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Welcome to the Advanced Poetry Workshop, E301/681. I'll be listing area poetry readings under this heading, as well as adding information, links, and comments to what we discuss in class. 5/23--Summer Writing Workshop sponsored by the Joiner Center Although their official application deadline was 5/15, there are still a few spaces available: The University of Massachusetts Boston will host and celebrate A diverse and notable faculty conducts two-week and one-week To apply, interested writers should send a letter of interest, Tuition for the workshop is $400 ($220 for one week). Interested
5/17--Final portfolio and readings journal due 6:30 pm. You may hand them in earlier but this is the last day to do so. In order for me to return your work, leave an SASE, e-mail me for a mutually convenient time to meet on campus after May 25, or pick up during the fall semester. 5/16--Watermark release party, Campus Center, 2:30. Pick up your copy of the school's arts and literature journal, view the artwork, hear contributors read, and enjoy the food! 5/10--Revised statement of aesthetics due. Come prepared to read your reflection on how the class has--or has not--changed your perspective. 5/3--Student evaluations in class today. 5/3, 5/10--Individual conferences will be held beginning 5/1. For conference schedule, go to "Assignments," Lightning Round workshops--a list of participants for each date is listed under "Assignments." Please post your poems by 4/30 for the first week and 5/7 for the second. Poems may be new or revised. Readers should answer two questions about each poem--what do you find particularly strong/noteworthy/enjoyable (and why), and what do you think needs to be edited/clarified/changed (and why)? We'll go around the room asking each reader to respond. April 30--Interested in WUMB's talent competition? See details under "Resources." April 26--Irish poet and Gallery Press editor Peter Fallon, 4:00 pm, 4th fl Healey Library, rm 15. Please bring your readings journals for me to collect. Find poems by Peter Fallon under "Assignments." 4/23--Patricia, Rebecca, Carmela, Nathan, Alex, Son-ca, Ruth, Pamela, Shannon, Sam, Alan, and Kathy have met the requirement of posting 6 responses. Some of you are 1 or 2 short and others need to catch up. Asking a question regarding your work or responding to another student's response to your work also counts as a post. 4/19--Sign up for individual conferences held April 30--May 4 Congratuations to Academy of American Poets Prize winner Nathan Gamache, and honorable mentions Carmela Caruso and Ruth Meteer. Congratulations to Ruth Meteer for winning the Marcia Keach Memorial prize for best poem by a graduating senior. Time to fulfill the requirement for posting poems and responding to them. Jeff, Nathan, Gerry, Pam, Shannon, Sam, Alan, Yasuhito and Kathy have all posted 6 poems; some of you are short one and some have catching up to do. 4/17--Martha Collins reads from her award-winning book, Blue Front, 1:00 pm, UMB Bookstore, UL Campus Center. She will announce Academy of American Poets Prize winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions. Winner of the Marica Keach Memorial Prize will also be announced. 4/12--To read Danielle Georges' "You Will Listen to Me," go to Resources. 4/5--Liam Rector reading. Meet in campus bookstore. Go to "Resources" for a selection of poems. I'm glad to see everyone's posting and responding to posts. You'll need to post 6 poems and 6 responses by the end of the semester if you haven't yet. Commenting on someone's previous comment counts as a post, too. 3/29--Submissions due for the Academy of American Poets Prize. $100 first prize, up to two honorable mentions plus listing the the Academy of American Poets newsletter. All of you should enter--see me for details. Danielle Georges reading today at 1:00 in UMB Bookstore For a link to a discussion of autobiography and poetry on Slate, go to "Resources" 3/15--INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES THIS WEEK. CLICK ON ASSIGNMENTS FOR SCHEDULE. Because only 3 people posted their workshop poems as of Wednesday night, I'm going to have to ask you to bring in hard copies the week before your poem is scheduled for discussion. For workshop 3/15, I'll need poems on 3/8 from Pamela; Shannon; Alan; Yasuhito; and Kathy. On 3/15 I'll need poems for workshop 3/29 from Sam; Patricia; Jason; Becky; Carmela; and Jeff. 3/8--I'll be passing around a sign up sheet for individual conferences held next week. Please bring your readings journal for me to collect. 3/1--I will be at the AWP convention in Atlanta this week, so Ruth Meteer will be leading the workshop. For each poem up for discussion (see syllabus for schedule) please come prepared with one example of good writing you find in each poem, and one question or suggestion for change. 2/15--Please remember that I need to see some writing from you every week, either a revision or new poem. You can hand it in during class or post on the website. 2/8--Those who didn't bring a statement of aesthetics (see Assignments) to class should e-mail one to me. Please keep a copy so you can refer to it for your revised statement due the end of the semester. Here are some excerpts from your statements: (At) Barnes and Noble…there’s bound to be quite a few (books) that some people would pick up and think, this is crap. Though…seeing that it was authored and published, someone (else) actually thinks it’s quite good. The most important thing about a poem is if and/or how it speaks to me. To resonate, a poem needs to be relevant, accessible. Sometimes poets write poems that way, and I think that isn’t good. ...if we...try to make our poem “good” and chase the “goodness” that no one really knows, we...end up...writing a poem for someone else. I like not caring if people think my poems are trivial and short. …a poem (is) an expression of emotion at a point in time, in contrast to a story that develops over time. Since poetry is minimal in comparison to…prose, it is essential for the poet to be focused on every word, what it means literally and figuratively, and how it sounds. We put words together in a way that attempts to describe what there is not a word for….A poem of pretty words that is not communicating something is as useless as a poem that is communicating something perfectly understandable… The poet should always try to say something that has never been said before… Poetry...is sort of like acting for shy people. I admire writers like Robert Frost, Seamus Heaney, Walt Whitman and Elizabeth Bishop who...have truly found a voice. …unconventional line break can be distracting when I get too caught up in trying to dissect it that I forget what it is trying to say in the first place. A poem succeeds for me with either emotional weight or intellectual weight. A poem which can get me to think of something outside of my own circle of understanding, to find a deeper meaning, somewhere, in anything, makes me feel blessed to be sharing this personal, yet universal experience, with someone I’ve (most likely) never met. Good poetry should cause…a physical reaction…engag(ing)..brain, heart, glands….This reaction, this art spark if you will, pulls you to a place that makes you more human.
LOCAL POETRY READINGS SPRING 2007 (Readings are free unless otherwise noted. Campus readings are in bold face) 5/15--E211 class poetry reading, UMB Bookstore, 1st fl Campus Center, 1:00 pm 5/16--Watermark release party, 2nd fl Campus Center, 2:30 pm
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