Taking Shape: Writing Poems in Form
4 Weeks • with Gail Thomas • All Levels
Available spots
Class Description
Do you have ideas for poems, but haven’t found a way to begin writing? Sometimes the best way to break through is to experiment with form! We will examine how form and subject work together to create memorable poems by reading and discussing poems by diverse writers. This is a craft workshop for writers of all levels in which you will learn how to use traditional forms like the sonnet, ghazal, pantoum, villanelle and newer forms like the duplex and golden shovel. Participants will be given prompts to write a different form each week to share with the group at the next session; these drafts will not be workshopped. The spirit of this class is to deepen your understanding of form, to experiment, and have fun with structure. GAIL THOMAS' books are Trail of Roots, Leaving Paradise, Odd Mercy, Waving Back, No Simple Wilderness, and Finding the Bear. Her poems have been widely published in journals and anthologies including CALYX, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, North American Review, among others. Among her awards are the Charlotte Mew Prize from Headmistress Press, the Narrative Poetry Prize from Naugatuck River Review, the Massachusetts Center for the Book’s “Must Read” for Waving Back, the Quartet Journal’s Editor’s Choice Prize, and Seven Kitchen Press’s A.V. Christie Chapbook Series award for Trail of Roots. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony and Ucross, and several poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Gail visits schools and libraries with her therapy dog and works with immigrant and refugee communities in Western Massachusetts. You may read more about her work at www.gailthomaspoet.com. WHAT STUDENTS SAY: "Gail's class was a very warm and supportive environment where I felt I could share my work and take "creative risks." The techniques I learned in this class will absolutely benefit my poetry writing moving forward." - Marisa C. "Gail's love of poetry comes across and she shares information in a way that is easily understandable." Sheila M. "What I appreciated above and beyond this was the VERY constructive holding space and approach. All contributions felt welcome and worthy, and the intention to help me make my poems better felt clear and supportive." - Virginia M.
Upcoming Sessions
Cancellation Policy
If you withdraw from a workshop TEN DAYS OR MORE before the start of the class: You'll receive credit toward another workshop (minus 10% transaction fee) OR a full refund (minus 10% transaction fee). The transaction fee is non-refundable for PVWW, so this is something we must apply to all refunds and transfers. If you withdraw from a workshop nine days before the start of the class up until 48 hours before: You'll receive a refund minus 20%. If you withdraw from a workshop less than 48 hours before the start of a class or after the class has begun: We cannot offer credit or any refund. If you are absent on the day of your workshop or miss it for any reason, we are unable to offer any kind of refund or credit. If we have to cancel a class you have paid for, you will receive a full refund, without the service charge deducted. For our full listing of policies, visit www.PioneerValleyWriters.Com, Policies page (under Home). To withdraw and receive a partial refund according to the above, please get in touch with us at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com
Contact Details
5186451113
joy@pioneervalleywriters.org
Florence Civic Center, 90 Park Street, Florence, MA 01062, USA