Into The Deep: Writing the Poem That Leave Us Breathless

We’ve all had the experience of jumping into the ocean, waves high as our heads, feet flailing wildly beneath us, using every ounce of energy to make it back to the boat just so we can explain to the Captain, once we’ve caught our breath, that we really can swim. Ok, I admit, that was my experience on vacation last year. I thought I could swim, but once I got into truly deep water I panicked. It is likely, though, that all of us have had the experience of reading a poem that makes us lose track of everything we thought was important, leaving us, by the end, breathless and in wonder. How did the poet do that?

Often there are memories or emotions that we struggle to write about, or conversely recurring themes that find their way into our poems whether we want them to or not—perhaps there is a poem we want to write but have avoided for fear of not doing it justice. In this workshop we’ll jump into the deep water together, discussing poems from Jenny George, Kevin Young, and Yusef Komunyakaa. We'll examine three methods of approaching difficult topics in our own work. Participants will leave the workshop with a rough draft and practical tools for future poems.

Host or Publisher Ashlee Connors