Celebrate and observe the natural world through writing. We’ll explore what others have written about nature and write new poems inspired by your experiences. Plan to read poems, create new work and engage in readings and discussions.
read moreIn this 2-hour session, we’ll talk about how songs are built, including what makes a chorus, a verse, and a bridge. We’ll look at popular songs as we write our own original lyrics. We’ll also talk about the intimidating questions of how to begin and end a song. As we delve deeper into the mechanics […]
read moreDo you: Overthink the first draft? Struggle to get past creative resistance? Every draft is an experiment. In this class, participants will engage with on-the-spot experimental prompts, workshop short drafts, and come away with a new and renewed skill set for their creative process.
read moreThis class focuses on basic tips for revising poetry, giving and receiving constructive poetic feedback, and how to further revise a poem after a group workshop. First, get inspired by topics or prompts discussed in class and revise poems you have been working on to get them workshop ready. Then, workshop your poem among peers […]
read moreCelebrate the poet Emily Dickinson by reading some of her poems, eating her famous cake, and writing poems of your own. We'll also look at some of Dickinson's manuscripts and letters, and we'll consider how her writing process and life experiences shaped her poetry.
read moreThis class is for the conversations that still need to happen. We’ll talk about the barriers that keep us from writing what we need to write. We’ll also examine works by Chanel Miller, Jeannette Walls, and Layli Long Soldier to take lessons from the ways in which they make difficult topics easier to access. Students […]
read moreIn this workshop, we’ll write about where we’re from, where we’ve been, and where we hope to go in the future. We’ll generate essays about one’s hometown or region, travel or exploration, and the changed geography of our lives during the pandemic. Part workshop, part craft discussion, part generative space. You will write four short […]
read moreExplore the relationship between words and pictures in a collaborative setting. We’ll use a wide range of visual images (including, but not limited to: photographs, paintings, postcards, and comics) to prompt new creative writing, in the style and genre of your choosing.
read moreThis weekend workshop will explore ways to get out of our heads and into the world for inspiring new entry points into poems. Students look at examples of poems that use materials, scraps, art, visual cues, collage, erasure, and interesting forms/constraints to see what kinds of multi-textual poems we can make. They will be guided […]
read moreWhether you're currently working on a literary project or trying to get inspiration, this generative workshop will serve as a gentle and fun way to push yourself creatively. Through prompts, mini-lectures, readings, supportive discussion, group members will work towards realizing their prose visions.
read moreOne of the core principles of Japanese poetry throughout the ages has been the preciseness of its image-making. Study how Japanese poets of the Heian, Genroku, Inter-War periods created timeless images that are still very much accessible today. Students will also be introduced to some contemporary poets currently making waves, and engage in creating their […]
read moreDo you have story or essay ideas but don’t know where to start? Are you wondering what to do with those completed drafts that need revision? Or, maybe you’re a first-time writer looking for a way into the work? We will break down specific craft elements and then use what we’ve learned to delve deeper […]
read moreSometimes revision is about refining the original idea. Sometimes it's about finding new ways into the work. Through pointed questioning, prompts, and fast freewriting, we will generate new ideas for old work. You will come away with several ideas for moving forward on a project.
read moreDickinson once wrote that "Nature is a haunted house–but Art–is a house that tries to be haunted." Come explore some poems that make space for ghosts, monsters, and other such spooky creatures, and write some haunted poems of your own.
read moreWhether working on a novel or a memoir, and whether it’s an idea in your head or a manuscript in your hand, this two-hour class will provide you with a sense of what comes next. We’ll talk about large presses, small presses, and self-publishing. We’ll also talk about the differences between pitches and synopses, and […]
read moreThis intensive will guide students through exciting and playful strategies to revise poems. Revising (not necessarily editing) can be one of the most rewarding parts of writing poetry. We can learn strategies that help us open up, follow sound, form, or a repetition in a new way, break the original content or order, and lead […]
read moreThis workshop is for students who have some experience writing poetry and are looking to dig deeper into their writing practice. In this poetry workshop, we'll read published poems (written by contemporary and historical poets), and we'll use this work to inspire our own creative writing work. We'll write poems, and we'll spend time discussing […]
read moreSending writing to literary journals can be an intimidating process. In this two-hour class, we'll take a step-by-step approach to sending our writing out to journal editors. Learn directly from Samantha Steiner, MFA, a writer with 50+ publications including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In addition to her work in the world of book publishing, Steiner […]
read moreSome of the world’s best-known writers have adored cats, and that adoration has shown up in their writing. sharing about the influence of their feline friends on their literary We will talk about the influence cats can have on how we approach our creative writing and explore how we can use cats to help us […]
read moreIn this 2-hour generative session, we will practice managing our doubts when they interfere with our creative process. Together, we will allow ourselves to write in ways that are brave and embarrassing, confusing and important, strange and exciting. We will create a set of strategies we can use the next time we face a blank […]
read moreIn this introductory class, we will take some basic principles of photography and apply them to our work as writers. We will take photos; do some writing; learn to crop and edit both our images and our words; talk about the similarities between the two art forms; and how our exploration of one can feed […]
read moreThis class is for the conversations that still need to happen. We’ll talk about the barriers that keep us from writing what we need to write. We’ll also examine works by Chanel Miller, Jeannette Walls, and Layli Long Soldier to take lessons from the ways in which they make difficult topics easier to access. Students […]
read moreSending writing to literary journals can be an intimidating process. In this two-hour class, we'll take a step-by-step approach to sending our writing out to journal editors. Learn directly from Samantha Steiner, MFA, a writer with 50+ publications including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In addition to her work in the world of book publishing, Steiner […]
read moreJoin us for a crash course in reading and writing poetry. We’ll read a few poems together, talk about what makes them tick, and try our hand at capturing some poetry on the page. (If we run out of time for the writing exercise during the allotted workshop time, participants will be given a writing […]
read moreIn this workshop, students will have a chance to brainstorm lyrics and determine song structures after listening to a few instrumental melodies that could use some words of their own! Students towards the end of class can perform their piece if they'd like to share. Whether you're a beginner or intermediate songwriter, or just love […]
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