Class Description
This workshop is for experienced poets ready to push their craft, generate new work, and deepen their connection to a supportive community of fellow writers. Together, we’ll engage with the essential elements of poetry—language, the line, form, rhythm—and consider how each contributes to the life, tension, and energy of a poem.
Through close readings of published poets and each other’s drafts, we’ll create space for risk, invention, and growth. Over ten weeks, you’ll write ten new poems, with weekly prompts and opportunities for revision. Our workshops will center collective care, thoughtful attention, and a spirit of curiosity about where each poem wants to go.
In addition to the generative and workshop components, we’ll also spend time on strategies for sharing your work with the world—whether through readings, submissions to journals, chapbook or collection development, or applying for fellowships and grants.
We’ll draw inspiration from poets such as Lucille Clifton, Ocean Vuong, Natalie Diaz, Joy Harjo, Adrienne Rich, Evie Shockley, Li-Young Lee, Terrance Hayes, Chen Chen, Robert Hayden, and many others—including, of course, each other. This course is by submission only, and prior poetry workshop experience is strongly recommended.
Please note: Class does not meet Tuesday, November 11th.
Important dates: Applications for this class are due Monday, September 1st, at 11:59PM (EST). Late submissions will not be reviewed or receive a response. All applicants can expect to hear back within one week of the application deadline. The enrollment deadline for admitted students is Wednesday, September 8th.
Writing Roadmap: We've created a simple, goal-based writing roadmap to help you find the perfect GrubStreet course for your writing needs.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.