Class Description
Do you want to try writing poetry, but don’t know where to start? Do you need to refresh your understanding of the fundamentals of the genre? Intro to Poetry will help you (re)start your engine. The main method of this class is learning by doing—diving right into the writing process and giving ourselves permission to play on the page and develop our distinct poetic voices. Each week we will study the craft and vision of modern and contemporary poets, discuss our findings, and use them to broaden and deepen our poetic practices.
There will be exercises and prompts designed to help us silence our inner critic and get comfortable splashing words on the page, making poems that engage, surprise, and move us. The atmosphere will be congenial and collaborative, and on-the-spot feedback from the instructor and classmates will be offered on writing done in class. We'll be looking at work by poets like Natasha Trethewey, Hai-Dang Phan, Jericho Brown, and Jorie Graham to inspire our own bold experiments.
Driving to the center? For evening or weekend classes, we recommend SP+ Parking at 45 Binford Street for the most affordable parking around. It's about a 10-minute walk to GrubStreet and offers a flat rate of:
$8 after 4pm Monday-Friday
$5 all day Saturday-Sunday
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 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.
Space Accessibility:
Our space is ADA accessible with automatic door openers, ADA-compliant restrooms, desk and table spacing, braille signage, and elevator. Our classrooms can be equipped with ALS for hard of hearing individuals. We cannot guarantee a scent-free environment. For more accessibility requests, please contact our Operations team at [email protected] or (617) 695-0075.