Classes at the Attic

There is so much pleasure in poetry. Yes, there’s heartache, and mystery, and play, and drama, but there’s pure pleasure in the writing, the reading, and the sharing. Honestly, there’s just pleasure in joining the company of poets. This session is for those who are interested writing or sharing your poetry but you’re not quite sure. What will a workshop be like? What will others think? Will I belong? “Beginning with Poetry” is your opportunity and now is your time. Although the session is available to all, we will always be mindful of writers who haven’t been in a workshop or haven’t been for a long time. For inspiration and edification, we’ll read marvelous poems from a range of established writers, generate some of our own work, and share. Expect not only a lot of fun, expect the doors of the House of Poetry to open and welcome you inside. | Maximum: 14 writers

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“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” ~ E. L. Doctorow

You have a thousand stories inside your head. You dabble on the page but rarely if ever finish anything, much less share with others. “Is my work good enough?” you wonder.  “Do I have something original and interesting to say? What makes me think I can be a writer?”  The biggest obstacle for emerging writers is not lack of time nor lack of skill nor lack of things to write about. It’s a lack of self-confidence. This workshop is designed for those who want to be writers, but are not sure they can be.  It provides a safe space for you to explore your interest in writing within a community of others who are on the same journey of exploration that you are. You will have an opportunity to share your writing and receive feedback that will help you identify your creative strengths and build on them. If you have work to share, bring it. If you haven’t written anything, bring an open mind to the possibilities that the class may open for you. Learn about the craft and, in the process, discover what it is about you that makes your stories worth telling and makes you the only writer who can tell them. | Maximum 15 students

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Here’s a workshop that can flow with the longer rhythms of your writing. A Saturday morning of each month, we’ll gather and share poems in a comfortable but focused fashion. You choose the poem to share based on what feedback you are looking for; the poems could range from one you want ready to submit for publication, to an experimental piece that needs a supportive but critical eye. Along the way we’ll talk about craft and how to grow and sustain a fulfilling practice, which includes the company of fellow poets.  Come ready to share your poems and insights and to carry generous feedback home to your writing desk. 

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Tension draws writer and reader into any story and evokes more deeply human experience. The constant adjusting of tension affects pacing and drives story in countless ways:  interactions among characters, sentence structure,  and even word choice. We’ll use excerpts from published works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry as well as work submitted weekly by participants to explore how the use of tension can create a vivid, visceral narrative.  | Maximum: 12 students

Register for this workshop

NOTE: Click to sign up for a free Zoom account. 

Register for this workshop

NOTE: Click to sign up for a free Zoom account.