Poetry

Now celebrating its 14th year at The Writing Salon, this workshop draws people who want to jumpstart their poetry practice and to keep the engine oiled. You’ll do plenty of writing and reading, and we’ll have lively discussions about both the craft and the process(es) of poetry... more

"Poets in every stage of their career, and often on a regular basis, struggle with where and how to start a poem,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “I’ve found that creating boundaries for the writing process is a good way to spark inspiration and creativity... more

“Revising gives us an opportunity to see our work in a new light,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “Sometimes you take a poem off its tracks and discover a whole different route; sometimes you need to fix the wheel, or the engine, or the headlight... more

“The bond between poetry and place has always been crucial to me,” says instructor Nate Klug. “Nowadays more than ever, when our environments are changing in rapid, complicated ways, we need poetry to remind us how to look at where we are... more

The goal of this intimate 8-session class is for each person to finish a handful of new poems for potential publication. We’ll be drafting or revising a poem in between each class meeting; plan to complete 4-8 new works by the end of the class in May. Along the way we’ll share constructive feedback... more

It’s easy to forget, but poetry belongs to the body. Often, our senses know how to respond to a poem’s power before our minds can work out its exact meaning. Maybe this is what Emily Dickinson meant when she said that poetry began for her as a physical thrill... more

“To established and fledgling writers alike, revising can feel even more intimidating than staring at a blank page,” says instructor Brian Tierney. But in order to evolve a first draft toward its fullest realization, a poet must step back and re-read, re-evaluate, and retool: in other words, revise... more

“Reading and writing poetry have long been occasions for self-exploration,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “Poems uncover and recover; they engage memory and personal history, bringing them back to life with new meanings and new understandings... more

“One secret to writing alive poetry lies in risking saying the awkward thing, or venturing outside whatever limits you’ve put around your voice,” says Alison. “We’ll create a brave community together that will allow us to break some new ground for ourselves... more

“Revising gives us an opportunity to see our work in a new light,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “Sometimes you take a poem off its tracks and discover a whole different route; sometimes you need to fix the wheel, or the engine, or the headlight... more