Massachusetts Statewide Poetry Calendar

Do you enjoy writing poetry but struggle to think of new ideas for your work? Are you looking for new brainstorming activities or prompts that can help you generate new poems and give you the freedom to write about themes or topics that resonate with you? Well, what if part of the answer to both questions is to look at your life and the world around you with fresh eyes and an open mind? Then join poet, book editor, and writing coach Sara Letourneau via Zoom for Everywhere You Look: Writing Poetry Inspired by Your Experiences and Everyday Life on Thursday, April 14, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern. This three-hour poetry-writing workshop is driven by one of Sara’s core beliefs about the craft of this genre: “You can find poem ideas everywhere.” Using this principle, we’ll read work by poets such as Sandra Beasley, January Gill O’Neil, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil, then discuss how they find inspiration in places both familiar and unexpected. We’ll also explore different ways that our experiences and everyday lives can inspire our poetry through brainstorming exercises that segue into in-class writing periods. When the workshop is done, you’ll come away with new work in progress, ideas for future poems, and a better understanding of how what’s extraordinary about the seemingly ordinary can spur more of your writing down the road. All poets are welcome to this workshop! So no matter if you are new to writing poetry, have been writing it for years, or are returning to it after a long hiatus, chances are you’ll enjoy this event, be surprised by how easy the brainstorming activities can be, and learn from Sara’s “eyes wide open” approach to being inspired. Also, poets of all genders, colors, creeds, and sexual orientations are welcome to this event. Please bring a notebook or journal and your favorite writing utensil(s) to this workshop. This poetry workshop will be hosted online using Zoom. You don't need to have a Zoom account to attend, but make sure you have access to a computer, tablet, or mobile device with a webcam as well as email and an internet connection to register and attend. If you prefer, you can listen to the class on your phone. Depending on when you sign up, you'll receive the sign-in details and the poems we’ll read and discuss in class either the morning of the event or one hour before the event begins.