What's the difference between the prose poem and a piece of short fiction? When should the poetic line give way to the poetic sentence? These are just some of the questions that are answered in this workshop on the prose
poem. Other topics include imagery, metaphor, repetition, surrealism, and prose poem as fable, offering a deeper understanding of the prose poem
and a toolkit to draw upon for continued writing. 

Discover how pieced-together bits of found text can give new meaning to collage elements, as word and image intermingle. Participants will work with elements from magazines as we explore how words and visual images can combine to suggest a nuanced idea or story. The process of making a collage gives us the time and space to find our words. Create a collage and enjoy expressing yourself in a surprising new way.

In this workshop will explore a variety of fun techniques to hush yout inner critic and rediscover poetry as something fundamentally fun. We will explore the reasons the sonnet persists, why it is so profoundly powerful, and how it is not a product of academia, but a living, breathing daughter of earth. The sonnet is an invitation to the mystery that is poetry. We will find new ways to cultivate the imagination and after an illuminating discussion, we will all do some writing from a variety of prompts.

Panel featuring Peter Anderson, Azure Arthur, David Martin, Padma Thornlyre, Kathryn Winograd:

Join us for a panel discussion on the ins and outs of publication: resources, how-to, and pitfalls. Hear about the experiences of editors and writers who are familiar with the process. Whether you are new to the world of publishing or have been negotiating it on a regular basis, your participation is welcome. Bring your questions for a follow-up Q&A.

Passing the Gourd is a sharing circle practice meant to create an emotionally safe and secure platform for the spoken word, story, poem or song. Although every Gourd Circle is rooted its own unique moment, ideally a facilitator speaks to open the circle and then lets each person in the circle go on uninterrupted (their being aware of time, company and other social constraints) -- using a gourd as the group’s visible symbol of “having the floor.” At the end when the gourd has circled the entire group in attendance, the facilitator closes the circle’s ritual space.

We've all heard it—write what you know. But if we are writing what we know, are we holding space for wonder, intuition, and enchantment?  Poetry is powerful. It goes beyond the world as we have known it to a world that is yet to be. We will explore the potential of poetic tools—like metaphor, symbolism, and even line breaks—to create opportunities to make new meaning and experiment with reflective techniques that can help access and contemplate alternative perspectives.

This seminar will explore the fundamentals of crafting compelling scripts for audiences and will focus on creating authentic dialogue and scenes, though participants will also learn about story structure, character development, and formatting. Students will develop original scripts and gain valuable feedback through collective discussions. Open to all interested writers.

An Interactive Poetry Workshop with Wendy Videlock. In this workshop we explore:the many ways that rhythm can help you cultivate a unique and powerful voice, the secret of the well-turned and musical poetic line and the sacred nature of invocation and repetition. We will also explore how surrendering to the rhythms of the natural world that surround us all can help clarify our own poetic calling and our own understandings of ourselves.

How to Write Inclusively Without Appropriation. We all want to write colorful worlds, but navigating gender, race and marginalization along with managing our own assumptions can be hard when you try to do it without guidelines and sensitivity. From sensitivity readers to taboos, let's talk about struggles, and what is or is not ours to depict, and how to recognize the difference.

How writing flash fiction and other shorts can not only be fulfilling, but necessary. In an ever-changing society that is constantly on the go, knowing how to to write a tiny story that packs a big punch can be fun and leave your readers wanting to know...er...read more from you.

Novel Writing for Writers is a seminar that will look at the tremendous range that novels offer. Focusing on narrative voice, plot, and character development, we’ll explore a few narrative cycles and write stories based on them. We'll edit the stories by way of interactive exercises and finish up by sharing techniques for bringing stories to life. For aspiring and seasoned writers alike.

Shorter than a full-length poetry manuscript, the chapbook can serve as an apprenticeship in learning how to create the final poem of a collection—the collection itself. We will explore what the chapbook is beyond the page count and look at different ways of creating a chapbook from the ground up or from a group of poems you have already written. Bring in poems you already have and let’s start there.

Join Art Goodtimes for a lively and enjoyable introduction to the art of performing poetry. 

Have you ever wondered how to write a beautiful essay about the things in your life that matter to you, small or large? And make them matter to your reader? In this workshop, you’ll follow from genesis to fruition the journey of one essay, written by a reluctant playwright who had never written a personal essay before. Bring your laptops; bring any part of your “wanna be” essays, written or just thought out, and get ready to work.

Guided by David Anthony Martin, writers will use their experience of natural setting and information to take field notes and craft works while on a stroll along the Purgatoire River Trail. Writers will be encouraged to consider some liberating and inspirational innovations in form and typesetting by several poets. Registrants are encouraged to bring their preferred tools for taking field notes or writing, water, and to dress for the weather and for walking through outdoor spaces, both on and off paths.

Discover how pieced-together bits of found text can give new meaning to collage elements, as word and image intermingle. Participants will work with elements from magazines as we explore how words and visual images can combine to suggest a nuanced idea or story. The process of making a collage gives us the time and space to find our words. Create a collage and enjoy expressing yourself in a surprising new way.