If you want to learn more about the strategies that you can employ to write poems that are more vivid, arresting, meaningful and complex, these series may be what you have been looking for.
In these talks, I present practical teachings that you’ll be able to put to use at whatever stage of development you’re at—whether you’re just beginning or are an experienced and published poet. Though these talks are focused on poetry, prose writers are welcome too. If you write memoir or fiction, you will find that this precise attention to language will enrich your work as well.
This is the series that started it all! The First Series covers 6 essential topics: The Art of Metaphor, Detail and Description, Creating Tension through Multiple Pressures, Controlled Chaos, Syntax, and Discovery. This foundational series provides in-depth explorations into some of the fundamental ideas and practical applications to consider whenever you begin to write a poem.
Features guest appearances by Jericho Brown, Toi Derricotte, Rick Barot, and Frank X. Gaspar.
During The Art of Revision, you’ll be studying the process of contemporary poets who have generously agreed to share their drafts. Because the process of revision is organic and can’t be separated neatly into topics, each week emphasizes several aspects of revision. Ellen will talk about some elements in an introductory way in one week and then in more depth another week. And because she responds to questions, sometimes the talks will circle back to discuss a poem or strategy that was presented in a previous week. That said, by the end of the series you’ll have had the opportunity to learn about most of the essentials.
Featuring guest appearances by Linda Gregerson, Nicole Sealey, Patricia Smith, Kwame Dawes, Danusha Laméris, and Mark Doty.
The Third Series continues the conversation about the essentials of writing poetry. It dives deep into six topics: The Turn, The Leap, Music, Dialogue, Ekphrastic Poems, and Obsessions.
Featuring guest appearances by Mark Doty, Paul Tran, Jason Schneiderman, Victoria Chang, Marie Howe, and Ross Gay.
The Fourth Series takes on some of essentials of poetry and writing about the world today. It dives deep into six topics: Sentiment & Sentimentality, Image, Line, Form, Eco-Poetry, and The Ode.
Featuring guest appearances by Ada Limón, Chris Abani, Diane Seuss, Donika Kelly, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Jane Hirshfield
The 5th Series dives deep into six topics: the Epistolary Poem, the Modern Elegy, the Sonnet, Transforming Trauma into Art, Metaphor: A Deeper Investigation, and Silences in Poetry.
Featuring guest appearances by Billy Collins, Nikky Finney, Carolyn Forché, Maria Popova, Patricia Smith, and Arthur Sze
The 6th Series dives deep into six topics: Endings; Science and Poetry; The Things of This World; Persona Poems; Location, Location, Location; and Juxtaposition
ALREADY REGISTERED FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE SERIES? Use the login and links below to navigate to the talks.