Generating, Revising, Polishing: The Practice of Poetry Writing

Generating new work and revising it might be thought of as the in-breath and out-breath of poetry. And the gathering of poets—of all levels—supporting and challenging one another, is the workshop community in which poems can respire. In this workshop, students are encouraged to work on unfinished poems with writing exercises provided. Group critiquing will address the precision of language, rhythm, and form. The ease of writing poetry (like a series of breaths) will be cultivated.

Martine Bellen is the author of seven collections of poetry, including The Vulnerability of Order; Tales of Muraski and Other Poems, which won the National Poetry Series; and Ghosts! A contributing editor of the literary journal Conjunctions, she has taught at Wesleyan and Bard.