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Grace, beauty, hardship, resiliency, humor, creativity. Such are some of the themes found in the poetry of community. In establishing her landmark program, Poetry for the People, poet-activist June Jordan recognized the power of poetry to inspire the powerless of all backgrounds to speak their truths and ignite change. That inspiration, wrote Gaston Bachelard in The Poetics of Space, comes from "a consciousness associated with the soul." In cultivating both the expansiveness of the soul necessary to write poetry and the voice needed to speak our truths, this course will explore how communities engage poetry to illuminate stories and images. Our basis of exploration will be grounded in both content and form by reading and writing page and stage poetry, particularly as expressions of empowerment, including by traditionally marginalized communities, and through explorations in form, from sestinas to spoken word.

This workshop-style course welcomes students with all levels of expertise in poetry, from novice to experienced, as well as those new to poetry who bring a sense of curiosity and openness to experiment with this art form. All students need to come with a willingness to share their poetry, engage in critique, and revise their work. Activities will include reading of published poets, workshopping student poems, field trips, in-class writing exercises, films and seminar. We will also participate in community readings sponsored by the Olympia Poetry Network and Old Growth Poetry Collective.  Students must bring three original poems to the first class session that they would like workshopped.

Quarters

Summer Open

Location and Schedule

Final Schedule and Room Assignment

• Summer

Campus Location

Olympia

Time Offered

Day

Advertised Schedule