What does it mean to write toward something you can’t quite name: the sacred, the ineffable, the ecstatic, the sublime? Devotion, as a poetic impulse, transcends religious tradition. It is a practice of sustained attention to what we love most deeply, to what won’t let us go, to what exceeds ordinary language. We will study how poets across time and cultures have found form for their deepest desires and shaped that longing into art — then bring those lessons to bear on our own work. Reading list: Rumi, Hafez, St. John of the Cross, John Donne, Rilke, Denise Levertov, Mary Oliver, Christian Wiman and others. Create and share your work in a supportive environment that values rigor, exploration and joy. We hope you will 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.
