Class Description
The prose poem, according to Baudelaire, is “musical without rhyme or rhythm, supple and jerky enough to adapt to the movements of the soul, to the undulations of reverie, to the somersaults of conscience.” Learn how a prose poem differs from flash fiction, essays, free verse, memoir, or nonfiction, and how this denser and more elastic form can allow you a freedom you haven’t experienced in writing before. The poet Alan Shapiro says that he found in his most recent book, ""This [prose poem] form allowed me to write about things I never could before,” excavating the past and witnessing the present in new ways after decades of writing.
We’ll develop a prose poem community with discussion, in-class exercises, and weekly prompts based on the prose poems of writers such as Ada Limon, Alan Shapiro, Claudine Rankine, Brian Doyle, Aimee Nezhukamatathil, Zadie Smith, and others. We’ll talk about how best to support each other with in-class feedback and how to get the most from the work of our exceptional writing models. Expect to leave with a deeper understanding of literary forms, five prose poems of your own, and generative writing to propel you in the future.
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. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!