ONLINE WORKSHOP - REGISTER HERE

We sit down to write. And sometimes—when we are quiet enough, open enough, patient—words rise from beneath the ordinary mind and surprise us. An image we didn't know we carried. A truth we didn't know we held. A poem we didn't know was waiting. This is the territory we will explore together.

Drawing on poets and writers who have navigated this experience—Keats, Rilke, Tsvetaeva, O'Connor, Dillard, Kenyon and others—we will examine what happens when writers cultivate receptivity and mindful attention as a creative practice. Class time will be a mix of close reading, discussion, and generative writing exercises. There is no workshopping of student work; this is a generative class focused entirely on new writing. Students will write in class and are welcome to share what they write, but sharing is never required.

No prior writing experience is needed—only curiosity and a willingness to slow down. Writers of all levels and genres are welcome. No advance reading or writing required.

Come ready to be surprised.

ONLINE WORKSHOP - REGISTER HERE

The greatest poets know a secret: the ordinary world is sacred. Not metaphorically. Not occasionally. Always.

In this class, we explore the work of poets for whom place—a snowy hillside, a country road, a patch of winter moss—is not merely backdrop but the very source of the poem. We will read and discuss poems by Jane Kenyon, Ted Kooser, James Wright, and other celebrated poets of place, discovering how the patient, humble observation of one's own corner of the world can become an inexhaustible well of poetic inspiration.

Class time will be divided between close reading and discussion, guided writing exercises, and brief sharing of student work. There is no workshopping in the traditional sense—students will not receive written feedback on their drafts. Instead, participants are invited to share what they've written aloud, and responses from the group will focus on what moved or resonated, not critique.

No prior writing experience is required. All readings will be provided digitally in advance; there are no required books to purchase.

This class is open to writers at every level and to anyone who suspects the poem they've been looking for might be right around the corner.

In this class:
-Students will explore the work of poets for whom place is the primary source of poetic inspiration.
-Students will practice bringing the poet's eye to their own particular corner of the world.
-Students will leave with new tools for finding the sacred in the ordinary and the extraordinary in the everyday.