A Self-Guided Online Series
You do not need to have taken the previous Living Room Craft Talks to take this series.
If you want to learn more about the strategies that you can employ to write poems that are vivid, arresting, meaningful and complex, I’d be delighted to have you join me in the Living Room Craft Talks: The Fourth Series. If you haven’t attended the previous talks, that’s fine. Each series is independent.
I’ll be presenting practical teachings that you’ll be able to put to use at whatever stage of development you’re at—whether you’re just beginning, somewhere in the great middle, or are an accomplished and published poet. These talks are focused on poetry, but prose writers are welcome. This precise attention to structure and language will enrich your work as well.
The topics for this series are: Sentiment & Sentimentality, Image, Line, Form, Eco-Poetry, and The Ode.
We’ll be reading exemplary poems from a large and diverse group of poets. And there will be guest appearances from: Mark Doty, Paul Tran, Jason Schneiderman, Victoria Chang, Marie Howe, and Ross Gay!
More About the Topics and Schedule
Week One
Sentiment & Sentimentality
Guest Poet: Mark Doty
“Sentimentality is the only sentiment that rubs you the wrong way.”—W. Somerset Maugham
We all want our poems to be emotionally powerful, but how do we express strong feelings without falling into irritating sentimentality? We’ll talk about the courage required to run right up to the edge of sentimentality and the craft required not to spill over into it. As Oscar Wilde said, “A sentimentalist is simply one who desires to have the luxury of an emotion without paying for it.” I’ll identify specific ways we can “pay” so that we don’t just talk about an emotion, but invoke it. We’ll discuss poems that demonstrate the complex marriage of thought and feeling. I’ll share strategies to heighten the intimacy of your poems and turn up the heat.
Week Two
The Image
Guest Poet: Paul Tran
“…image, holds the primary, wordless world of the actual, its heaped assemblage of quartzite, feathers, steel trusses, red-seamed baseballs, distant airplanes, and a few loudly complaining cows…”—Jane Hirshfield
The image is the heart of the poem. Ezra Pound defined it as “that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time.” That instant is when we take in the physical world and give back our response. It’s also our greatest opportunity to connect, to deliver the sensory experience so vividly that the reader suddenly arrives in a new place. The image is the opposite of explanation. It operates beyond argument, beyond reason. We’ll focus on images in exemplary poems and learn how to make our poems come alive with what Tony Hoagland calls “thingitude.”
Week Three
The Line
Guest Poet: Jason Schneiderman
“I have found the law of my own poems.”—Walt Whitman
The line is one of the primary defining elements of poetry. Each poem is an opportunity to discover what kind of line that particular poem needs: short lines, long lines, variable lengths, lines that end on natural pauses, lines that syncopate. We’ll analyze the relationship of each line to what comes before and after and to the poem as a whole. Delving into these considerations––and more––we’ll explore poems that illustrate the myriad possibilities. You’ll gain an understanding of how to make and break lines in ways that deepen the music and meaning of your poems.
Week Four
Form
Guest Poet: Victoria Chang
“Form is never more than a revelation of content.”—Denise Levertov
Form is the architecture of a poem. It’s the vessel you pour your words into. Every time we write, we’re trying to find the ideal form for that particular poem so that every aspect is working in unison to create the most vivid experience for the reader. We’ll consider a wide variety of forms in free verse and open form poems (and in forms the poet has invented). We’ll look at stanzas, pattern, white space and the shape of the poem on the page. I’ll present practices to help you craft the structure of your poems to support the content.
Week Five
Eco-Poetry
Guest Poet: Marie Howe
“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is––it’s to imagine what is possible.”—Bell Hooks
We are all aware of the earth in peril. And we are confronted with the question: how do we wrap our arms around the exquisiteness of this living world and also give voice to our grief and despair? We’ll study poems that are in awe of the beauty and intricate workings of the planet, that mourn the magnitude of what has been destroyed, and that offer hope that we can, in the words of Vivee Francis, “set the world turning from one moment/ into the next startlement.” I’ll suggest a variety of practices that you can use so that your poems aren’t recitations of what we already know, but move us into that “next startlement.”
