…And signups are now available for my two workshops, among many other fantastic looking offerings, here. As always, there’s a great diversity of poets, styles, forms, and ideas represented in the schedule, and I’m really looking forward to attending this year, as well as leading the two workshops on Sunday morning.
Solarpunk, the optimistic, eco-conscious, sci-fi of the near future, is a great fit for the imagination and whimsy of a poet. We’ll look at some examples of poems old and new that reflect the solarpunk ideals, and experiment with writing prompts. Bring your futurist dreams of conversing with whales, living in a treehouse, and using solar sails to reach Mars to this workshop.
City Concept by artist Francois Shuiten
On Beyond Giggles: Writing Children’s Poetry
What makes a poem for children successful? Does it have to rhyme? Use short words? Feature at least one thing to gross you out? We’ll look at examples from a number of poets who write for younger audiences, and try out some of their techniques with a selection of writing prompts. Feel free to bring an example of one of your favorite poems for kids to add to the discussion!
Page from Red Sings from Treetops, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Sea Dreams and Time Machines 