Upending Form: Queer Poets Shifting Expectations - Remote!

Ideas of form generally stem from what we've learned as youths: poetry must have rhythm, meter, structure, and refrains or rhymes. Poetry throughout American history has deviated and shifted from formal expectations of the past, generally starting with Whitman and Dickinson. And what do those two poets have in common? In this course, we'll be looking at the ways in which queer poets use form to navigate their identities. We’ll think about how one can manipulate and upend formal techniques in their writing process, and we will talk about pieces you’ll produce through in-class writing exercises. In this course, we'll be looking at the work of poets such as Chen Chen, Sarah Sgro, Franny Choi, Cyrée Jarelle Johnson, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickison. 

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.