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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T133000
DTSTAMP:20260630T194428Z
CREATED:20260427T234908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T194428Z
UID:10005273-1787482800-1787491800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Subtleties of Meter
DESCRIPTION:Take your mastery of meter to the next level.\nTo explore some of the fine points of meter\, we will examine how metrical patterns can vary between poets\, do exercises to generate new poem drafts\, practice scansion\, and more. Participants are encouraged to bring a metrical poem they’ve already written\, for feedback at the end of the workshop. \n\n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nMetrical substitutions and other variations\nStrong and weak stresses\nHeadless lines\, descending meter\, and caesuras\nEnjambed and end-stopped lines\nHow rhyme interacts with meter\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nPoets who have taken “Natural Meter Crash Course” and/or who have some experience in writing metrical poems.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services. \n\n\n\n\n Add to calendar
URL:https://writer.org/event/subtleties-of-meter/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260820T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260820T210000
DTSTAMP:20260807T182712Z
CREATED:20260427T234907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260807T182712Z
UID:10005272-1787252400-1787259600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Your Literary Lineage: From Beloved Work to New Poems
DESCRIPTION:Turn your favorite poems into new and original work.\nOur poetic inspirations are a kind of chosen family. In this workshop\, we will explore the ways we can ethically be inspired by and pay homage to the writers we align with\, the ones who form our “literary lineage.” Choosing from both existing prose and poetry\, participants will generate new work. We will explore strategies and forms including allusions\, found verse\, ekphrastic\, centos and golden shovels. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nEthical uses of other people’s work\nnew forms\nvoice and style development\n\nTime Requirements\n\n120 minutes\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for beginning and intermediate poets who want to explore and deepen their connection to other voices while generating new work.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/your-literary-lineage-from-beloved-work-to-new-poems/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260810T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260810T193000
DTSTAMP:20260605T194728Z
CREATED:20260427T234901Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260605T194728Z
UID:10005259-1786386600-1786390200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Making a Broadside
DESCRIPTION:Create a broadside of your poetry.\nA broadside is an art print with text and drawings. Participants will receive printmaking paper\, stencils\, stamps\, and a surprise material based on the venue or setting to create a broadside. Generative writing exercises will be interwoven with examples of historically-revered posters\, visual art pieces\, and literary works printed by letterpresses. The broadside continues to transform over time while telling our stories as a form of literary artifact. This workshop offers the opportunity to write poems\, or literary works\, and receive editorial feedback. Participants will receive printmaking paper and stamps to create their own broadside. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nEkphrasis\nRhetoric\nElegy\n\nTime Requirements\n\n1 hour\n\nMaterials\n\nKingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay\nCitizen Printer by Amos Paul Kennedy\, Jr.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for advanced and early writers\, alike.
URL:https://writer.org/event/making-a-broadside/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260809T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260809T133000
DTSTAMP:20260630T193548Z
CREATED:20260427T234907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T193548Z
UID:10005271-1786273200-1786282200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Persona Poem Crash Course
DESCRIPTION:The poet’s “I” does not always mean “me.”\nIn the Persona Poem\, or Dramatic Monologue\, the poet writes in the voice of another real or imagined person—or even an inanimate object. Guided by a widely published author of persona and other poems\, you will read and discuss several time-honored examples\, then start new ones of your own. You may find unexpected insights\, expanding your poetic range in the process. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nThe power of seeing through different eyes\nPerspective and freedom\nPersona poems by classic and contemporary poets\nFeedback on participant poems\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for poets who would like a simple but dramatic way to expand their range.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/persona-poem-crash-course-4/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260805T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T210000
DTSTAMP:20260630T193651Z
CREATED:20260427T234906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T193651Z
UID:10005270-1785956400-1787173200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poetry Potluck: 5 Forms in 3 Weeks
