For centuries, readers and writers have turned to poetry to find hope and heal from illness, trauma, loss, and grief. Within this four-week generative poetry workshop, we will discover ways to seek healing through writing our poetry. We will discuss how articulating our grief and memories on the safety of the page can help us learn resilience and find healing and how famous poets in the past have used verse to be heard and find solidarity and strength.

Each week, we will study poems of healing by poets such as Mary Oliver, Jamaal May, Paisley Rekdal, and Elizabeth Alexander. Each session will discuss one famous poem, explore different approaches to writing as a means of healing, and a generative prompt that encourages a new approach or technique. Each meeting will also offer the opportunity for each student to workshop one of their own poems with the group for the purpose of receiving constructive, supportive feedback.

I’m thrilled to be leading this extended discussion on how we find healing through reading and writing poems in a few weeks. All classes in this 4-week course will be held in Zoom, and we’ll write and read poems that explore different paths to healing. Interested in writing with me? Follow this link and I’ll see you there!