Writing Away from the Surface with Patricia Smith

This workshop will be composed of discussion and exercises designed to write toward darkness, secrecy, trauma, regret and, eventually, insight. Few poets actually heed the time-worn advice to “write what you know.” Instead, we scrape stories from the surface of our lives, while ignoring the uncomfortable truths that we mistakenly believe have been paved over and forgotten. Writers are among the fortunate few who have access to the whole of their lives. This workshop will teach us not to be afraid of that blessing.

Patricia Smith is the author of the poetry collections Blood Dazzler (a 2008 National Book Award Finalist), Teahouse of the Almighty (a National Poetry Series selection and winner of the Hurston/Wright Award in Poetry), Close to Death, Life According to Motown and Big Towns, Big Talk.