The After Poem: Poetics of Lineage

What: Imitation is said to be the greatest form of flattery. However, imitation without some form of acknowledgment to the original work can be seen as lazy, disingenuous, or plagiaristic. We all have writers and artists we love, so if we want to pay tribute to them in our own writings, how might we do that?

These two sessions are designed to address that challenge and provide writers with ideas and strategies on how to pay homage to their favorite poets without crossing the line. Participants will learn how to take inspiration from poetic forms and content, and ingrain it into our own work.

We’ll do this by reading the original poems (from writers such as Vievee Francis, Sam Herschel Wein, and Tarfia Faizullah) and then read poems inspired by/dedicated to them—the after poems. We’ll ask questions like: How does one maintain the thread, theme, etc. of the original work without plagiarising it? What is imitation versus inspiration? What is the purpose of after poems—are they simply a way of building on someone else’s ideas? We’ll then use these discussions to help generate or revise our own work that might be considered an after poem.

All levels of writers are welcome.

Who: Shlagha Borah (she/her) is from Assam, India. Her work appears or is forthcoming in POETRY, Poetry Northwest, Cincinnati Review, Salamander, and elsewhere. She received an MFA in Poetry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is an Assistant Editor at The Offing. She’s a 2024 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship finalist. Her work has been supported by Tin House, Brooklyn Poets, The Hambidge Center, The Peter Bullough Foundation, VCCA, among others. She is the co-founder of Pink Freud, a student-led collective working towards making mental health accessible in India. Her work is available at www.shlaghaborah.com. Instagram: @shlaghab

Where & When: Online: Saturdays, Feb. 7 & 14 from 12p – 1:30p ET

Class Limit: 10

Cost: $80

From First to Final Draft

What: Whether we have personally experienced the outcome of war, been deeply affected by the experiences of others, or been affected by what we see and read, we all have stories to tell. Many find their stories in the experiences of parents and grandparents. Others recall their time in active service. These are the stories we tell to friends and family, to our colleagues and our community, but how can we put these stories on the page so that others can share them? What makes a great story? Whether fiction or non-fiction, comedy or drama, great stories have strong characters, a carefully constructed narrative, a clear point of view, and a narrator with a compelling voice.

In our workshop, participants will review and use the art and craft of storytelling to write their own stories, from first to final draft in five weeks. They will share and gently critique each other’s work and, if they choose, learn more about opportunities for publication at our final, optional session.

Each two-hour class will consist of 1) a review of reading assignments (short pieces), 2) an overview of one or more elements of storytelling including narrative arc, character development, dialogue, description, voice, and point of view, and 3) one or more students will read their draft and others will critique the work.

Students will leave with 1) a portfolio of material associated with the elements of storytelling, 2) copies of essays and stories representing some of our best writers, 3) a draft of a story they can work on after the term ends, and 4) instructions for finding publication opportunities

All levels of writers are welcome.

Who: Lou-Ellen Barkan is a native New Yorker who relocated to the Berkshires, where she teaches creative writing and runs a writers’ group. She retired after careers on Wall Street, in New York City government, and as a not-for-profit CEO. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Hunter College and an MA from Columbia University/Teacher’s College. A sample of her published stories can be found here.

Where & When: Online: Saturdays, Feb. 21 – March 21 from 1p – 3p ET

Class Limit: 10

Cost: $105