Poetry in Everyday Life: A New Relationship with Language
“Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.” - Samuel Johnson
Poetry should be communal, inspiring, and fun. Many of us find ourselves drawn to poetry with considerable reluctance. Perhaps we have written poetry of our own, and even enjoyed doing so, but feel frustrated at our inability to develop a consistent writing practice. Perhaps we enjoy reading poetry when we encounter it in the world or on social media, but find ourselves shying away from the poetry section at the bookstore.
This six-week workshop is built with the understanding that being in community with other writers, of all experience levels, can help us develop a dynamic and exciting relationship with poetry. We will read and reflect upon the work of great poets from across the world, as well as workshop our own writing. Our goal is to meet each participant where they are at, and help them cultivate the relationship with poetry that is most true for them.
Outline:
This workshop will have six sessions, taking place weekly on Tuesday starting April 1st at Calcutta Kitchens in Kingston, NY.
Participants are invited to come by to read, write, eat, and chat at 6pm. The workshop will begin promptly at 7:00pm when the restaurant closes.
We will begin each session with a short meditation. We will then do a brief check-in, before moving on to discuss our favorite poems from the previous week’s selection of reading material.
For the second half of the session, participants will be invited to share their work with the group.
No one who doesn’t wish to will be expected to share their writing with the group.
There will be time throughout the workshop for questions and dialogue with the instructor about craft, developing a writing practice, and somatic techniques for confronting writer’s block.
Participation Expectations:
Participants are expected to attend at least five out of the six workshop sessions. If a participant wishes to share their work with the class, they should email a copy of their piece in advance so we can print copies for everyone. Participants will agree to only offer positive feedback on other workshop participants’ writing unless otherwise asked for. Each participant will be given the opportunity to share their own work with the group at least once during the course of the six weeks.
Environment:
The workshop is a connected, warm, playful, yet engaged environment where all voices will be respected and heard. Participants should be committed to fostering this kind of inclusive environment
Teacher: Benjamin Goodman
Benjamin Goodman is a poet, somatic practitioner, and writing coach. He regularly offers poetry classes online and at Princeton University. Ben studied poetry at Princeton University with many major award-winning poets. His work currently appears in Strange Matters Magazine, North of Oxford, Ginosko Literary Journal, Ink in Thirds, Grub Street, The Healing Muse, and Midway Journal. He is a practicing somatic counselor, helping clients rediscover and embody their authenticity as a source of healing. He is currently pursuing certification in Somatic Experiencing.