–the place where the delight begins?  And how do you know when you’ve followed the poem to a wise ending?  In this workshop, we’ll examine a generous mix of how other poets have chosen beginnings and endings for their poems.  Then we’ll look at (and listen to) our own drafts, focusing on identifying the emotional starting point for the poem and how to craft an ending that enlarges the poem’s intention without sacrificing authenticity.  You’ll need a draft of a poem that you’ve been working on and a willingness to listen to your work and the work of others with an open mind. Read the rest of this entry »