Week Six
The Ode
Guest Poet: Ross Gay
“O tell us, poet, what you do? / – I praise./ But those dark, deadly, devastating ways,/ how do you bear them, suffer them?/ —I praise.”—Rainer Maria Rilke
Praise poems may arise from overflowing joy, but they can also be built from the hard labor of affirming what we treasure––even in the face of suffering and the inevitable transience of life. If the ultimate reason to write poetry is to be changed, then the praise poem is one of the fundamental paths to that transformation. You’ll develop your ability to write poems that celebrate the marvellous, exalt the humble, and reveal beauty and mystery even in the roughest times.
From Past Students
It was wonderful, beyond my wildest expectations.
Loved it. As I have a stressful, more-than-40-hr-per-week job and I’m a mother of kids in the home, I don’t have time for an MFA and I feel this workshop gives me the breadth and depth that I can’t get by reading/writing on my own.
Awesome and inspirational. Ellen is a marvelous teacher. After completing 3 series, I have recommended these to many other aspiring poets.
I have taken each of the Living Room Craft Talks. I feel as if I have been in graduate level courses. I have learned a great deal. Ellen is a gifted teacher in addition to being a gifted poet. I am grateful for the poems which Ellen provided each week and for the poems she discussed. Each of the poets who spoke to us enlighten me and delighted me. I am impressed with Ellen’s ability to give engaging lectures. I hung on each word. I appreciate the post-class notes.
I was bowled over by the amount of information included. The format was professional and worked seamlessly; it felt as immediate and close as could be achieved, short of being in the same room.
I found the series generous, focused, well-organized and presented. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Ellen and her guests, all of whom were exceptional in their ability to articulate the craft elements of their work. I found Ellen’s ability to articulate process in a clear-cut, informative way using succinct and clear language (with apt metaphor) most helpful.
It was amazing! I loved the selected poems, the discussions, the guests, everything. The remarkable Ellen Bass is the most amazing host, so thoughtful and conscientious about the audience in her pacing, deep dives, answers to questions, and the whole structure of each talk. I have learned so much from these classes – far more than any other writing classes I’ve ever taken!
Fabulous!! Every week was something to look forward to, between Ellen’s rich talks and special guests, writing hints, and so much more: I loved Ellen’s good-humored manner, her openness and seemingly endless curiosity, the extraordinary wealth of resources she brought to us.
I especially like hearing poets (as opposed to scholars) talk about poetry. Poets talk about poems from the inside out. I loved the close reading Ellen did of various poems, to illustrate points she was making, and feel I am looking at poems (my own and others’) with refreshed eyes.
This series has restored my love of poetry, and helped me appreciate poetry’s expanded and sometimes overwhelming landscape of the last few decades. Ellen’s delight in discovering how a poem works is contagious. Her self-taught lessons in how to read a poem well are at the base of all these craft talks, and have provided me with a new prism for looking at poems. This is poetry with a heart, and intelligence. This is poetry examined in an organic way, not an academic way, and I am so in need of it.
Genius. Extraordinary. Generous. Informative. The Craft Talks took me to my next level of writing. I feel as if I’ve had an MFA course.
I felt as though I got my money’s worth in Session 1 and that that couldn’t be topped, and yet week after week I learned more.
EXCELLENT, as usual! I’m overwhelmed by the preparation Ellen has done and her immense talent as a teacher. I’m a (retired) teacher myself, and know teaching brilliance when I see it! Jen makes everything run smoothly and graciously. What a duo!
Logistics for the Series
Technical Format for the Series:
The Living Room Craft Talks: The Fourth Series was originally recorded as a Zoom craft talk series. Now, it is available as a self-guided, multimedia series that is available online through a participant-only portal on this website. All access is for 90 days. See below for details.
Your Registration Email:
The email address that you enter into the billing information on the following registration pages will be the email address that is sent your confirmation email. If you wish the series materials to be sent to a different email address than the one you use for billing, please email Jen at jen@ellenbass.com and provide her with the alternative email address.
While signing up for this talk series you will be asked to be added to Ellen’s email list (this is how all of the talk series information is sent). YOU MUST DO THIS IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE THE EMAILED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ACCESS THE SERIES. You are able to cancel your subscription to Ellen’s email list at any time, but please keep in mind that if you cancel your subscription before all of the talk series’ emails are sent, you may not know how to access your subscription materials.
Emails About This Series and Your Registration:
Once your registration payment has been processed, you will be sent an automated email from jen@ellenbass.com confirming your spot in the series and giving you important information to access the series materials. If that email does not reach you within 1 hour, please check your spam, junk, promotions, or trash folders as the email could have been misdirected.