DESCRIPTION:Want to learn about a handful of fun poetic forms and practice writing a few?\nBuild your literary muscles by practicing a mix of five contemporary and traditional forms: sonnets\, golden shovels\, abecedarians\, villanelles\, and sestinas. Classes are a mix of instruction\, reading sample poems\, lots of tips\, Q&A\, and sharing what we write (optional\, but encouraged). Struggling to find time to write? Each class will include 20-30 minutes of writing time to begin drafting your own poem. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nthe rules for\, and examples of\, five poetic forms: sonnets\, golden shovels\, abecedarians\, villanelles\, and sestinas\nhow to find the best topics that fit best with certain forms\nhow to write in rhyme and keep your poems from sounding sing-songy\nhow writing in form can provide great practice with line breaks and repetition\, and building compelling stories in your poems\n\nTime requirements\n\n20-60 minutes\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis class is for poets\, and prose writers\, with some experience who want to write poems i a variety of forms.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetry-potluck-5-forms-in-3-weeks/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:3 Sessions,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260806T210000
DTSTAMP:20260623T175008Z
CREATED:20260427T234905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T175008Z
UID:10005269-1785438000-1786050000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Let the Soft Animals Speak: Writing the Wild with Craft and Care
DESCRIPTION:Explore the essence of unexpected characters across genres\nWhen Mary Oliver tells us to let the soft animal of [our bodies] love what [they] love\, we know exactly what she means. But how does she engage the natural world to create pieces that linger on our tongues and in our hearts\, and how can we endeavor to do the same? In this workshop\, our goal is to learn how to enter the diverse topographies and umwelts around us and represent them authentically on the page. We will begin by examining exemplary works in a discussion of how to navigate and move beyond “othering” in human relationships with animals and nature. Following our critique\, together we will explore the art of “noticing” and — through our own on-the-spot attempts — see how the practice can open up opportunities to use places\, natural elements\, and animals as compelling characters and structural guides in our writing. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll:\n\nExplore the unique essence animals and nature as critical story elements\nUnderstand the value of non-traditional characters\nWriting outside of your comfort zone\nCreatively incorporating science in writing\n\nTime Requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis is workshop is designed for multi-genre writers interested in exploring new ways of “seeing” the world around them and representing it on the page — through the eyes and senses of non-traditional (and non-human) characters.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/let-the-soft-animals-speak-writing-the-wild-with-craft-and-care-2/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:2 Sessions,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260711T130000
DTSTAMP:20260609T170306Z
CREATED:20260427T234905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T170306Z
UID:10005268-1783767600-1783774800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Write the Day
DESCRIPTION:You will transform your day into poetry and fiction. You will make poems and stories from everyday details of your life.\nWe will read and then write poems and stories starting from close observation of our day\, from waking to preparing coffee and buttering bread\, to recalling a dream\, to answering a nagging question from the night’s quarrel\, to walking in the woods. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn how:\n\nTo write from dreams\nTo consider every experience as material for poetry and fiction\nTo write a poem in ten minutes\nTo make writing a kind of exercise like walking or filling out a crossword puzzle\n\nTime requirements\n\nN/A\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nPoets\, fiction writers\, memoirists\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/write-the-day-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Handmade-Paper-Notebook.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260820T150000
DTSTAMP:20260609T164646Z
CREATED:20260427T234904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T164646Z
UID:10005265-1783602000-1787238000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poems After Art\, Media\, and Ruin
DESCRIPTION:Write poems that look hard at public images without reducing them to commentary\nThis workshop studies how poems can respond to paintings\, photographs\, monuments\, advertisements\, films\, and other public images without collapsing into summary or explanation. Each week includes a short reading\, a brief craft talk\, and a generative prompt centered on image\, stance\, and tonal control\, followed by discussion and optional sharing. By the end of the workshop\, participants will have drafted a small sequence of poems that engage visual culture with pressure\, clarity\, and formal intelligence. No preparation is required for the first class beyond bringing something to write with. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nHow to build a poem from visual material without merely describing it\nStrategies for writing ekphrastically with tension\, distance\, and authority\nWays to use public imagery as structure rather than backdrop\nTechniques for managing tone when writing toward history\, violence\, or spectacle\nRevision methods that sharpen image\, syntax\, and line-level pressure\n\nTime Requirements\n\n3 hours\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for poets and hybrid writers who are drawn to art\, film\, photography\, archives\, and public culture\, and who want to turn visual encounter into serious poetic material. It will suit both emerging and experienced writers who want to deepen their control of image\, tone\, and composition.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poems-after-art-media-and-ruin/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:7 Sessions,All Levels,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260702T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260806T123000
