Calling Poets! We have an upcoming Poetry Workshop with Lizzy Fox at River Arts in Morrisville. 2 Sundays: September 17th & 24th, 10am-2:30pm / $65 tuition for both sessions / financial assistance available / all experience levels welcome! Call (802) 888-1261 or visit RiverArtsVT.org to learn more or register.
Magical Realism in Nature: Lessons from Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s Poetry
In this four-hour craft workshop, we’ll read from Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s acclaimed book Song to understand how she blends fantasy with the natural world to achieve transcendence. Then, taking inspiration from our natural surroundings, we’ll borrow from Kelly’s toolkit to our own craft poems. After lunch, there will be time for sharing, critique, and an introduction to public speaking specifically geared toward poets. Come prepared with a notebook, writing utensil, and outdoor-appropriate attire. A half-hour lunch is built into the day; participants should provide their own lunch.
The Spirit of Everyday Things: Entering Political Poetry through Objects
Taking our cues from Pablo Neruda and Naomi Shihab Nye, we’ll explore the intersection of poetry, politics, and everyday objects. Neruda and Nye both comment on social inequity through the poetic rendering of what we may take for granted—salt, figs, bread—without becoming preachy or overly sentimental. This workshop will explore their secrets, and our discussion will give way to writing prompts and outdoor reflection. After lunch, there will be time for sharing, critique, and an introduction to public speaking specifically geared toward poets. Come prepared with a notebook, writing utensil, and outdoor-appropriate attire. A half-hour lunch is built into the day; participants should provide their own lunch.
Lizzy Fox is a poet and educator with an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has taught writing and performance in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, Flynn Arts, The New England Young Writers Conference, and countless schools. Lizzy is a recipient of the Laura J. Spooner Prize and the Corrine Eastman Davis Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of Vermont, and her poems have appeared in a variety of local journals.