ONSITE: Writing Poetry

Explore the fundamental elements of poetry, through the reading and writing of poems. We'll read and discuss poems written by other people, then write poems of our own, with special attention to elements of line, image, and syntax. Students will learn how close readings of other poems may inspire their own work, and how they might read their own work with fresh eyes. Each meeting will include at least one writing exercise, to help generate at least one new poem draft each week. Students who wish to produce completed drafts should expect to continue writing outside of the scheduled class time.

Special Notes

• Class time will focus on the discussion of shared readings and our creative process. We will try to make time for writing exercises during class, but students who wish to produce completed drafts should expect to continue writing outside of the scheduled class time. Students may want to plan for additional reading outside of class time, but it will not be a requirement. All necessary materials will be provided, but you're welcome to bring a notebook and a favorite writing instrument.
  
  This studio is not wheel chair accessible from the interior due to two steps, but is accessible through an exterior door.
  
  
  This is an On-site course. Students must follow current Covid-19 protocols, as outlined on our website. On-site courses do not come with studio access outside of class time. Paid open studio access is available through our Studio Access Program. Please visit visarts.org for more information.
  

About the Instructor

Lauren Miner

Lauren Miner is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned an MFA in creative writing (concentrating in poetry) and an MA in English (writing her thesis about descriptions of photographs in the poems of Larry Levis). She's led creative-writing workshops at VCU, the UVa Young Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. Her creative interests include poetry, nonfiction, photography (both analog and digital), and comics. She currently serves as an assistant poetry editor at Four Way Review, and she is the Artist-in-Residence for the James River Park System.

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