DTSTAMP:20260609T164335Z
CREATED:20260427T234905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T164335Z
UID:10005267-1782986400-1786019400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Finding Your Poetic Voice
DESCRIPTION:In this workshop you will try on a variety of styles and forms on the way to finding your own poetic voice.\nWriting poems is discovery on paper\, and good poems surprise and delight the poet as much as anyone. In this workshop you will try on a variety of styles and forms on the way to finding your own poetic voice. We will read poems together and use them as starting points for your own work\, both in and out of class. The goal is for you to come away from the class with a portfolio of favorite poems–poems discovered in reading\, discovered in writing. Be prepared to cast aside your inner critic and write a lot! Required text: A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop:\n\nThis might be considered a back-to-basics class\, appropriate for any level\, using Mary Oliver’s book as a jumping off point for exploration and discussion. We will cover sound\, meter\, image\, voice\, reading as a writer\, and revision. The class includes one workshop session\, and lots of chances to write and share.\n\nTime requirements\n\n30-60 minutes\n\nMaterials\n\nA Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is geared towards novice poets\, but we will cover a lot of ground\, so is appropriate for anyone wanting a refresher on the basics of poetry writing.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/finding-your-poetic-voice-4/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:6 Sessions,Beginner/Intermediate Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260615
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260707
DTSTAMP:20260519T205917Z
CREATED:20260427T234903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T205917Z
UID:10005264-1781481600-1783382399@writer.org
SUMMARY:Reading and Writing Contemporary Poetry
DESCRIPTION:Write new poems based on exciting new poetic voices!\nIn this generative poetry course\, we will immerse ourselves in the landscape of contemporary poetry and craft our own poems. Each week\, we will read works published in contemporary literary journals from a diverse range of writers including Patrycja Humienik\, KB Brookins\, Kenzie Allen\, Hanif Abdurraqib\, and many others. We will also engage with their work via interviews/craft essays. We will then use techniques and inspiration from them to kickstart our writing process. With writing exercises and prompts\, students can expect to write at least one poem a week. There will be opportunities to receive written feedback on your work from your peers\, plus feedback from the instructor across the duration of the class. \n\nLearn at your own pace: This workshop will take place over Wet Ink\, which is an asynchronous creative writing platform. The instructor will post a lesson and assignment at the beginning of each week\, and participants can log in and read the lessons/post assignments/comment on other classmates’ work at their convenience. Shortly before the start date\, participants will receive an invite from Wet Ink to create their login info and access the class. Please check your spam if you don’t see it. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nCraft Elements of Contemporary Poetry\nPoetry Writing Prompts\nWays to Tap Into Your Creativity (and Maintain a Creative Practice)\nHow to Find New Journals/Poets for Inspiration\n\nTime requirements\n\nApproximately 2-3 hours a week\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for poets and writers of all levels who are interested in generating new work and gaining inspiration from new poetic voices at their own pace.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/reading-and-writing-contemporary-poetry/
LOCATION:Wet Ink
CATEGORIES:4 Sessions,All Levels,Poetry,Wet Ink,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T150000
DTSTAMP:20260603T163744Z
CREATED:20260427T234903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T163744Z
UID:10005261-1780750800-1782572400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Honoring the Ancestors: A Poetry Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Take a journey inward and find connections with the ancestors that will inspire your poetry.\nThis generative poetry workshop begins with a grounding exercise that prepares participants to begin a journey inward. With this experiential starting point\, and specific writing prompts\, attendees will delve into individual\, shared and personal experiences and memories. These prompts are intended to provide the inspiration to connect with and create work that honor their ancestors. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nThis generative poetry workshop:\n\nIs an experiential journey inward\nUncovers ancestral memories\nRespects personal experiences and memories\nCreates shared experiences\nCreates work that honor the ancestors\n\nTime Requirements\n\nParticipants will need time outside each session of the workshop to polish the work they created during class. Attending The Writer’s Center Open Mic will be recommended to share their work.\n\nMaterials\n\nUnsettling America: An Anthology of Contemporary Multicultural Poetry (recommendation but not required)\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for all levels and genres.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/honoring-the-ancestors-a-poetry-workshop/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:4 Sessions,All Levels,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260526T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T220000
DTSTAMP:20260508T195920Z
CREATED:20260427T234902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T195920Z
