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MassPoetryFest17 Schedule is Up!

…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.

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Solarpunk Serenades

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.

byfrancoisshuiten
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!

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Page from Red Sings from Treetops, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

 

Uncategorized

Ready, Set, Poetry Fest!

One of the highlights of my writing-year is always the Massachusetts Poetry Festival. I started off as an attendee, then as a museum educator offering drop-in programs that tied the visual to the verbal arts for all ages, and then as an independent poet submitting workshop proposals on ekphrastic poetry.

For this year’s festival, I’m honored and excited to say that I’ve had two workshop proposals accepted! The schedule for the festival isn’t up yet, but sometime during the weekend of May 5-7, I will be offering the following two workshops:

design for a boat or submersible that incorporates green energy to clean waterways
Vincent Callebaut, Amphibious Garden Cleaning European Waterways, http://www.hopesandfears.com/hopes/city/life/215749-solarpunk
Solarpunk Serenades
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.
purple-pelican

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!