All emails about this series are sent automatically from jen@ellenbass.com. To make sure that you receive those emails, which include a confirmation with details on how to access the series materials, please add jen@ellenbass.com to your contact list before you register. Not sure how? Click the button below.
More From Past Students
Absolutely love it! Ellen is so full of wisdom and insight on the process of revision. As always, love the quotes she reads, the poems she shares, the concepts she explains. Seeing the evolution of individual poems gives me so much reassurance that my process isn’t as hopeless as I thought. When I see how these poems start as one thing and evolve into something from deep within the poet and the poem talking to the poet, that’s worth the price of admission alone.
I have learned a tremendous amount. Every class is loaded with material that is new to me. I’m excited, I’m trying new approaches to my writing and I feel like I have many tools and strategies to make my poetry more authentic, clear and engaging.
I’m learning so much helpful information and greatly appreciate Ellen’s style, spirit and teaching methods. It’s a joy to tune in weekly, to be able to listen/watch from home and to then use suggestions for homework or revision that day or the next while it’s all still fresh. More than ever, I am enjoying writing poetry as an adventure in discovery. Many of Ellen’s words stay with me as I write/revise. Her metaphors (some quite spontaneous) are wonderful and memorable. These craft talks have been the most valuable poetry classes I have attended (and there have been many).
Brilliant! Well-organized, well thought out. Ellen, your manner is engaging, inspiring, and allows for a range of experiences in writing.
You are always so positive about the joy of poetry while respecting the challenges of learning and improving. You celebrate the work of it.
I continue to be amazed with the amount of knowledge Ellen shares in such a passionate, organized way. I am inspired to write more, analyze more and read and listen more than I ever have before. The notes and citations are very helpful. I get to listen and think and jot down notes knowing I will get to hear the lessons again. The references will keep me busy forever I think
I also appreciate the price of the series. Working class background and budget does not normally leave me latitude for getting this kind of education. Your pricing is generous for your effort and skill.
I am so excited about this series – it is exactly what I needed. Ellen is an excellent teacher and so generous, warm, honest and down-to-earth. I feel like I can understand the process in an entirely new way now – in a sense I now know what I have to do to try to grow and improve.
One of the best studies of poetry I have ever experienced. Ellen is so thorough and generous. The learning has been complex, and I often review the videos more than once. The guest poets are a grace note I really enjoy, just enough of a special point of view. The exercises extend and refine the skills, and I began using them in my writing immediately. They are clear and accessible. Ellen is a great teacher and I would study with her anytime.
The course, like the first, is beyond wonderful. Ellen is a master teacher, organized, generous, funny and light – and I have been able to directly apply the lessons to my writing.
I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to study with Ellen without having to take an MFA – one of the blessings of the new realities of online learning
I am loving this set of craft talks. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The lessons are jam-packed; they stretch me while inspiring me. The explanations are clear and thoughtful and respectful. I can’t sing your praises enough.
It’s clear how much work and thought Ellen has put into [the series] and I feel I’m getting an excellent value for the fee. In addition to applying the series to my own writing, I appreciate being able to apply it to my teaching – currently, adults and 8th grade girls (in separate workshops).
Registration Options
Please read through the details for each of the registration options so that you are clear about the differences between them.
If you have questions about the Downloadable Edition and whether your device will be able to download the talks, please read the Downloading Tips and FAQs.
Full and partial scholarships available for BIPOC writers and individuals with financial need for Standard 90-Day Access only. If the price is a hardship, please email Jen at jen@ellenbass.com and tell us in 2-3 sentences what your circumstances are and what, if anything, you could pay.
Option 2: Downloadable Edition
The Downloadable Edition allows you to view the craft talks online for 90 days AND the ability to download the craft talks as MP4s to view offline on your own device. Once the MP4s are downloaded, they are yours to have and watch after your access to the website ends. Handouts are also downloadable.
Cost: $400 (US dollars)
Questions and Concerns:
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Jen at jen@ellenbass.com.
Cancellations and Refunds:
If within 72 hours of purchasing the Downloadable Edition you find that you cannot download the craft talks, contact Jen and she can move your registration to the Standard 90-Day Access option and refund you the difference. No other refunds are offered.