UID:10005260-1779825600-1782856800@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poetic Rhythm
DESCRIPTION:Make the rhythm of your poetry run\, skip\, and dance!\nWe’ll learn the fundamentals of repeating rhythms in the poetic line – how to see it in others’ work\, and then how to adapt our own lines to repeated rhythm\, whether it’s regular meter\, or various rhythmic patterns in free verse. We’ll begin by scanning well known verse\, become familiar with the rhythmic structure of our own lines\, then practice rewriting one of our own poems in a metric form. In the second half of the course\, we’ll generate a draft of a new poem in either a verse form\, or in free verse which has been rhythmically enriched. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nSounding out words aloud to find their stresses\nStrong and weak stresses – not a switch that’s on or off!\nBasic feet and how they are grouped\nIambic lines and their variety\n\n5\,4\,3 feet/lines\nHeadless lines\nFeminine endings\nElisions\n“Strict” and “Loose” iambics\n\n\nSkipping and Dancing rhythms – Dactyl and Anapest\nIrregular rhythms in free verse\n\nTime requirements\n\n45 – 60 min/week\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThose who are interested in exploring meter\, but who don’t really feel or understand how to scan\, those who want to write free verse with a more rhythmical component\, and those who already write in meter but who want to refine and expand their skill. In all cases\, we’ll connect the natural rhythms of the way we speak with the way we write.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetic-rhythm/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:6 Sessions,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T120000
DTSTAMP:20260427T210135Z
CREATED:20260415T201629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T210135Z
UID:10005203-1777716000-1777723200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Reading Poems to Write Poems
DESCRIPTION:Study and analyze great poets and poems to discover new ways to write great poems.\nThis is a reader’s workshop\, focusing on close readings of poems by two great American poets\, Stanley Plumly and Natasha Trethewey\, in order more deeply to enjoy their poems and to derive specific strategies and prompts for our own work. This focused two-hour gathering will be in two parts\, with David Baker examining Plumly’s work and Christopher Kondrich plumbing Trethewey’s. We’ll dive-deep into specific poems\, identify each poet’s signature tactics\, and talk about the class’s own practices. We hope to have some time for in-class writing\, and we hope you take away specific\, engaging new methods for your next poems. There’s no prior preparation necessary\, though familiarity with the two poets would be useful; we’ll have handouts for class and if you have Plumly’s Collected Poems and Trethewey’s Native Guard\, it would be helpful to bring with you. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn how to:\n\nRead\, analyze\, and enjoy specific poems from two master poets\nIdentify distinct strategies of poetic composition\nDiscover various techniques from form to voice\, syntax to story\, personal narrative to social relevance\nDerive writing opportunities and prompts for your future poetry\n\nTime Requirements\n\nThis is a one-day two-hour experience. To prepare\, read or reread poems by Stanley Plumly and Natasha Trethewey; and be able to describe your own compositional methods and aspirations for poetry.\n\nMaterials\n\nCollected Poems of Stanley Plumly (W. W. Norton\, 2025)\nNative Guard by Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin\, 2006)\n\nIf you don’t have either or both of these books\, we will also have a handout of the poems we’ll discuss.\n\n\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop-class will be useful both for beginning and experienced poets as they strive toward new methods\, forms\, and inspiration for their work to come.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/reading-poems-to-write-poems/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Open-Books.jpg
GEO:38.97949;-77.090791
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T130000
DTSTAMP:20260322T162538Z
CREATED:20251125T212418Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260322T162538Z
UID:10005098-1777201200-1777208400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poetry for the End of the World (and other hard times)
DESCRIPTION:Join the long tradition of apocalyptic verse.\nIn this workshop\, writers will consider end-times poems both ancient and contemporary in order to find their own voice for lamenting hard times. Students will let this work inspire new approaches to their own work in order to generate 2-3 new poems and ideas for moving forward in this tradition. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nBe exposed to apocalyptic poems both old and new\nUnderstand the role that such poetry plays during challenging times\nDeveloped your own voice in this tradition\nMove your work from the abstract to figurative gesture and concrete image\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for writers familiar with the foundational tools of poetry who want advance their craft and knowledge in this genre and tradition.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetry-for-the-end-of-the-world-and-other-hard-times-2/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Pen-Notebooks.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260419T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260419T160000
DTSTAMP:20260122T193530Z
CREATED:20251207T150134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T193530Z
UID:10005107-1776607200-1776614400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Collage Poetry: Telling Your Story in Pieces
