14 Lines and a Volta: Writing the American Sonnet

Class Description

Sonnets are small, but they make good orphanages: you can live inside them.

There's power in simplicity. In art forms pared down to the bare essentials. American art's good at it: two turntables and a microphone for hiphop. A voice, a sad refrain, and a guitar for the blues.

And the American sonnet: 14 lines. A swerve in the middle. Rhyme: optional. Meter: where we're going we're not counting feet. It works because it's simple. It works because complexity comes from simple things interacting with each other in multifarious ways.

In this three-hour generative workshop, we'll read poems by Diane Seuss, Ted Berrigan, Terrance Hayes, and Wanda Coleman, to see how the American sonnet works. What makes it tick and turn. We'll write some of our own. Students are encouraged to bring short drafts and orphaned lines.

Class Format

This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.

Covid-19 Update:

GrubStreet's space will be mask optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in-person.

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.