Relieving the “Stress” of Iambic Pentameter
Does the term “iambic pentameter” scare you? For many, the term, while familiar, is confusing. Yet the relationship of stressed and unstressed syllables the term refers to is natural in English speech. For example, if I say, “Let’s get a cup of coffee after class,” I have spoken in iambic pentameter. Indeed, iambic pentameter comprises approximately 95% of all metered poetry in English. Why? This workshop is designed to help you understand, recognize, and produce iambic pentameter lines. It’s designed to cure “iambic pentameter phobia,” thereby allowing you to write in traditional forms such as sonnets, blank verse, etc.
led by Joshua McKinney
Green Wor(l)ds: Writing the Contemporary Eco-Poem
Global warming, deforestation, extinction—over the last two decades such ecological crises have resulted in an increased interest in ecocriticism and ecopoetics. What is an eco-poem? How does it differ from the nature poetry of a poet like Mary Oliver? This workshop will investigate a variety of rhetorical stances and strategies available to the poet who wants to write about the natural world and the human relationship to it. Participants will engage in writing exercises designed to challenge traditional notions of nature writing.
led by Joshua McKinney
From Haiku to Hiking: Finding Inspiration in Nature
Through poetry, discussion and photos from his locally best-selling hiking guide, the presenter will share some of his experiences in finding inspiration for creative expression in Nature. Participants will also be introduced to or re-acquainted with the Japanese poetic form of haiku and will work together to create several examples of this particular art form.
led by Roger Robin Ekins
Time to Leave the Attic: How Collaboration Fuels Creativity
Writing is often a solitary activity. But it doesn’t have to be. This co-authored workshop explores the benefits of collaboration on the page and within a writing group. We’ll look at call and response poetry, multi-author poetic sequences, page to stage transitions, and cross-genre pollination. And, yes, we’ll ask you to do some collaborative (dare we say crowd-sourced?) poetry of your own.
led by Kiara Koenig and Tempra Board
Breaking Lines
All poems are made up of a series of authorial choices—syntax, image, sound patterns, repetition—but no other characteristic distinguishes poetry from prose more than lineation. Defined as “an act or instance of marking with or tracing by lines” one might imagine a map, stakes flagging a construction site, or the marks used to count a castaway’s days. These are fine metaphors for a conversation about why and when a poet might break a line of text or decide to utilize white space in a poem. Using examples from contemporary poets to stir our discussion, we will generate new work from prompts, paying close attention to the weight of each line.
led by Sarah Pape