DESCRIPTION:How to tell your story in pieces.\nCreate physical / digital collage poems representing your personal journey(s)\, origin stories\, and / or future aspirations using found imagery and text. This hands-on workshop encourages creative inquiry\, experimentation and expression through the art of collaging. Source\, sort\, and assemble with generative prompt questions in mind. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nFound poetry\nConfessional poetry\nDigital / paper collaging\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nDigital: Access to an editing platform like Canva or similar\nPhysical: Images and/or text cut from magazines\, mementos or personal photos; scissors\, glue or tape; colored pencils or markers; dried flowers or anything else to add texture/depth.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is open to all levels and genres\, but especially those interested in ex-PEER-imenting with their writing and creative practice.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/collage-poetry-telling-your-story-in-pieces/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Confetti-Text.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T160000
DTSTAMP:20260122T192422Z
CREATED:20251125T212146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T192422Z
UID:10005091-1775998800-1776009600@writer.org
SUMMARY:All About Tone
DESCRIPTION:In poetry\, it’s not about what you say; it’s how you say it.\nRobert Frost said\, “It’s tone I’m in love with; that’s what poetry is\, tone.” The ability to control tone in a poem is what makes a poet credible and their intention clear. But tone has not always been easy to define\, let alone control. In this workshop\, we will attempt to distinguish tone from voice\, style\, and mood. We will explore what contributes to a poem’s tone and how these elements can be used to convey attitude and emotion. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nWhat tone is\, and how it differs from style\, voice\, and mood.\nWhat contributes to the tone of a poem.\nDifferent approaches to establishing tone.\nHow to avoid sentimentality.\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nBecause even experienced poets often don’t pay close attention to tone\, this workshop will benefit anyone who wants to learn how to control the effect a poem has on its readers.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/all-about-tone/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Press.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260315T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260315T160000
DTSTAMP:20260303T224814Z
CREATED:20251125T211655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T224814Z
UID:10005074-1773579600-1773590400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Turning Points: The Role of the Volta in Poetry
DESCRIPTION:Wondering why the best poem you’ve ever written has never been accepted for publication?\nAlthough we associate the term “volta” with the traditional sonnet form\, it has been used with great success by many contemporary poets. Marking a shift in the poem’s tone\, subject or logic\, the volta has been compared to a change of key in music. In this workshop\, we will explore how turning your attention in a new direction can open up a poem\, allowing it to leap to another level of significance or meaning. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nWhat a volta is and its roots in the sonnet form.\nThe many forms that a volta can take in a poem.\nHow contemporary poets have adapted the volta to expand their poem’s meaning and impact.\nWhether every poem needs a volta in order to succeed.\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nPoets at all levels should understand what a volta is and what it can do for a poem that seems to be going nowhere.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/turning-points-the-role-of-the-volta-in-poetry/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Red-Pencil.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T210000
DTSTAMP:20260303T162357Z
CREATED:20251125T210902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T162357Z
UID:10005033-1773169200-1773176400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Revising Your Poems
DESCRIPTION:Learn new and generative approaches to the creative work of poetry revision!\nRevising can be very intimidating territory for all of us\, but in this workshop we will take a different approach from that of the cruel taskmaster that lives in many of our brains. Together\, we will approach our poems as gardeners and not police\, remembering that they are merely drafts—fertile soil for possible regenerations of an original impulse or feeling. Drawing from Rachel Zucker’s method of “radical revision\,” we will examine our own poems through lenses of re-visioning\, exploring new incarnations for our poems. And\, we’ll take a look at the revision processes of other published poets. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nThe difference between revision and editing\nMethods to reimagine structure\nHow to close read your own poems as well as others’\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nSince the focus of this course is on revision\, this workshop is designed for writers at any level who have already taken a poetry workshop before\, or who already have a body of poems they can pull from.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/revising-your-poems-2/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Writing-Pen-Mark-CU.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260307T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260307T130000
DTSTAMP:20251218T212647Z
CREATED:20251207T144937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T212647Z
UID:10005106-1772881200-1772888400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Write the Day
