What does it mean to write poetry as an act of resistance? This workshop starts from a simple conviction: writing poems is a moral act. When we write them fearlessly it becomes a public act, one that we do on behalf of others. Doing so means moving beyond the self, finding new truths that liberate and sharing them with the world. We’ll learn by pairing poets who paid a price for telling the truth—Akhmatova, Celan, Lorca, with poets like Lorine Neidecke, Janet Lewis and William Stafford who bore quiet, difficult and effective witness by simply not looking away. They show us that resistance can occur not only when speech is punished, but when language refuses to lie, dramatize, soothe or absolve. Then we will apply those lessons to our own work. Build and share your work in a supportive environment that celebrates risk, clarity and discovery. Come join us!
A Statement of Our Values
The Attic Institute of Arts and Letters opposes the legitimation of bigotry, hate, and misinformation. As a studio for writers, we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We embrace and celebrate our shared pursuit of literature and languages as essential to crossing the boundaries of difference. To that end, we seek to maintain a creative environment in which every employee, faculty member, and student feels safe, respected, and comfortable — even while acknowledging that poems, stories, and essays delve into uncomfortable subjects. We accept the workshop as a place to question ourselves and to empathize with complex identities. We understand that to know the world is to write the world. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to literary pursuits and shared understanding by affirming diversity and open inquiry.