The Makery Discovering Ourselves through Narrative and Formal Poetry
We will begin our exploration of identity by writing our own versions of George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From”. From this draft, we will use individual details to spark new poems and discover more about ourselves through narrative poetry and poetic forms like the sonnet, villanelle, sestina, and possibly a few others. Previous experience with writing in poetic form is not required. How do different forms contribute to our understanding of our experiences? What is revealed by writing in different forms? Some of our explorations may result in clarity; some may result in more questions to be pursued in future drafts.
We will meet twice a week on Zoom to write together, discuss our drafts, and learn from the poems of others. Optional individual conferences can be scheduled by request.
Class will be held the weeks of June 19th – July 7th
Classes will meet virtually on Monday and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time
About the Instructor
Lisa Kwong, A native of Radford, Virginia, Lisa Kwong is AppalAsian, an Affrilachian Poet, and author of Becoming AppalAsian (Glass Lyre Press), a finalist for the Weatherford Award in Poetry. Her poems have appeared in Best New Poets, A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, About Place Journal, Still: The Journal, and other publications. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. She teaches at Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana.