DESCRIPTION:You will transform your day into poetry and fiction. You will make poems and stories from everyday details of your life.\nWe will read and then write poems and stories starting from close observation of our day\, from waking to preparing coffee and bread\, to recalling a dream\, to answering a nagging question from the night’s quarrel\, to walking in the woods\, to calling a friend for a chat\, to starting a virtual session with a client\, or putting on a jacket and catching a bus and taking it to the metro and then an office. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nTo write from dreams.\nTo consider every experience as material for poetry and fiction.\nTo write a poem in ten minutes.\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nPoets\, fiction writers\, memoirists\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/write-the-day-2/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Fountain-Pen-Orange-Background.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T213000
DTSTAMP:20251211T215026Z
CREATED:20251125T211055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T215026Z
UID:10005060-1771961400-1774992600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poem Fundamentals
DESCRIPTION:Create poems that succeed with editors!\nThis class aims to teach students how to write poems that surprise with imagery and ingenuity. Several poetic fundamentals will be discussed in class using example poems. Students will also workshop their poems throughout the class. Each class will include a reading of 1-2 poems\, discussion of a poetic fundamental\, and some workshopping of poems. At the end of the class each participant should have 2-3 poem drafts written that are on their way toward revision. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll look at:\n\n Generating content\nDreams and streams of consciousness\nMetaphors and similes\nImagery\nRevision\n\nTime requirements\n\nTo prepare reading\, critiquing classmates’ poems\, and writing poems\, it takes about 2-3 hours a week.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nBeginning to intermediate students who wish to improve their poetry by writing the poems of their dreams.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poem-fundamentals/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:6 Sessions,Beginner Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Fountain-Pen-Script.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260221T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260221T123000
DTSTAMP:20251211T214505Z
CREATED:20251125T211054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T214505Z
UID:10005058-1771668000-1771677000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Freedom With Forms
DESCRIPTION:Have you discovered the liberation of writing poetry in forms?\nHere’s an opportunity to shed any misconception that poetic forms are only constricting. Inspired by Richard Moore’s “The Rule That Liberates\,” we will do brief writing exercises that use the enchantment of meter and rhyme to free your deeper imagination. After exploring several traditional forms\, we will experiment with creating improvised (nonce) forms. Participants may leave with at least one new draft poem and ideas for creating more. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nHow “received” forms can tap the imagination in unexpected ways\nHow to vary forms and yet leave them recognizable\nTriolet and other short forms\nGhazal and other longer forms\nNonce Forms\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for any poet who would like to understand (or better understand) the freedom of writing in forms.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/freedom-with-forms-5/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Crinkled-Paper-Deep-Blue.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260208T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260208T160000
DTSTAMP:20251211T195102Z
CREATED:20251125T210933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T195102Z
UID:10005046-1770555600-1770566400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poetry as Autobiography
DESCRIPTION:If you want to write about your life\, beware of the pitfalls!\nThe autobiographical impulse has always been a strong one in American poetry\, but it wasn’t until the so-called “confessional” poets began writing in the late 1950s and 60s that the poet’s life became a widely accepted source of inspiration. In this workshop\, we will examine autobiographical poetry’s roots in Confessionalism and some of the legal and ethical concerns that have arisen as a result. Then we will look at some contemporary poets who write about their own lives and discuss how their work transcends the confessional impulse. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nWhat is confessional poetry\, and why has its reputation suffered over the years?\nWho are the poets we associate with the confessional movement?\nWhat are some of the legal and ethical issues that have been raised when poets write about their own lives and personal relationships?\nWhat is the difference between a “good” autobiographical poem and a self-indulgent one?\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nBecause writing about the events of our lives is such a widespread impulse\, this workshop will benefit poets at all levels.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetry-as-autobiography/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Writing-Pen-and-Notebook-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260207T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260207T123000
DTSTAMP:20251211T194708Z
CREATED:20251125T210932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T194708Z
UID:10005044-1770458400-1770467400@writer.org
SUMMARY:Sonnet Crash Course
DESCRIPTION:What is special about the sonnet?\nGuided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets\, villanelles\, and other metrical poems\, you’ll first read time-honored sonnets to see how and why they work. Next the class will write a group sonnet\, and then — with or without shortcuts — you’ll start one of your own. You’ll leave with at least one new (draft) or improved sonnet\, as well as insights about how writing poems in form can unlock deeper meaning and enhance everything you write. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nShakespearean and Petrarcan sonnets\nIambic pentameter\nThe Volta\nCan any 14-line poem (or any poem at all) be a sonnet?\nFeedback on participant poems\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for poets who would like to improve their sonnet skills\, or write their first sonnet.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/sonnet-crash-course-4/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Paper-Curves.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260131T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260228T123000
DTSTAMP:20260116T180642Z
CREATED:20251125T210903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T180642Z
UID:10005036-1769853600-1772281800@writer.org
SUMMARY:The Survival Power of the Lyric Poem
DESCRIPTION:Write from the heart!\nThink now of poetry as a school for emotions\, and the lyric has had a revelatory power evoked through both beauty and pain for thousands of years. When you’re in the middle of writing a lyric poem that is fully inspired\, it isn’t a poem at all\, but a light in blindness\, a splintered house in a whirlwind\, with a gaping door\, but you feel your way through it\, until something surprises you. It is only afterwards\, through revision\, that it becomes anything like a poem\, and then it takes off on its own. This workshop is open to all levels and offers mini-lectures as well as critiques on craft and content. The only requirement is to write from the heart\, and nearly everything works\, if only from the intellect\, almost nothing works: it takes both to find your poem. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nStudents will learn how to find the poem within\, and to develop skills that best capture the artistry of imagery\, figurative language\, formal techniques both in traditional and free forms.\n\nTime requirements\n\n3 to 4 hours\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for all levels of poetry because the emphasis is on the generation of the poem\, and finding it from within\, and there is no pre-requisite for that.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/the-survival-power-of-the-lyric-poem-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:5 Sessions,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Writing-Wrinkled-Paper-on-Pink.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260118T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260201T133000
DTSTAMP:20251211T191051Z
CREATED:20251125T210805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T191051Z
UID:10005026-1768734000-1769952600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Poetry Vs. Trauma
DESCRIPTION:Learn\, and try out\, some of the ways poetry can help free the writer.\nTrauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet and health journalist\, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques\, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems\, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry\, several class writing exercises\, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (NOTE: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.) \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nIndividual and societal healing through poetry\nWriting to help heal or prevent PTSD\nEmotional and sensory aspects of poetry\nFeedback on participant poems (optional)\n\nTime requirements\n\nUp to one hour per week\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for all those who would like to learn new ways of using poetry to help free themselves and/or others from effects of trauma.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/poetry-vs-trauma-4/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:3 Sessions,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Tree-canopy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260113T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T220000
DTSTAMP:20251209T190024Z
CREATED:20251125T210739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251209T190024Z
UID:10005021-1768334400-1771365600@writer.org
SUMMARY:Writing Poetry Like a Movie
DESCRIPTION:Organize what you show and tell your audience in your poems like a movie director.\nImagine your poem as though you held a camera and planned a sequence\, choosing what to include “in the frame\,” and where to go from shot to shot. Choose visual imagery and other poetic elements\, and how to present them\, whether in close-up\, middle distance\, or long shot\, and move from one set of images to another as you uncover the structure of your poem. By the end of the workshop\, poets will have two poems which hold the attention like a good movie. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\n“Camera” placement\n\nDistance: close-up\, middle distance\, long shot\nPoint of view\nPanning – presenting information in continuous sequence\nCutting – presenting information in segments\n\n\nNarration/Dialogue\n\nSolo voice\n“Over the shoulder”\n“The two shot”\n\n\nPace\n\nLine length\nMeter/rhythm\n\n\n\nTime requirements\n\n45-60 minutes weekly\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThose with experience writing narrative or story poems will benefit most from this approach to organizing such poems\, but it also opens up the imagination for those who write lyric poetry – what do we show and tell the reader; how and when?\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/writing-poetry-like-a-movie/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:6 Sessions,Intermediate Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260110T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260110T143000
DTSTAMP:20251209T184123Z
CREATED:20251125T210729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251209T184123Z
UID:10005016-1768048200-1768055400@writer.org
SUMMARY:On Duende and Surrealism
DESCRIPTION:Experience concepts of duende and surrealism through the lens of poet Federico García Lorca and artist Salvador Dalí.\nParticipants will be prompted to create literary works inspired by Federico García Lorca’s concept of duende\, Salvador Dalí’s concept of surrealism\, as well as the two artists’ friendship. Generative writing exercises will encourage participants to think of friendship as a creative space where literary work can be exchanged and as a means to deepen friendships. Participants will have the opportunity to write poems and request feedback on their writing. \n\nIn-person class: This workshop will take place at The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh St\, Bethesda MD. \n\nIn this workshop you’ll:\n\nIdentifying duende in a literary piece\nUnderstanding Surrealism in poetry\nDeciphering craft’s utility\n\nTime Requirements\n\nNo time requirement outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nPoet in New York – Poeta en Nueva York by Federico García Lorca (Any bilingual copy)\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for new and experienced poets and writers\, alike.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/on-duende-and-surrealism/
LOCATION:The Writer’s Center\, 4508 Walsh Street\, Bethesda\, MD\, 20815\, United States
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,The Writer's Center,Workshop
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X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Writer’s Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda MD 20815 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4508 Walsh Street:geo:-77.090791,38.97949
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251214T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251214T133000
DTSTAMP:20250828T155600Z
CREATED:20250814T152938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T155600Z
UID:10004954-1765710000-1765719000@writer.org
SUMMARY:Sonnet Crash Course
DESCRIPTION:What is special about the sonnet?\nGuided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets\, villanelles\, and other metrical poems\, you’ll first read time-honored sonnets to see how and why they work. Next the class will write a group sonnet\, and then — with or without shortcuts — you’ll start one of your own. You’ll leave with at least one new (draft) or improved sonnet\, as well as insights about how writing poems in form can unlock deeper meaning and enhance everything you write. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nShakespearean and Petrarcan sonnets\nIambic pentameter\nThe Volta\nCan any 14-line poem (or any poem at all) be a sonnet?\nFeedback on participant poems\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is for poets who would like to improve their sonnet skills\, or write their first sonnet.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/sonnet-crash-course-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T160000
DTSTAMP:20251002T200545Z
CREATED:20250814T152937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T200545Z
UID:10004951-1765112400-1765123200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Diction for Poets: Choosing the Right Word
DESCRIPTION:Should the language used in poetry be different from that used in everyday speech?\nDiction\, or word choice\, is crucial to poetry\, where every word matters. In this workshop\, we will examine what diction is “appropriate” in a poem and why understanding where certain words come from is essential to using them effectively. We will discuss the relationship between diction and tone\, the difference between idiom and cliché\, and the role that ambiguity can play. We will also talk about “poetic diction” and how to avoid it. \n\nLive video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform\, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before\, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it). \n\nIn this workshop you’ll learn:\n\nWhat “poetic diction” is and how it has changed over the centuries.\nWhy knowing a word’s etymology–the study of its origins–is so important.\nHow word choice can affect the tone of a poem.\nWhether ambiguity in a poem is a good thing or a bad thing.\nHow to expand and improve your diction.\n\nTime requirements\n\nNo time required outside of class.\n\nMaterials\n\nAll reading materials will be provided.\n\nWho should take this workshop?\n\nThis workshop is designed for beginners as well as poets who have been writing for many years.\n\n\nIf you need an accommodation for this workshop\, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests\, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
URL:https://writer.org/event/diction-for-poets-choosing-the-right-word/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,All Levels,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T123000
DTSTAMP:20251118T152748Z
CREATED:20250814T152937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T152748Z
UID:10004949-1765015200-1765024200@writer.org
SUMMARY:Natural Meter Crash Course
DESCRIPTION:Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here’s an opportunity to improve your ear for meter—a major element of poetic prosody—and to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets\, villanelles\, and other metrical poems\, this one-day workshop includes scansion of well-known poems\, writing exercises\, and\, if you like\, close examination of a poem you’ve drafted prior to class. You’ll leave with new insights about improving the auditory qualities of all your poems and prose.
URL:https://writer.org/event/natural-meter-crash-course-5/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:1 Session,Intermediate/Advanced Level,Poetry,Workshop,Zoom
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